As her sight returned to normal, she saw a roaring fire in front of her. It felt warm too, and so nice after trudging out in the snow. Her body had been nearly numb from being out in the freezing temperatures, and now she could feel everything. Everything, including the hard body pressed up behind her.
“Holy—” She scrambled to her knees. “I—Zac?”
Zac looked up at her lazily, his head propped up on one elbow. A blanket covered him from the waist down, but that was about it. His bare chest and torso were on display, and she couldn’t help but stare, her eyes devouring the planes of his broad shoulders, muscled chest, all the way down to the well-defined six-pack abs covered with a sprinkling of dark blond hair that disappeared under the blanket.
“Like what you see?” He grinned up at her.
“I—” God, her cheeks were like a five-alarm fire. “Zac, do you remember what happened?”
“Most of it,” he said. “I remember the avalanche and then—you found me and dragged me back here, right? Your wolf did.”
She nodded.
“Thank you. I woke up and we were by the door.” He gestured to the blanket that had been covering them, as well as the sleeping bag which he must have laid down by the fire. “I managed to find an extra blanket and some firewood too, though that’s about the last of it.”
The fire was ablaze, but if that was the last of it, then it wouldn’t be very long until they would be plunged into the darkness and cold again. She looked out the windows and saw snow covering most of the panes.
“I can’t open the door without risking the snow coming in. We’re trapped in here for now.”
“Shit.”
“Do they know we’re lost?” he asked.
“Yes, and there are rescue teams looking for us.”
“What about your father? Or Cross? Couldn’t they just … show up here and get us out?”
“That’s not how their powers work,” she said. “It’s similar to mine; they need to have been someplace before or see a clear picture of where they’re headed. Wait … the tracker!” She held up her hand, but found her wrist empty. “Oh, no. Keith gave me his tracker, but I must have lost it in the snow.”
“Well, it can’t be that far,” he said. “Plus, there’s rescue teams out looking for us. They might not be able to access the slopes now because of the storm and avalanches, but surely they’ll find us by morning.”
“Once they locate the tracker, it’s only a matter of time.” She breathed a sigh of relief. The situation wasn’t dire, but they’d have to sit tight until rescue came.
He sat up, his ice blue eyes fixed on her. She suddenly felt self-conscious and tugged the hem of the shirt she was wearing down. It was a futile effort as it came down to the tops of her thighs.
“What were you doing out there, Astrid?” he asked in a quiet voice.
“I was … looking for you,” she confessed. “I was concerned.”
A blond brow shot up. “You were concerned?”
“I thought you’d gone back to New York,” she explained. “And, well, maybe I thought that you’d stayed … because of me.”
In an instant, he was right beside her, taking her hands into his. “I did.” She nearly jumped away from him, but his grip was too strong. “I couldn’t go. Not knowing what it is I’d done to you to make you hate me.” He pressed his warm lips to the back of her hand.
Her breath caught in her throat at the sensation. “I don’t hate you, Zac,” she said. “It’s … it’s a silly thing. And I was a silly girl. It was also a million years ago.”
“If it was all silly and so long ago, why don’t you tell me then? When did I ignore you? Because I know if I did see you, there’s no way I could have taken my eyes off of you.”
She sighed, mesmerized by the light blue orbs of his eyes and the way his lips grazed at the skin of her palms. “You’ve always ignored me, Zac. At all the functions our families attended. The last one was five years ago at Hannah’s wedding. You never made it to her engagement party, but I knew you’d be at the wedding. And … you had a date.”
“I remember bringing someone. And so?”
She slapped her hands over her mouth. “And … nothing.”
He caught her hand again. “Oh no, I’m not letting you get away. Not until you tell me what’s wrong. Besides, it’s not like you can get away from me now.”
