Page 31

Derrick

S oft moonlight spills through tall windows, the warm flicker of the fire’s light dancing across the walls. We’re alone, just Rachel and me, tucked away in a cabin that doesn’t exist anywhere other than our minds. The smell of cedar, the soft scratch of the wool blankets, and the hitch in her breath when I touch her, makes it feel so real that it’s hard to remember this is just a dream.

She straddles my lap, her fingers buried in my hair, her soft lips swollen and kiss bruised. Her dark hair tumbles messily over her shoulders, and her flushed cheeks glow in the firelight.

“I think I like it here,” she murmurs. “Can we stay?”

I run my hands up her thighs, slowly, savoring every inch. “We can stay as long as you want, Emerald. Time doesn’t matter here.”

She leans in, brushing her lips against mine in a kiss that's more tease than contact. Bringing one hand up, I cup her cheek and deepen our kiss. She melts into me, soft sounds escaping her as my hands wander. We don’t rush. We never do in our dreams. It’s slow touches and whispered promises. Shared breath and the feeling that the rest of the world ceases to exist if only just for a moment.

“I feel safe here,” she whispers.

“You are safe,” I whisper back. “Always. I will protect you with everything I have.”

The dream begins to fade, softly like a candle flickering out. I blink awake to the soft morning light bleeding through the curtains. For a moment I'm still in that dream, that cabin. But then I feel her. Warm and curled into my side with a leg thrown over mine.

I shift slightly, brushing her hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear. She stirs slightly, lashes fluttering, eyes peeking open. Her hair is sleep-tousled, one strap of her shirt slipping off her shoulder, and her voice still thick with sleep.

“Mmm,” she hums. “Was that you… in the dream? Or was that all me this time?”

I grin, shifting my hips slightly so she can feel how hard that shared dream made me. “What do you think, Emerald?”

She blinks up at me, a smile tugging at her lips.

“I think,” she says. “That your subconscious is a little too good at foreplay.”

I chuckle and dip down to plant a kiss on her forehead. “What can I say? Dream me knows just what you need.”

She hums her agreement. “Only dream you? What about real you?”

Sliding my hand along the curve of her waist, I pull her closer. “Real me has a few tricks of his own.”

She lets out a happy squeak as I grab her hips positioning her on top of me. Her legs straddle my hips mirroring how we were in the dream. She shifts slightly, the hem of her oversized sleep shirt rising with the motion, revealing a teasing sliver of bare thigh. The way she looks at me with those emerald eyes has my pulse picking up and my breath hitching.

“Feeling a little déjà vu?” I ask, running my hands up her thighs to her hips.

“Mmm… this is better than a dream,” she whispers, bracing her hands on my chest and rocking her hips subtly. “Because now I get to make you moan too.”

“Is that a challenge, Emerald?”

Her grin turns wicked. “That’s a promise”

She leans down and finds my lips with hers. We kiss slow and deep at first, but it swiftly becomes more urgent, hungry. She shifts her weight slightly, rocking herself against my cock drawing a groan from deep inside me.

“You drive me wild,” I pant, tipping my head back as she grinds down again.

She leans forward, brushing her lips against my jaw. “Good,” she whispers, dragging her mouth down my neck, leaving a trail of kisses over the fox mark that makes my fingers dig into her hips.

I buck up slightly beneath her, seeking more friction, more contact. She gasps at the pressure, her nails curling into my chest. Sitting up just enough to roll her hips again, slow and deliberate, she watches the effect it has on me like it’s her favorite show.

“I could do this all morning,” she says, a little breathless and a lot smug. “Keep you right here… desperate... begging.”

I growl low in my throat, flipping us so she’s beneath me in a swift movement that earns me a squeal and a giggle. I brace myself above her, my mouth inches from hers. “Careful, Emerald. You’re playing with fire.”

Her eyes flash with a lust filled fire. “Maybe I want to get burned.”

I dip my head, kissing her again. It’s hot, consuming, all tongue and teeth and need. My hands are everywhere, palming her breasts through the soft fabric of her sleep shirt, sliding down to hook beneath her thigh, pulling her closer, anchoring her to me like I can’t bear the thought of space between us.

Because honestly? I can’t.

I drag my lips along her neck, her breath hitches as I nip at the sensitive spot just below her ear where her tiger mark rests. She arches into me. Her mouth falls open in a breathy gasp, eyes fluttering closed as her body chases every sensation.

I slip my hand under the hem of her sleep shirt, my palm meeting the warm curve of her bare skin, and I pause, giving her a chance to stop me. But she doesn’t take it. She lifts her hips instead, rolling them against me with enough pressure to make my vision blur.

“I need you, Derrick,” she says with a moan. “Right now.”

Fuck

I push her shirt up, my mouth following the trail of exposed skin, worshipping every inch as it’s unveiled. She helps me shed the fabric, then reaches for mine, hands frantic but steady.

