Dakota moaned and tangled her fingers in his hair as he continued downward, exploring every inch of her body with his lips and tongue. He devoured her with a fierce passion that made her squirm and writhe beneath him. She had never experienced such intense pleasure before.
"Your scent drives me wild," he growled, before delving between her legs. His tongue danced over her throbbing clit, sending waves of pleasure coursing through her body. She had been deprived of this kind of pleasure for far too long, but Landon knew exactly how to make her scream.
Unlike others before him who had been selfish lovers, Landon was solely focused on satisfying Dakota's desires. He expertly worked his way back up to her swollen nub, bringing her to another explosive climax before plunging his fingers deep inside her core, curling them just right to hit all the right spots.
Dakota was lost in a haze of pleasure as Landon's skilled mouth and hands drove her wild. Her previous lover was not skilled in the art of oral pleasure, but Landon knew just how to make her explode with delight.
"Good girl," he rumbled against her thigh, setting off another round of shivers through her body.
As he positioned himself between her legs, she felt the hard length of him pressing against her entrance. And when he finally filled her completely, she knew she had never been so thoroughly satisfied. Landon moved with a confident rhythm that left no doubt that he knew how to please a woman. Each thrust brought her closer to the edge, and when she begged him again to claim her, he obliged with powerful, primal thrusts.
He gripped her tightly as he increased his pace, driving her body into a frenzy of pleasure. She wrapped her legs around him, taking in every inch of his hard staff. And when he sank his teeth into her neck, marking her as his own, she was driven over the edge one last time as they both found release in each other's embrace.
The claiming bite stung in a way that transcended pain, a sacred mark that signified her place in his life, in the pack, and in the world of shifters she was now part of. There was no shock of transformation, no convulsion of change—she had always beena wolf, and her body accepted the claim as if it were a missing piece finally slotted into place.
As Landon's essence flowed into her, mingling with her own, something unexpected occurred. Deep within him, a stirring began, an awakening of latent power that coursed through his veins like wildfire. Unbeknownst to either of them, Dakota's heritage belonged to an ancient and powerful dire wolf line. With the claiming, her superior genetics had not only embraced the bond but also shared their gifts with Landon.
He shuddered above her, a tremor that spoke of transformations unseen. Dakota reached up to touch his face, tracing the lines of strain that even pleasure couldn't erase. As his cock stiffened inside her, he began to move again, each thrust bringing them closer to the edge; there was an undercurrent of something wilder, more powerful than before.
"Are you okay?" she murmured, concern threading through the haze of her arousal.
"Better than okay," he grunted, his voice rough with emotion and a burgeoning strength that mirrored her own.
They climaxed together, a crescendo of sensation that seemed to shake the very foundation of the earth. In the aftermath, as they clung to each other, panting and spent, the reality of what had just occurred settled around them like dust after a storm. They were claimed, connected by a bond that was as mysterious as it was unbreakable.
CHAPTER 17
LANDON
He rolled from Dakota’s body, pulling her close and listening as their breath returned to normal.
“That was intense,” she sighed.
Landon chuckled. “One thing about being wolf is that all your senses are far more acute.”
“What else?”
“You age less quickly, your enhanced metabolism not only gives you better health, but you can pretty much eat what you want and maintain your weight. And you can shift from human.”
She sat up, looking down at him. “Can we do it again? The run?”
He grinned. The cool night air was heavy with anticipation and a kind of magic. The full moon bathed the hills in a silvery light, illuminating Dakota’s tense form as they made their way outside and beyond the main compound. Her arms were crossed as she stood beside him, her eyes fixed on the horizon, but the uncertainty radiating from her was impossible to miss.
He laughed. He could feel her eagerness to embrace this new part of herself. He knew this was uncharted territory for her—hell, it was for him too. But the primal urge to run with his mate couldn’t be ignored and urged him onward.
She drew a deep breath, and the two of them removed their clothes and moved into the open field, the tall grass swaying in the breeze. The moment felt electric, as if the world itself held its breath.
Landon closed his eyes, centering himself, calling to the wolf within. The shift had always come naturally to him—a seamless merging of his two halves. But tonight, something felt different. The usual spark of transformation ignited with an intensity that made his skin hum.
Beside him, Dakota gasped. He opened his eyes to see her enveloped in a swirling mist that rolled up from the ground, charged with streaks of lightning and shards of color that danced through the air. The mist crackled with life, wrapping around her as if recognizing her for the first time.
Landon’s own shift began, the mist rising to engulf him as well. Thunder rumbled overhead and within the maelstrom itself, vibrating through his core, and the world seemed to tilt. This wasn’t like any shift he’d experienced before. The energy coursing through him was wild, untamed, and far stronger than he’d ever felt. The mist grew denser, obscuring everything around him until there was nothing but the storm of light and sound.
When the mist finally dissipated, Landon shook himself, his senses sharper than ever. The ground beneath his paws felt different—more solid, more alive. He turned to look at Dakota and froze.
He still had trouble accepting that she was no ordinary she-wolf. She was massive, her dark fur gleaming with a faint silver sheen under the moonlight. Her golden eyes, wide with wonder, were filled with both fear and exhilaration. She was stunning.
Landon shook his head. His mate was a dire wolf. And then, with a jolt, he felt the change in himself. When he shifted, his body was larger, his muscles more powerful, his fur thicker. Hemoved, testing his limbs, and the truth settled in his chest. Her DNA—her ancient lineage—had rewritten his own. He wasn’t just a wolf anymore. He was a dire wolf too.