Page 19 of Bonded Beyond Trickery

Tilly jerks so hard that she almost trips over her feet, but I steady her.

Her voice is barely audible as she asks, “What?”

I smirk down at my mate before leading her out of the kitchen and toward the stairs that will take us to the floor where my, our, Alpha suite is. I should probably put her in the guest room in the suite, but I don’t think I’ll survive it if I do.

Since Tilly is busy gawking at me, she doesn’t notice that I’ve led her upstairs, into my suite, and right into the bedroom that we’ll be sharing. Only when the door is closed firmly behind us, and we’re alone do I speak again.

“You heard me,” my voice is husky and filled with need.

Tilly makes a choking sound, her surroundings coming into focus for her. “Where are we?” She shakes her head before peering at me. “No, first, I want to make sure I heard you correctly and then we’ll talk about where we are.”

I step into my mate’s space, so close that the heat from her body buffets against me. “I waited for you, Tilly.” She swallows hard before wonderment fills her eyes. “And as far as where we are, we’re in the Alpha suite.”

Tilly narrows her eyes, an accusation in her gaze. “We’re not just in the Alpha suite. We’re in your room.”

“Our,” my voice is soft and coaxing. “Our room.”

“Our room?” Tilly’s eyes become glassy, and she launches herself at me without any warning. I catch her easily, loving the way it feels to have her body pressed against mine. She buries her face in my neck, the tingles from where we’re touching almost bringing me to my knees. “I waited for you too, my mate,”she murmurs against my skin. “Whitaker,” she moans, a plea in her voice, “I need you.”

I still because that’s the last thing I expected her to say. She should be tearing into me for not announcing to the pack that I’ve found my mate, their Luna. She should be pissed at the blatant disrespect Cassidy just showed. She should be asking more questions about my past instead of taking my word for it.

But she doesn’t do any of that.

Her acceptance and trust in me wash over me. Even though she chose to hide her scent from me, our bond isn’t damaged. It’s thrumming with life and begging to be completed.

My wolf salivates as my hand slides down her back and my voice drops an octave, “You ache, little wolf?”

“Fuck,” she groans, “yes.”

My chuckle is deep and dark as I stride over to the bed and gently place my mate down on it. It’s still disheveled from when I left it this morning.

Shit, was that only mere hours ago after I spent all night tossing, turning, and unable to force my mind, to rest because I was consumed with thoughts of my mate?

Even though our past still lays between us, unmoving and silent, I know we’ll get past it. I have to trust and it’s time, for the first time in my life, for me to take a leap. Somehow, I know it’ll be a first for her as well in more ways than one.

My gaze locks with my mate’s, but we don’t need to see. We only need to feel. My hands slide over her body as hers do mine. The clothing hiding our flesh seems to melt away, the cloth strewn around the room because of need that we can’t name or quantify.

Only when we’re both stripped and naked in front of each other does it feel like I can breathe deeply. And when I do, it’s her scent filling my lungs. From the way her pupils are dilated, her wolf peeking out at me through those orbs, I know she’s experiencing the same as I am.

I cover her body with mine, giving her my weight, as her legs part and her hips cradle me against her. We fit. Fucking perfectly.

“Tilly,” I groan, “are you sure?”

“I’ve never doubted our mating, Whitaker. I’ve always wanted you. I’m sorry if my choices caused you doubt and have you holding back. I’m sorry,” her words drip with regret and sincerity. “I wanted you the moment I saw you, but I needed to be worthy of you, of this pack, of the position. The need to be useful, to be the best I could be, drove me. My only regret now is that my choice meant that I didn’t have faith in you and has hurt you.”

Something, maybe fear, unlocks inside of me. It feels like flying. Freedom, pure and unadulterated, pulses through my blood and sings in my soul.

Her.

She is my freedom and my salvation. I’ll never sacrifice when it comes to her, pack be damned. I know it just as deeply as I know that I need to be buried inside of her.

I don’t ask if she’s sure again. I don’t need to.

With a tilt of my hips, my length slides between my mate’s slick pussy lips. Her back arches, presenting her pink tipped tits to me like a fucking feast. My lips hover over her nipple, hardand begging for my mouth, and murmur, “I should take my time with you, make sure you can take me.”

“I’m your mate,” she snarls, her need evident, “I can take you. We’ll fit together perfectly.”

“Fuck,” I bark.

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