Page 45 of The Wolf's Pregnant Rejected Mate

Ryder’s heart warmed at her words, but he pressed a finger on her lips. As much as he wanted to hear exactly what she had to say, it would be too easy to back out of this.

“Don’t tell me anything else,” he murmured. “It’s all right. I know that you don’t hate me. Not anymore, at least. And I can’t blame you for hating me for so long.”

Tess shook her head. “I can’t blame you for rejecting me. I did, but I can’t anymore. We barely knew each other. I’d built a fantasy of you in my head. If you had accepted me, we’d have been miserable.”

Ryder turned over her hands in his. “I was afraid. I left and joined the military because I could feel myself getting angry and bitter. I saw the way the men of this pack treated their mates. Saw the way everyone treated my mother and sister. And I found myself echoing their attitudes. I didn’t want to be that sort of man. I had to leave.”

“And it was only through becoming an outcast that I found my own strength. So I suppose in the end, it all worked out.” Tess’s lips trembled as she tried to smile. “Until now.”

“I have to do this. For the sake of the pack.” He touched her belly. “For the sake of our child. The pack is living in fear, and those demons are targeting you specifically. We need the intel. We need to get an inside look into how they’re organized and what their goals are.”

Tess shuddered. “They might use that Demon Seed on you.”

“The talisman will protect me.”

“They might kill you.”

Ryder gave her a cocky grin. “They can try. But you know I’m a stubborn bastard. I’m not going to go down the easily.”

“That you are.” Tess let out a ragged sigh. “I want you to take extra precautions. I won’t be a part of the scene planned for tonight unless you do.”

“What extra precautions?”

“Get another talisman implanted. At least one,” she amended. “Preferably two or three. Or do what Blayke was telling Elin about and get the protections tattooed somewhere.”

Ryder chuckled. “One is enough.”

“Nope. It’s not.” Tess lifted her chin stubbornly. “You’re going to have more implanted to make sure that if one breaks, there will be others there. And even if they don’t break, the demons could cut them out of you. And then where will you be?”

Ryder grew sober. She had a good point. “Okay. I’ll have more implanted.”

Tess nodded, letting out a shaky breath.

As he stared at her beautiful face, his wolf howled. “There’s just one more thing I want to ask from you.”

“What?”

Ryder cupped her face in his hand. “One more sparring match.”

Tess’s eyes widened slightly. Her mouth opened slightly. She leaned into his touch, her eyes never leaving his as she nodded. Ryder started to smile when Tess leaned forward. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself up to her tiptoes, kissing him deeply.

The desperation in her kiss matched the emotions sweeping through him. He grabbed her, pushing her up against the wall to grind himself against her. Every resolve he’d made to keep his emotions boxed away broke instantly.

“Tess,” he moaned into her mouth. “I want you.”

“I want you, too,” she answered, her fingers fumbling with the buttons on his shirt. “I want to be close to you.”

Ryder moved to her neck, nipping at her beautiful skin. He didn’t care if he marked her—fuck, he wanted to mark her. He wanted everyone who looked at her to know exactly how fucking lucky he was that she allowed him to touch her. Her body was soft and warm, her passionate moans running straight to his core. He hardened, his pants too tight to contain him. The bed called out to them, and he turned their bodies, walking Tess toward it as they continued to frantically undress one another.

They fell onto the bed together, kicking off the last vestiges of clothing. Ryder cupped her in his hand, finding his way to her clit. He tested a few experimental strokes, watching her expression to ensure he found the right place. She gasped, arching her back, and he knew he’d found it. He circled her clit with his thumb as he slid two fingers into her.

“Ryder,” she moaned, her head falling back. “That feels so fucking good. You can’t imagine.”

Ryder laughed, her swearing unexpected. “You have no idea how fucking good you look when you’re clenched around my fingers.”

Tess took hold of his shoulders and stared into his eyes, her legs open and welcoming him in. The look on her face took his breath away. Though their movement remained still frantic and quick, something shifted between them. As he brought his mouth to hers, he tasted her more deeply. Her scent enveloped him, pulled him in like an embrace.

This wasn’t just sex today. They were making love.

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