Page 26

Vuk

I ’ve got Hana’s smaller hand gripped in mine as I pull her behind me across the village center, toward the central fire.

It feels strange to be wearing trousers again, after going naked for what felt like an eternity.

The sturdy material encasing my thick legs is new, not yet broken in.

Wearing pants is more constricting than I remember, as I look down to watch my long strides eat up the ground.

I run my free hand down the careful stitching that decorates the tunic.

I’ve been saving it for exactly this occasion and I’m more than a little surprised it still fits.

Glancing behind me Hana is a vision wrapped in a gown of blue velvet. The dress is another item I have been saving for today. Of course, I couldn’t have expected my little mate and had to ask the village seamstress if she could alter it to fit her much smaller size.

I look over her appreciatively, but she looks anything but happy as I pull her along behind me. Her wild curls have been tamed into a crown of intricate braids that circles her head before falling to the center of her back.

“Vuk!” she hisses at me, when she catches me looking. “Shouldn’t we talk about this first?” Her eyes grow wide when she looks past me at where more and more villagers gather around the fire. Her voice drops to a harsh whisper. “What if they don’t like me?”

Pulling us to a sudden stop, I turn back to her with a deep frown. “Of course they’ll like you,” I assure her with a huff. How ridiculous she would think otherwise.

“Damnit, Vuk! Are you even listening….” Her words fade out as our chiefess, Deidre, steps out of the gathered crowd.

She’s wearing a cream gown accented with gold embroidery. It contrasts pleasingly against her rich, chocolate brown coat, making her icy blue, nearly white eyes appear to glow. Her shrewd gaze skims over me before softening when she shifts to Hana.

Without taking her eyes from my mate, she crosses the short distance to where we’ve stopped.

I haven’t introduced my mate to the village yet.

Instead, I shut us away in my hut, keeping her to myself.

Fucking and talking, explaining everything about her new life.

Now I see that was the wrong move. I should have introduced her right away.

So she wouldn’t think I was hiding her from the people who will become her new family.

“Welcome,” Diedre says quietly to my mate.

Hana’s dark eyes grow wide as she stares up at the female who towers over her. Apprehension leeches through her scent, showing clearly on her face.

Deidre’s eyes crinkle in the corners. “There is no need to be afraid, little one.”

Hana glances nervously at me, then back. “Okay. Then can someone explain to me what all of this is? ”

Deidre’s icy gaze snaps to me, and her eyes narrow to slits. “She doesn’t know?”

Worry tightens my chest, and I realize I’ve been the biggest idiot.

It’s not apprehension in Hana’s tight stance, but fear.

Because I never once explained to her why I was dressing her like a doll and dragging her to where my entire village has gathered.

Her dark eyes dart back and forth between my chiefess and me as she grinds her molars nervously.

Her small hand captured in mine is slick with nervous sweat.

Dropping my head, I look away from the high-ranking female. “I—well, I assumed she knew…”

She pins me with her icy glare, a glare I don’t need to see to feel, and she steps beside Hana, where she curls a protective arm around her small shoulders. “Does she look as if she knows what you’ve decided for her?” she asks, drawing my mate against her side.

When I glance up through my lashes, Hana is visibly trembling now, likely imagining the worse, and I slowly shake my head.

“What’s your name, dear?” Deidre asks, turning my much smaller female around to face her.

“Hana,” she answers softly.

“Hana. You are a lovely thing, no wonder Vuk is having trouble thinking around you. I am Deidre. What your boneheaded mate is trying to do is handfast you to him. It’s a simple ceremony that couples can partake in if they wish to.”

“Oh,” she says softly. Her tense shoulders relax, sending another stab of guilt into my gut. Hana cants her head to the side, turning questioning eyes on me. “But we’re already mated.”

Deidre waves her claw-tipped fingers dismissively. “Ach, that’s just biology. Handfasting is for hearts.”

I’ve never asked her what kinds of ceremonies her kind do, if they even do them.

Will she be angry with me for wanting to bind her in a ceremony of my choosing, rather than what was proclaimed by the Gods.

My heart is suddenly pounding in my chest, as I worry she might not want to tie her heart to mine.

I’m the biggest fool for assuming our minds were in agreement.

Because how could they be, when it never occurred to me to simply ask her.

I’m so focused on what she must think of me, I jump from her light touch on either side of my face.

