“This is perfect.” I look between him and the moon. “Everything today has been absolutely perfect, and I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.”
“That’s all I ever want for you, Pruitt. To be happy and safe.” He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. I had left my long veil back with Addison before we retreated, so it didn’t get dirty as we walked through the woods to get here.
“I can’t believe we’re married.” I look down at both of our joined hands where our new rings sit. “I bet you lose that ring the first time you shift,” I can’t help but joke.
“Oh yeah, this thing will be gone within the week.” Ryker chuckles. “I’ll just go get a wedding band tattoo.”
“I like that idea.” I smile up at him. “Maybe I should get a tattoo too. I feel a little left out.”
Ryker leans down and kisses my shoulder. “Don’t, I love how perfect your skin is, and the only mark I want to see on it is my mark.”
I shudder when he runs his fingertips down my spine. My backless dress gives him perfect access to the exposed skin there. I lay my hands on his chest and tilt my face up to his. There is intensity in his eyes when he brings his mouth down to mine. No matter how many times I touch Ryker, I never get used to the toe-curling electricity that shoots through my body when our skin meets. It’s even more powerful when we kiss.
I take on the task of undoing his buttons on his dress shirt while he deepens the kiss. I never pull away to look at what I’m doing. Instead, I go completely on feel. I’m thankful he chose not to wear a tie tonight because I don’t want to waste my time undoing it.
When my fingers brush against his hard stomach, I feel him shiver beneath my touch. While my hands work on taking off his shirt, Ryker’s works on taking all the pins from my hair, and one by one, my hair falls in soft curls down my back.
Once I have the buttons undone on his shirt, I reluctantly pull away from his mouth and push his shirt and jacket off his shoulders. I will never get tired of looking at all of his tattoos. Every time I see him shirtless, I swear I find a new one. I lean forward and press my lips into the center of his chest, where the tattoo with my birthday sits.
“Loosen the corseting at the bottom,” I tell him as I turn around so he can untie the ribbons at my lower back and butt. I love my dress, but I want it off as soon as possible.
Once the ties are loosened, Ryker is able to push the thin straps off my shoulders, and the whole dress falls down around my feet. I carefully step out of it and step toward him fully nude, since I didn’t wear any undergarments under my dress. I watch as he pulls the zipper down on his slacks, and soon, he’s standing in front of me naked as well.
I don’t feel the wave of self-consciousness I usually do when I stand in front of him this time. Ryker was right when he said as a shifter, you get used to nudity fairly quick.
“Come here,” he growls at me before he reaches down and lifts me up around his waist. I wrap my legs around his torso and guide his mouth to mine in a passionate kiss. His strong hands dig into my thighs, where he holds me up against him.
I hold on tight when Ryker lowers us onto the bed of pillows and blankets he had set up. Instead of lying us down, he stays sitting up, and I find myself straddling him. Ryker breaks the connection between our lips to kiss a trail down my neck and then to my shoulder. And like every time he does it, electric shocks radiate from every spot he scrapes his teeth against.
The combination of the cool wind and Ryker’s touch causes my nipples to harden. I moan and jerk when the pad of thumb tweaks one. The sensation causes my hips to tilt forward against him, and that’s when I feel his hard arousal against my thigh. Feeling bold, I snake my hand down between our two bodies and lightly stroke him with the palm of my hand. When Ryker hisses out a breath, and his eyes close tight, I figure out fairly quickly what makes him moan, and I find pleasure in knowing I’m doing that to him.
I’m no longer able to stand the distance between us—I want him touching every inch of me. But more importantly, I want him inside of me. I raise up on my knees and guide him into my hot center. We moan in unison, and I throw my head back as my body sinks down onto him.
“Fuck.” Ryker hisses into my ear when he’s fully settled inside of me. We move together in perfect rhythm, not once do we fall out of it. I match each one of his moves as he arches into me.
Ryker pushes my hair from my right shoulder, and once again, I feel his teeth press lightly into the tender skin there, but this time, his teeth are a lot sharper, and I know his fangs are out and ready to mark me. And then I feel my own fangs brush against my tongue when I clench my teeth together.
“Do it,” I urge him.
He kisses the spot softly before he sinks his fangs into the spot where my shoulder and neck meet. The pain is sharp and shooting, but it quickly goes away, and only a warm sensation is left. I freeze for a moment and shudder against him as the warmth spreads throughout my body. Ryker leaves his mouth there a second more before he pulls away and tenderly licks the wound with his tongue.
“Your turn,” he whispers into my ear, his voice husky with desire.
I run my tongue over my sharp fangs and try to push down the nerves. At his tender urging, I lean down and copy his actions. First, I kiss the spot gently before sinking my fangs into his flesh. His blood rushes into my mouth, and I expect to be disgusted by the taste, but shockingly, I don’t taste the coppery flavor I was expecting. It tastes like him.
Ryker stiffens up for a split second but quickly relaxes when the pain of the bite goes away. I lick away the blood just as he did when I retract my fangs.
