Page 47 of Midnight Deception

“I felt awful, everything hurt, and then they were chanting over me…” He trails off, picking up on the horror I’m sure is etched into my expression. His fingers continue to rub up and down the length of my arm, instinctively trying to comfort me, and I sense the moment he decides not to go into detail. “Anyway, I couldfeelyou. I knew you were close. That’s what got me through the pain.” His grip on me tightens, and he stares down at me like he’s still not convinced I’m here. I know the feeling, as I keep having to tell myself this is really happening.

“Eventually, once the process was finished, they told me that I was no longer a werewolf, and that it was the only way I could survive. I literally had to be reborn. They didn’t have to tell me though. I could feel that my wolf was gone.”

He sounds impassive about it as he explains. I’m horrified by what he’s telling me, but he doesn’t seem upset by the fact that he’s no longer a werewolf. I can’t even get my head around the fact that this is even possible, not to mention the fact that he literallydiedand came back as a witch. Not just any witch, but one fated to be mine. Is he just hiding his true feelings about losing his wolf, or has he not fully come to terms with it yet? Nicolai is the type of male who would put his own feelings second, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he was making light of this because he knew it would upset me.

“Nicolai…” I start, only to trail off. I have no idea how to address this. He’s alive, and I should just be grateful, but I can’t help feeling like the only reason he chose to come back was because of me. What if he comes to regret his decision and resents me for it?

My inner turmoil must touch him through the bond, because he reaches up to cup my cheek. “Laelia, I’ve always felt drawn to you.”

Heart pounding, I look up at him, and I can’t help feeling like a teenager swooning over him, his declaration making the breath stutter in my chest. Despite the seriousness of the situation, butterflies twist in my stomach.

“The goddess came to me and gave me a choice. I chose life, and I was changed. I had no way of knowing the bond would form between us when that happened.” A slow, amazed smile spreads across his lips. “This is the work of the goddess. I should have died and you know it. This is a blessing.”

He’s right, this is a blessing, and I want to fall to my knees and thank the goddess, but what he’s given up… I don’t know if he’ll survive that. There are folktales told around the fire in our pack about werewolves who become cursed and can no longer shift. They start to lose their minds and eventually die. It’s a story told to scare children, but it’s one that always stuck with me, and I can’t help but worry there’s some truth to it.

“But Nicolai,” I croak, “your wolf.”

A werewolf without his wolf is… nothing. My pack was accepting of me and the fact that I couldn’t shift, but even so, I always knew I was different somehow, so I know what it’s like. If we get out of this alive, he’s going to go back to our pack as a different male than when he left. He was third-in-command, but he won’t be able to continue in that role any longer, and I doubt the council of werewolves would allow him to live with the pack—they hate witches, after all. They would probably try to kill him.

There’s a flash of pain in his eyes, and I can see how much it hurts him that he’ll never be able to shift again. He nods his head, silently admitting to me that this wasn’t an easy trade-off. Hands on my shoulders, he leans down and presses his lips to mine. This kiss is slow and unhurried, each stroke of his tongue languid and passionate.

Breaking the kiss, he presses his forehead to mine, and I’m happy to see he’s just as out of breath as I am. “Being alive and able to spend the rest of my life with you is worth it.”

Tears prick at my eyes, and I can’t decide if it’s because of the suffering he’s been through or from happiness. His words awaken not just the bond between us, but the deep-seated feelings I’ve been trying to stifle over the last few years. Knowing we weren’t destined to be together as werewolf mates, I never let my feelings become anything more than a crush. It was only during the trials that I realised just how much I relied on him and needed him. When he was dying, my feelings changed, but once again, I kept the true extent of them buried. Starting a romance when I was destined for others was just a heartbreak waiting to happen for everyone involved. This would be especially cruel to put my mates through when Nicolai was only going to die.

However, everything is different now, and the depth of my feelings for him makes sense. We were always going to end up together. He just had to make a sacrifice to do so. It seems cruel, but it also might have saved his life. I can’t deny my feelings for him, not any longer. The bond is pulling us together, but it feels a hundred times more intense because of those previously hidden feelings.

Now that the shock and fear have worn off, my body is reacting to being this close to him. Arousal burns low in my abdomen, and my nipples harden and press against the fabric of my dress. Everywhere he touches tingles, and the feeling is addictive. Needing to focus, I take a deep breath, but that only succeeds in me inhaling more of his scent, fanning the flames of desire.