I hadn’t even noticed she moved to stand in front of me.

My eyes snap to meet hers, and my heart melts.

My mate wears her feelings clearly on her face, with the same love I feel for her shining through her eyes.

“Is this true?” she asks me softly. “Do you want to handfast with me?”

I lift my hands to cover the backs of hers where they lightly cup my face. “I do.”

Beside us, Deidre clears her throat. “And Hana, do you wish to handfast yourself to this male? Even though he’s not very smart.”

She lets out a sharp laugh then nods her head. “I do.”

“Then hold out your arms.”

All I see is Hana, as my chiefess drapes the ceremonial cloth over our joined hands. I gave Deidre the cloth earlier in the day, when I asked her to perform the handfasting with the entire village to witness.

I can’t look away from Hana as our joined hands are wrapped.

Enjoying the way her eyes flare, the sharp intake of her breath when she sees the woven cloth embellished with my family crest and the moon phases.

My mother made it when I became a man, for my future mate.

Just like she made the dress Hana wears now and my tunic.

“As this cord binds your hands, so does it bind your hearts.” Deidre’s words are soft, meant only for us, despite the crowd surrounding us.

“This is a pledge to each other; to honor and cherish one another for all your days.” She wraps the woven cord once more and knots it.

“Let this knot be an eternal symbol of your bond, as mates as well as your chosen partner and of the love that you share.”

I barely hear the words, words I know by heart after attending so many in my long lifetime. I know I should be paying attention, especially since this is my handfast, but Hana has my whole attention.

She lifts her glittering eyes to meet mine, and everything stills.

The sound of Deidre’s voice. The sounds of the fires crackling and the wind through the forest. There is nothing but the swirling depths of her umber eyes, with their gold flecks reflect the setting sun’s rays.

The way her dark gray fur blends to silver tipped onyx.

She’s the most beautiful creature I’ve ever laid eyes on. And she’s mine.

Deidre finishes the knot binding our wrists then turns to face the crowd. “You’ve come to witness this ancient tradition that joins Vuk and Hana to each other…” bla bla bla…

My cock is straining against the front of my trousers and all I can think of is getting my female underneath me. Claiming her over and over. Promising her I’ll do better, and if I don’t, I’ll make it up to her.

A great cheer rises around us.

Hana looks away from me and a wide grin spreads across her plush lips. Lips I can’t wait to cover with mine.

I can’t wait any longer. Lifting our joined arms, still bound and knotted, I take off across the courtyard, heading for my small hut.

This time, Hana runs with me. Her soft laughter makes my cock ache as she holds her skirt with her free hand.

When I look over at her, keeping up beside me, my heart jumps when her eyes flash gold with the wanning moon rising above the trees.

Pulling her into our hut, I slam the door behind us then push her up against it. She’s panting as she looks up at me. Her lips full and red in the dim light. I hadn’t thought to light a lamp when we left, but even in the darkness I can see the way her eyes flash with desire.

I press our linked hands against the thick door, so her arm is stretched over her head. We’ll keep our arms bound like this until morning, which reminds me of the first time I fucked her as a lycan, one hand pinned above her head while the other raked me from nape to ass.

A deep groan slips past my lips as my cock threatens to burst through my trousers.

“I want you on your knees, little mate,” I growl, rocking my hips against her. Trying to ease the ache with friction, but it only makes it worse.

Her nostrils flare and her eyes flash in the low light. With her eyes holding mine, she sinks to her knees before me.

“Mmm, good girl,” I moan, keeping our joined hands pressed above her head. “Now, take me out. I want to feel your soft hand wrapped around my cock.”

Her pink tongue darts between her lips as she pulls my trousers open with one hand. Reaching inside, she wraps her palm around my turgid length and slowly pulls me out. Her hand is soft and warm, but I’m looking forward to how her hot little mouth will feel.

“You know what to do,” I groan, watching her through heavy lidded eyes as she slowly drags her warm palm up and down my length.

There are few things better than my mates mouth wrapped around my cock. Namely, her cunt and… Gods, I pray someday she’ll let me into her tight ass. So far, she’s been hesitant, but I’m nothing if not a persistent male.

She licks her plump lips again, and my cock kicks in her hand as I imagine her soft tongue lapping up the pre-cum leaking from the tip.