The air around us starts to hum with energy when I lean back to look at him. At first, I swear it’s the moonlight playing tricks on my eyes, but I quickly realize what it actually is. The mating aura that has always surrounded Ryker is growing and expanding all around us, and with it, a blanket of warm air falls over us, making my skin tingle.
The power grows strong and makes the air thick with magic. The comforting warmth that spreads over us grows hotter by the second. When I look into Ryker’s eyes, I expect to find his usual blue ones, but instead, his wolf’s golden ones shine back at me. I don’t have long to wonder if my eyes have also shifted into my wolf form because another, more intense wave of power rushes over me and causes me to throw my head back and yell out. Ryker’s fingers dig roughly into my hips, and I swear I hear him shout, but the rushing sound of the energy around us muffles any other noise.
Suddenly, the glow that had been growing around us explodes with a bright flash of light. There is so much power behind it; I see the leaves of the trees blow and sway in the rush of wind.
After everything stills around us, I look back at Ryker and find the mark I had made on his shoulder is glowing gold, the same color as the mating aura that is no longer around him or us. The bite glows for a second longer before it fades into his skin.
Panting, I collapse against his chest. I feel his large protective arms wrap around me, and I hold him close. My wolf is the most content she has ever been since I’ve been aware of her.
I would be lying if I didn’t also find gratification in knowing Ryker is officially mated to me. No more can someone try to come between us because we are bound to each other and each other only.
“We’re mates,” he says softly into my ear.
“We’re married,” I tell him back.
When we walk into the Weylyns’ house the next morning, we are shocked to see everyone sitting in the living room waiting for us. I’m even more shocked to see Addison, Noah, and Esme there. The second the front door closes behind us, everyone jumps from their seat and starts talking over each other, their voices becoming increasingly louder.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell us about the book Esme found!” Margot shouts.
“I—” I am cut off when Remi marches closer.
“That would have been good information to know!” She puts her hands on her hips with an annoyed huff.
&
nbsp; “I’m sorry,” I tell the group. “I thought it would be better to wait to tell you. I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up in case it didn’t end up coming true.”
I haven’t even had a chance to tell Ryker yet, and I can tell from the look on his face he is completely lost on what we’re talking about. I explain to him what Esme had found in the book with the original script that elaborated more on the meaning of the prophecy and the bloodline requirement. He’s a little upset I didn’t tell him before the mating ceremony.
“She didn’t want to add any more pressure to you,” Ransom jokes. “It would have been awkward if you couldn’t have…performed properly will all that stress.”
“Ransom James!” Margot scolds before slapping the back of her youngest son’s head. “I swear, sometimes I wonder who raised you.”
I shake my head at him and turn my attention back to Ryker. “Like I said, I wasn’t sure if it was true, and I don’t understand why everyone is up in arms over it. Did something happen?”
“You could say that…” Addison drawls. I notice an odd look pass between her and Noah. “Last night, Noah could suddenly see the mating aura around me—it just appeared, and as of this morning, we are mated.”
Everyone in the room is silent as they look back at me. I stand there in shock as I process what I’m hearing.
“Holy shit, you really are the white wolf!” several exclaim in unison.
The sound of our families laughing and talking from the upper patio fills my ears while I stare at the lake. I stand in the same place on the dock where I had my first kiss with Ryker. It feels like yesterday I found out I was Ryker’s mate and the truth about my past. But at the same time, it feels like a lifetime ago.
I smile when I feel Ryker’s arms wrap around me and pull me back against his chest. I think about all the things we have had to overcome to get to this point. We fought for our love, and even when people and things worked against us, we found our way back to each other. And now that we know the White Wolf Prophecy has come true, our love has granted others the chance of finding love. I can only hope people like Addison and Noah will be able to be as happy as I am with my mate and they will be able to know how amazing it is to find the person meant for them.
Ryker kisses my temple and whispers, “I love you.”
“And I love you.”
I will never get tired of hearing those three simple words come out of his mouth. Even though he shows me on a daily basis how much he loves me, there is still something special in hearing him say it. I make a vow to myself that I will tell him how much I love him and how much I cherish our time together as often as possible because you never know what life is going to throw at you.
If Addison’s diagnosis has taught me anything, it’s that you never have as much time as you think or want. So I will hold him close. I will tell him and show him how much I love him every day, and I will enjoy every second of my crazy, wonderful life with him.
Thank you for reading WOLF BOUND
Keep reading for a sneak preview of Ranger and Winslow’s story in SOUL BOUND!
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SOUL BOUND
WINSLOW
“You’ve been very quiet during our group discussion today, Winslow. Wouldn’t you like to share?” Dr. Beverly asks from across the circle of chairs, her handy-dandy blue pen at the ready to write down everything I say.
Which I’m sure she’ll immediately relay to my parents.
Dr. Beverly showed up a few days ago with a new haircut. She keeps saying she thinks it’s edgy and chic, but if you ask me, her box-dyed blonde hair looks like it lost a fight with a lawnmower. And lying has never been my strong suit, so when she asked for my opinion, I told her exactly that.
It did not go over well.
“Nope, I’m good,” I tell her with a smile I hope comes across as friendly and not homicidal.
