Page 81 of Never Submit

She looks back out at the city, silent for a moment. “It’s not just Carrigan. Or Torin and Mathis,” she admits. “It’s everything. Being your mate, changing into this entirely different creature, the pack, this life…”

Her voice cracks on the last word, and it hits me like a punch to the gut.

I’ve focused so entirely on getting her back, on keeping her safe, that I haven’t stopped to consider how hard it must be for her to grapple with the situation.

She’s trembling. I don’t push her. Instead, I let my hand linger, grounding her, hoping she can feel what I can’t put into words.

“You don’t have to figure everything out tonight,” I say after a long silence. “And you don’t have to do it alone. Whatever happens, whatever changes, I’m here for you. Always.”

She looks at me again, her eyes searching mine, and for a moment I think I see something soften in her. Something like trust. “I want that to be true so badly.”

“Itistrue.”

The faint warmth of her skin against mine sends a surge of calm through the bond uniting us.

Ren may not understand what being my mate means—it’s new to me, too—but I know what I’m feeling. It doesn’t even come close to any kind ofloveI’ve felt before.

The moment stretches between us, delicate and heavy all at once. Her lips part as if to say something but no words come. Instead, she just looks at me, her guard slipping ever so slightly.

“You’re my miracle, baby,” I add as emotion clogs my voice. “Whatever happened, it brought you to me. I’m so fucking grateful.”

My wolf surges forward, yearning to comfort her, to feel her body against mine. And before I have a chance to overthink it, I close the rest of the distance between us and press my lips to hers.

The kiss is soft and tentative, testing the fragile thread between us.

But the moment she melts into it, turning to angle toward me, her hand brushing against my chest, everything else falls away. We’ve had sex before—I’ve shared her before—but this…this isdifferent.It’s just us. Vulnerable.Melting into the moment and the intensity of our wolves’ connection.

My tongue pushes past her lips to deepen the kiss, and a low growl rumbles from my chest. She doesn’t hesitate before her fingers curl into my shirt as if holding on for dear life.

The soft sound she makes—a mix between a sigh and a whimper—sets my blood on fire.

How in the fucking world did I deserve this creature?

I slide my hand to her jaw, tilting her head back to claim her completely. To taste her, absorb her. Devour her.

Ren’s lips are soft and warm, but the way she kisses me back, all heat and urgency, ignites something primal inside me.

The noise of the city fades away, the groan of the wind becoming only a hum, and the distant lights blur as if the world itself knows this moment belongs to us. There is nothing and no one else.

I press her against the balcony rail, the cool metal biting against my palms as I cage her in. The scent of her—a mix of jasmine, vanilla, and something purely hers—floods my senses and drowns out everything else.

It takes every ounce of self-control not to lose myself entirely.

“Noble,” she breathes against my lips, her voice trembling.

“Ren,” I murmur back, my forehead resting against hers as our breaths tangle in the cold night air.

Her eyes flicker with the intensity I feel in my own chest. The mate bond is a connection so raw it’s overwhelming.

Girlfriends in the past haven’t come close to this feeling. Not even comparable.

My hands drift to her waist, sliding beneath her shirt to touch her skin. Her shiver at my touch sends a thrill skittering through me.

Her body arches into mine, her nails digging into my shoulders, and I swear I feel her wolf pushing closer, begging for me to take her. Now.

Her lips find mine again, harder this time, her urgency matching my own. There’s no hesitation. Only pure need. My teeth graze her lower lip, and she gasps, her fingers tugging me closer.

Even this high up, the balcony feels far too exposed, but I can’t bring myself to stop. Not when she’s looking at me like this. Like I’m the only thing keeping her grounded.

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