Page 13 of Before the Bond Breaks
I made my blade dematerialize and glanced down the alley, sending out my magical feelers to see if any more of Balder’s pets lurked nearby.
Balder was watching. I could feel it in my bones.
And the game had only just begun.
7
MAZE
We exitedthe alley with the rush of battle still pounding through our veins. Talon’s hand locked onto mine as if he’d never let go. The hum of desire swirled around us as we rushed back to the apartment. Thank the gods it wasn’t far.
I wanted Talon like I’d never wanted anyone. It was like a physical ache, but I kept it contained to keep my senses open to every shadow for threats from Balder’s beasts.
Once we were inside the apartment and the door locked, Talon pressed me against the wall and kissed me like he’d been starved too long. The sudden move made me gasp while my body tensed. Within a few beats, I relaxed and deepened the kiss with my own desperate need to claim him. For once, I didn’t want caution or calculation.
His kiss was hungry and rough. The taste of him sent a shiver down my whole body. I clawed at his shirt, desperate to have him closer. Talon bit my lower lip, holding nothing back. I groaned and used magic to remove the rest of our clothes.
Talon chuckled with his lips against mine. “So impatient.”
He slid one of his hands to my waist, then glided it up, mapping the shape of my ribs, my breasts. Talon’s body caged me perfectly. The wall was cold against my bare shoulders, but his touch burned hotter than anything I’d felt in centuries. I dragged my nails down his arms, feeling the steel tension in him. Every muscle in his body flexed under my touch.
My back arched into his hands as he took control of the kiss. His hips pressed into mine, pinning me harder to the wall. I groaned as pleasure rippled through me, and he swallowed it down, deepening the kiss with a fierceness that made my knees weak.
“Maze,” he growled. My name vibrated against my mouth. I rolled my hips. His hands jerked in surprise, then slid down to grab my ass, lifting me a few inches. I wrapped my legs around his hips, letting him bear my weight. Talon kissed the line of my jaw, biting and kissing his way down my throat. I couldn’t get enough of him.
I scraped my fingers over his chest, absorbing the heat and power of him. Talon wore his scars the way he wore authority—with zero apology. Every inch of bare skin between us made me want more.
He slipped his hand to the heat between my thighs. I clenched around him the instant he touched me. Every stroke stole air from my lungs. I dropped my head back against the wall, lost the ability to form any thought except for the way his hand worked me.
Talon’s lips followed, trailing from my jaw to my throat. I clung to him, trying to anchor myself, but he was relentless. His palm cupped me perfectly, and when his fingers circled my clit, I shattered.
“Fuck—Talon—” The words broke free, wild and raw. My body shuddered in release as pleasure shot through me. Every muscle went tight, the pleasure cresting higher, then scattering me.
Talon didn’t stop. He worked me through every wave, his palm firm, body pressed hard to mine so I couldn’t float away. I moaned his name again, not caring if the neighbors heard.
When I finally sagged, boneless and panting, he kissed the hollow of my throat. The heat between us was only growing.
He lifted me off the ground as if I weighed nothing. I clung to him, arms wrapping tight around his neck. Talon nipped my earlobe and murmured, “I got you.”
I didn’t doubt that for a second.
He carried me to the bed, never once breaking eye contact. His wolf stared out through those molten amber eyes, full of hunger and something deeper—something bordering on devotion.
The city lights bled through the thin curtains, painting lines of silver and gold across the mattress. Talon laid me gently onto the sheets. For a heartbeat, time slowed. I could feel the pulse between us—centuries of restraint, all blasted away by the raw, unfiltered need.
He braced one arm beside my head, letting his fingers trace my cheek. My chest heaved as I tried to catch my breath, but I’d never felt more alive.
Talon traced every line, every curve, memorizing me as if he planned to do it forever. My heart hammered in my chest, but I didn’t retreat. I held his gaze, daring him to try to break me.
Talon’s mouth crashed against mine again. I tasted hunger, but also gentleness and patience that threatened to undo all of mycareful self-control. I pushed my hips into him, needing more. He obliged, one hand curving under my knee to open me to him. His fingers slipped between my thighs again, stroking me until I was moaning.
He leaned down, lips grazing my ear. His breath was hot, every word sending a shock through my body. “Tell me what you need.”
My pride warred with my want. I didn’t want to beg, but I had craved this for so long. Craved him. “You. Now. I need you inside me.”
The words cracked something between us. He lined up with my entrance, pausing just long enough to watch my face. I arched to meet him. The first thrust stole my breath, stretching me wide, filling every empty place I hadn’t realized was still hollow.
We didn’t need to worry about protection because neither of us carried diseases and we couldn’t catch human illnesses. I couldn’t get pregnant until after we completed the soulbound.
