Page 26 of August

August murmured in his sleep and pulled her a little closer.

She smiled to herself and let her fingers play over the scarred mark. No matter how much she shifted for the rest of her life, the mark would remain, like a wedding ring that couldn’t be taken off.

She was all in with August now. She wasn’t going to run to try to keep him safe; she was going to stand with him and fight back if her grandfather or any other jackals showed up to get her. It scared her a little, knowing that she may never fully be able to relax or feel entirely safe, but it scared her more to think of leaving August behind.

Now that they were mated, now that they wore each other’s marks and she knew what it felt like to roll around naked with him?

She absolutely wasn’t going anywhere without him.

Maybe in time her grandfather would decide she wasn’t worth the trouble.

She also kind of hoped he might just die. It warred with her to wish harm on someone, even someone as evil as her grandfather, but how would she and August ever truly be safe as long as he lived?

All she could do was live her life and make a home with August. She wouldn’t spend the precious minutes of her life worrying about what her grandfather might do because she couldn’t hope to guess his crazy mind.

But she could be alert and watchful, she could have August’s back the way he had hers, and she could focus on the future.

One that was going to be filled with love and, someday, with kids.

Little jackals and gorillas, running around freely in the paddocks without care.

August pressed his lips to her neck and curled a little more tightly around her.

“You smell amazing in the morning,” he said with a growl.

She shivered again as his lips touched her mark. “I was just thinking about the future.”

“What about it?”

“Building a life here in the park with you, and having kids running around.”

He nipped at her throat. “I want that too.”

She rolled in his arms and kissed him. They were both naked, their bodies pressed tightly together as she slid her leg over his hip and pulled herself close. “I want…”

She feathered her lips over his then across his jaw.

His hands tightened, his fingers digging into her.

“Want what?” he prompted.

“You,” she said.

“You’ve got me.”

She tilted her face to his for a kiss, then rolled away and got up. “Join me in the shower, sexy. I’m starving, but I want to start the day with a couple of orgasms.”

She gave him a wink and sauntered to the bathroom.

“Just a couple?” he called after her.

“To start,” she said with a chuckle, turning on the water.

He was behind her a moment later, his hands on her hips as he kissed his way up her spine.

“You first, sweetheart,” he said.

She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Me first, what?”

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