Page 21 of Knot in My Wildest Dreams: Part 2
“See?” she murmured after swallowing. “That’s you. Not the beta who worked for my uncle. The man who cares, and won’t admit how deeply.”
Her words rattled me. I reached for the figs just to give my hands something to do, but the whole time, I couldn’t stop thinking that maybe this was the first time I’d really been seen. Celeste leaned in, her blue-green eyes captivating me as she drew nearer, despite knowing my truth.
“Sterling, we can’t help who we’re scent matched to. But I can choose to know you better. And every second I’m around you, I want to know you more.” She said, licking her lips as her eyes flashed down to my mouth. My heart caught in my chest. Could she really want me? I wasn’t a great person - I’d done bad things, and just because I’d changed when I realized she was my mate didn’t wipe that slate clean. And she could have anyone she wanted.
Celeste leaned in, her hand curling around the back of my neck, causing me to shiver in ecstasy. “You protected me even when I had no idea. Let me know more of you.” She whispered, and when her lips met mine, I still couldn't believe it was real.
Her scent washed over me, warm and real, and shook me to my core. I kissed her the way a starving man tastes his first meal, savoring every sensation. My lips molded to hers, and it felt like something finally clicked into place. She sighed into me, and I deepened the kiss just enough to taste the faint tang of strawberries. My free hand slid to the small of her back, anchoring her to me, feeling the heat of her body as she squirmed tighter against me, pushing her body onto mine. Our combined scents filled the room, and in that moment, I knew that I’d never, ever let anything happen to her. This was my mate. This was my future, my everything.
I gripped her, wanting to explore every inch of her. She responded in kind, her fingers curling in the front of my shirt, and I poured every unspoken feeling into that moment. The longing and restraint that I’d felt knowing she was mine, but never able to tell her. The year and a half of holding back when my entire body had wanted nothing more than this.
When I finally pulled back, just enough to rest my forehead against hers, I was breathing like I’d just sprinted across a football field. Her lips were kiss-swollen, her pupils wide. I cupped her jaw with one hand, my thumb brushing the line of her cheekbone as her breath caught. I let my touch linger, memorizing the heat of her skin, the softness of her body.
“Celeste…” I whispered her name like a prayer. “That,” I murmured, brushing my thumb over her lower lip, “is how much I’ve wanted you.”
She was starting to perfume, and I could tell by the heaviness of her scent that she was going to near her heat soon. Her pupils grew larger as she gripped me, then stood up, her feet nearly tangling in the picnic blanket as she quickly pulled me inside the doors of the guest house and over to the couch. I followed her, my cock hard as a rock as she turned and started pulling the straps of her sundress down. She laid back on the long couch, splaying her body out as she moved desperately to remove her clothes.
“Sterling, I need you!” She gasped, and grabbed my hands, placing them on her as her body arched up to meet mine. I would give her anything she wanted - the world if she asked. I leaned down, pausing for a moment in gratitude to the universe that this moment was real. Then, I gently took her nipple in my mouth, my eyes rolling back as I sucked on her soft flesh. This moment was my greatest fantasy come to life.
Her gasps were by far the most beautiful thing I’d ever heard. I used my mouth and hands to give her all the attention she was craving, cupping her breasts as she whined my name. Shemoved quickly under me, pulling her dress down even further. I made a trail of kisses down her body, her scent and taste like an aphrodisiac to my already straining cock. I used my lips on her, memorizing every inch. I felt her hands tug at my hair in response, and I swore if I died at that moment, then every second of my life would have been worth it just to have this with her.
“Please, I need more.” She gasped, and I could tell that her hormones were growing stronger. She would need a lot of sexual attention leading up to her heat in order to stay balanced, and I was happy to give her everything I could. Hooking my fingers around the dress, I pulled it down further, revealing damp panties and the beautiful curve of her body as she lay back on the couch. How was I lucky enough that the universe deemed me to be a scent match for someone like her?
