by Quinn Loftis
“These markings,” he said, pointing to the black tattoo-like design that traveled down the right side of his neck to his shoulder, down his arm, and down the right side of his back. “Would I have these if we could fall apart?”
Crina stared at him, dumbstruck, as she often was when he started undressing. He was tall, like Canis lupus males, but his muscles were long and lean. He was what Jen would call eye candy.
“Crina, eyes up here, beautiful,” he said. And when her eyes returned to his face, there was a smug smile waiting for her. “Would I have these markings if we could fall apart?” he asked her again.
There was only one correct answer. “No.”
He stepped up to her again, his bare chest even with her face. Crina could feel the heat from his body, and with her wolf’s senses, she could hear the steady pounding of his heart. She wanted to touch him, to reestablish the bond between true mates. Only she had the right to touch Adam freely, just as only he had the right to touch her freely.
“Then touch me,” he practically growled, having heard the thoughts through the bond. “Because we aren’t leaving this suite until we’ve talked, touched, and kissed … not necessarily in that order. Frankly, I don’t care what order it happens in, but it is all going to happen.” Adam took her face in his hands and tilted her head back. His eyes roamed over her face, stopping on her lips several times. He’d told her many times in the past that he loved her lips. Several moments passed. “I need you, Crina. You are mine, and I am yours. Yes?”
She nodded, afraid if she spoke she would word vomit all over him. Why was this so hard? They were true mates; they shared souls. Didn’t that mean something? Wasn’t it supposed to make their relationship at least a little easier? Crina’s mind spun as she stared up at the man who’d stolen her heart.
“Please,” Adam begged, “talk to me.”
She reached up and placed her hands over his. The instant their skin touched, relief flooded over Crina through Adam’s side of the bond. Her eyes widened as she stood frozen, looking up at him. His side of the bond was completely open. Crina felt his fear of losing her, his longing to hold her at night, his need to reestablish the bond through the Blood Rites. She sensed his anger at her because she wouldn’t tell him what he’d done wrong. She felt the pain her withdrawal had caused. To him, it was as if she’d taken away his right to touch her, even though she was his mate. Crina saw his desire for her. It had never wavered, only grown stronger the longer they were together.
She started to drop her hands, but Adam grabbed them. “Don’t stop.” He pressed her hands to his bare chest. “I would do just about anything for your touch right now. Whatever you do, just don’t stop touching me.”
Crina ran her hands up his chest, over his shoulders, down his arms, and then back up again. She watched his face as she touched him, skin on skin. Adam let out a slow breath and leaned into her touch as if he couldn’t get enough.
Suddenly, he swung her up into his arms, causing her to let out a startled yell. “I lied, I do care what order we do this in. Touching and kissing first. Talking after.” He headed for their bedroom. His head dipped down while hers turned up so they could kiss one another.
Crina whimpered as his tongue pushed into her mouth. Her arms wrapped around his neck. She ran her hands up and sunk her fingers into his hair. A moment later, her back came into contact with their soft bed. Adam’s power was like the hum of electricity along a live wire. As he covered her body with his own, he smiled at her. “Sorry, beautiful, but it’s been too long. You don’t get to undress yourself this time.” His grin was wicked as he snapped his fingers, and then they were both naked.
Crina bit his shoulder hard. He knew she hated it when he did that. It was a dominance battle between her wolf and him as a fae. Her wolf didn’t like feeling vulnerable to him. That he could disrobe her with a thought was disarming.
“You can bite me all you want. Scratch me with those sexy claws. I don’t give a damn, just touch me and let me touch you.” Adam panted as he fought to hold one of her clawed hands and keep it from slashing his chest. Although, he really didn’t mind if she got a few good scratches in. That means she’ll lick them clean later. Adam smiled to himself.
She snarled at him and pushed hard until she forced him onto his back. Adam resisted at first, then yanked her toward him and used their momentum to keep rolling until they flipped off the end of the bed. He twisted to make sure he landed on the floor with her on top. Her claws sank into his chest, causing him to hiss. Still hurts, every time. He leaned up and took her mouth in a searing kiss. Distracted by his mouth, she didn’t notice Adam was using his magic to put them back on the bed. He’d have to move quickly as soon as her back touched the soft surface.