She struggled, but he wouldn’t let her go. Her shoulders sagged and she let out a deep sigh. “Like I said, this was way back, okay? So, I knew you were going to be at Hannah and Anthony’s wedding. It was the biggest affair of the year, after all. Deedee … she assured me that you weren’t with anyone in London and that you wouldn’t have a date or anything.” She bit her lip. “So, I … I went and found this dress. It wasn’t expensive or anything. Just a nice vintage dress I found at a thrift store. It was all I could afford and … I went to the wedding and at the reception, I saw you come in … with your date. Mayor Adkins’ daughter.”
“Sa … Sam … Samantha?” His brows knitted together. “My mother fixed it up. She didn’t have a date either. You know Anthony’s grandfather was a presidential candidate, right? It was all political, of course, and my parents asked me to take her to the wedding as a good gesture towards the mayor of New York City.”
“I know.” Her gaze shifted to her lap. “I … I was going to ask you to dance with me.”
The look on his face was inscrutable. “Why didn’t you?”
Oh God, this was the embarrassing part. “She … Samantha … I overheard her in the bathroom. She was talking about how her dress cost hundreds of dollars and how she thought you were so handsome. Everyone around her thought you two made a beautiful couple. And how Cady and Nick would be ecstatic if you ended up with her.”
“I … I didn’t know. I didn’t even see you there. I mean, I hadn’t seen you in years until a few days ago. Astrid. Please, sweetheart, look at me.” She lifted her head up. “All I remember of you was this toddler running around Deedee’s house at her eighth birthday party. And maybe … you were maybe twelve or thirteen at one of Fenrir’s Christmas parties at the Waldorf Astoria.”
“You didn’t attend a lot of those parties,” she said. “You always went off somewhere on Christmas Eve with your family, except that one time when there was a terrible snowstorm, and you guys couldn’t leave. You were seventeen years old, and while the other teens were so sullen and had that ‘I’d rather be somewhere else’ look, you actually looked happy to be there.” She smiled bitterly. “I always thought you looked handsome in a tux, Zac.”
“Astrid, even if I did notice you, you would have been way too young for me.”
“I wasn’t at twenty-one, at the wedding,” she pointed out. “In any case, it was then I realized the truth, Zac. We’re just too different. You should be with someone like Samantha Adkins—beautiful, smart, and rich and someone who you could be proud of. Not someone like me who—”
“Stop,” he growled. “No more.” He grabbed her wrists pulled her back to him. “I may have ignored you then, but I won’t ignore you now.” His hand cupped the back of her neck, his fingers reaching up to dig into her hair. “Astrid, I want you. And I never want you to doubt that.” He leaned down to kiss her fiercely, as if he was pouring every bit of passion and emotion into their kiss. She couldn’t even bring herself to struggle, and instead, melted into him. Pressed up to him like this, it felt like they were in the blazing Sahara, not the freezing mountains of Colorado.
She moaned into his mouth and reached up to grab his shoulders, clinging to him as she let him plunder her mouth. Her body was yielding to him; she wanted this so bad. And she was so Goddamn tired of ignoring her own needs and wants. When Zac abruptly broke off the kiss, she was left confused.
“Zac?” Her body was still singing with desire. “What’s wrong?”
“Absolutely nothing, sweetheart.” He sighed and kissed her forehead, then wrapped his arms around her. “I’m sorry for ignoring you that night.”
&
nbsp; “I was a silly girl,” she admitted.
“You. Were. Not.” He punctuated each one with a kiss to her lips. “Astrid, I can’t explain what’s happening here, but please, tell me you feel this too.”
She shivered, but nodded. “I don’t know what’s happening either. But I can’t seem to say no to you.”
He looked around them. “I know this isn’t exactly the most ideal place.”
“I’ve been waiting for years for you to notice me, Zac,” she replied in a breathless voice. “Don’t make me wait anymore.”
“Astrid, we should … maybe think first. There’s a lot going on and I’m afraid—”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Zac, can we just not think, just for tonight? About what’s happening out there. We don’t know what’s ahead, especially with the mages. Just for now … for tonight, let’s not worry about it.” She let go of his hand and reached down to grab the hem of the loose shirt, whipping it off in one motion.
