Page 30

Austin

“And the wolf lived happily ever after in the woods.”

I close the storybook and look down at my sleeping daughter nestled next to me on the loveseat. My heart almost explodes with joy and happiness. I have a family.

Carefully, I edge my hands underneath her and pick her up, carrying her to her bedroom. Yelena passes me in the hall, turning around to follow me and help me open the door.

The last few days have been chaotic as we get used to being in the pack again as a family.

Everyone has come to visit and pay their respects to their new Luna, as well as meet Cleo.

It’s been wonderful, but exhausting. The challenges of dealing with the unknown wolf and securing our borders have been taking up much of my time.

There are many nights when I come home so late that I miss Cleo’s bedtime entirely.

But, every night, Yelena is there to greet me.

There’s food waiting for me and a warm, listening ear.

Yelena is my rock, and this time, I am determined to make sure she knows just how happy and grateful I am for her support and for our little family.

My work in these early days as Alpha is essential.

Our pack has to know that I am prepared to lead and protect, but I hate how much it takes me away from my Luna and my child.

Knowing they are waiting for me at home makes it bearable.

Still, the schedule has been taking a toll on us all.

Cleo’s sleep has been disrupted, and that means Yelena and I haven’t been sleeping well either.

I place her down on her bed, hardly daring to breathe as I pull my hands away and Yelena quickly covers the young girl with a blanket.

We both creep out of the room, taking care to shut the door quietly.

“Nice job! We did it,” Yelena whispers, giving me a kiss. “Want to have a glass of wine with me?”

I smile and walk with her, my hand at the small of her back.

“That sounds fantastic,” I agree.

We open a bottle of red wine that was gifted to us as a mating present by Vincent, and snuggle in next to each other on the loveseat.

“When does the trainer get here?” Yelena asks, sipping at her wine.

“Next week. Aurelia comes highly recommended. She’s one of the few trainers who is endorsed by the Shifter Council and the Coven Council. She’s a powerful Seer and mentor. She will train Cleo well. I know it.”

Yelena nods and toys with the stem of her glass. “I just want Cleo to be okay.”

I nod, pulling her close to my chest. “We both want that, sweetheart. I think this is the right thing to do.”

Yelena leans into me, and my wolf wants to howl with delight. He’s been extremely pleased by the recent change of events and how much contact we’ve had with our mate and overjoyed by our claiming her as our Luna.

We sit in silence for a while, savoring our wine and each other’s company. It feels comfortable, natural even. Like we were supposed to be like this all along. Which, I guess, we kind of were.

I lean down to kiss her forehead, inhaling her sweet scent. Yelena looks up at me with a shy smile, causing my heart to skip a beat. With everything going on of late, it has been hard for us to find time for ourselves and connect as a couple.

“I’m sorry for being a dick all those years ago,” I whisper.

She smiles. “We’re here now and look what we have,” she whispers back. “Perhaps the Moon Goddess predestined our journey this way for a reason. Not just for us, but for Cleo.”

I nod in agreement, stroking her hair gently.

“Of course. We’ll be there for her every step of the way.”

Yelena snuggles closer to me, resting her head on my chest. Our bond thrums between us, pulsing with love and affection.

It’s still new and raw to have it so front and center in my soul, but already it feels like second nature to have her by my side.

My wolf purrs contentedly at having his mate so close after years of longing for her.

“I’m so grateful for you,” Yelena sighs contently. "I could stay like this forever,"

"Me too, my love," I reply, stroking her hair. “I’m grateful for you too.”

She tips her face up to mine, and I stroke her jaw before leaning in slowly and capturing her soft lips. I kiss her deeply, the bitter taste of the wine lingering on our tongues.

After everything we've been through to get here, having this moment together feels like nothing short of a miracle.

She’s mine. Forever and always. My mate.

Our kisses grow more heated, and I can feel my wolf stirring within me, brimming with possessiveness and desire for our mate.

My hands roam over Yelena's body, memorizing every curve and dip. She moans against my lips, her nails digging into my back as she pulls me closer.

I break the kiss to trail hot kisses down her neck, nipping at her skin lightly. She shivers, and I smile against her neck.

My hand slides under her shirt, feeling the warmth of her soft skin. Yelena twitches and squirms under my touch, and I growl softly in response.

"I need you, mate," I whisper against her skin, trailing kisses back up to her lips. "I need you right now."

Her eyes are dark with desire as she nods. I watch as she reaches for both of our wine glasses, carefully setting them aside.

I stand, pulling us toward the bedroom. We stumble into the bed, our kisses growing more desperate with each step.

Once we reach the bed, I give Yelena a gentle shove, forcing her on her back onto the pillows.

I lower myself onto Yelena, my body pressing against hers as our lips crash together again. Her hands slide under my shirt, caressing my back and tracing the lines of my muscles.

