Page 82 of Claimed By My Exiled Alphas
“Touch yourself,” I said, shifting my weight to one arm so I could watch her. “Show me what you need.”
Her hand slid between our bodies without hesitation, fingers finding her clit. I felt the movements through where we were joined, felt how her inner walls clenched tighter as she touched herself. The sight of her chasing her own pleasure while I was inside her was almost enough to make me come right then.
“That’s perfect,” I groaned, adjusting my angle to hit deeper. “You’re so perfect like this. Taking what you need from me.”
“Jace.” My name on her lips sounded like a prayer and a plea. “I’m close, I’m so close.”
“I can feel it.” And I could, through the way her body was tensing, through the way her scent had shifted to something even headier. “Come for me, Talia. Let me feel you.”
I thrust harder, deeper, grinding against her on every stroke. Her fingers moved faster on her clit, and I felt the moment she tipped over the edge. Her inner walls clamped down on me like a vice, rhythmic pulses that dragged me toward my own release.
But this was more than just an orgasm. This was a bonding, a claiming. This was forever if we both chose it.
“Talia,” I gasped, feeling my knot beginning to swell. “The bond. If I bite you now, we’ll be bonded. Permanently. Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Her eyes met mine, clear despite the heat. “Yes, I want this. I want you. Bite me, Jace.”
My knot swelled fully, locking us together as my orgasm crashed through me. At the same moment, instinct took over. I lowered my head to where her neck met her shoulder, that sacred space meant for bonding, and bit down.
Not hard enough to truly hurt, but firm enough that my teeth broke skin. The taste of her blood hit my tongue, copper mixed with her inherent sweetness, and something inside me snapped into place with an almost audible click.
The bond.
It roared to life between us, a connection that went soul-deep. Suddenly I could feel her, not just physically but emotionally. Her pleasure echoing through me, amplifying my own. Her relief at not being alone. Her joy at choosing this, at choosing me. And underneath it all, the bedrock certainty of trust.
She cried out as the bond formed, her body arching against mine as she came again from the sensation of being claimed. I held my bite, feeling her pulse flutter against my lips, tasting the life of her while my knot kept us locked together.
When I finally released my jaw, I licked the wound clean, my saliva already working to heal the bite and seal the bond. The mark would scar, a permanent reminder that she was mine and I was hers.
“Jace?” Her voice was wondering, trembling. “I can feel you. Not just physically, but in my head. Your emotions.”
“Pack bond.” I kissed the fresh bite mark gently, feeling her shiver. “It’s complete now. We’re bonded.”
“It feels like you.” She pressed her face against my chest, and I felt her awe through the connection. “Like I’m wrapped in your presence even though you’re just you. Your protectiveness and care and how much you want me to be okay.”
“I can feel you too.” I ran my fingers through her sweat-damp hair. “Your relief. How scared you were before I got here. How safe you feel now.”
We stayed like that for long minutes, my knot gradually softening as we adjusted to the new reality of being bonded. I could feel her heat starting to build again, her body already preparing for the next wave. But for now, in this moment, there was peace.
“The others,” she said softly when my knot had released enough that I could shift positions. “They’re waiting.”
“They are. But only if you want them here.” I traced her jawline with my thumb, marveling that I could touch her like this, that she was mine. “This is your choice, Talia. All of it.”
She was quiet for a moment, and through the bond I felt her working through something. Fear and want and the slow, tentative unfurling of trust expanding to include Hollis and Cassian.
“I want them here,” she said finally. “I want all of you. I choose this. I choose all three of you.”
Relief flooded through me, echoing back through our bond until I couldn’t tell if it was mine or hers or both. “Then I’ll call them in.”
I kissed her forehead and called out, “You can both come in. She wants us all here.”
Hollis and Cassian stepped into the room from where they’d been waiting in the hallway, and I watched Talia’s expression as she took them both in. No fear, just relief and want and the beginning of trust.
“Hey,” Hollis said softly, moving to crouch beside the bed. “How are you feeling?”
“Better.” She reached for his hand. “Will you stay? Both of you?”
“We haven’t left,” Cassian said from where he stood near the dresser, supplies already organized with his characteristic precision. Water bottles, energy bars, fruit, electrolyte drinksfrom the pharmacy. “We’ve been here the whole time, just giving you and Jace space.”
