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CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

NOVA

I’m sorry. Can we please talk?

I stare down at my phone, waiting for a response from Callum. I should’ve had one by now. Even if he slept in, he wouldn’t miss all his classes, and he almost always texts me back right away. He’s got to be hurting over my massive fuck up.

A whimper escapes me. I owe him an explanation for what happened at the hotel, but I can’t make it right unless he responds to me.

Tossing my phone onto the nightstand, I reach for the box from the clinic and rip the tape off. I peek inside, eyes bugging at the huge variety of toys. Does the hot doctor expect me to use all of these?

Maybe I should take a picture of the box and ask Callum to come help me use these.

Yes .

Not talking to you.

Do it.

Wouldn’t be right unless he lets me apologize first.

This is your apology. The way to his heart isn’t through his stomach, that’s aiming way too high, she purrs.

You really need to tone it down.

I am you and you are me.

Go away.

Before I can take one out of its packaging, Tai enters the room, but stops in his tracks when he sees what’s on my lap.

He stands propped in the doorway wearing a backwards hat, gray sweats, and a drawstring hoodie. “Sure I can’t help you with that?” He grins at the box I’ve got in my hands.

“Keep standing there looking like a snack and you’ll have no choice.”

“I am running low,” he muses, eyes hooded.

“Then get back in here and lock the damn door.”

Tai kicks it shut before stalking towards me. He stops in front of my bed, peeking inside the box. “That’s a lot of toys.”

I feel my cheeks flush as he rummages through the container, pulling out various items and examining them with a mischievous glint in his eye. He settles on one of the toys, what looks like a super thick, colorful plastic bracelet.

“Do you know what this is?” He glances down at me.

I shake my head.

“This is an artificial knot.”

It takes a moment for the meaning to register, and as soon as it does, I know exactly what I want to ask. Ever since my doctor’s appointment this morning, I’ve been so fucking ready. “Will you use it on me?”

He stills, eyes meeting mine. “This goes on a cock, Nova.”

I swallow. “I know.”

“You want to give me your virginity?” He crouches in front of me, taking the box and setting it aside. “Is that what you’re asking of me?”

I nod.

There are a couple of things I know to be true: I spent the summer falling in love with my personal guard, despite how misguided I was in his feelings for me, and it was always going to be him.

Yes, he’ll make such a good beta for us. The Scotsman, too.

I know.

“Use your words.”

Taking a deep breath, I look into his eyes as he cradles my face in his hands.

“The fae deal you made … it only applies to you kissing me, right?” I worry my lip. “How certain are you?”

“One-hundred percent positive. He saw us kiss in Espero, so that was his only concern.”

Relief eases my chest. I can hear the wild beat of his heart racing against his ribs, keeping time with my own. “You were always going to be my first. I want you to make love to me.” I thought about asking him to fuck me, but that would be disingenuous to what we have.

Tai's eyes soften, his thumbs gently caressing my cheekbones. "Are you sure about this? It's a big step." His voice is rough with emotion.

Because there’s one thing I know about all male fae: they’re territorial. You dangle a steak in front of them and no one else can have it. “Would you rather I give it to some random alpha during my heat?” I arch a brow, plucking his backward cap off, and settle it onto my own head.

A low growl rumbles out of him.

Despite not being the growl of a wolf fae alpha staking his claim, it awakens my beast. Slick gathers between my legs as I let out an involuntary whimper.

Grinning, I press my lips to his stubbled cheek and brush his dark hair out of his eyes. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life.” Grabbing his hand, I bring it to the damp, thin strip of fabric between my thighs. Aside from his cap, all I’ve got on is an oversized T-shirt, underwear, and a hoodie. “This is what you do to me. Now, are you going to do something about it?”

My instincts are riding me hard to take what I want, what I need. Thank fuck Sylus is gone for the evening. I don’t need an alpha slinging his dick around to get off.

Tai’s eyes darken while his fingers press more firmly against my covered sex, eliciting a soft moan from my parted lips. "I'm going to do more than just something about it. I'm going to worship every inch of your body until you're trembling and begging for release." He tugs his bottom lip between two teeth. “My only regret is I’m not going to be able to do any of that worship with my lips.”

“Should we wait, then?” I grin up at him.

“Not a chance,” he growls, tossing my box onto the floor. It’s still not an alpha growl, but fuck if it doesn’t send a delicious thrill dancing along my skin all the same. “Have you had your birth control tea yet?”

I rise, taking a step closer and settling my hands on his chest. “Do we really have to do this whole tea thing now?”

He lifts a brow and shakes his head. Slipping out of my hold, he heads for the bathroom, snagging a mug off his dresser on the way. “Unless you’re aiming to expand the family tree tonight, yes.”

A slow grin spreads across my face. “As if you’d mind getting me knocked up,” I call out to him, cackling.

Yes, breed us.

