Page 14 of Ellie 3

“Really?” I whispered, thrilled beyond words. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure that you mean a lot more to me than I would have thought possible and everything is better with you around,” she said quietly. “There’s still more you don’t know and it’s complicated but…”

“But?”

She stared at my chest. “This isn’t casual or just fun anymore, and we’re kidding ourselves if we say it is or just some contract. We both know it’s more.”

“It’s more,” I agreed. I pulled her to sit up and kissed her deeply. “My answer is whatever you want, my partner. What do you need tonight, Ellie? Let me give you what you need just like you’ll give me as a partner should.”

She kissed my neck. “I don’t know what I need and I’m not playing games. I just want you—to get lost in you and feel—to feel.”

Because all of the crazy and pain was making her feel numb.

She flinched and leaned away, searching my eyes. “This is real for you too, right? You’re not just saying that because you’re worried about me or I’m upset?”

I burst out laughing, keeping her where she was when she moved like she was going to pull away. I growled and leaned over her, holding her where I wanted by fisting her hair and kissing her. Then I stared into her gorgeous golden eyes. “I laughed because I would scare you if I told you my true feelings, Ellie. Yeah, this is serious for me.”

Shock rocked me when she looked around me like witches did when they checked auras. What—could she see them? I’d never seen her look like that before.

She seemed small and scared when she met my eyes again. “I don’t—please don’t say that just because I’m—”

“I told my parents that I plan to mate you,” I confessed bluntly. “That my wolf wants to mate you and I want you to be ours.”

Her mouth fell open and she was so shocked I wondered for a moment if she was breathing. “Oh.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, so—I would never placate you on something this important.” I was trying not to sound angry, but it was hard when she was accusing me of something that harsh.

Ellie flinched and looked properly chastised. “Sorry.” She cupped my face. “I’m really sorry. Yeah, that was horrible. I just—I’m all over and then I feel okay and like I’ve got it handled and then it just hits me hard like she’shereor he’s locked up and I spin out. And then I—did you really tell them that?”

“Yes.” I let out a slow breath when she just blinked at me. “You’re not ready, but when you are there are words I want to say to you. I’m that serious.”

“Yeah, I didn’t expect that either,” she whispered. “I was just hoping that yeah, this was definitely more than sex and not like—yeah, of course you wouldn’t out us at work if it was just sex. I think I’m feeling the same for you which I can’t believe after Tommy and never feeling that, but then it’s all confusing—please shut me up.”

It took me a moment to catch up with all of that, but then I kissed her.

“Do with me what you want,” she begged when we came up for air. “I want you desperate and crazy for me. That’s what I want.”

“Then get on your knees and feed from me while you suck me off,” I growled against her lips. “You know that drives me fucking wild.”

She nodded furiously and did as I asked the moment I set her on her feet. I lost my fucking mind and played with her hair as she rocked my world with her mouth. Then she fed from me, and it was like being on another plane more than just amazing.

When she giggled from the high my blood gave her, I carried her to her bed and didn’t hold back. I mounted her and fucked her with all I had.

I tangled my fingers in her gorgeous light brown hair and pulled her up to her knees at one point, pressing my lips to her ear and saying what I’d been dying to. “You will be my mate one day, Ellie. I will claim you as mine and I will be yours. One day as far in the future as you want, but one day.”

She came. I didn’t think it was her being excited at hearing it and wanting the same but more I was so wound up and even my power dripping all over her.

But she did beg for more, so clearly she wanted me that out of control. I gave it to her. I gave her everything I had to give and then some. I completely wore myself out sating her every need and both of our desires.

She was completely done when I finished the last time, unable to keep her eyes open then. She mumbled something about there being worse fates than being my mate before she passed out. I took it as a win and snuggled up to her so my heart could chill out a bit before cleaning us both up.

Then I remembered what Mum had said and sent Ha-yun a message to apologize. I was surprised at the immediate reply forgiving me and saying she wished she’d pushed harder later when she was older so Mum understood better instead of carrying the hurt she did from being a kid. I was shocked she opened up to me.

I took it as a sign and said I felt the same sometimes, that I wanted to stop carrying that hurt and just move forward. But also sometimes it felt like if I didn’t handle things how I should then I would never actually move forward and simply repeat the same mistakes.

She agreed and said she felt like she was trapped in the same cycle and didn’t know how to break out of it.

“What’s got you so confused and with smoke coming out of your ears?” Ellie quietly asked.

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