He let out a growl, pouncing on top of her and pushing her down on the floor. His hands seemed to be everywhere—on her breasts, her hips, caressing the inside of her thighs. His mouth was rough, devouring hers with such an intensity that she thought she would faint.
When he sat up, he pulled her up with him, barely breaking their kiss. She felt both his hands move lower cupping her ass and lifting her up, wrapping her legs around his waist. His cock was already hard and was pressing up against her lower stomach.
He didn’t take her far, didn’t even get off his knees. Instead, he crawled them back toward the spread out sleeping bag, laying her down reverently as if it were a pillow-top mattress. When she was on her back, he positioned himself over her, his mouth demanding and claiming.
Her body was on fire, and she couldn’t get enough. She moved her hips up, trying to get as much contact with him as possible. A hand came down over her belly, pressing her down, as if to tell her to be patient. His mouth moved lower, down to her jaw, raining kisses all the way to her neck and shoulder blades. She let out a gasp as he licked a path down her breasts, all the way to the pointed tip of her nipple. His hot mouth covered one bud, his tongue teasing it until she was moaning his name. The hand holding down her torso, meanwhile, slid lower. His fingers teased her pussy lips, which were already slick with her own desire. She called his name as he pushed one finger inside her, her hips moving uncontrollably in a rhythmic movement.
He pulled her nipple deeper into his mouth and his hand thrust up against her, meeting the demands of her hips. When his thumb found her clit, she thought she had died and gone to heaven, and the orgasm that washed over her was too much.
“Zac!” she cried out, closing her eyes as her hands turned into fists and pounded down on the floor. As she came down from her orgasm, she let out a sound of disappointment when he pulled his hand away. She reached for him, but only got empty air. When she opened her eyes, she found his head between her thighs, his light blue eyes blazing with desire.
She bit the back of her hand as his mouth caressed her sex. Hot damn, his lips … that tongue. “Uuungh!” Her fingers dug into his hair, tugging at the strands, her hips pushing up at him. He licked at her, relentless and almost punishing, refusing to stop until her body squirmed under his expert ministrations.
“Oh … sh—” She let out a sharp cry when a powerful orgasm ripped through her. He seemed to revel in her screams of delight, pushing his tongue into her as her body shook with pleasure. “Zac,” she moaned. “Please.”
He shifted his body, wasting no time or energy in getting between her legs. She was caught in a haze of desire, not caring about the consequences of what tomorrow would bring. When she looked up at him, he was staring right back. The way he looked at her made her heart slam straight into her rib cage.
“Astrid.” His voice was rough, and for a moment, she feared he would change his mind. Reaching up, she pulled him down for a kiss, willing him to forget the outside world and just focus on them. She spread her legs to let him come closer, and when she felt the blunt tip of his cock against her entrance, she sighed against his mouth.
Slowly, he filled her. Astrid nearly wept at the care he took, but at the same time it was driving her mad. She relaxed, allowing herself to adjust to his girth. God, I’m not gonna walk right for three weeks. When he settled inside her, he let out a breath he’d been holding.
She raked her nails down his back lightly, and he let out a growl, his hips slowly drawing out of her. This time, she was the one who held her breath and she nearly gasped when he pushed back inside her.
“Zac! Oh God!” She felt so full, yet still hungry for more. The sensation of being filled like this made her want him so much more. He moved in that sweet rhythm she craved so much. Arching her hips up, she changed the angle of his thrusts.
“You’re so perfect, Astrid,” he whispered into her ear. “So damn perfect.” His cock thrust inside her, in and out, the bones of his hips pressing up just right to grind against her pelvis.
He was really moving hard and fast into her, and she clasped at him, wrapping her legs around his waist as her fingers dug into his shoulders. They were both moaning and gasping, their bodies working hard. The orgasm almost surprised her when it did come—hard and fast, and so deep, she could feel it in her bones. She thought he would be done; hell, after three orgasms she was ready to just collapse. But no, he wanted more.