I ran my fingers down her skin gently, memorizing the dip of her waist before the swell of her hips, enjoying the faint shiver that passed through her at my touch. Her scent clung to my skin, sweet and intoxicating, urging me closer. I looked up at her as I reached her core, and she nodded, biting her lips as she urged me down, her hands still threaded through my hair. Slowly, I pulled the panties down, in awe as I revealed her beautiful, sweet folds, already swollen and glistening with slick.
I took in a long breath, filling my lungs with the most aromatic hit of her perfume. My chest ached from the sheer force of it, the way it wrapped around me and claimed me deeper than any bond ever could. And then I lowered my head and tasted her.
My hands tightened on her hips to anchor myself to the reality that this moment was real. That she was here, with me. I traced my tongue reverently over her soft skin, learning her slowly, savoring every response as though each sound she made was a gift I’d been waiting my whole life to receive.
I tried different rhythms, different strokes, every technique I could, because I wanted to knowallof her. Every gasp, every shiver, every way her body came alive under mine. She was the most exquisite thing I had ever touched, and I swore silently that I would never stop worshiping her like this.
Her thighs quivered under my touch, and I couldn’t stop myself. “I’ll never get enough. Never.” My voice cracked with the raw truth of it, because for once I didn’t care about control or appearances. I just wanted her to know with every stroke of my tongue, every broken word - that she was the miracle I’d been waiting for.
I looked up as my mouth covered her, sucking in every drop of her sweet nectar. All I saw was the look on her face, the pure lust as she gripped my hair and looked down as I sucked on her clit. With one large tremble, she closed her eyes and let out a sound so sweet and sensual that it would be burned in my memory forever. I felt her climax, her slick pulsing out of her pussy while I held her.
She became limp, her sweet body melting into me as she nearly collapsed from exhaustion. I felt her sink into me as we curled into each other on the couch. I held her easily, looking down with a small frown. She must have been so tired from all that had happened.
“Are you alright?” I asked, and she nodded, her eyes still closed as she cupped my cheek.
“Yes. For the first time in days, I’m finally alright.” She replied in a hazy voice, and I felt the incredible peace that came with finally getting approval from my scent match. After a year and a half of agony, I was finally getting some relief from the constant desire to be near her. I wanted to stay like this, with Celeste in my arms, forever. But I knew this precious time was short-lived. We had bigger monsters to face, and I also had to contend with Pack Lockwood, who, despite their unworthiness, seemed to be willing to do whatever it took to make things right. So, I let Celeste rest while I prepared for the upcoming battle - the biggest one we’d ever face.
Chapter 22
Dante
Celeste’s rejection cut sharper than any blade.
Her words still echoed in my head, and the vision of her face as she told me to leave - her disappointment, the slight tremble in her voice as she told me she couldn’t forgive me for believing lies over her, for letting my anger blind me.
I sat alone in the clubhouse, staring at my phone. Elijah’s number glowed on the screen. My thumb hovered over it, tension building in my chest. For years, he had been my anchor - my brother in all but blood, the one who pulled me through the ash and ruin after Arkala fell. The man who made sure I ate, who encouraged me to keep going, who told me vengeance was worth living for.
But now, Celeste’s face haunted me. I never wanted to hurt her. She had saved me too, in her own way, from my bitterness, my own ruin - even when I hadn’t wanted it. But Elijah couldn't possibly be involved in any conspiracy against me or my pack. She had to be wrong.
I was split in two, torn between the history Elijah and I shared, and the bond I couldn’t ignore with Celeste.
My mind went back, as always, to Arkala. The smell of salt water, the cries of gulls overhead. The sound of my cousin’s laughter still in my ears when we played together as children… and the scream from our final conversation. The gunshot. The silence.
That silence still lived in me. It kept me going, kept me focused on vengeance and retribution when I heard Celeste was responsible. When I felt that revenge was the only path forward. But now… I wasn’t sure.
