Page 153 of Fated to the Hunters
There was a little pause in which he helped her over a hurdle in the path. “Can I ask you something?”
“Scarlett,” he scolded. “By now you should know that you can always ask me anything.”
She sighed and shrugged. “I know, it’s just rather personal.”
“I’m all ears.”
“It’s about Ezra.”
Mateo turned sarcastic. “Ah, my favourite topic.”
That made her giggle, at least. “I talked with him about our bond and asked if he would like to fulfil it at some point, because that’s what I want. He’s still hesitant—which I get. He believes he’ll burden me with his mind.”
“He has told me the same thing.”
“How do you handle your bond with him?”
Mateo shrugged. “It’s like white noise to me at this point. Like living on a busy street or near train tracks: you get used to it. I only have trouble when I focus on it, or if his emotions are heightened.”
“Is that often?”
“Not so much with you around.”
“How is your bond with Vince?”
“Quiet. He’s reserved, keeps a lot to himself.”
“Do you have any reservations towards our bond?”
“Not ours in particular. I’m more worried about opening myself more to Ezra through you. It has taken years to come to peace with things as they are.” When Scarlett’s face fell, he added, “I have been very open to Ezra about it. He knows how I feel.”
“Were you upset when you discovered his mistake with the blood bond.
“I was. I hated him at the time. Part of me still struggles with it. I thought he may have done it on purpose. Once I had calmed myself enough to sit down with him and talk, I could feel howmuch he hated it too. He has struggled to contain himself his whole life. To be someone he clearly isn’t, he never intended for anyone to see those dark parts of himself.”
“I think it was very brave of you to seek him out and confront him.”
“I needed the peace of knowing. Once I saw past the storm it was clear to me that we had to stay together. He was just as lonely as I was.”
Scarlett pulled Mateo to a stop, stretching onto her toes. “Thank you for watching out for him—for both of them.”
He pulled her closer, her arms wrapping around him like a warm cocoon of love and happiness. “Your words are soothing to my soul.”
They hiked for the full day, only settling once they found a nice spot just off the trail. He watched with pride as she set up the tent, showing off what she’d learned while he’d been gone. They spent the evening laying under the stars and holding each other, the night slowly falling round them. Once Scarlett started to shiver, he ushered her inside the tent to warm up. Since it was only a short hike, they had opted for piles of blankets instead of sleeping bags to make cuddling easier.
Settled in their nest and spooning her from behind, Mateo shifted his weight, nosing along her jaw and to her ear. “I missed you.” He licked along the cleft and softly sucked on the lobe as his fingers found her waistband. “So, fucking much.”
Scarlett turned, hand immediately pushing into his boxer briefs. His lips found hers just in time to feed her his groan as she fisted his cock. Her body writhed against his, her hips rocking into his hand to press more firmly onto his fingers. She was needy, her kiss wild and her other hand grabbing his hair as she urged him closer.
He was hungry for her body, for her moans to fill his ear and her taste to run down his throat. He craved all of her, so hefreed her lips and scrambled to his knees beside her, pushing her pants down and sucking her clit into his mouth without even taking them completely off. Scarlett’s delicate fingers wrapped around his shaft again, his body burning under her touch. She arched her hips into his kiss, her thighs quivering as he spread her legs further and slowly stretched her with one finger.
He jerked and groaned, her hand palming his cockhead while her free hand pushed his head further between her legs. He and Ezra had taken her nearly daily on her period, addicted to her bare pussy. Mateo silently cursed the fact that he now had to pack condoms. His finger slipped out of her pussy and further south, her every muscle tensing when he pressed against her other hole—the one he would be able to fuck bare at any time he wanted.
“Would I be your first?” he asked, turning his head to see her face. In the dim light coming from the lamp hanging above them, he could see her worrying her lip—but she nodded. It actually surprised him. He would have thought that Ezra beat him to the punch. “Would you be open to exploring it with me?”
“Will it hurt?”
“It might be uncomfortable at first.”
