Nothing would ever come between him and his mate again.
27
Dani’s heart flew in her chest as the Texas countryside whizzed past her from the back of Reno’s motorcycle, filling her soul with peace at knowing that, for now, the chaos was over.
Wherever they went, Reno would have to bring his bike so they could go on drives out in the country like this.
For now, she was just happy to have her arms around him and that everything seemed fine.
A short while later—after they’d pulled up to Dragonclaw Ranch to be greeted by Dallas, Marian, Sierra, and Mel all waiting worriedly for them—they went back to Reno’s house and showered before he made them something to eat. Then, as all the stress and surprise and horror from the past few hours finally ebbed, Reno took Dani out onto the back porch to sit on a couch he had set up.
In the distance, the Texas sun was starting to fall, casting the horizon in brilliant orange and red and blue. Aside from a few texts from Harrison letting them know that Drenton had been rounded up and his wolves that peacefully surrendered had all given their pack’s promise to disband and never return, nothing demanded their attention right now.
Without a word, Reno pulled Dani into his lap, cuddling her against him, his arms stiff as he held her tightly. He had on a pair of jeans and a light shirt that hugged his impressive muscles, while Dani had changed into her typical post-shower attire of a sports bra, oversized T-shirt, and yoga pants.
“Something still bothering you?” she asked, nestling into his warm chest. Even the gentle contact between them made her body hungry for more.
“Just… now that my wolf is whole, I’m extra possessive right now. I don’t want to be anywhere without you ever again,” he muttered, nuzzling his face into her neck and tickling her sensitive skin there.
But right now, she needed to talk, not get distracted by his sexy body and sensual kisses.
She turned in his lap, straddling him and putting her arms on his shoulders. When he looked up at her, she noticed his gaze was bluer now, more electric, as it had been when he’d first kissed her in that alley back in town. Though, maybe it was just the sunset as it cast his gorgeous face in stark lines.
“Thank you for coming for me,” she said first, so grateful that, in spite of all they’d been through, she was in love with someone that hadn’t hesitated to show up for her when running would have been easier. “After overhearing your talk with Harrison, I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you again, even though, logically, I knew what you were saying made sense.”
Reno shook his head. “You don’t need to apologize. It’s my fault. My family that brought this on us. My fears that caused all the pain you’ve had to live with.”
She put a hand to his cheek, feeling the slight scratchiness of his five-o’clock shadow on her palm. “No one can control who they’re born to or what their situation growing up is. But you’ve proven over and over how much you care by putting me before anyone else with your actions, not just your words.”
“Well, it helps that my mate is the most badass woman in the world. Fighting through hardships, believing in me when no one else would.” His gaze warmed as he looked down and up her body. “Being the sexiest photographer I’ve ever met.”
She poked his chest even as the feel of his big hands cupping her hips and pulling her closer made her want to sigh. “That’s not an accomplishment. That’s a compliment.”
“And there aren’t enough compliments in the English language to describe how smart, beautiful, and utterly perfect you are, Dani.”
He hugged her tight, their chests pressing together, and Dani almost lost herself in his warmth as his hands moved up her back, then down to squeeze her ass, making warmth pool at her center.
Damn, the effect he had on her.
“So will you be my mate, Dani?” Reno asked, his voice husky and full of promises she was desperate to see come to fruition as soon as possible. “Officially? Just you and me against the world?”
“It always was us two, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. Even when we were apart, the thought of you kept me going. I want to experience all life has to offer with you. Maybe even start a family. Though, I warn you that once we’re mated, I’ll only be more protective of you than I already am.” He teased her ear with his lips as he whispered, hands playing with the bottom of her shirt.
She didn’t even have to think about it.
Her answer was yes.
“Absolutely, Remi… Reno.” It was hard to keep the names straight sometimes, but either way, she was still head over heels in love with the same person. Her childhood friend. Her absolute beast of a lover. Her lightning wolf.
“Any name is fine so long as it’s me that’s making you come.” He nipped at her earlobe possessively, and his hands held her more tightly.
“So how do we mate? Is there a ceremony or something?” It was hard to focus through the haze of lust she was in right now, and she found herself leaning into his mouth to increase the contact of his lips and tongue on her skin.
“Nothing more than having sex without protection. God, you’re gorgeous.” He groaned as he sucked at the base of her neck. If she wasn’t already set on having a life with him, his kisses might have convinced her to say yes in that moment.
She could picture it now. Having a family with him. Growing old and going on walks together. Sharing pictures and sharing more of their life story with each other.
Hopefully, somewhere out there, Martha was happy for them. In her heart, Dani felt it was true.
“Then stop playing around and take me, mate,” she said, teasing him a little. His eyes blazed with hunger for her, sending a shiver down her legs as his hand cupped the back of her neck and entwined into her hair, holding her focus on him. The tension on her scalp and his intense gaze as it roved over her made her wetter than she already was.