“The programs here work because we share our problems and thoughts with the group.” She looks around at the other patients and gives them a reassuring nod.
It’s not entirely shocking when half of them refuse to meet her eyes, as a mass majority of the patients in this facility struggle with eye contact. I know for a fact that Nora—or Nutty Nora, as I endearingly named her—believes that eye contact is how the demons get in. She had to be sedated when she saw that my eyes are two different colors.
“I would like for you to share, Winslow.” Dr. Beverly’s voice is still calm, but I can see how her smile tightens, and her botox-filled forehead pulls slightly that she’s growing irritated with my lack of participation during her group sessions.
Okay, lady...you asked for it.
I stand and place my hands on my hips with a sigh. “Hi, my name is Winslow, and I see dead people. No, wait! I’m Sorry. My bad. I forgot what support group I was at for a second, I’m just in so many here at Cresthill Psychiatric that I have trouble keeping them straight. Let me start again. Hi. My name is Winslow, and I’m a drug addict,” I cheerfully announce. This isn’t like a narcotics anonymous meeting where everyone greets you back. I don’t even technically have to introduce myself, but I get a kick out of it.
I’ve been here for going on two months now, so at this point, it’s the little things like this that get me through my days.
“Like everyone else in this group, I self-medicated with drugs. Not that what I have can be fixed with medication, but that’s another problem altogether that we don’t have to get into right now.” I watch as everyone looks to the doctor. I know I only have about twenty seconds before she calls the orderly, and I’m removed from the group, so I start talking fast, so I can get it all out. “Also, like many of you, I wasn’t sent here by choice. But unlike many of you, and I say this with love because I don’t think there’s anything wrong with getting help, I don’t need to be here. Yes, I see dead people, but they’re real, unlike the aliens with the laser eyes that Daniel sees.” I smile over at the middle-aged bald man who’s so overmedicated he’s staring at his shoes. “Poor guy,” I say with a shake of my head.
“Anywho, thanks for letting me share. You’re right Bev, I should do this more often, I feel so much better.”
Right on cue, the door buzzes open and Martin, the orderly, comes marching toward me. Martin is actually a cool guy and the only orderly who doesn’t treat the patients here like complete shit. His dark gaze narrows when he looks at me, and I know I’ll be getting a lecture on my way back to my room about how he’s disappointed in me for not taking the program seriously.
“Let’s go Montgomery.” Martin sighs, motioning for me to come with him. He has a thing where he calls everyone by their last names. Dr. Beverly hates it. There’s a reason she goes by her first name and it’s not so patients will feel more relaxed around her. It’s because her last name is Pincock, and it’s safe to say some unflattering nicknames come with that.
I give the doctor a quick curtsy before I follow Martin out. He’s silent most of the way to my room, but he eventually breaks down.
“Winslow, as much as I like to see the doc get her panties in a twist, you need to stop. If you’d only put the same effort into the program as you do in pissing her off, you’d be out of here in no time,” he tells me as he opens another metal door with his keycard. “You’ll feel so much better once you accept the help that everyone here is offering.”
“Martin, I like you, but I’m never getting out of this place. It’s cute that you think so, though.”
My parents made sure I’d never see outside of these cold, sterile walls again. I guess having a daughter who believes she can see dead people is a real public image disaster.
Martin leads me down the hallway where my room is in, the squeaking of his sneakers ec
hoing off the empty walls. When he pauses at my door, he turns to look at me. I can see the pity written across his face. “You know why you’re in here Montgomery. You need to stop blaming your parents for all this and accept responsibility for your actions.”
He holds the door open for me, motioning with his head for me to enter the small, jail cell-like room. I pause and narrow my eyes at him. “How are you enjoying your new salary, Martin? If you’d like, I can give you my parent’s address for you to send them a thank you card. I’m sure they’d appreciate knowing you were able to buy the car you always wanted.” His face whitens, and his eyes widen, but he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he grabs my upper arm and pulls me into my room.
Before he can slide the metal door shut, I give him a knowing smile. “Oh, by the way, Little Goose, your mom says hello.”
We both know his mother used to call him that when he was growing up, and we also know that she’s been dead for fifteen years.
I used to wish on shooting stars and four-leaf clovers that I could spend time alone. Between my parents, the staff hired to care for me, and the weekly ghosts that haunted me, I was never left alone. Now, I’m alone more often than I’d like. I guess they were right when they said, “careful what you wish for” because the amount of time I spend alone here is enough to make me truly go batshit crazy.
I’ve done every puppy puzzle available in this joint, and the only books here are self-help nonsense written by whack-jobs. And because I’m so freaking bored in here, I’ve read every single one of them.
It’s been two months since I was ripped out of bed at the shelter in the middle of the night by men I didn’t recognize. Two months since my parents had me drug me in here kicking and screaming, two months since I watched my spiteful mother smirk at me as the metal doors slammed behind me, and two months of listening to the patients cry and wail all night long, keeping me awake most nights.
Wolf Bound (The White Wolf Prophecy Book 1) Page 32