With the speed only a fae could possess, Adam grabbed both of her wrists in one of his hands and held them above her head. With his other hand, he held her chin. He leaned forward, staring into her eyes. “You are mine.” His voice trembled with too many emotions to name.
She tried to throw him off, but he was much stronger. Adam didn’t use his full strength when they played dominance battles. He would never hurt her. But he needed her to understand something. He may not be a wolf, but he was still her true mate. He deserved respect, just like her. She finally stopped fighting. “Yes.” She breathed out. “I am yours.”
“Who do I belong to, Crina?” Adam asked, knowing it would irritate her wolf.
“You’re mine,” both woman and wolf said at the same time.
Adam nuzzled her cheek down to her ear. His lips pressed gently as he whispered, “Submit to me, mate.”
Crina turned her head, exposing her neck. His bite mark was there. He loved seeing it on her. Adam found it interesting that he possessed so many dominant wolf-like traits when it came to Crina. He imagined that this was the work of the Great Luna, helping him be able to meet the needs of his mate, from a completely different race, with completely different needs. Adam had never craved touch until he’d become Crina’s true mate. He’d never needed someone or even wanted the closeness that having a mate brought. But now? Now, he couldn’t live without it. He’d been in complete and utter agony for the past month. They had much time to make up for.
He leaned his head down next to her flesh and ran his nose from her shoulder toward her neck. He repeated the motion with his tongue and then nipped her hard enough with his teeth that she snarled. “Payback, baby.” Adam’s voice rumbled as his hunger and need for her grew. He took another deep breath, pulling her scent into his lungs as he lowered his body farther on top of hers, pressing her into the bed. Crina’s breathing quickened, and Adam smiled to himself, loving that she was so affected by him, that he wasn’t the only one who was starved for this. “I love you, Crina,” he whispered as he nibbled on her ear. “From now on, you talk to me when I’ve done something,” he said, running his tongue down her ear. “Yes?”
She grunted an agreement.
“I want your words, beautiful.” Adam pulled his lips away from her. He knew this would get a reaction. They’d been mated long enough that Adam knew what pushed Crina and her wolf’s buttons.
Her wolf growled, and she attempted to raise her neck, to get closer to his mouth. Adam pulled away so his chest was no longer pressed to hers. He still held her wrists above her head so she couldn’t do more than attempt to arch her back to regain his touch. He shook his head at her. “From now on, you talk to me. No more shutting me out. No more taking away what we both need.” He raised his brow at her, waiting. Crina’s eyes glowed as she stared up at him. Her body trembled with her need of him.
Finally, she answered, “Okay.” She breathed out, and then a tear ran down her cheek.
Damn it, he hadn’tmeant to make her cry. Adam immediately laid his body back on hers, knowing she was strong enough to handle his weight. He pressed his lips to her cheek, where the tear had been. “Don’t cry, my sweet Crina,” he whispered. “I just don’t want us to go through this again. Please unders
tand that. I’m not scolding you or shaming you. But do you see? Do you feel how wrong it is for us to be separated? We were created for one another. You are the other half of my soul. I need you in many ways.”
“Adam, please,” Crina pleaded with him. She turned her neck again, and he knew what she was saying. She needed him to mark her again, to reestablish their bond.
He kissed her lips gently and then gave her what she needed, what they both needed. Adam didn’t hesitate. He didn’t lick or kiss her neck; he simply bit down in the exact place he had many times before. And as all the times before, his teeth sunk in effortlessly. Her body tightened momentarily, and then she pushed herself closer to him. She wrapped her legs around him as if he might attempt to leave her. She needn’t have worried. Adam was right where he wanted to be, had wanted to be for over a month. Nothing could have taken him from her. If she hadn’t been receptive to begin with, he was prepared to do whatever it took to seduce her. He knew that this was what they both needed. Being mates meant many things. It meant you supported one another, you protected one another, you held each other up when one of you needed it. It meant that you talked and listened. You gave of yourself before you took. You met the other’s needs before your own. It also meant that you shared your body, your love, your desire with your mate. It meant that Adam needed to give his body to her, for her pleasure, to remind her of his commitment to her and her alone. And she needed to give him her body because it was his and his alone. When they were intimate, they became complete. It made them one, and it strengthened their bond.
