Page 38 of Anders (The Sunburst Pack #2)

A NDERS WATCHED E TTA CLOSELY as they walked away from the Old Packhouse. The council meeting had clearly taken a toll—even though she’d been ultimately accepted, she’d been tested and challenged.

As they followed the trail, a movement caught Anders’s attention.

Dante, Una’s youngest brother, caught up with them, coming up to walk on Etta’s other side and glancing at Etta with obvious curiosity.

Anders went rigid, his wolf pushing forward in an instinctive territorial response. Years of tactical training barely helped Anders contain the urge to place himself between Etta and the other male.

My sister says you’re joining Sunburst, Dante said, offering a friendly smile. Welcome to the pack.

Anders fought to keep his hands from clenching at his sides.

Intellectually, he knew Dante meant no threat.

Emotionally, every fiber of his being screamed that he needed to protect Etta. The mate bond thrummed with a possessive energy that threatened to override his carefully cultivated self-control.

Etta responded to Dante with a polite but reserved smile, her own heightened awareness clearly picking up on Anders’s tension. The bond between them transmitted emotions with increasing clarity—her amusement and reassurance cutting through Anders’s protective instincts.

See you two later. With a wave, Dante moved past them, jogging down the trail.

Anders found himself calculating the distance between himself and Etta. Close enough to protect. Far enough to maintain some personal boundaries.

For her, not him. More than any other shifter he’d ever met, she needed to know she was her own person.

No matter how much his inner wolf urged him to keep her safe.

Each step was a careful negotiation between guardian and mate, between rational thought and primal instinct.

His home wasn’t far. He’d personally swept the location for any potential surveillance multiple times since returning with Etta, but he’d do another pass to be certain.

I can guarantee this location is secure, he said, his voice low and precise. No unexpected visitors. No surveillance.

Etta raised an eyebrow, a hint of playful challenge in her voice. Guarantee? That sounds like a challenge to a journalist who’s made a career out of finding hidden stories.

Anders’s lips twitched. I’m not most people. And this isn’t most locations.

At the door, he turned to her. His hand rose, almost involuntarily, to carefully caress the side of her face.

Yet beneath that precise movement, his wolf howled with a desire to mark, to claim, to make absolutely certain every member of the pack understood she was his.

Safe, he murmured, the word more for himself than for her.

A promise. A prayer.

Etta’s scent changed subtly. Anders forced himself to regulate his breathing, to maintain the clinical distance that had defined his existence for so long, even as his wolf pushed against those carefully constructed barriers.

Their eyes locked, and for a moment, the world seemed to narrow to that single point of connection. Anders felt his tactical awareness—his constant threat assessment, his perpetual strategic planning—dissolve like mist, until there was only her.

Only them.

What are you thinking? Etta asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper. The challenge in her tone was subtle, as if she was fully aware of the war raging behind his carefully controlled exterior.

He caught himself leaning closer, drawn by the cadence of her voice, by the subtle melody of her breath.

I’m thinking, Anders said, his voice rough, that everything I’ve trained for doesn’t prepare me for you.

Every movement was calculated—appearing nonthreatening while every instinct screamed to display strength, to demonstrate his capacity for protection.

You’re not a mission, he continued, more to himself than to her. You’re not a problem to be solved.

Anders felt the precise moment his professional mask began to slip—that infinitesimal point where strategy gave way to something more elemental. The guardian in him had always maintained absolute control, viewing emotion as a potential vulnerability.

I don’t need protection, Etta challenged, her chin lifting slightly. Not any longer. I need a partner.

Anders’s breath caught. The words shivered in the air between them—a declaration but also a dare.

In that suspended moment, something broke.

Anders closed the distance between them with a sudden, fierce movement, his hand sliding behind her neck with precise control that dissolved the instant their lips met.

His thumb traced the delicate curve where her neck met her shoulder, sending electricity racing through both of them.

The kiss was anything but gentle. His lips captured hers with barely contained hunger, a lifetime of restraint shattering in an instant. She tasted of wildness—sage and desert wind, underlaid with something perfectly her own.