He pulled her up with him as he sat, adjusting her legs so she straddled him. His hands wrapped under her arms and hooked over her shoulders so he could pull her down as his cock pounded up into her tight passage. He wouldn’t stop, pushing for more. “One more, sweetheart,” he groaned. “One more and then I can—”
“Zac!” She moved her hips like a piston, enjoying the feel of his cock sliding in and out of her as the fourth orgasm of the night hit her. He grabbed a fistful of her hair, pulling her head down so she could look at him. His eyes darkened, fixed on her as she came. He let out an animalistic growl and continued to pound up into her until he threw his head back. He moaned her name, and she felt his cock pulse inside of her, pumping her full of his seed. He didn’t stop thrusting, and she milked every last drop from him, squeezing him tight even as they both collapsed on the floor.
They lay there for a few minutes, not saying anything. She enjoyed the silence, actually; with her ear pressed to his chest, she could only hear his heartbeat. When he grew soft and slipped out of her, she sighed deep and rolled off him. A hand around her waist prevented her from going too far.
“Where do you think you’re going?” His lips found the sensitive area on her neck and she melted back against him.
“Nowhere,” she moaned.
“Damn right.” His grip tightened on her and his other arm slipped underneath her. “It’s been a long day.” He pressed a kiss to her ear. “Let’s get some rest.”
She nodded and settled against him. This is what she’d wanted, what she’d been dreaming about. To be in Zac’s arms, and even if it was just for one night, to have him look at her like she was the only woman who existed. She didn’t even care what tomorrow would bring. This was one memory she would cherish for the rest of her life.
Chapter Thirteen
When Zac woke up the next day, they were still cuddled close together, though Astrid must have shifted positions sometime in the middle of the night as her face was now pressed against his chest. For a moment, his sleep-fogged mind thought that he’d been dreaming, but the memories of last night were so clear that he knew it was real. This—having her in his arms as she slept—was real too.
She looked even more beautiful than she did last night, if that were possible. With her face so peaceful and her hair spread out behind her and over her shoulders like a golden cape, she looked perfect. Like an angel.
He didn’t want to wake her or have this moment end. It still blew his mind that she’d apparently had a crush on him all these years. Of course, he was glad he didn’t bump into her as a shy teenager. See
ing her at thirteen when he was seventeen would have been too weird. But what if he’d seen her when she was twenty-one, in that vintage dress she talked about? Did they waste all this time because he wanted to do his duty to his family and his clan?
It doesn’t matter. What only mattered was now. His wolf wholeheartedly agreed; hell, it was practically glowing, so pleased that they had claimed her finally.
Mine. Ours.
He blinked. What did it say? Did his wolf just—
A sound from outside interrupted his thoughts. It sounded like … digging? There were also voices. Faint, but he could hear them. When he shifted to turn his head toward the door, Astrid’s eyes flew open.
“I—what the—is it—” She sat up and looked around. Her eyes widened. “I think they’re here!” She shot to her feet.
Fucking hell. While he was relieved that rescue had come, couldn’t they have waited another damn hour? He wanted more time with Astrid. In the daylight, her naked body was even more glorious, and he couldn’t wait to have her again. With a grumble, he stood up.
“Where are your clothes?” She was already slipping the shirt she had been wearing last night over her head.
“I dried them near the fire.” He walked over to the fireplace, grabbing his shirt and pants. The sound of their rescuers grew louder and he dressed hurriedly. “Here.” He handed Astrid his jacket. “You should put this on.”
She shook her head. “I need to head out. Before they get in here.”
“What do you mean?”
“Those rescuers can’t know how I got to you first,” she said.
“We could say you were with me the whole time,” he pointed out.
“But they’ve seen me at the resort. How do you think I was able to find you?”
Irritation was niggling at him. It was like she couldn’t wait to get away and it was annoying the hell out of him. “We’ll figure out some kind of explanation.”
“But if we can’t, then the Alpha will have to send my father here to use the forgetting potion and then I’ll be in trouble. We both will be,” she said. “Look, Zac, it’s simpler this way.”
A Twist of Fate: True Mates Generations Book 1 Page 13