Page 24 of Never Submit (Bad Wolves #2)

Chapter 24

Mathis

M oonlight filters through the trees, casting silver streaks across Ren’s skin, her face lifted as we stand in the quiet of the forest.

My chest rises and falls with shallow breaths. Fuck . I’m still coming down from the high of running with her and the feeling of the mate bond clicking into place with a force so undeniable it knocked the air from my lungs.

The impossible has happened.

Ren’s a few feet away, her arms wrapped around herself. I can’t tell if it’s to shield herself from the cool night air or from me. Maybe both.

She needs time to process. We both do.

“I don’t know much about this stuff, but I imagine something like this isn’t supposed to happen,” she says finally. Decisively.

I rake a hand through my hair, trying to sort through the new sensations spiraling inside me. Ren’s a very real presence inside me—I feel her emotions, small pops of her thoughts blooming in my head. There’s something else there too—a male’s essence woven into the chaos .

Noble .

Holy shit. I sense Noble, too?

This is too bizarre.

“Say something,” Ren whispers. “Please. I don’t know what to do here.”

Her body is thrumming, her muscles clenched, her heart thudding, and her scent a thousand times more potent now.

“It’s going to be okay,” I reply, but honestly, I’m really not sure. I’m having a hard time sorting through everything.

My head buzzes and my instincts aren’t serving me now. This is uncharted territory.

“I feel Noble in our bond still.” Ren sounds relieved as she scrubs a hand over her naked breast. “So this didn’t cancel out my bond with him, at least.”

“It doesn’t seem so…” I trail off. “I feel him too.”

She blinks big eyes at me. “Wait, what? You can feel him?”

I nod. The stranger part of this is that the tenor of Noble’s energy doesn’t bother me.

“How…how is this happening?” she asks.

“If you’re looking for answers, I’m afraid I don’t have any to give you. I’ve never heard of this happening before either. Not in my pack, not in any pack.”

I stand still, waiting for Ren to move when she’s ready, and she finally steps closer.

Her expression is torn between anger and confusion. “It doesn’t make sense, Mathis. I already have a bond with Noble.” Her voice falters on his name, and jealousy coils tight in my chest.

“I know,” I reply. “Believe me, I know. But this…” I gesture between us. “This is real, too. I felt it. You felt it. You can’t deny that. ”

Her lips part like she’s about to argue, but then she closes them again, a pained look crossing her face. “I don’t know what to think. I don’t even know what to feel right now.”

I close the distance between us. Her scent, untamed and electric, washes over me. My wolf stirs restlessly beneath the surface. “I want you, Ren. I always have, but I want you for myself. Not to share you. As selfish as it may sound, I want you as my mate. Mine only. Now it’s…complicated.”

She lets out a shaky breath, her shoulders sagging. “Complicated doesn’t even begin to cover it. I care about Noble. And I?—”

She stops herself, but her emotions wash over me in a fresh wave—her turmoil—yet there’s a surge of her love and desire for me, too. My entire chest warms at the realization.

Ren loves me. She doesn’t need to use her words for me to understand.

“Maybe we don’t need to overthink it. We both know you’re different now, Ren. You’ve been different ever since?—”

“The Moonstone,” she finishes for me, her voice flat.

“When it went into you, something changed. You changed. You became like us in a way, but maybe you’re not just a wolf. Maybe the Moon Goddess—” I break off, feeling ridiculous even saying it out loud.

“Chose me?” Her laugh is sharp, bitter. “Is that what you’re trying to say? That I’m some divine chosen one, and that’s why my entire life has turned upside-down? Now you’re really sounding like Noble.”

“I’m not saying I understand the reason for it,” I reply, forcing my voice to stay calm. “But the rules—the ones we’ve always lived by—they clearly don’t apply to you. You’re bonded to Noble. Now to me. There’s no other explanation.”