Anders drew her lower lip between his teeth, a soft growl rumbling in his chest as her fingers dug into his shoulders.

Heat bloomed between them. Anders pressed her back against the door, one hand still cupping the back of her neck while the other found her waist, his touch both possessive and reverent.

Her breath caught as he deepened the kiss, his tongue tracing the seam of her lips before sliding inside. Anders memorized every detail—the soft sound she made, the way her body arched against his, the subtle shift of her scent from anticipation to pure desire.

When they finally broke apart, both were breathing heavily.

Etta’s eyes, now more wolf than human, blazed with an emotion that went far beyond mere attraction. A thin line of gold rimmed her irises. At the sight, Anders’s own wolf pushed closer to the surface, completely uninterested in the tactical restraint he’d maintained for so long.

But Etta was not a vulnerability.

She was a strength he had not yet understood.

As the last vestiges of his professional detachment began to crumble, Anders made a conscious choice.

For the first time in his life, he would surrender. Not in weakness, but in a form of strength he was only beginning to comprehend.

The mate bond pulsed between them in an invitation, a promise.

And Anders opened the door to his home, drawing Etta in after him, leading her to his bedroom.

I NEED YOU , E TTA whispered, her voice ragged, and Anders’s cock throbbed with her words.

Sunlight streamed through the window, making Etta’s white-blonde hair glow as Anders pulled her close. Her blue-green eyes, flecked with gold, held a vulnerability that stirred his inner wolf.

Do you trust me? he whispered.

She didn’t hesitate before answering, but her speech still carried a cautious edge. Yes, I do.

With a gentle tug, Anders led her toward the bed, his movements fluid, his touch tender.

As they reached the edge of the mattress, he wrapped his arms around her, feeling the warmth of her body pressed against his own. His heart raced, but he focused on the task at hand, determined to prove his commitment to her beyond just words.

Lowering them both onto the soft sheets, Anders nestled himself beside Etta, enveloping her like a protective shield.

Tension tightened her muscles, and he knew she was still grappling with the tasks that faced them. In this moment, however, he wanted her to feel safe and cherished—a respite from the chaos outside their bedroom door.

Are you okay? Anders asked, his concern evident in the subtle warmth of his tone.

I’m just…trying to process everything, Etta said.

Anders nodded, then locked his gaze with hers. The air between them was charged with a potent mix of anticipation and vulnerability. He felt her breath against his lips—warm, inviting, and utterly irresistible.

I need to know… Are you sure about this?

Her eyes shimmered with the passion that pooled just beneath the surface.

Yes, she breathed, reaching up to trace the contours of his face with trembling fingers. I want this. I want you.

With those words, Anders felt the last of his restraint crumble away, replaced by a searing desire that threatened to consume him.

Drawing her closer, he captured her lips in a passionate kiss, his hands roaming the soft curves of her body with unbridled hunger.

God, you’re amazing, he murmured against her lips, tracing a fiery path beneath her shirt with his fingertips. Her heart pounded beneath his touch, the heat of her skin branding him as surely as any mark ever could.

He explored her breasts, teasing her nipples until she gasped and moaned, her voice a sweet symphony that only served to fuel his desire.

Yes, Etta panted. Don’t stop.

He couldn’t help but notice the way her scent filled the room, intoxicating and heady; it was the same scent that had haunted his dreams since the first moment they had met.

Etta’s body seemed to come alive beneath his touch. The soft curve of her waist was warm and inviting, a promise of untold pleasures waiting just beneath the surface.

He allowed his hand to trail lower, his fingers slipping beneath the waistband of her pants.

Etta broke away from the kiss, her eyes wide and filled with desire. Are you sure?

In response, he simply nodded, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Okay, she murmured, her fingers trembling slightly as they fumbled with the button on her pants. I trust you.

Let me, he said softly, guiding her hands away and taking over the task of unfastening her pants. As he pushed the material down over her hips, he marveled at the contrast between her pale skin and the dark fabric.

Here, he murmured, coming up on his knees as he drew her pants down over her feet, then pulled her silky panties down, too, his actions slow and deliberate.

