Page 52 of Wolf Marked

“You did the best you could. You came back. You tried.” Her voice was as gentle as her touch. “Mikel believed in you for a reason. He loved you. Give yourself some more credit.”

A smile snuck across his lips. Mikel had loved him like a father would a son. He had done so much for him, despite Erec’s hesitation and self-doubt. He’d always been there. “He always seemed to understand. Every time, he welcomed me back without questions, without punishment or speeches. Every time.”

“Father used to talk very highly of him,” she replied. “I wish I could have met him.”

Erec’s smile bloomed into a full grin at the thought. “He would have liked you. I know it.”

Astrid’s gaze drifted up to the dark night sky, and her mouth turned down at thecorners. When she lay back again, her sorrow flowed across the pack bond and stroked Erec’s aura with icy fingers. Following her line of sight, he realized she was staring at Vallor, and his heart clenched. He knew exactly what she was thinking. She missed her mother, and with her father’s health and delusions, how could the stars symbolize anything other than sadness from now on?

Erec snaked an arm behind her head and drew her close. She didn’t pull away, only leaned into his hold until her entire body pressed against his and her cheek rested on top of his chest.

“You know…” he murmured against her hair as a buried memory resurfaced. “Mikel used to tell me a story whenever I would get upset about my parents. He would tell me that when our kind died, the sky spirits would bring us home to live beside the moon. The souls became stars. And whenever I felt lonely or angry, all I had to do was look up and know my parents were there, watching me, guiding me, until we could be together again.”

Even though he couldn’t see her face, he could feel her cheeks lifting as she smiled.

“That’s beautiful,” she whispered. The warmth of her breath fanned across his bare torso. “Do you think Vallor was once a real wolf, too?”

“He could have been,” he replied. “But I think he gave up his place in the night sky for your mother. Maybe your father has just found her soul among the stars.”

Astrid’s aura pulsed as her happiness grew. “Mother would be the brightest star. Just like she was in life.” She tilted her head up to meet his gaze. “Thank you, Erec.”

The moment their eyes met, a different sensation washed over him through their pack bond. It was a heat that seemed to reach out and stroke his skin, leaving warm kisses wherever it touched.

For some reason, the feeling made Erec’s body ease. Even his wolf calmed as the warmth enveloped him in a soothing embrace. He’d never felt such a powerful emotion before, but he had a good guess as to what it could be.

Love.

Astrid loved him.

Erec’s heart hammered with excitement. Despite everything he wasn’t, Astrid loved him. She hadn’t said the words, but she didn’t need to; he felt it. The heat radiating between them was as intense as the summer sun, as if their spirits had finally accepted each other completely. As if their souls had claimed their mate.

Erec grinned, his entire being buzzing with new power. She was the one destined forhim.

Then Astrid’s desire rocketed through the pack bond; the power of it smacked into him so hard and fast, it stole his breath away. It showed itself in her darkening gaze, too, making Erec’s pulse race for a different reason.

In the next second, Astrid was on top of him, her mouth claiming his with an urgency that surprised him. The night of the dance, when he had followed her into her tent, Erec hadn’t expected Astrid to be as demanding as she was. She had met his challenge, matching his movements and appetite perfectly. And although it had shocked him at first, he quickly realized he had loved seeing this side of her. Aggressive. Needing. Dominating.

Her kiss was just as breathtaking as before. Hard and eager. And it stirred something primal in him. Because of their nakedness from the shift, his length was already pressing into the most private part of her, and the closeness was tempting already. Just a slight move of the hips and he could be inside, enjoying the mesmerizing feel of her warmth around him. Erec’s hands settled on her hips, but before he could wiggle a little and take her, she broke the kiss and stared down at him, her green eyes ablaze with her arousal.

“You didn’t let me taste you last time,” she said, voice low and dangerous. “It’s my turn.”

“Oh?” There was something about her words that made him tremble with longing. During their first time together, he had wanted nothing more than to give her pleasure in every way she craved.

Astrid began to leave searing kisses along his jaw, neck, and down his chest as she traveled the length of his body. Their eyes remained locked, her gaze a fiery beacon of green, and when her lips pressed against his hip bone, he jumped a little. He was so hard and ready for her, it hurt.

Then she took the tip of his manhood into her mouth, and every nerve ending sparked to life. Fire laced his veins, and he moaned as his vision fogged. Her tongue swirled around him, and she took him deeper into her mouth, sucking hard.

He teetered on the edge of climaxing right then, but he held back. There was no way Astrid was getting away with just this. He wanted more. Much more. Especially now that he knew how she felt about him.

If this was just a sample of what life was going to be like with her, then Erec had found paradise.

She continued to tease him, pulling him deeper into her throat and sliding up to the tip. Watching her movements was enough to break his control, so he closed his eyes briefly.

“You’re driving me crazy, Astrid.” His voice was more like a desperate groan than anything else.

“Good,” she replied when she lifted her head. She flashed him a wicked grin. But when she dipped her mouth to take him again, Erec sat up and grabbed her arm.

“If you keep that up, we won’t be able to do much else,” he warned. “Come up here.”

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