She shakes her head, pacing a few steps before turning back to me. “Why me, Mathis? Why not someone stronger? Someone smarter? Someone who isn’t constantly fumbling through every decision, barely keeping it together? I was supposed to die. Twice. When I was born and then on my twenty-fifth birthday, and now you want me to believe I’m special? It doesn’t make sense.”

She’s trying to make it sound like a ridiculous notion, but the more she talks, the more it makes sense to me. The pieces fall into place and with the return of logic, the overpowering emotion starts to subside.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” I say simply. “You’re stronger than you think, Ren. Smarter than you give yourself credit for. And maybe the Moon Goddess saw your potential and gave you a second chance. Maybe she knew we needed someone like you.”

All of us.

“Or maybe this is just some cruel joke. Maybe she’s testing me, seeing how much I can take before I snap.”

I close the distance between us. I’m itching to touch her—just some kind of contact—so I take her by the arms. The instant we connect, a buzzing radiates over my skin. “You haven’t snapped yet,” I murmur. “That’s what matters. And you won’t, because you’re strong.”

Her lips press into a thin line, and she looks away, her gaze drifting to the trees.

She’s tired of being strong.

The thought flares in my head before she stifles it down.

“If the Moon Goddess did choose me for something bigger…what does that mean for us? For Noble? For everyone?” She blinks rapidly .

“It means we figure it out. Together. Whatever this is, whatever it means—we’ll face it. You’re not alone in this, Ren. You’ve got Noble. You’ve got me.”

Her eyes flicker back to mine, and there’s a spark of hope in her eyes. Or resolve.

“Then let’s hope the Moon Goddess knows what she’s doing,” she says. “Because I sure as hell don’t.”

I offer her a small, wry smile. “If she chose you, sweetheart, then she knows exactly what she’s doing.”

Sweetheart, yeah. Sweet and strong and mine .

Her gaze locks fully onto mine, the snow drifting lazily around us, melting the space between us into something fragile yet electric. The way she looks at me now—not just the weight of her words, but the quiet defiance in her tone. She’s putting her trust in me, in us, even though I can tell it terrifies her.

“The Moon Goddess is rarely wrong,” I say, sucking in a deep breath.

My pack has always put our trust in our lunar deity. It seems she has once again changed my fate.

Ren’s lips part slightly, and her breath fogs between us. Her pulse thrums against her neck, and I can’t tell if it’s the cold or me that’s making her shiver.

“ Mathis .”

I reach up and hesitate for a moment before brushing against her cheek. Her skin is warm against my palm, but her eyes…they burn.

Then she leans into me. Barely. Just enough to lift on the tips of her toes, her lips brushing mine like a question. And I answer it without thinking. Pulling her closer as my tongue spears past her lips and the kiss deepens.

Slowly at first but quickly unraveling into something we can’t take back.

She tastes like frost and fire, like everything I didn’t know I was missing until this moment. Her hands find their way to my bare chest and her nails rake across my skin.

She’s afraid I might run. Like this might disappear.

But I’m not going anywhere.

Shifters don’t feel cold like humans do, and instead of cold biting our exposed skin, there’s Ren with her warmth, her scent, her touch. My hands slide up her bare torso and tease the sides of her breasts.

God, she’s so fragile and perfect. My fingertips skim over her velvet softness. I lay her down on the ground.

Snow melts against our skin as our bodies press closer, the chill around us forgotten. When her teeth graze my lower lip, it’s my turn to shiver, heat flaring low and insistent in my chest.

I’m on her in an instant. My hands are at her waist now, pulling her flush against me. She gasps into my mouth and the sound is enough to send me spiraling.

I nip her jaw and down her neck. I want more of this moment. The thought roots itself deep in my chest and I grumble against her skin.

I want everything with her. A home. A family. A future that feels like hers and mine tangled together, inseparable. I want to see her belly round, carrying my pups, to see her strength and fire in our children.