“Mine,” he said darkly before his lips crashed over hers and engulfed her senses. Without hesitation, his tongue thrust into her mouth, twisting and stroking against her and making her moan in anticipation. While he did that, his chest rubbed against hers, teasing her breasts, and the bulge in his jeans rubbed against her hip, making a jolt of pleasure shoot out to her toes and fingertips.
But he didn’t break away from the kiss as he held her there and devoured the inside of her mouth like he was more desperate for her than a man stranded in the desert is for water. And when he reached between them and pulled the top of her yoga pants lower, she almost mewled in need before he shoved his hand into her pants and cupped her aching sex.
She pulled back from his kiss, gasping for air as sudden, blinding arousal lit up her insides. But Reno’s other hand on her ass kept her trapped against him as he expertly found her slit and began to stroke her clit with casual precision.
Behind her, the sun continued to blaze, casting a warm glow over everything and only adding to the fervent heat she felt inside and out.
“Fuck, you make the sexiest faces when you’re turned on,” he said, moving his hand up against her at just the right speed to make her first release rocket to the surface.
“I do?” she asked, needing to put her hands on Reno’s chest to steady herself even as the ache at the apex of her thighs got hotter and hotter.
“Yeah, you do.” Then he leaned down to continue his avid sucking on her neck as his finger started to go quicker. “I look forward to seeing how many times I can make you make those faces over the course of our life together.”
She couldn’t even open her mouth to say more, though, as Reno angled his hand deeper into her pants, stroking up inside her pussy with two fingers while his thumb still pressed her clit.
He was overwhelming in every way.
Then she was coming, unable to go anywhere but into the pleasure as her whole body clenched.
Holy crap, would the whole ranch hear her?
But before she could worry a second longer, Reno’s mouth covered hers, muffling her screams
as her body rocked against him. Even as he withdrew his hand to let her come, his cock pressed against the thin fabric of her pants, stimulating her higher as white-hot pleasure throbbed inside her veins and released all the built-up pressure.
When she was finished, she sagged against him for a moment, arms and legs feeling like they were made of rubber. Maybe it was just the intense way he looked at her or the intense way he made love right now, but she wasn’t sure how long she could stand to wait.
As if reading her mind, Reno picked her up in his arms and carried her inside. “I was going to have you watch the sunset while I ate you out for an hour or two, but you’ve got me all worked up, Dani.” He smiled while he carried her effortlessly upstairs even as the anticipation of getting to see him naked burned in the back of her mind.
“I can’t wait either,” she said, nearly breathless as they reached his room and he set her gently on the bed. As he took off her clothes, he kissed her ravenously everywhere, marking her with signs of love while he whispered words of devotion.
When they were both naked, he spread her legs and lowered himself to her center, sucking on her clit and licking at her wetness.
She didn’t even have time to think before she came again while Reno’s blue eyes watched her from the corners of her blurry vision. When she came back to herself, he was grinning.
“You were too delicious to resist just having a bite,” he said with amusement as he licked moisture off his lips. Seeing him wet with her own arousal was an odd mixture of embarrassing and indescribably hot.
Thankfully, he didn’t make her wait another moment as he positioned himself between her legs, and she could almost imagine the feel of his cock stretching her to the brim and making her wild with want.
“You and me, honey. I love you,” he said sweetly, reaching a hand up to cup her cheek as he looked down at her with so much care it could make her heart burst.
“I love you too.”
Then his thick length pushed inside her, hard and velvety and firm, until they came all the way together.
Even though they’d done it countless times since reuniting earlier that week, there was something almost magical in the air this time as he started to slowly thrust and withdraw, giving Dani time to warm up to the sheer size of him.
Man, she’d never tire of this feeling. The sensation of joining with him, meeting him body to body, soul to soul, even as another impending release began to rise inside her at record speed.
She never wanted to let him go. And she knew he felt the same way.
The already warm air seemed to get hotter as Reno went faster, the slippery sound of him filling her teasing her ears as he leaned to kiss her neck, her collar, her ear. Anywhere he could reach. She moaned as his thick ridge coursed along her G-spot, faster and faster now, and Dani knew that when she came, it was going to be an explosion like no other.
Reno grunted, propping himself up with both hands now, focusing just on the rhythm of their bodies. His brow was tense, body glowing from exertion and making all the muscles on his arms and chest look extra defined as he pumped inside again and again.
There seemed to be a hum, barely audible, in the air around her as they got closer. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and even a few of the hairs around her face began to lift as though they were being affected by the electricity in the air.
And Reno’s eyes seemed to glow more than ever as he stayed focused on keeping her building upward.
Then, as they reached the apex of everything, Dani felt herself slip over the edge into that pleasurable abyss, the sensation of falling and flying at the same time mixed with indelible heat originating from the place where their bodies remained joined.
A second later, Reno came with her, and his body tightened around her, his arms clutching her tightly as his cock jerked inside her, filling her with warmth.
All the emotion and tension and pleasure electrified and enlivened her as Dani came harder than she’d ever come in her life. Reno seemed completely overtaken as well, his whole body tense even as his member continued to throb inside, drawing out the last of her release.