No, I’m just messing with him, chill the fuck out.

I flounce across the room with the tea box in hand, then perch in the bathroom doorway, using the polished glass above the sink to watch him.

He snorts, turning on the faucet. The water sparkles under his spell, and a stream pours into a battered mug. “You say that like I’m eager to deal with Bennett’s wrath. I happen to like being alive, thank you very much.”

The black hoodie hugs his shoulders just enough to hint at the definition beneath, while those gray sweats hang low on his hips, framing his lean torso. He bends to open a drawer, and every slight shift draws my attention, right down to the play of muscle under that cozy fabric.

He flicks his gaze up, meeting mine in the reflection, and a subtle spark blazes in his brown irises, the gold flecks catching the overhead light. A slow grin tugs at his mouth.

“What?” he asks, straightening to his full height.

I shrug, feigning nonchalance. “Just admiring the scenery.”

He rests a hand on the counter, shifting so I get an even better angle. “Then don’t let me stop you.”

I tilt my head, letting my stare roam from his broad chest down to the bulge in his sweatpants. “Very thoughtful of you.”

A chuckle escapes me while I open the box and pull out a tea bag and hand it to him before he turns back to what he was doing. “You sure Bennett’s the only reason you’re not trying to impregnate me right now?”

He drops the bag into the mug, glancing over his shoulder with a smirk. “I can’t decide if you’re trying to test my self-control or if you want to see if I could take on your brother.”

“Bit of both,” I tease.

He raises the mug, breathing in the earthy scent, then makes a face. “You’d think for something so vital, they could at least throw in some flavor.”

He watches my every swallow, arms folded across that broad chest I’ve been admiring for months. When I finish, I stick out my tongue in an overdramatic show of disgust. “Ugh. Gross.”

“Brave soul,” he quips, stepping closer.

The air shifts between us—something tightens in my stomach, that push and pull we’ve been dancing around for way too long. Setting the mug aside, I let my palms slide up his hoodie, feeling the solid planes of his chest beneath. “Anything else you need me to do before we get on with this?”

One hand settles at my hip. “Just one more thing,” he murmurs, leaning in so our foreheads nearly touch. “Wait here.”

He leans away long enough to set the tea paraphernalia aside. Then he’s back, pressing in close until our breaths collide. My heart thumps hard enough that I swear he can feel it through my sweater.

“There.” He tugs lightly on the hoodie cord, using it to pull me a fraction closer. “Now we’re ready.”

I hook a finger under the hem of his sweatshirt, tugging it up just a bit. “Finally.”

But he snags my hands, holding them behind my back as he walks me backwards until we reach the bed. Only when I sit does he release me.

I yank off my hoodie and shirt in one pull, my nipples pebbling in the cool room. “Touch me.” I grin up at him, but he’s not looking at my face.

His eyes feast on my full breasts before his shadows glide up my bare stomach like a lover’s touch, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. Tai’s heated gaze follows their path, his pupils blown wide with desire as his heady, sweet aroma fills the room. He reaches out, cupping my chest reverently in his large palms. I arch into his hold, a whimper escaping my throat as his thumbs brush over the sensitive peaks.

With his other hand, he grabs my jaw, his thumb pushing into my mouth and I suck on it, my teeth grazing the pad of it. “So beautiful,” he murmurs, his voice thick with longing. “I’ve dreamt of this moment, of touching you like this.”

He pulls his thumb out of my mouth, bringing his wet digit to my nipple and circling the small nub before tugging on it.

Glancing back up at me, our eyes lock as he kneels before me. “Tell me, did you ever think of me while you were riding your hand at night?”

My mouth drops open. “I thought you were sleeping!”

"I was," Tai admits, his fingers still teasing my nipple, sending jolts of pleasure straight to my core. "But even in my dreams, I could sense your desire, your need. It called to me, like a siren's song. It took every ounce of self-control not to join you, to make your fantasies a reality, and make you mine. Each night, I’d have to use my magic to mask your scent and redirect it away from Sylus. Wolf or not, that scent would’ve sent any fae into a rut."

His words, his touch, they're almost too much. I'm drowning in sensation, in the intensity of his stare. "Yes," I breathe out. "I thought of you. I couldn't help it."

A slow, wicked grin spreads across his face. "Show me."

I blink up at him, my heart fluttering wildly inside its cage, begging to take flight.

But he’s too impatient to wait for me to demonstrate, because Tai’s hands are everywhere at once, caressing my curves as he lowers me onto the plush comforter and joins me on the bed. In one swift motion, he tears off my panties, exposing my glistening core to his hungry gaze.

"You just going to stare at it?” I smirk.

He sits on his haunches between my spread thighs. “Just admiring the view.” He trails a finger through the thatch of curls covering my mound before dipping lower, parting my slick folds. Tai’s eyes darken with desire, the gold flecks in his irises glowing like embers. “So wet already,” he murmurs in appreciation. “All for me.”