By the time we’re bare, pressed against each other, the teasing is gone. What’s left is raw and real. Every touch, every kiss, every breath. I settle between her thighs and pause, looking down at her, our eyes locking.

“I love you,” I say.

Her hand cups my cheek, her thumb brushing over the stubble on my jaw. “I love you, too.”

And then I’m moving, pressing into her slowly, deeply. Her gasp is swallowed by my kiss and everything else just fades away.

Her nails dig into my back and the sounds she makes… holy shit. It’s enough to undo me. I bite back a groan, resting my forehead against hers, trying to hold onto the control that's rapidly slipping through my fingers.

We move in sync, like we’ve done this a million times, like we were made for each other. I guess maybe we were. Because nothing in my life has ever made me feel the way this woman does. She’s everything.

“Derrick,” she breathes, “don’t stop.”

“Never,” I pant. “You feel so good, baby. So fucking perfect for me.”

“Harder,” she whimpers. “Please.”

I oblige, snapping my hips forward, watching her mouth drop open in a silent cry. When I hit that spot that makes her eyes roll back in her head, her body starts to tremble.

“That’s it,” I growl. “Come for me, Emerald. Let go.”

With a strangled moan, she shatters. Her body pulses around me as she throws her head back, crying out my name. The sight, the sound, the feel of her coming undone is enough to drag me over the edge with her. Burying myself deep, I let go, roaring out my own release. Pleasure rips through me like a wildfire. Not just my own, but hers.

The bond burns white hot, so bright I swear I can almost see it.

When the tremors fade, I collapse next to her, careful not to put too much weight on her. She hums as I press a lingering kiss to her shoulder, right over my mark. We lay there for a while, a tangle of arms and legs, two sweaty, sated bodies, heaving breaths in sync.

“You okay?” I whisper after a long beat.

She nods, her voice soft and sleepy. “Better than okay. That was… everything.”

“Yeah,” I say with a smile. “It was.”

Rachel’s breathing slows, her fingers still gently running through my hair. I’m content to stay like this forever. Locked away with my mate, happy and sated. I press another kiss to her shoulder and then one to her cheek just because.

She smiles, lashes fluttering as she meets my eyes. “You always in a good mood first thing in the morning?”

I chuckle. “When it starts like this, how could I not be?”

She hums, a little pleased sound that makes my dragon purr. I pull her in tight, intending to get as much time with her as possible before the world creeps back in.

It’s been a week since my dad told us about Everett. Rachel has spent nearly all of her free time with me or my pack brothers but thanks to a lucky out in yesterday's game, I got the prize of her warming my bed last night. In this moment, none of the bullshit with Trent or her asshole father can touch us. It feels like we’re finally claiming a little slice of peace.

But then…

Bang bang bang.

The door shakes under someone’s fist.

“Hey!” Bas’s voice is muffled but urgent. “Lovebirds! I know you’re in there. Unless one of you died mid-orgasm, I need you both out here. Now.”

Rachel groans and drops her forehead to my chest. “Can’t we just pretend we didn’t hear him?”

“Tempting,” I sigh, threading my fingers through her hair. “But if Bas is pounding down the door like that, something is definitely up.”

“Fine,” she mutters, sitting up and reaching for the nearest shirt. It’s mine but I’m not complaining. She pulls it on and stands, her legs a little wobbly, and shoots a smirk over her shoulder. “You coming? Or should I tell Bas you need another five minutes to recover?”

I toss a pillow at her, but I’m grinning like a crazy man when I get up and throw on some gym shorts. Foregoing a shirt, I follow my sweet mate out of the bedroom and into the living room. There we find not just Bas, but the twins as well. All three of our pack mates are sitting eyes glued to the screen. Bas sits on the edge of the couch, knuckles white around a throw pillow. Liam’s jaw is set, and Lucas grips the back of the couch so tightly his fingers pale. On the TV a woman in a navy-blue pantsuit is talking and what she’s saying I almost can’t believe.

“A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Ranger St. James, former Shifter Tribunal Member for The Eternal Council. This comes on the heels of a unanimous vote held yesterday by the remaining Council members to remove him from his position. St. James is wanted on multiple charges, including domestic abuse, and child endangerment. He is also currently under investigation in connection with the disappearance of Everett Linx.

“Authorities executed a search warrant at his home to take him into custody this morning. Unfortunately, St. James is in the wind. His staff is currently being questioned. The public is being urged to report sightings, or any information regarding the whereabouts of either Ranger St. James or Everett Linx. All tips will be treated with urgency and confidentiality.”

Holy shit. Why didn’t Dad tell me this was coming? I had no clue the council was voting him out.

What can it mean that they can’t find him? That can’t be good.

I need to text Dad.