Page 25 of When Embers Become Ashes

“Shh baby, it’s just me. Go back to sleep. You’re safe.” Ren pulls me into his chest, and I fall into a deep sleep.

I startle awake. The sky is still pitch black.

I feel Ren against my back, but he waits for my breathing to slow before saying anything, just lays running a soothing hand up and down my side, until I start to relax.

“Tell me what you need, Emmy.” I turn to look at him, really look. His brown hair is still wild but now shorter on the sides, long enough to run my fingers through the top. He's lost the baby face and is all chiseled jaw and defined muscles. He has stubble covering his cheeks, giving him that lazy Sunday afternoon in bed look. I sigh,

“Your girlfriend won’t be happy you’re in here.” I'm flat on my back before I can move away from him.

The 6-foot 6-inch grumpy Alpha is now above me, his thighs pinning me to the bed as he straddles my hips, his left hand supporting his weight next to my head and his right cuffing my throat. He leans in so our noses are almost touching, and his voice takes on a growl full of Alpha dominance,

“I don’t have a girlfriend. Since I was four years old, I’ve known who I was destined for, and no female has tasted my kiss, felt the caress of my touch or the heat of my body against theirs as only one female is worthy of me.” He leans closer, his lips brushing my ear, his breath heating my skin.

“Now, my Luna, tell me who hurt you and why you were chanting no, don’t touch me in your sleep.” My thighs clench as I feel and hear the possessiveness in his demand. I've never touched myself before, never felt the need to, but I may have to, or at least have a cold shower.

“Before I came here, I got hurt., that’s why I was in the hospital” I don’t look into his eyes, and I hope that will suffice, but it doesn’t. He squeezes my throat a little, so I carry on with a sigh, closing my eyes with shame,

“I have a claw mark from my right shoulder to my left knee. I was getting away, but he started to shift. H…He injected m...me with something that m...made me w...woozy and t...tried to....to.” I can’t say it. Tears fall, and I shake my head. I can feel Ren has gone stone still.

“He tried to rape you?” he inhales as he says the word rape but continues after a beat.

“He tried to rape my mate?” His weight changes on me, and his voice goes softer.

“You will tell me who! But not right now!” He moves so he’s between my legs, his weight on his elbows on either side of my head. My core is pulsing from the feel of him against me, not all shifters have Knots only Alpha Wolves, and I can feel his pulsing in time with his heart against my core.

“Open your eyes, baby,” his voice has gone from Alpha Bark to soft request, and now it’s a fucking croon,

“Emmy baby, I need you to tell me how to banish your bad dream so you can rest as you need.” As he speaks, his lips brush my forehead, eyelids, cheeks, and nose everywhere but my lips. I need something, some form of relief.... deep breath, Ember, internal pep talk for the win!

“I can still feel his hands on me.” My voice is shaky but good, Ember. Keep going, open your eyes for him.

“he never got under my clothes, but he was rough and left bruises.” Ren shifts to only lean on his left arm as I open my eyes. His thumb strokes my cheek,

“Where did he touch you? Will you let me replace it with my touch?” I hold his gaze as Pine flashes in his eyes as he speaks. Before I have time to second-guess myself, I nod but make a request before answering his questions

“Kiss me! Be the first, please!” Ren starts to purr again, but his lips touch mine. He starts slow and shy, but with my gasp when I feel his tongue against my lip, every nerve ending in my body seems to light up, and with the moan that slips out of me, his kiss becomes a claim.

I feel my whole body submit to him. As he pulls back, I whimper slightly, but he doesn’t go far. He rests his forehead on mine, once his breathing has slowed, his lips still brushing mine as he speaks,

“Fuck baby!” he swallows some more breaths.

“Goddess baby, you are everything! It is taking so much to keep Pine locked down, as he wants our mark on you.” He kisses me again. This time, his hands roam, stroking my breasts. He circles my nipple with his thumb through my shirt, making me gasp,

“Did he touch you here?” he whispers against my lips. With my nod, as I don’t think I can speak right now, he pulls my shirt up, revealing my perk breasts with a moan, he lowers his mouth to my nipple. Using his tongue to circle the peaked bud. As he starts to suck the bud into his mouth, his thumb begins to circle my other nipple. My hips give an involuntary buck, grinding on his hard thick length, which causes us both to moan at the action, he switches which bud is in his mouth, and his free hand slides into my panties to cup my ass, urging me to keep grinding up into him.

“Did he touch your delicious ass, baby?” I nod and start to regret it as he lets me go and goes up on his knees. His cock is tenting his boxers as he slides his hand down to cup my core. He puts his hand in his boxers and moves his cock so it’s facing up and the tip now peeking out the top. He squeezes himself, and I see precum seep from his tip.

“What about here?” he asks with a sneer but swipes the precum with his thumb and then swipes it around my nipple, getting another moan from me. I nod, but I still can't find words. He snaps my panties off in one quick motion and falls forward, kissing me like only I can give him oxygen.

“Can I taste you, Ember? I want your cum on my tongue.” I finally find my voice.

“Please, Ren, I need... I need....” what do I need? I don’t know, I try to think, and then I work it out, I need him, just him

“You, I need you.” I manage to voice, then my voice leaves me to fend for myself once again. I manage to suck in a breath before I even realize he’s slipped down my body, then I feel his tongue trace over my folds.

“Oh fuck,” I breathe, I feel his chuckle, and his hands are back cupping my ass. I don’t have time to be conscious of how big it is, but I do take note. His hands cup each cheek like they were made for each other, he feasts on me like he hasn’t eaten since we were 6 years old, he alternates between thrusting his tongue inside me and nibbling on my clit, one of my hands ends up in his hair as he flattens his tongue and licks from my core to my clit in one smooth slow motion, I can see the smirk in his eyes, he repeats the motion five times but gets quicker adding an extra flick with his tongue as he reaches my clit, one hand slides from my ass his pinky finger brushing over my rear hole, getting a gasp from me, he slips his middle finger inside me, giving three slow pumps.

“Play with those tits, baby, pinch those nipples, pluck them till they're sore and need my mouth to soothe them, get as much of them in your small hands as you can and squeeze! Fuck baby, you’re so tight!” He gives me a few more pumps, leaning up to kiss my lips,

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