He sucked her blood into his mouth, knowing her scent would be stronger on him. He loved that, being marked by her in such a tangible way. When he knew it was enough, Adam pulled his mouth away and licked his mark clean. Crina jerked her arms hard, attempting to dislodge his hold. He finally released her and whispered, “Your turn to reciprocate, my love.” He tilted his head and lowered his neck to her. Usually, he would have allowed her to be on top of him, giving her more control, but he felt a powerful urge to remain dominant, to remind her he wouldn’t allow this again. He would rather her scream, throw things, snarl, and swipe her wicked claws at him than go a month without letting him touch her. At least then they would end up in bed, because to be so angry with your lover meant you had passion for them, and Adam could work with passion. He didn’t know what to do with rejection.
He expected her to simply bite him. Instead, she kissed his jaw, then his neck. “I’m sorry,” she said through their bond as she kissed his flesh again. “I promise I will talk to you when I am hurt instead of shutting you out.”
“Thank you,” Adam responded, feeling the intimacy of using the mate bond even more than usual. He panted as she continued to lick and kiss his neck. “Crina,” he rumbled.
He felt her warm breath on his skin just before her teeth sank deep. The sharp pain lasted a split second, and then there was just the pleasure of being joined with his mate. Adam could feel her desire through their bond, could hear and see her thoughts. He could barely focus as she sucked on his neck, but he did manage to get her most urgent request. For the first time in much too long, he joined their bodies and finally the world was right again. Now that this need was met, he could face anything the world threw at him. And he wasn’t thinking only of himself. Adam knew Crina needed this closeness just as much as he did. He could feel it. He could feel all of her insecurities flee as he made love to her and reminded her that no matter what, he was hers and he wasn’t going anywhere. The deep intimacy of bearing his body and his soul in such a way was humbling and empowering at the same time.
When she released his neck, Adam turned to look at her. Crina’s eyes no longer glowed. His human mate stared up at him. The hands running up his back, however, still sported those long claws, and he hissed as she dug them in a little deeper. He knew it wasn’t to hurt him but because of how intense her emotions were. Adam used his own magic, running it over her skin, touching her everywhere at once. She smiled up at him as she moved with him. Yes, he knew what his female liked, and he was proud he could pull those responses out of her.
“Again,” she whispered. Adam gave her what she wanted. Here, alone with his female, with the one woman who was made only for him, he gave her everything she asked for. And she reciprocated in kind. With whispered words, sounds of pleasure that only they could give one another, and memories that would make it difficult for Adam to be apart from her for any amount of time, they loved one another. They gave freely of themselves.
Crina’s body was draped languidly across Adam’s stomach and chest, her skin cooling from the sheen of sweat on her flesh. Her mate’s chest rose and fell rapidly as he pressed a hand to the back of her head, holding her close to him. He needn’t have worried; she wasn’t going anywhere, ever.
“Talk to me, beautiful,” he said, several minutes later when they’d both caught their breath.
Crina didn’t hesitate. Adam had opened himself up completely to her as they’d made love, and she would give him the same respect. She explained to him the same thing she’d told Jacque, Sally, and Zara. She also told him she’d spoken to them about it because she’d been hurting so badly and just needed to talk to someone.
“I understand you needed to discuss the issue with females you trusted,” he said. “But please, don’t make me be the last to know, especially when it is because of me,” he said firmly.
“Okay.”
“I am sorry I didn’t share my own pain with you, sweet Crina. It was not because I thought you couldn’t handle it,” Adam explained. “I don’t think the decision was even a conscious one. It was simply the way I responded to the situation. All I could think about was being whatever it was you needed. I didn’t resent you in any way. I didn’t think you were weak or incapable of reciprocating.” He tilted her chin up so he could look in her eyes. “Do you understand?”
