Page 21 of Claimed by the Wolf (Wild Fated Shifters #1)

brYNN

T he ride back to Nox’s estate is a blur, curled in the passenger seat next to my mate. I can’t keep my hands off him, my fingers exploring the bare skin of his arm, trailing over the fine hairs, and relishing the pores of his flesh.

“Do you think we’ll be okay?” I ask him worriedly, twisting my body toward him.

His eyes dart toward me every couple of seconds, and I can see he’s having a difficult time focusing on the road. His eyes trail toward the rearview to ensure Brax is following us safely off Emeric’s ranch.

My gaze strays back to look, and I see my brother’s dark SUV in tow, but when we reach a fork in the road, Nox veers to the right.

“We’re going to be fine,” he responds to my question.

I catch my brother’s baffled look as he passes us on the left, but Nox continues through the countryside, down the dirt path, and through a thick of cypress trees.

“What are you doing?” But I already know.

He won’t last until we get home, not with my hands all over him and this pulsating pressure building for weeks, not when the bond between us has been tried and tested beyond breaking.

He pulls off to the side of the road and barely parks before I grab for him, cupping his face between my palms eagerly.

“Is it really over?” I breathe. “Can we be together?”

His answer is to kiss me, deeply and with so much passion, it knocks the wind out of me.

This kiss is better than the first one, because it’s guilt-free and real.

Every ounce of yearning and desire I’ve had mounting inside me spills into the locking of our lips.

Our mouths part, his seatbelt unbuckling, so Nox can press his weight against me.

A familiar heat surges through me, consuming me from head to toe.

“I’ve been dying without you,” he murmurs against my lips, his breath warm on my skin. “Every single day has been torture.”

“I know,” I whisper back, my hands already reaching for him, desperate to feel his skin against mine. “I felt it too. Like I was missing half of myself.”

Heady with need, I allow him to maneuver the seats back, creating more space between us.

My shirt peels away slowly, his hands reverent as they trace every inch of newly exposed skin.

The fabric lands somewhere on the passenger side floor, forgotten.

He releases me long enough to guide me carefully along the lowered front seats and into the back, his movements deliberate and tender as he lays me down on my back.

His eyes drink me in as if seeing me for the first time, and I feel beautiful under his gaze. Slowly, he strips away the rest of my clothing until I’m entirely naked beneath him. My eyes bore into his longingly, our gazes clashing and electrified.

“I love you,” he rasps, his voice thick with emotion. “I didn’t tell you that after that first time you said it to me. But I need you to know I’ve loved you this entire time, probably even before the bond snapped into place.”

My heart swells, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. “I love you, too, Nox. And I think I’ve loved you my entire life.” I reach up for him again, to crush his lips back toward me, my naked legs wrapping around his clothed waist.

The hard length of him presses against my core through his pants, and I arch upward instinctively, seeking more contact. His kisses trail lower, leaving a blazing path along my neck and shoulders, each touch sending goosebumps over my entire body.

“I want to taste you,” I plead breathlessly, my hands already working at his shirt.

He raises his head to meet my eyes again, his pupils blown wide with desire.

Without a word, he sits back on his heels, and I scramble up toward him, my hands shaking slightly as they explore the planes of his chest. I press soft kisses along his chin and neck, inhaling his spicy, masculine scent that makes my head spin with want.

This is what I’ve been craving, this connection, this completeness. He’s part of me, even before he’s inside me, his skin calling to mine. We’re fated mates, bonded forever, and now I can finally feel it without shame or fear.

He slides his shirt over his head, revealing the sculpted perfection of his torso, and I help him work out of his pants with trembling fingers. The confined space makes us clumsy, but neither of us cares as fabric gets tangled and tossed aside.

When he’s finally naked before me, I take a moment just to look at him.

Really look at him.

My lips begin their journey along the ridged muscle of his abs, savoring each groan that rumbles from deep in his chest as my mouth trails lower to where he’s hard and ready for me.

He’s magnificent—thick and pulsing with need—but I want to worship him first, to show him with my mouth what he means to me.

Nox’s hands twist gently in my long hair, his touch reverent as he gathers the strands away from my face.

“Brynn,” he breathes my name as I take him into my mouth, my eyes fluttering closed as I lose myself in pleasing him.

The sounds he makes—deep, guttural moans that seem to come from his very soul—vibrate through the small space.