The idea settles like a truth I can’t deny. It makes me want her even more, here and now, as if this is the start of something so fucking wonderful I’m dumbstruck.

“Ren,” I whisper against her lips, breaking the kiss just enough to meet her eyes. They’re wide, dark, and unguarded. “If you want me to stop…”

Her fingers tangle in the hair at the nape of my neck, and she tugs just hard enough to make me hiss. “Don’t you dare , Mathis.”

That’s all I need to hear. I capture her mouth again.

It’s not sweet. It’s not tentative. It’s a savage claim, ownership, and she melts under it, into me. My tongue seeks hers, and the kiss grows and swells.

All I feel is her. The taste of her. The way her body moves against mine, desperate and yielding. The world could freeze over and I wouldn’t give a shit as long as I have my mate.

Was this how my parents felt about each other?

Her hands slip along my shoulders and chest, her touch igniting every nerve. My skin burns under her fingers, alive and demanding more, demanding a physical claiming.

My own hands trail lower, gripping her hips, pulling her tighter against me as my lips leave hers to explore her neck, her collarbone. She tilts her head back, giving me access, and the sound she makes—soft, needy, perfect—sends shockwaves to my cock, making it as hard as steel.

“Noble or not—mate bond or not—you’re mine now,” I growl against her skin, the words tumbling out before I can stop them.

Ren is mine .

Ren

“Yours,” I whisper.

Right now, in this moment, it’s true. I’m all his. There is nothing and no one else outside of us.

The mate bond is firmly in place and my wolf craves a connection with him.

I’m craving a connection with him—my heart and soul demand it. Mathis soothes me in places I never knew I needed soothing, and the bond blooms bright inside me.

He is everywhere. And his words make my blood beat even hotter.

“You know what that means,” I say, trailing my nails along his pecs. “You’re mine, too.”

His eyes widen.

Then I shove him as hard as I can, but he grabs me as he tumbles onto his back in the snow, dragging me with him. My legs fall on either side of his hips.

I push up to my elbows to stare down at him. His smile is brilliant.

“Well, sweetheart, now that you’ve got me, what are you going to do?”

I swear the snow sizzles around us. From cold to boiling. Mathis is so hot beneath my touch he burns himself into my soul, and I lean down, tracing his lips with my tongue. His hard cock twitches against my ass.

When I wriggle, he moans, so I scoot back so that his dick is right under my pussy.

He bites my lip as I reach down and take him in my hand. He’s bigger than I remember, thicker. The first time he fucked me I’d been halfway out of my mind from the intensity.

Man, I’m ready for it again.

A little too eager, I line him up with my core.

I’m about to take him slowly inside when he releases my lip and slides his hands over me, tweaking my nipples. Pinching them to the point of pressure and delicious pain.

“Do you know what I want?” Mathis asks, his voice like gravel. He rests his callused palms on my hips. “I want to fuck you so hard that when I knot, my seed hits. So we don’t just mate, we create. I want to fuck you so hard you don’t have an option but to swell with my babies and show the world you’re mine.”

I laugh and wriggle again, coating his cock in my wetness, but he shifts me down just enough the tip pushes in, parting me. Then he stops, and I realize he may not be kidding like I thought. His brows are creased with such an intensity, my stomach flips.

“Uh, that’s a joke, right?” I ask.

He eases me down a tiny bit more, and I gasp.

Is this teasing or punishment? I’m not sure. I press my knees into the snow, trying to get more, but he’s too strong and keeps me from lowering any further.

“You don’t want a family?” he asks, holding me tight. Like he’s not going to fill me entirely until I answer him.

“Well, no—” Damn it, how do I put this? When I’m practically panting to be impaled, here? “I mean, yes. Maybe someday.” This isn’t exactly what I want to be talking about right now, when I’m about to ride him to cloud nine. “I never really thought about it. I’ve been in survival mode for so long. It was never on my mind.”

His gaze slams into me but his body is still, poised, his control remarkable. “What about now?”