She nodded. “I do. I should have just asked you, right then.”
Adam shook his head. “You weren’t exactly thinking clearly, beautiful. But I wish that later, when your emotions had settled a bit, you would have come to me. I should have pushed harder. Instead, I gave you space when that wasn’t what you really needed. What you needed was me. You needed me to be the one who refused to allow such a chasm to grow between us, and for that I apologize.”
Crina started to say something, but he put a finger over her mouth. “I love you, Crina. More than anything, and the state of our relationship affects every area of my life. As it does yours. When things aren’t right between us, then nothing is right. I won’t let it get to this point again. Because I love you, because I want us to be a healthy mated pair, I won’t ever let us endure the pain of the past month again.”
She stared up into his beautiful face and nodded. She pressed a kiss to the finger he still held against her mouth, causing his lips to turn up into a grin. A moment later, she was on her back, and he was once again staring down at her like a man starved for his woman. He glanced at the window in their room. It was still dark out. “Should I let you sleep? Or should we continue to make up for lost time?”
Crina returned his wicked grin with one of her own. She didn’t have to give him an answer with words. She knew she was broadcasting it loud and clear through their bond.
“Have I mentioned how much I love the stamina of my Canis lupus mate?” He moved slowly down her body.
“Once or twi—” she started, but the words faded into a moan as her male took her voice away with his touch. She was going to be exhausted when it was time to get back to decorating for the big celebration, but it was going to be well worth it.
“Damn straight,” Adam murmured into her mind.
*****
“I’m being ridiculous, Dec.” Jennifer paced their bedroom. “I know I am.”
Decebel was trying to pay attention to her words, but that was difficult, considering his mate was wearing one of his large T-shirts, and the cotton only met the top of her beautiful thighs. She was distractin
g to him fully clothed. Partially clothed, there was no sense trying to engage him in conversation, a fact which she knew full well. “She’s torturing us,” his wolf growled. “We brought her trees. Why is she torturing us?”
Decebel mentally chuckled. His wolf was just as hungry for their mate as the man was. Always. There was rarely a moment when he didn’t want to drag her away for any amount of time, no matter how short, and have his wicked way with her.
“Dec? Are you listening?” Jennifer’s voice and snapping fingers brought him out of his fantasy.
“Do you want the truth or do you want me to placate you?” He’d learned a long time ago that there was no point in sugarcoating things with his female.
She cocked a hip out and folded her arms across her chest, which only drew his attention from her legs to her ample breasts. The fact that he wasn’t paying attention was her own fault, he decided. If she wasn’t so damn sexy, he wouldn’t have a problem staying focused when she needed him to listen and not lust after her. “Do you think I’m being ridiculous?” Jen’s voice was soft, which conflicted with her irritated body posture.
He let out a breath and forced himself to look at her lovely face. “Baby, I’ve told you already, I think what you are doing is great. I know you feel you are honoring the memory of Alina and Vasile. Could you perhaps be less like a drill sergeant and more like the caring female I know you to be? Perhaps. This celebration doesn’t have to be perfect, Jennifer. In fact, imperfections make things even more memorable. It’s those things we will laugh about later. We will cherish those imperfections over time.”
She dropped her arms and walked over to where he sat on their bed. Thia was asleep in her room, though Gavril and Rachel would have kept her. But Decebel preferred their daughter with them. Thankfully, she was a good sleeper. Decebel placed his hands on Jen’s hips and nearly sighed. He loved touching his mate, clothes or no clothes. He loved the way she felt in his hands. Decebel ran his hands down to her bare thighs and then back up again, sliding under the shirt to rest on the bare skin of her waist. Their heads were level when he was sitting because he was so much taller than her, so she didn’t have to lean down to kiss him. Her lips pressed firmly to his, and he forced himself to hold still, feeling through their bond that she wasn’t quite ready to move on. He would let her exhaust all of her words, and then he would love her until she no longer had the energy to worry.