Page 14 of Before the Bond Breaks
Talon buried himself to the hilt with a groan, and for a moment, neither of us moved. The world outside vanished. All that mattered was the burn where our bodies joined and the way he anchored me.
He pulled back, then thrust again—slow and deep at first, drawing out the tension coiling between us. I dug my nails into his back and dragged him closer.
“Maze,” he whispered against my lips. “You’re perfect.”
I clung to him, letting the words wash over me. Every stroke pushed me higher. Our bodies rocked together, desperate andperfectly in sync. The pace built, nerve endings burning hot, until I thought I might come undone just from the friction.
I kissed him again, teeth clashing. The taste of him, the feel of his hands on my hips, the way he moved inside me—every part of me screamed for more.
He shifted, bringing my leg up higher on his waist. The angle changed, and I cried out, pleasure spiking so sharp my vision blurred. Talon’s grip on me tightened as he drove in harder, deeper. The slap of skin on skin filled the room, drowned out only by our ragged breaths and the rush of blood in my ears.
I was so close. My body trembled on the edge. I could feel his control slipping, his thrusts growing more urgent.
“Come with me,” he ground out near my ear. “Maze, I need?—“
He didn’t have to finish. I knew. My body went tight, every muscle straining as release slammed into me. I shattered beneath him, clinging to his biceps as I pulsed around him. He followed, losing himself with a sound that was part growl, part plea. He pumped into me, emptying every bit of his need.
We collapsed together, sweat-soaked and shaking. Bliss washed through me, erasing centuries of loneliness. I clung to him, letting my walls fall completely.
Talon buried his face in my neck, breathing hard. We stayed locked together for a long time, neither of us willing to break the connection. His hand tangled in my hair, anchoring us both.
The city hummed outside, uncaring. Inside, all that existed was him—my mate, my equal, the one man I would never let go again.
I kissed his jaw, then tucked my head beneath his chin. Talon drew the covers over us and wrapped me in his arms. Our heartbeats slowed together, perfectly in sync. For the first time since my mother’s death, I felt whole. I felt safe.
Still, I didn’t speak. Words would only shatter the spell we’d created. I let myself hold him. I let him hold me.
We had tomorrow to fight again. Tonight belonged to us.
8
TALON
By the timeI made it back to the apartment with breakfast the next morning, the streets outside had stirred awake. People rushed along the sidewalks, heading to wherever humans went before six in the morning. I carried the bag in one hand and the coffees in the other, already running through the day in my head. Maze and I were heading to the coven a few hours away today. Again, I insisted we drove the rental car because I was selfish and wanted every spare moment with my mate I could get.
Entering the apartment, I glanced up and stopped.
Maze stepped out of the bathroom in nothing but my shirt. The black cotton hung loose on her frame, skimming the tops of her bare thighs. Her long blond hair was a wild, tangled mess down her back. She looked nothing like the Valkyrie High Matron who held herself like carved stone. She looked real.
Untamed.
All Mine.
She caught my stare and arched a brow. A hint of a smirk formed on her lips. “You’re looking at me like a hungry wolf.”
I smiled wide, still frozen where I stood. “That’s because I am.”
Her lips twitched before she crossed the space between us, hips swaying in a way that had my wolf clawing to get out. To claim her. The beast wanted her again. My human half was on board with that.
It didn’t matter that I’d taken her multiple times throughout the night.
She plucked the bag from my hand with maddening calm. “Good. You brought me food.”
I set the coffees on the table before my restraint snapped. She’d pushed me right to the edge without even trying.
We settled across from each other at the tiny kitchen table, unwrapping breakfast sandwiches in silence. Maze booted up her laptop that she had left on the table the day before, then moved her chair to sit beside me. Surprising me, she leaned into me and gave me a quick kiss on the mouth. “I’ve missed you.”
Before I could comment on her show of affection, she schooled her features and clicked on the video conference link. Winter’s face appeared, hair mussed, eyes heavy-lidded. She was clearly still in bed.
