Page 56 of Owning His Mate

I silence her with a kiss, and she melts against me for a moment before pushing me back with two hands on my chest. “You can’t just shut me up by kissing me,” she complains even as her cheeks flush with pleasure.

“We nearly died. I’m going to kiss you every chance I get.”

I lean in to claim her mouth again, but this time she presses her fingers over my lips. “Savannah… Kye, are we keeping her?”

I feel her love for this little pup already blossoming through the bond and her desire to take care of her. I would do anything for Apryle. Anything.

“Of course we’re keeping her. She’s ours,” I tell her, brushing her hair from her face as I lock to her pretty eyes. “Now can I fuck my mate?”

A grin tugs at her lips even as she rolls her eyes at me. “One track mind.”

“Is that a yes?”

She nods.

I make sweet, slow, and steady love to her this time, using every available moment to explore her body thoroughly.

After I spill my seed into her waiting pussy, I pull her on top of me and wrap the blanket around us both. Her cheek presses against my chest, as if she’s listening to the beat of my heart and in this moment, I feel more complete than I ever have. All these years I have been existing, but Apryle makes me feel finally alive.

“Are you okay?” I ask as I trace circles on her back.

“For the first time in a long time, yeah, I am. I’m not that scared girl anymore, Kye,” she says, pulling back a little. “That’s why I want to fight. I don’t want anyone else to suffer what I have. We have to stop the Order and all these other assholes who want to hurt us.”

Her explanation resonates with me in a way I didn’t expect. I want to protect her from danger, but this is part of her healing journey.

“Then I’ll be at your side every step of the way.” Her smile makes everything fade into the background.

“I know.”

I pick her up bridal-style and carry her into the bathroom. I’ve never taken care of anyone before, not like this, but I want to do this for her. Her eyes are locked to mine as I let the water get warmer before I guide her under the spray.

Joining her in the cubicle, I wet her hair before I shampoo it. She doesn’t stop me or try to help me, lost in her ownthoughts, and I try to keep my mind neutral so she can’t sense my tumultuous feelings through the bond.

“Thank you,” she says.

“For what?”

“Taking care of me.”

Fuck, she doesn’t have to thank me for that. She rolls to her tiptoes and presses a kiss to my mouth, the water pelting off both of us as we stand under the spray. I kiss her back like she is the air in my lungs. Every inch of my body feels alive when she’s with me, and knowing she is safe in my arms gives me a peace I haven’t felt for a long time.

When we pull apart, both of us are breathless, and as much as I want to be inside her and claim her again, it’s not what she needs. I finish washing the soap from her hair and cleanse her body and mine before I turn the water off.

Grabbing a towel, I tuck it around her slender body, noticing a few new bruises from our capture.

“We’re in this together,” I tell her as I wrap another towel around my hips and lead her into the bedroom.

After taking my time to dry her, I help her into a pair of my sweatpants and a sweater that hangs off her frame. Apryle lets me take care of her, like a mate should, but when I start to dress myself, she takes over, and she looks after me the same way I did her.

My heart is racing as her fingers skim over my body, and I can’t resist kissing her with a mindless desperation that leaves her lips swollen.

I want to fuck her, show her with my body everything I can’t say with just words, but I can sense she’s eager to see Savannah, and I can’t resist doing whatever will make her happy.

Apryle is attached to the girl already, and Savannah seems to like her—and me—just as much. I never considered pups before. As much as I want to see Apryle in heat, my cock swelling intoa knot to bind us together, the thought of having a child now scares me. Our world is too dangerous to bring young into it, and I wouldn’t subject any child to this, but if we can destroy the Order, maybe we can make things safe enough that we can have a normal life as a mated pair.

When we step into her old building, a ruckus greets us. A couple of members of her coven and of the small pack led by Cade are gathered in the communal living area. Everyone stops to look at us, and Apryle grabs my hand in hers, as if she needs the support. I give her a squeeze, letting her know I’m by her side no matter what. She will never be alone a moment of her life again.

Roux smiles at our joined hands and exchanges a glance with Halle, who grins, but my attention is captured by the small bundle rushing at us.

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