I can feel his restraint in the careful way his hands guide me, never demanding, always gentle.

My palms slide around to cup the firm muscles of his ass, pulling him deeper until I feel him tense with the effort of holding back.

“I need you,” he growls. “I need to be inside you. Now.”

He pulls me upward with shaking hands, positioning me carefully on his lap. Our eyes lock as he settles me over him, his hands spanning my waist before sliding up to cup my breasts with tenderness.

“Are you ready for me?” he asks softly.

“I’ve been ready for you my whole life,” I whisper.

I lower myself slowly onto him, both of us crying out as he fills me completely.

The sensation is overwhelming. Not just the physical joining, but the emotional connection that floods through our bond.

He rises up to meet me, and we fall into a rhythm that feels ancient and perfect, like we’ve done this dance a thousand times before.

Our gazes remain locked, watching each other’s faces as pleasure builds between us.

His hands roam my body, one settling on my hip to guide my movements, the other tangling in my hair.

I brace myself against his shoulders, using the leverage to move against him in slow, deliberate circles that make us both gasp.

“That’s it,” he encourages, his voice rough with need. “I can feel how close you are.”

He’s right. I can feel my climax building, starting low in my core and spreading outward with each roll of my hips. The way he fills me so perfectly, the way his eyes never leave mine, the way our bond hums with shared pleasure—it’s all too much and not enough at the same time.

When my release finally crashes over me, my head falls back and I cry out his name, my body clenching around him rhythmically. The sight of me coming undone seems to be his undoing, too, and he grips my hips, pulling me down hard against him as he finds his own release.

“Brynn,” he groans, his forehead falling to rest against mine as he pulses inside me, filling me with warmth.

We stay like that for long moments, breathing hard, hearts racing in sync.

Finally, he shifts us carefully so I’m lying on my side facing him, our legs tangled together in the cramped backseat.

His arm comes around me, pulling me close against his chest, where I can hear his heartbeat finally starting to slow.

He presses a soft kiss to my temple. “You’re perfect. We’re perfect together.”

I snuggle closer, feeling more complete than I have in weeks. “I never want to let you go again.”

“Good,” he murmurs into my hair, his arm tightening around me protectively. “Because I’m never letting you go, either.”

“I meant what I said,” he tells me after a moment. “I love you. You’re going to be my Luna.”

I smile. “I know.”

Before he can respond, the Bluetooth rings, and I raise my head to look at the screen. I choke to see Emeric’s name on the display. We scramble to sit up and look at one another.

“Don’t answer it!” I squeak as he reaches to accept the call.

He casts me an odd look. “Why not? We need to resolve this, eventually.”

That’s why he’s the Alpha. Relenting, I sit back and reach for my clothes as he answers, pressing a finger to his lips.

“Hello, Emeric.”

“Nox.”

“That was quite an afternoon.”

He snorts. “You took my mate and stormed my property.”

I stiffen, alarm rushing through me.

“Is that how you remember it?” Nox sounds tired.

“No. And I don’t want my pack remembering it that way either,” Emeric grumbles.

Nox and I frown at each other.

“I’m not sure I understand,” Nox says slowly.

“You know how rumors get started, Nox. We need to agree on what we tell our pack members. And we need to let them know this was a peaceful resolution. We can meet once a month and discuss any issues, so we don’t let this get out of control again.”

My jaw slacks at the new proposition. This is going much better than I thought it would.

“You’re proposing diplomatic relations?” Nox muses. “That could work. Let’s set up a meeting and sign the treaty. I’m sick of this bullshit already.”

Emeric lets out an audible sigh in relief. “And we’ll finally survey those disputed border areas and establish permanent markers both packs can agree on. No more boundary disputes.”

“Yes. It’s about damn time,” Nox agrees. “Twenty years of fighting over unmarked territory is long enough.”

“I’ll call you in the morning to set all of this up,” the Willow Grove Alpha says.

They disconnect without saying goodbye, and I gape at Nox in awe. “You don’t think it’s a trap, do you?”

He stares at me. “Do you?” he asks warily. “You’ve spent more time with the guy than I have.”

I consider the question carefully. “No. Emeric is cold, but he’s not evil. I’m just over-protective of you.”

I half-crawl toward him and cup his face in my hands. “You’re my Alpha after all.”

He beams and kisses me tenderly. “I’ll never let anything happen to you,” he vows. “Now let’s get home before your brother loses his mind.”