I pause. “I’m…not sure. Maybe.”

“I’ve always wanted a big family.” He pushes me further down onto his cock and my vision fogs. The feel of him inside me, even a little, spins my head. “I’ll fuck you all the time, in every position imaginable.”

“You can do that now, but just kid-free. I have the arm implant,” I say.

His brow raises. “Arm implant?”

“It’s a form of birth control.” I wriggle further but gain no inches. “It stops me from getting pregnant. ”

His gaze flicks to my upper arm, and his jaw sets so tight, a muscle jumps in his temple. “Oh.”

“We have time,” I reply quickly. “I’m not saying no. I just want to enjoy each other now. Enjoy this.”

Maybe survive Andras while we’re at it?

To remind him of how close he is from fucking me, I circle my hips. His cock slides a little more inside, and Mathis growls.

Then suddenly he sits up, dragging me all the way down so he fills me, stretching me, and I cry out. Fuck–that’s a lot of length and girth inside me at once.

He kisses me hard, deep, swallowing my screams. It’s not a rough taking, but it’s got heat and savage need.

I sense his desire like I feel his cock pulsing in my core. I want more. “Lie back,” I urge with a grin.

Mathis drops back as I ride him. Lifting, slamming home, his hands on my hips though he lets me control the rhythm. With every roll, his cock rubs against something inside of me so good I unravel.

Waiting for the words to come. The dirty, filthy words.

“Yes, sweetheart,” he hisses. His eyes lock on his dick spearing into me. My breasts bounce as I increase my speed. “Fucking beautiful.”

His hands grip me suddenly, and he thrusts up as he slams me down, and I can’t breathe.

I thought he’d filled me before? I was wrong. He was holding back.

Mathis isn’t holding back now. That thrust hits deep and builds to a high resounding orgasm. And I want more, harder, faster. The alpha keeps up his pace and I grip his chest tight.

“When you’re ready, I’ll mark you as mine in the realest way,” he grunts through his next thrust. “You’ll have our children. So many of them. I want to hold you as your belly rounds, care for you. I want to be there when you create life. I want you .”

A moan tumbles from me.

Pregnant. It really is a fantasy he has, one he means. That’s his dirty talk, and I don’t know if it’s the mate bond or the wolf thing, but in the weirdest way, it turns me on.

“Yes,” I say, “I think I’d like to keep practicing.”

And he lets go of one hip, pushes my hair back from my face, and pulls me down for a kiss.

“Fucking ride me, Ren. Ride me.”

I meet him thrust for thrust as the pleasure grows like a band that stretches and needs to break. Mathis fucks me harder, the two of us striving for orgasm, the sound of skin slapping on skin filling my ears.

He releases my other hip and slides between my thighs to play with my clit.

“Oh. My. Goddess!”

The orgasm hits big. A storm of legendary proportions. I shudder and shake, my pussy spasming. Mathis continues to stroke and play with me even when I try to pull back from his fingers.

He won’t let me go. Again, he uses his hold on me to keep me in place.

His knot inflates, locking me on top of him, and sparks ignite, the pleasure exploding. Mathis starts to come and his cock twitches, his back arching as he fills me with heat.

I swivel my hips as much as I’m able to move to milk every drop from him.

I don’t know what it is about this, but damn, the pressure has me coming all over again. The orgasm lasts forever, my body shaking with the force of it, our yells mingling in the air and echoing outward .

Who knows how long it takes me to come down from the high. Sweat-slicked, I push my hair away from my face and kiss him.

Or maybe he kisses me—I don’t know. I don’t care. I’m so lost in him that everything is hazy. Especially my thoughts as they drift lazily back to his words.

Babies. A family. Me, a mother…

They’re dreams I’ve never had before, not when I was just trying to survive long enough to see past my twenty-fifth birthday.

But now? With Mathis and Noble—two mates who’ve shaken my world—could those dreams become real?