Her body arches and grinds against mine, hungry for more contact.

I reach between us, allowing my fingers to find the edge of her shirt, and I pull it over her head, exposing her bare skin. She gasps softly as I continue to kiss lower, my hands exploring every curve.

Now that we’ve both accepted and cemented our bond, our bodies seem to instinctively move in perfect sync. It’s like the bond pulsing between us is helping drive us together.

I smile down at her, taking in her beauty. Somehow, in the years we were apart, she seems to have grown even more beautiful.

When I take a nipple into my mouth, she gasps, and her hands find their way to my hair.

The desire rising through our bond is powerful, even my wolf howls within me, eager to claim our mate.

I continue my path down her stomach, pressing little kisses to her skin before I hook my fingers into the waistband of her pants and tug.

She helps, lifting her hips to allow me to slide them off. As soon as she’s free, I kiss my way back up her leg, spreading her thighs wide as I reach her center.

Her pussy glistens before me, perfectly pink and already soaked.

I lean forward, brushing my nose against her clit. She gasps and whimpers, arching her back to press herself closer to me.

“Is this what you want, my love?” I growl, licking her.

She whimpers again, moaning as I taste her and savor her sweetness. When I tease her, dipping my tongue between her folds, she squirms and moans. She reaches for me, as desperate for more contact as I am.

But I refuse to be rushed. We have years to make up for. Instead, I slow down and grip her thighs. Holding her in place, I slowly lick her, sucking on her clit until she’s gasping for release.

Only when she is writhing beneath me, her breath coming in short pants, and her fingers tangled in the sheets, do I let up and slide two fingers into her.

She’s drenched, and I can feel her pussy walls clench tightly around me as I bring her closer to completion.

“You feel so good, baby,” I murmur as I curl my fingers inside her while teasing her clit with my tongue.

Yelena moans loudly and thrashes on the bed.

“That’s it. You’re so close, aren’t you? Come for me, beautiful,” I whisper before I suck her clit between my lips.

She cries out, and her orgasm crashes over her. Her pussy contracts around my fingers as her release drenches my hand.

I quickly shed my clothing and lay beside her, propping myself up with a pillow. She looks over at me with a slow smile.

I reach over and pull her on top of me, her legs straddling my waist. Her hair falls down like a curtain, shielding her from view as she gets situated.

“I don’t know…” she begins, as she leans over my chest. I reach behind her neck and pull her down for a quick kiss.

“Take what you want,” I tell her when she pulls back. “Whatever I have, whatever I am—it’s yours.”

She bites her lip and looks down between us, resting her hand on my chest, her fingers toying with my chest hair.

“You want me to ride you?” she asks, her eyes sparkling. My cock twitches, and I nod.

“Yeah, baby. I want you to use me to find your pleasure. I want to see you fall apart on top of me and scream out my name,” I purr.

She flushes slightly pink, but she bites her lip again and reaches down to palm my cock.

“Well then,” she smiles, lifting up so I’m notched at her entrance. “It’s a good thing I want that too.”

She sinks down on me, taking me in fully. I watch, mesmerized, as she closes her eyes, throwing her head back and uttering a moan of pleasure.

“Oh,” she gasps out. “God, that’s deep.”

I flex my hips, driving up into her, and she gasps again but bears down. She feels incredible like this, wrapped around my girth, her walls still fluttering with the aftershocks of her release.

"Whatever my mate wants, she gets," I grunt, fully sheathed inside her tight heat.

She begins to move, tentatively at first, before settling into a steady pace above me. I flex my hips, driving up and meeting her, thrust for thrust.

Soon, we’re both breathing heavily, and she’s slumped over my chest, her nails raking down my chest.

“I’m so close,” she whispers in my ear. I growl against her neck, nipping at the sensitive skin there.

"Mine," I rasp. "My mate. My Luna."

"Yours," she agrees breathlessly, tilting her head to give me better access. "Forever yours, Alpha."

The pressure is building within me, and I fight with my need for release. She feels too good. It’s hard to hold back, even though I’m determined to wait for her.

Sensing this, Yelena sets a frantic pace, pulling me impossibly deeper. I groan, my rhythm faltering and my arms trembling with the effort of holding back.

"Let go," she whispers. "I'm with you."

Her words undo me. With a few more powerful thrusts, I come undone, finding my peak just as her back arches and she cries out.

“Austin,” she groans, her entire body trembling with pleasure, “Oh, my God, that was incredible. You are incredible.”

I pry open my eyes and pull her down to my chest, pressing a kiss on her lips.

“I love you, Yelena,” I whisper.

“I love you, too,” she whispers back.

I withdraw and grab my T-shirt to help clean us up. Once we’re clean, I gather her up and fit her against me, letting my eyes fall closed as we lay together.

She’s a perfect fit because she’s my perfect mate.