Etta gasped as she found herself exposed before him, her cheeks flushing a delicate pink that only served to heighten her beauty.

The heat in the room seemed to intensify as Anders’s cock jerked, aching and throbbing with need.

Beautiful, he whispered, meeting her gaze as he drank in the sight of her vulnerability laid bare. So incredibly beautiful.

Despite his own hunger, though, he promised himself that this would be an experience she would never forget, one that would leave her craving more.

Anders lowered himself between her legs, his strong arms lifting her knees over his shoulders, the position offering him a breathtaking view of the glistening moisture that coated her delicate folds.

Are you ready, love? he asked with a smile.

Y-Yes… Please, she stammered, her body trembling beneath him.

Anders took a deep breath, allowing Etta’s unique scent to fill his senses, before extending his tongue to offer the first delicate stroke against her wetness.

Etta’s muscles tensed in response, and a soft moan escaped her lips. He continued to explore her folds slowly, savoring each taste and reveling in the knowledge that it was his touch eliciting such a reaction from her.

Etta gasped, her fingers gripping the sheets as her body writhed beneath him. It feels so…incredible.

Tell me what you want, he whispered between slow, deliberate licks. I’m here to fulfill your every desire.

More…please, more, she panted, her voice thick with need.

Anders intensified his efforts, alternating between long, sweeping strokes and gentle flicks across her clit that left Etta straining toward him, moaning in response.

Your taste is intoxicating, Anders murmured, pausing for a moment to look up at her flushed face. I can’t get enough of you.

She inhaled a ragged breath, raw desire flashing through her eyes at his words. He stared into her eyes for a moment, their depths swirling with a heady mixture of trust and desire that sent a jolt of electricity through him.

Returning his attention to her core, Anders continued to worship her body, losing himself in the moment as he sought to bring her to new heights of pleasure. She moaned, arching against him.

Let go, he whispered against her sensitive flesh. I’m here to catch you if you fall.

Ah, she whispered breathlessly, reaching down to tangle her fingers in his hair. More, please.

Not wanting to deny her, Anders slid first one finger and then another inside her silky wetness, moving them slowly, then faster, causing Etta to gasp and clutch the sheets tighter.

When he resumed his oral ministrations, she bucked against him and let out a gasping cry.

In response, Anders pumped his fingers in and out of her slick pussy even faster, turning his hand and curving his fingers upward until he found the spot inside her, on the other side of the bundle of nerves he flicked with his tongue on the outside.

Etta let out a groan, trembling beneath him, her body twisting involuntarily as he continued to pleasure her. Anders’s cock throbbed insistently, aching for release. But he was determined to ensure that Etta’s pleasure came first.

The room seemed to vibrate with the intensity of their connection, each breath and touch sending tremors through Etta that continued into Anders, as if the mate bond transmitted them, then sent them arrowing straight down to his cock, leaving him vibrating with need.

As Anders’s fingers worked their magic, Etta ground her pussy against his hand and mouth, her hips undulating and writhing.

More, she demanded in a gasp, her sweat-slicked thighs sliding against his skin. He pumped his fingers harder. Please… I need more.

Her inner walls tightened around his fingers as he continued to stroke and tease her, relishing the sensation of her body responding so eagerly to his touch.

His cock throbbed in anticipation, but he quelled the urge to take control, focusing instead on elevating Etta to new heights of pleasure as her moans grew more urgent.

Trust me, he whispered against her quivering flesh. I’ve got you. I’m going to take you there.

As he increased the tempo of his fingers and tongue, Etta’s moans grew louder, her body arching off the bed in a desperate plea for release. Anders could sense her teetering on the edge, and he knew he had the power to push her over.

With a final, skillful flick of his tongue and a powerful thrust of his fingers, he sent her careening into the abyss.

She screamed his name, her body convulsing with the force of her orgasm.

And in that moment, as the waves of ecstasy crashed over her and her cries of pleasure echoed through the room, Anders knew—without a shadow of a doubt—that he would move heaven and earth to keep her safe, to make her happy.

To show her just how much she meant to him.