By the time it was finished, they were both panting, heaving long breaths together.
And in her heart, in spite of the fact she was human, Dani could feel something different between them. Like they were sealed together in an inextricable, unbreakable way.
“Mate,” Reno said roughly, though when he propped himself back up to look down at her, his gaze was full of love that she felt mirrored toward him in her own expression.
He kissed her once more, long and hard, before pulling back and slowly pulling out to go clean up in the bathroom. And when he emerged, glorious and naked and all hers now, her happiness swelled to an uncontainable amount, and she felt tears bite at the corners of her vision.
After so much longing and worrying and missing, fate had brought them full circle, back into each other’s arms.
“You okay, sweetie?” Reno asked as he came onto the bed and, without a word, pulled her into his welcoming, safe arms.
“The opposite actually. I’m so happy that I don’t know what to say.” She swiped at another tear, knowing the timing was awkward but so glad to be with him that she could only feel relief.
“Then say nothing and let me hold you.” And he did, just letting the air in the room cool as the sun slowly darkened, casting the space in purple and indigo and red now.
Once she’d gotten enough tears out, she kissed his arms, which were clutched tightly around her.
Only happiness and a bright future lay in store for them now.
And nothing could stop her heart from overflowing with joy.
In minutes, the gentle silence was replaced by warmth and excitement.
“You getting ideas over there?” Reno said with a grin as he bit down ever so lightly on her earlobe. He wasn’t helping her situation either. Sex with him just made her crave more sex with him.
And this was just the start of everything.
“Maybe…” She hummed as he kissed her more, reassuring her with his words and his touch.
“Then how about you get some clothes on and grab a book, and I’ll grab a blanket, and we’ll go back onto the porch and enjoy the rest of the sunset.”
“I’d love that,” she said, and as she looked into his eyes, the expression of her young best friend who always loved to get into trouble echoed in the masculine features of the man she loved with all of her heart.
In seconds, they were dressed, making their way down the stairs, hand in hand as it always should have been from the start.
Just Dani and the rogue wolf who’d changed her life forever with his love, protection, and kindness.
Two best friends in love, ready to take on the world together.
Epilogue
Reno leaned back in his chair, watching bemusedly as Harrison stood from his place at the head of the table and held up his beer as if to make a toast.
It had been two weeks since the fiasco with his brother, but as his eyes caught Dani’s and they shared a smile, Reno really didn’t think things could get better than they were now.
It was a beautiful summer afternoon, and above them, puffy white clouds drifted lazily in a clear blue sky almost as if they, too, were eager to hang around for the special event.
Looking around, Reno was happy to see that everyone was here in the main area of Dragonclaw Ranch to celebrate the day.
Harrison, Beck, Dallas, and all of their mates were there. Even Clancy, the gunslinger swamp dragon, was there in his usual fancy attire, sitting next to his red-haired mate, Billie. Gunnar, Diesel, and Ajax were also present.
“Well, welcome, everyone. We’re here to celebrate the renaming of the spread formerly known as Copperhead to Thunderwolf Ranch.” Harrison chuckled. “And I must say it’s about damn time. The place is looking better than it has in a hundred years, especially with all those Copperheads gone.”
“Hear, hear!” Beck exclaimed, hol
ding up his beer to raucous cheers that emanated from around the table.
Reno smiled. In the weeks since, he’d been keeping the basilisks busy revamping the place from top to bottom. They’d been clearing out trash, making use of the reclaimed wood, and doing anything else needed to make the place comfortable again.
Ajax and Gunnar were surprisingly competent woodworkers, and Diesel made use of all of the spare parts to fix up the appliances, plumbing, and electricity, with Reno’s help of course.
The basilisks were smart and capable, though that hadn’t always been apparent from the beginning.
Plus, it helped that they all loved working and building things with their own hands, especially the place that they would be staying.
At least for a while.
“But enough of that.” Harrison’s eyes twinkled as he looked around the table. “I don’t think anyone could have expected our Dragonclaw family to grow this much, but I sure as hell am glad it has. Now, dig in!”
More cheers erupted around the table, especially from the basilisks who began to dig voraciously into the delicious buffet of summer picnic dishes before them.
Beck cocked an eyebrow at Reno. “By the way, any issues since the mishap with Ajax?”
“Nope, they’re all clear on who the bad guys are now, and if they have any questions, I’ll be happy to remind them.” Reno held up a hand, electricity crackling at the edges of his fingertips.
“I’m sure you will,” Beck replied, chuckling.
Dani laughed and took his hand in hers. “No lightning at the table.”
“How did you gain control of it? I thought if you weren’t careful, using lightning while shiftin’ would turn you into a wyvern.”
Reno shrugged. “I thought so as well. The scientists back home all told me that my body and my alpha power weren’t strong enough, but I guess they were.”
Or my love for my mate is just that strong.
He snuck a look at Dani, who was chatting with Marian, and smiled again. Reno had thought a lot about that day, the exhilaration of his wolf fusing with the dragon blood, and all the risks it had contained.
Rogue Wolf Page 17