Page 82 of Smoke and Blood

She watched him rub a thumb over the smooth, gold ring.Morlie was glad after her first shift to wake up and discover the necklace was unbroken and still around her neck.Thankfully, Kai had placed the ring on a long cord.

“Should I be worried this was a gift from some old lover?”Stoic, blue eyes held hers.

His expression was blank, and his mind empty.Morlie couldn’t tell how he felt about the ring.She reached up and traced the edges of the gold, not taking it from him.“You know I’ve had no other lover before you, mate.”

“A lover of the heart is more of a concern.”There was no heat in his gaze and his tone.

“No reason for you to be concerned there, either.The love connected to that wedding ring belonged to my mother.A symbol of my parents.Kai kept our father’s.”She slipped her finger into the ring as he held it.The leather strap let it fit her left ring finger perfectly.She was so small in frame and size, usually making the ring too loose for her to wear.“I miss them.I was too young when they died.I don’t have nearly the memories as Kai.”

“But, you have them in your heart, and there’s no count of time when it comes to love and loss.I’m sorry you lost them.”

She heard the sincerity of his words.

There was quiet that settled between them for a moment.

When she began to wiggle her finger out of the ring, Chanin grabbed her hand, preventing her from removing it.She glanced at him, tipping her head, curious at his resistance.

“Is this something you want?”His question was quiet, but his gaze held hers, searching.

“The ring?To keep it?”She hoped that wasn’t what he meant.Maybe Lupines didn’t like trinkets from theirpast lives.It didn’t make sense to her, but she was only starting to learn about their ways.

“A wedding.A husband.”He still held her hand, but there wasn’t any censor in his eyes.“I know those things are important to humans.”

She considered his question.The thoughts of her parents' loving relationship came to mind, as did everything they meant to each other.Things were terrible and so rough in the Dispatch district that she never allowed the thought of her falling in love to take root or met anyone she wanted to bond with for life.However, even though she had just met Chanin, it wasn’t hard for her to answer his question.

“I never dreamed of being anyone’s wife.Didn’t imagine it was possible.”Reaching up with her free hand, she pressed against his jaw, feeling the comforting prickles of his beard in her palm.“But I love being your mate.All I need is you.”

He released the ring and dragged her hand from his jaw to his mouth.He placed light kisses on the center of her palm.Whatever you want, mate.

Her body filled with warmth as she slipped the ring off.

“If you’d like.I’ll take you to meet my parents tomorrow.”He stroked his thumb along the side of her face.“They were in the crowd when I declared you as mine publicly.But a private introduction is warranted.”

“I’d like to meet them.Do you take after your father?”she asked, curious.

Chanin chuckled.“Hell, no.My father is kind and strong but tamed.My mother...she’s hell on paws.Probably why I like strong women.”He winked and smacked her on the ass.

She yelped but rolled her eyes.

“I need to get ready to go soon.How are you, mate?”He dragged his other hand down her spine until he palmed both cheeks.

“Good.”

When he squeezed her ass, slid out of her an inch, and pressed back in, she gasped as heat spiraled up from her sex into her core.She couldn’t help but flex her walls around his hardening length inside her.

She moaned, then teased, “I guess I should get up so you can get ready.”

“Or you can shower with me.”Not waiting for her answer, Chanin managed to roll up to his knees with ease, still holding her body fused to his.

She gasped in surprise at his agility and strength as she grasped his shoulders and linked her ankles at the small of his back.

He moved with fluidity as he got off the bed and strutted them to the bathroom.Chanin never set her down as he continued entering the shower.Once inside the gigantic stall, he cupped her ass in one large hand as he turned the lever for the water.

Morlie shrieked when cold water rained down on them from the showerhead above them.“It’s cold.”She shivered against him.

“No worries, little bunny, I have wicked plans to warm you up.”He lowered his head and claimed her mouth as his hands lifted her halfway up his shaft.His tight grip kept her pressed to him and immobilized as he began a slow, deep drive inside of her walls.His seed and her cream still combined inside her eased his way.

The water began to warm, and the air thickened with steam, and she wasn’t sure if the actual temperature had changed or if Chanin’s lovemaking had her body heating up so much they were changing the atmosphere.

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