Page 57 of Make Me Bleed

The vampires will have fled, each gossiping about what happened to Dyea. If a shifter decides to come snooping, that’s on them. This is my territory, and if I want to mate my bear out here behind my house, then I’m going to do it.

Besides, nudity isn’t a big deal to shifters. Neither is the actual act of mating. It’s natural, and as possessive as Hank is at the moment, it’s not like anyone will be able to see me. Not when he finally uses his big body to cover my back…

I arch mine, sticking my ass out in invitation to do just that.

And then, in a voice that rings with truth, I tell him, “You’re me beloved. You always have been, Hank, but until I wear your bite on my throat, something could happen. I don’t want to lose you. I want you to be mine.”

“I’vealwaysbeen yours.”

That’s also true. Even before we met, I held part of myself back for him. And Hank? He heldeverythingback for me.

Until now.

A shifter’s instincts are powerful things. He’s managed to do what he could, keeping his distance in a misguided attempt to be the type of male he thought I needed. But coming down from his bear’s rage while his willing mate is bent over, waiting for him to mount here?

Hank is a good male. A strong male. Kind and generous, protective andmine.

He’s also a predatory shifter who is hard-wired to find his mate, claim her, and keep her.

The heat of his bare chest sears me through the top of my dress as he shoves his knees up against the boulder, caging my legs in when he braces his on the outside of mine. He bows over me, just like I thought; this moment in time, his mate vulnerable andwantingis for Hank alone. No one can see me, though he does brace his big body up on his left elbow to keep from crushing me with his weight.

WIth his right hand, he angles his cock so that he can insert himself right where he belongs. I shift my position when I feel the blunt head lodging at my entrance. I’m so hot, so wet, soslickthat I take the first few inches easily. He’s stillhuge, thought, and thicker than I thought. Either that, or the last year of celibacy has led to me being tight and used to the intrusion.

It doesn’t hurt, though, and if I did? I would never let him know. He’s already groaning softly as he holds himself in place, as if me taking as much as I have is all he needs.

Oh, no. I can do better than that.

Relax, Elise. I take a deep breath, reminding myself that this is it. This is my forever. This is the moment I’ve waited thirty-four years for, and thought this is all new to Hank, this is an epiphany to me.

This male was made to be mine. Fate gave him to me.

I cantakehim.

I rear back, pushing up against him. At the same time, he can’t keep himself from shoving just enough to seat nearly his entire cock inside of me. He roars my name when he bottoms out, and I grin against the rock.

See. I knew I could.

I start to rock when Hank stays still. If he thinks my pussy giving him a hug is nice, the friction is even better, and the both of us start panting in rhythm as his instincts guide him to start fucking me for real.

“I love you, darlin’,” he grunts. “I always have. I always will. Fate made you mine. Now I’m doin’ the same.”

The claws on his left hand scrabble against the bolder, carving out divots as he grips it tightly instead of clutching me as he picks up his rhythm. I love seeing how wild this makes him, and I squeeze, laughing in delight when the roar that tears out of his throat could rival the one that escaped before he challenged Julian.

“Not yet, honey,” I coo, slowing down when I sense that he’s going faster. He’s chasing his orgasm, and while normally I’d have to point out that my lover has forgotten to make sure I come first, I’m still feeling mighty magnanimous over how hard he got me to climax earlier with just his tongue. Now that he’ll well and truly be mine, I’ll have to teach him everything I like, but that can wait.

After all, we’ll have forever…

Drips of sweat fall from his forehead as he lowers his head, pressing his forehead to that back of my hair. “Wait, darlin’? You expect me towait? I’ll do anything for you, but I think that might be askin’ too much.”

Maybe, but there’s something I need first—and if he wants his bear to recognize the shifter mate bond at the same time as my vampire side does, so does he.

“Bite me,” I command. “Make me bleed.”

Hank freezes for a moment, jerking his head up, his body straining over mine. Just like me, he knows what I’m asking now. I’m asking for everything.

I’m asking for him to make me his mate.

To accept that he’s my beloved.

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