“I’ve always wondered why I was so drawn to you when I’ve never wanted anyone other than my mates,” I explain, my voice breathy as I try to keep control of myself and not jump him. He’s been through a huge ordeal, and the last thing he needs is me pawing at him.

“It makes sense now,” I continue, clearing my throat. “I just wish you didn’t have to change for it to happen.”

“Laelia, I accepted the change just for the chance to be in your life, not expecting anything more than what we had before.” He closes the tiny gap between us, pressing himself against me, his gaze intensifying. “Your mates are your first priority, I always knew that. Even just being your friend and being there for you was worth the trade-off.”

Is it possible for someone to be so freaking perfect? How many people would give up everything just to make sure the woman they loved was safe, even knowing that they’d never be able to have her the way they wanted? His loyalty was rewarded, and he was reborn.

Gaze darkening with desire, he smiles wickedly, causing my pulse to speed up at the sight. “NowI’mone of your mates.” Sliding his hands to the small of my back, he lowers his mouth to mine, his possessive actions making me moan against his lips.

“I missed you,” I whisper between kisses, my hands sliding up his chest seemingly of their own volition as the pull of the bond becomes impossible to resist.

If either of us were thinking clearly, or in a normal situation, would we fuck in our enemies’ home where one of our lives was just threatened? Possibly not, but after everything that’s happened between us and almost losing him, I can only think of sealing our bond and making himmine. No one will dare try to take him from me then.

“I know, being without you was torture,” he murmurs, kissing down the length of my neck, eliciting a wanton moan from me. “Enough talking.”

Before I have the chance to react, he lifts me up, and I automatically wrap my legs around his waist with a breathy laugh as he walks us over to the bed. Placing me down gently, like I’m a precious gift, he steps back out of reach with a wicked grin as I reach for him. He reaches for his shirt, pulling it up and over his head and exposing the muscles waiting for me. They shift and bunch as he moves, and a thin inviting trail of hair leads down below the waist of his jeans that makes me salivate. I want to taste every single inch of him. He’s been off limits for so long, but now he’s here and he’s all mine.

My eyes are locked on his hands, which are slowly unbuttoning his jeans, sliding them down in one movement to show me he’s wearing nothing beneath them, his already hard cock bobbing at the attention. When he’s sure that I’m completely enraptured by him, he walks over and offers me his hand, helping me stand. I go to remove my dress, but he gently moves my hands away and goes through the process of stripping me of my clothes. I’m completely capable of removing my own clothes, but there’s something reverent about his touch as he goes about it, his hands brushing and caressing my exposed skin. Not once does he touch my breasts or between my legs, yet his slow touch has me burning for him. I’m so wet, it’s unreal, and our bond is begging us to fuck. However, Nicolai has waited a long time for this, so he’s taking his time acquainting himself with my body.

When we’re both completely naked, he sits me down on the edge of the bed and kneels before me, pushing my legs apart and staring at my most intimate area. Once, I might have been embarrassed at being so exposed, but as Nicolai makes a very satisfied male rumble at the back of his throat, I preen, knowing that I’ve pleased my mate.

He kisses along the inside of my leg and works his way up to my core. I feel his fingers on me, running along my opening and collecting my wetness before sliding up to my clit. Using just the right amount of pressure, he rubs my juices on the bundle of nerves, circling until he has me panting. After what feels like a lifetime, his kisses finally reach my pussy, and he hums at the taste.

“You’re so wet and ready for me.” His voice is low, but that’s the last thing he says, his tongue flicking out and licking over me. My head falls back at the rush of arousal that floods me, but I force myself to look up, wanting to watch him.

When he slides his fingers inside me, I know this is anything but a dream, my toes curling at the delicious sensations. Eating me out like a man starving, he pushes me right to the edge, his fingers pumping inside and making the dirtiest of sounds. However, just as I think I’m about to tumble over the edge, he pulls back. I don’t have words to communicate how I feel. Instead, a needy noise whines from my throat, sounding more like it came from my wolf than me.

He stands, and the noise dies in my throat as his rock-hard cock appears at eye level, making my mouth water. Needing to taste him, to feel him in my mouth, I reach out, but he stops me and pushes back on my shoulders until I’m lying on the bed. Climbing above me, he swoops down and sucks one of my nipples into his mouth, causing my back to arch off the bed at the sensation. Cupping my other breast with his hand, he squeezes and tweaks my nipple. Settling between my legs, he pushes himself up enough so he can look down at me with a cheeky smirk.

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