I can only whimper in response, my hips lifting off the bed, seeking more of his touch. He obliges, stroking me with a feather-light caress that sets my nerves on fire.

Understanding my silent plea, he slides a long finger inside me, then another, pumping them in and out at a torturously slow pace. I grind against his hand, desperate for more friction, more fullness. But he seems determined to take his time, to savor every moment of my unraveling.

"Tai, please," I moan, my voice hoarse with need. "I need you."

He leans down, his breath hot against my ear. "Tell me exactly what you need, love. I want to hear you say it."

My breathing hitches in my throat as I gaze up at him, my body trembling with anticipation. "I need you inside me." The words slip free, carried on a shaky breath that barely registers over my pulse. "I need to feel every inch of you, stretching me, filling me up until there's no space left between us."

His eyes flash with primal hunger, a low growl rumbling in his chest. In one swift motion, he pulls off his shirt, and I finally get to see all of his tattoos. His torso is a canvas of designs, bold tribal patterns intertwined with detailed scrollwork. I trace my fingers over the inked lines, marveling at the way his muscles ripple beneath my touch, as though the tattoos aren’t just ink, but stories written into the shape of him.

Oh, good, he likes to get stabbed over and over again, my wolf purrs. Maybe he’ll like our knives, too.

I’m about to snarl at her to leave him alone, but the idea of leaving marks on his body is a thought too delicious to ignore. And when I’m done with the metal, I want to sink my teeth into his flesh, to taste the salt of his skin and feel the heat of his blood on my tongue. Brand him as mine, and see my claim etched into his skin.

Yes, he will be such a good beta for us.

Tai frees himself from his pants, his impressive length springing forward. I lick my lips unconsciously, yearning to taste him, to take him deep into my mouth until he’s begging for release, and toy with his piercing with my tongue.

He notices my hungry stare and smirks, trailing a finger along my jawline. "Patience, love. I'll give you what you crave soon enough." He sits back, and I whine at him putting space between us. “There are some things I want to know first.”

When I whimper, he tuts.

“Espero. You wanted me to fuck you then, didn’t you?”

A smirk crawls across my face. “You wanted to fuck me, too.”

He bites his lip. “I knew you’d felt how hard I got for you.”

He settles between my thighs, the blunt head of his pierced cock pressing against my entrance. I whimper and arch my back, desperate to draw him inside. But Tai holds my hips down firmly, denying me what I need. Slick pools at the apex of my thighs and he leans down, his breath hot against my ear. "Beg for it," he commands, his voice a deep rumble that curls low in my belly.

I writhe, pride warring with desire, but the ache between my legs wins out. "Please," I gasp. "I need you. I need to feel you inside me, claiming me, owning me. Take what’s always been yours."

A wicked grin spreads across his face. "Good girl," he praises, his grip tightening as he sinks into me, inch by delicious inch, as he lets out a long groan. I gasp at the stretch and the sudden pinch, my inner walls fluttering around his thick length. He fills me so completely.

This. This is everything.

Sinking to the hilt, he stills. “Damn, you’re such a tight fit. You strangle my cock so well. Am I hurting you?”

I shake my head, my nails digging into his back. “Move.” I hook my legs around his ass, spurring him on.

I cry out as Tai begins to roll his torso, his thrusts deep and powerful. Each snap of his hips drives me into the bed.

“That’s it,” he growls against my ear as he picks up the pace, each piston in and out of me rubbing right against my clit. “Leave your marks on me, baby. I want to show the world I’m yours.”

My nails rake down his sweat-slicked back as the coil in my core winds tighter and tighter with each deep, relentless thrust. The scent of his blood tinges the air, and a slow grin blooms on my cheeks.

Hooking my leg around his thigh, I shift my hips, leveraging the momentum to twist beneath him. Using my newfound strength, I plant a hand against his shoulder and push while my leg anchors him off balance. The motion is quick, instinctive, and before either of us can fully register it, I’ve reversed our positions.

Now he’s the one on his back, his arms pinned beneath my grip, his expression one of stunned surprise. The faintest flicker of a smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth as he looks up at me.

“Well,” he breathes, “guess the magic’s coming in handy already.”

With a satisfied moan, I sink back down onto his thick shaft. His hands grip my hips, guiding my movements as I ride him, setting a punishing pace.

A gush of slick coats his cock as I barrel towards release. I lean forward, my breasts brushing against his chest as I rock my hips faster, my orgasm rapidly approaching. His thumb finds my clit, applying pressure there while his shadows loop around my hair, tugging my head back until I’m upright.

“You put your throat anywhere near me right now, Nova, and I’m a dead man.”

I whimper, the delicious ache of his shadows’ grip in my hair and the friction of his thumb on my swollen bud drives me to the brink. I come hard around him with a keening cry, my walls clamping down on his shaft.

