Page 40 of Haze

A strong taste of blood fills my mouth. Before I can savor it or think any more about it, I enjoy a new pain in contrast to that of my orgasm. My throat hurts as I scream through the next orgasm that barrels through me like a tidal wave.

Time and all sense of it fade around me. The world flickers between darkness, warmth, and cold. Finn’s body is warm against mine, holding me. He’s whispering, but I can’t understand. I’m too satisfied, content, and at peace to even care.

Chapter 13

Finn

Lena passes out soon after her orgasm. I’ve never felt such power from a woman in her heat. But this, between us, is clearly different from any other heat I’ve serviced someone through.

Lying next to her, I absentmindedly run my hand along the soft, delicate skin of her stomach. The motion pulls on the fresh skin of my quickly healing mating mark. My heart swells with pride. I’m hers.

What will life look like with her? There are some good houses for families in the cities with plenty of room for pups. I’m sure she’ll want to be near her school and work.

For close to an hour, I lie next to her, dreaming of what life will be like. I kiss her forehead before rolling away.

She grumbles in her sleep but doesn’t move. Pulling myself away from her is difficult, but caring for my mate is more important than staying by her side. Tucking her in and up among the pillows and blankets, I hope she doesn’t notice my absence too quickly.

I pull on my pants and walk to the bathroom. A smile creeps across my face seeing my mating mark in Lena’s large mirror. It’s almost a shame to clean the blood away. Fierce little wolf, faolan, laid a violent claim to my shoulder.

It was unexpected but not unwelcome. Warmth and acceptance fill my stomach.

She’s so strong. Our mate is fierce. My wolf relaxes, stretching within me.

As I wipe the last of the blood away, the distinctive sounds of Lena turning over in bed come from the room. Our bond is starting to grow, and a faint feeling of unsettledness ripples from her. I wait for a moment, focusing on her and listening to her breathing as she tries to settle in. Lena’s not resting peacefully. She lets out a frustrated groan, followed by a massive near-aggravated sigh.

I hear her feet shuffling on the floor as she walks toward me until she’s at the bathroom doorway.

I’m met with a massive groan. “Oh, fuck.”

I raise my eyebrows, meeting her gaze in the mirror, waiting for further reaction. Turning, I face her, and her eyes leave mine, her vision locking on my shoulder where she sank her fangs into me and marked me as hers.

Her hand shakes when she raises it to touch the bite mark I gave her on her shoulder. She then takes that hand to cover her mouth. Lena shakes her head back and forth and draws deep breaths.

She swallows and, instead of discussing the mating marks, says, “I need to pee.”

“I’ll meet you in the kitchen.” I step toward her, wrapping my arm across her for a brief second and kissing her hairline before letting go.

Something is wrong, but she needs a moment. I’m willing to give it to her.

Walking to the kitchen, I try to remind myself it’s okay to give her this space. I fucked up giving her a full day to process what we did in the lab, but the two minutes to pee and wake up is reasonable.

The toilet flushes, and when Lena comes out to the kitchen, her body’s hidden behind a baggy rock band T-shirt and a pair of oversized sweatpants. She walks past me in the kitchen to the couch, where she grabs a large fluffy blanket and pulls it around herself. Lena eyes me first, then the bouquet of flowers I left discarded on the counter in favor of checking on her.

Lena looks smaller, more vulnerable, wrapped up like that.

“When did you eat last?” I ask. The need to care for her is the strength beating my heart.

Given the way she looks away from me and tries to hide her face, I’m positive I won’t like the answer.

Her body shudders. A lie falls from her lips. “I’ve been too sick to eat.”

“Kathleen.” There are a hundred things I want to say to her.

I’d love to start right in with how she needs to care for herself better. But I can’t push her right now. I can only care for her and begin setting the foundation for our dynamic.

There will be rules. So many rules.

Lena doesn’t look at me or address me. She steps closer to the flowers, and when her hand lands on them, her eyes flash pale white.

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