Page 143 of Ensnared by the Pack: The Complete Series (Destined Realms #3)

AUDREY

Hot aching need exploded in my core, and I grabbed the front of Cyrus’s shirt and kissed him back. All the reasons I had for keeping my distance from him vanished.

Except they’d been good reasons.

They’d been…

What had they been?

He tangled his fingers in my hair and deepened the kiss, his tongue battling with mine, his free hand still carefully cupping my cheek. It was just like the fantasy I’d been having of him from the moment I’d woken from my heat fever.

Cyrus held me as if I were precious, like he loved me, but this time the kiss wasn’t soft and sweet, it was deep and passionate. Whatever wall he’d locked his heart and all his emotions behind had broken open, turning him into the man I’d hoped he’d be, the man I wanted him to be.

Because he. Was. Mine.

That voice inside me that wanted the impossible howled with joy, and I let it. I didn’t care about the consequences?—

I mean I did. They were really important. But?—

What were they again?

“Audrey,” Cyrus groaned, pulling away to look me in the eyes. “You’re the most frustrating person I’ve ever met.”

But there wasn’t a hint of frustration in his eyes. Instead, they were dark with his wolf and hungry.

Need shivered down my spine and Cyrus sucked in a deep breath, drawing in my scent. The hunger deepened and so did my desire. I ached like I’d ached when I’d been battling my heat, just before I succumbed to a heat fever and lost all awareness.

I’d always been attracted to Cyrus. He was just as handsome as his brothers but edgier. Not dark and brooding like Knox, but fierce and commanding. Everything about him screamed bad boy… or hardened warrior — which was more likely the case.

He made the rules and everyone else obeyed.

And I wanted him this very minute in this moonlit glade, cushioned by a soft bed of moss and leaves. Fireflies had even come out, little spots of light dancing around us, making the moment feel magical, and every nerve, every cell in my body, ached for him.

“You don’t have to do everything by yourself. There are people around you who want to help. I want to help.”

And from the longing in his eyes, his “help” was to make me come, screaming his name.

“Yes,” I breathed. “Please.”

I tightened my grip on his shirt and we crashed back together, kissing as if we needed each other to breathe.

His hands were everywhere, clutching my hair, pushing under my shirt, palming my breasts, sliding into my pants. I arched into his touch, my body begging for him for more as I dragged my hands over him.

I couldn’t get enough. He was so strong, so powerful, so stunningly beautiful in his edgy bad boy way. He wasn’t loving like Bishop or wild like Knox, but there was something overwhelming about him. He possessed me with his mouth and hands, made me gasp and moan, building up my need until I ached for a release.

“Cyrus,” I begged. “I need— I need.”

I clawed at his shirt, and he pulled back long enough to grab his collar with one hand and haul it off.

Eagerly, I swept my hands over his chest, savoring the feel of his bulky powerful muscles. I was so small, so fragile compared to him. He could attack me and I wouldn’t stand a chance, and yet in this moment, I felt completely safe.

Cyrus would protect me. He’d take care of me. He’d satisfy my needs. He?—

There was something wrong about that. He wasn’t—? I shouldn’t?—?

With a groan, he pushed me onto my back and smashed his lips against mine, his tongue demanding entrance.

My desire surged and my thoughts scattered.

Yes. Yes more. I needed this. Needed him.

Needed to relieve the pressure building up inside me before I went insane.

I clawed at his back and bucked my hips up, hitting his erection and making him growl. His gaze darkened with desire, sending shivers of need rushing through me, and I bucked up again, showing him with my body what I needed.

Except instead of grinding down against me or yanking down my pants, he frowned.

There was something I was supposed to remember?—

But the emotion disappeared as quickly as it appeared and he shoved his hand down the front of my pants, once again scattering my thoughts.

Oh, yes. This was what I wanted.

Two of his fingers swept through my folds and plunged inside me, and I moaned my pleasure.

Thank God he wasn’t going to tease me. I didn’t think I’d survive if he wanted to draw this out.

I rolled my hips, taking his fingers deep within me, savoring the feel of them driving into me hard and fast, setting every nerve on fire.

In seconds, I lit up and screamed his name. Pleasure roared through me and I didn’t care that I’d come so quickly. Quickly meant he’d plunge his cock inside me sooner, and his cock was what I really wanted, what I needed to break the desire threatening to burn me up.

“Yes,” I moaned. “More.” More more more.

I rose up and kissed him but instead of returning the kiss, he jerked back, and gave his head a hard shake.

What the?—?

“Cyrus?” My throat tightened.

Why wasn’t he?—?

Because this is wrong , a tiny voice in the back of my mind said, barely audible against the roar of my desire.

Not wrong, that strange wildness inside me roared back. Mine.

“Fuck, Audrey. No. I’m sorry.” He drew back even farther, sucked in deep breaths as if to steady himself, and ran his hands through his hair, not seeming to care that he had my cum all over his fingers. “This isn’t us.”

Mine.

Except something about his words rang true, like I agreed with them despite desperately needing him.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

The voice inside me that claimed he was mine had always been wrong. He wasn’t mine and wasn’t interested in being mine, except…

God, why was it so hard to think?

He cupped my cheeks, his touch making my eyes fly open, and I was drowning in the heat and hunger in his gaze.

“We’re being influenced by spirits,” he forced out, worry seeping into his desire.

“Spirits?”

That didn’t make sense. I’d wanted him before this moment… but I’d never have acted on it.

Oh, shit.

One of the fireflies zipped close, drawing my attention, and I stared at it, stunned, unable to understand what I was looking at.

It wasn’t a firefly.

It was a fairy — the kind from fairy tales, not the fae who’d come to earth to join the fight against Michael. The little creature screeched at us and tossed a surprisingly large handful of glitter with its tiny hands.

I gasped in surprise and the glitter caught in the back of my throat and up my nose.

“No, Audrey,” Cyrus said, jerking me forward.

Except instead of protecting me from the spirit, his lips crashed against mine again.

Oh, yes. Yes yes yes.

Now we could finish what we’d started.

I ran my hands down Cyrus’s muscular chest, from his pecs and the rippling female fantasy of his abs to the waistband of his pants.

“Audrey,” he groaned. “Fuck, I want you. I’ve wanted—” He jerked away, the muscles in his jaw flexing as he fought the fairy’s magic.

“I want you, too.” And I did, but…

He didn’t really want me. He’d made that clear.

The spirits. Damn it.

Another fairy darted toward us and I slapped it away. We had to get out of there. It was bad enough that Cyrus had kissed the hell out of me and made me come with his fingers. We couldn’t let it go to the next step.

I could accidentally mate bond with him.

That was it! That was what I’d been forgetting!

I didn’t want to trap him in a mating bond.