I’m near boneless as I recover. Tai’s shadows are doing all the work to keep me upright and moving.

“You’d better grab that knot now,” he groans. “I’m about to come.”

Dropping my head to stare at him, I grin, watching as his breathing grows shallow, and his abs tighten under me.

I anchor myself to him as I lean all the way over, reaching for the box of toys. Fumbling around for what I need, I almost fall over before he clamps a hand around my thigh, and uses his magic to drag the box closer to us.

My hands close around the package containing the knot, and I flip it over to read the front, all while Tai drags my hips against him.

I tear it open, tossing the package behind me before I rise and glance down, wholly mortified at the massive amount of slick on his lap.

“Don’t,” he snarls, running his hand through it and spreading it across his abs. “I earned all of this.”

I flash him a tentative look before I see the absolute worship in his eyes, and a slow grin spreads across my cheeks. Positioning the knot at the base of his cock, I slide it down until it’s snug against the base. His eyes roll back in his head as I give it a gentle squeeze, the pressure nearly sending him over the edge.

“Fuck,” he gasps. “Get up here.”

Tai makes to reach for me, but instead of facing him, I straddle his hips facing the other way. He groans as I lower myself onto him, the new angle allowing him to plunge even deeper. His hands grip my hips, guiding my movements as I rise and fall, taking him deeper with each thrust.

His hips meet mine as he fights for control where I’ll give him none. I ride him hard, my back arched as I chase his pleasure. I want him to fall apart under me. His groans mix with my moans, the sound of our bodies meeting filling our room. Sweat drips down my spine as I grind against him, feeling the coil tightening in my core.

As his pace picks up beneath me, and his breathing grows more ragged, I slam down on the knot, locking us together as I clench around it.

A guttural moan escapes Tai’s lips at the intense pressure. His fingers dig into my hips hard enough to leave marks as he holds me in place, buried to the hilt inside me.

Thick ropes of come paint my insides, and I throw my head back just as the door bursts open, revealing a wide-eyed Sylus. His mouth falls agape as he takes in the sight of us, locked together in the throes of passion.

Yes, now it’s our alpha’s turn, hurry.

In a flash, Tai’s arms snake around me to shield my naked body from view, his shadows working to cover the rest. But it’s too little, too late, because my thighs are spread wide, the colorful knot bulging at my opening.

A whine escapes me, and I wrangle my wolf back into submission as Sylus’s eyes flash. His stare trails hungrily over our entangled bodies, drinking in every intimate detail. The raw, primal need emanating from him stokes the fire in me.

He grips the doorknob, nostrils flaring, as he stumbles under the weight of my omega pheromones pummeling him. “A warning next time, perhaps,” he rasps, chest heaving as he stands frozen in the doorway, his eyes never leaving the place where Tai and I join.

Tai’s chest vibrates against my back as a low, possessive growl rumbles through him. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

“I live here,” Sylus snarls as he steps into the room, kicking the door shut behind him.

He stalks to the bathroom and slams the door. After a moment, I hear the shower turn on.

I let out a shaky breath before climbing off Tai. I shiver as the knot slides free with a wet pop, a gush of slick and seed running down my thighs.

“You okay?” Tai murmurs, grabbing for my hand.

“Yep, just pissed he took the shower when we clearly need it.”

He grins up at me. “Nah, I’m going to marinate in this for a while.”

I roll my eyes, but can't help the smile that tugs at my lips. "That’s disgusting."

He scoots over and props a muscled arm behind his head while patting the spot next to him. “Come, sous vide with me.”

I cackle, reaching down to throw the knot at him. It bounces off his chest and off the bed.

He laughs and rolls off the mattress, retrieving the knot as I plop down in his spot, still trying to come down from the high.

He joins me, pulling me close, his nose grazing my neck while his hands settle over my hips.

A hint of tension rolls through me—no matter how much I want him, his lips can’t touch mine. One slip, one accidental brush, and the fae deal he made would claim his life. I push the thought aside, focusing on the feel of his warm grip instead of the reminder hovering in the back of my mind.

“You smell so fucking good,” he murmurs.

I reach up to trace a line down his chest. “I don’t think you’re ever going to run out of magic again.”

He snorts, fingers flexing at my waist. “If I’d realized how fast I was burning through my reserves, I would’ve pushed for this sooner. But between your brother’s conditions, the last-minute trip to Earth …” He exhales and meets my stare. “Guess I waited too long.”

I flatten my palm against his chest, relishing the warmth of his skin. “We both did. No regrets now, though.”

“None,” he agrees, leaning in as close as he dares without sealing his fate. His breath skates along my cheek. “Not a single one.”

I settle against him, letting the moment wrap around us. Right now, I don’t care about anything except the feel of his hold—and the fact that, finally, we’re done waiting.