Page 17 of The Alpha's Bounty
I swallow hard.“Yeah.It happens every month on the night of the full moon.Shifters with fated mates feel an intense heat, an overpowering need to be with their mate.Intimately.”
She clears her throat.“You mean… sexually?”
I nod.“We don’t have to do anything, though.We can wait until you’re ready.I’ll wait as long as you want.”
My bear whines in protest, but I ignore him.
Mina bites her lip.“I’m ready.”
My spine straightens, the chain around my desire snapping like a twig.That’s it.That’s all I can take.
My chair scrapes back loudly enough to make the couple in the next booth glance over.I toss some bills on the table, grab her hand, and haul her to her feet.
Her eyes widen.“Cyrus?—”
My bear roars in my head, drowning out everything else.
“Home,” I growl.
I drag her out into the cold night, not caring who sees, not caring about anything except getting her where I can touch her and never stop.
SIX
Mina
The night airfeels heavier than usual as we step outside.It presses against my skin like a second heartbeat, thrumming with a pulse I can’t name.I try to keep pace with Cyrus as he practically runs to his truck.I’ve never been so achy, needy, or horny in my whole life.
“In,” he orders, opening the passenger door for me.
I do as he commands.He rounds the hood, climbs behind the wheel, and starts the engine before peeling out of the parking lot.
I steal glances at him as he drives.I swear he presses harder on the gas pedal whenever he feels my eyes on him.By the time his house comes into view, we’re flying.
He’s tense.More than tense.He’s coiled.His jaw is tight, his eyes burning, and every time his gaze flicks to me, my lungs stutter.The heat simmering between us since I met him has reached a fever pitch, and I don’t know how to handle it.
I’m not sure Iwantto handle it.
The closer we get to his cabin, the more my body feels like it’s not mine anymore.My skin tingles.My stomach knots with anticipation.Every nerve ending is tuned to him, to the strength of his arm, the deliberate rhythm of his steps, the restrained power in the way he holds himself, like he’s on the edge of losing control.
“Once we’re together, will this feeling pass?”
“Not tonight.Tomorrow, once the full moon is gone,” he says through clenched teeth.
He’s holding himself back.Being wanted by a man like Cyrus, wanted this badly, is a huge boost to my ego.I burn hotter the longer I stare at him.
Dust and rocks spray as he slams on the brakes.We rush to unbuckle our seatbelts and hop out.He takes my hand, and we head for the front door.The full moon is high in the sky above us, and I swallow hard as I stare up at it.
We reach the front door, and Cyrus curses as he drops my hand to unlock it.
By the time we’re inside, I’m trembling.He shuts the door with more force than necessary, the sound echoing through the cabin like a warning and a promise.His eyes lock on mine, burning green, and for a moment, we just… stare.
The silence stretches, charged and fragile, until I whisper, “Cyrus…”
That’s all it takes.
He’s on me in a heartbeat, pulling me against his chest, his mouth crashing onto mine with a hunger that leaves me breathless.There’s nothing careful about this kiss.It’s desperate, consuming, raw.
And I want more.
