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I pushed myself up from my reclining position on the couch and moved to stare out the large floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out on the forest below. Autumn leaves created a blanket of reds, yellows, and oranges. It was stunning.

Will’s house was perfect, almost exactly the kind of house I had always dreamed of living in as a kid. A large wooden house in the middle of the woods on the side of a mountain. It had a spacious kitchen, comfortable rooms.

And most importantly, it gave me the freedom to leave whenever the hell I wanted.

Unconsciously, I rubbed my bare wrists as I stared out the windows. The witch Declan and the Gold Wolves had found to take care of the shackles and collar had made short work of them. After years of those chains on my wrist and neck, it still felt strange to feel cool air brush against them.

In so many ways, my life was more or less perfect. I had gotten out of captivity and was now living with a man I had fallen deeply in love with. We lived together in a massive house, safe from all the dangers that had plagued my life over the last few years. Falcon’s Reach was gorgeous, and everyone I had met so far seemed amazing. Some of the other girls from the Underside had decided to stick around, while others had moved on.

But I had a home. For the first time in years, I had an actual home. I was happy. With one big caveat.

We hadn’t been able to get back to Cain’s domain. We hadn’t been able to find any way of contacting Morgan. Even my scrying had stopped working. Some sort of enchantment had been put on Morgan, so we couldn’t see her. I was sure of it.

It was bittersweet. It made me stay up at night and pace restlessly during the day. I couldn’t stop thinking about her, worrying. But I also knew that we would find something. It was only a matter of time. But I still prayed that it was sooner rather than later.

Just as I was thinking about going on a hunt, the door opened. I turned just in time to see Will strolling into the living room. He slowed as he looked at me, his head tilted.

“You okay?” he asked.

I gave a half-laugh as I shook my head. We both knew the answer without him asking.

He let out a long breath and nodded.

“Any word?” I asked, hating the desperation in my voice. It had become a mantra in the last month, and despite it seeming more and more hopeless every day, I couldn’t not ask.

Although I’d still expected it, Will shook his head. My shoulders sagged in disappointment.

“We’re working on figuring out how to get to her,” he said. “We’ve got a couple of leads. It’s not as hopeless as it looks, I promise.”

I made a face, but kept my mouth shut. He let out a long sigh and pulled me against him, wrapping his arms around me. I leaned against him, letting his scent wrap around me like a comforting blanket.

“I know,” he muttered. “Believe me, we’re doing everything we can.”

“I know,” I answered a little mechanically.

He stepped back, holding me at arm’s length so I had to look at him. Based on his expression, I could see that he’d guessed exactly what was running through my head, even though I had tried to hide it.

“This has nothing to do with Cain or the mission or anything like that,” he said. “Even if that part of the mission had been scuttled, I would be fighting tooth and nail to get Morgan back. We all would. And I promise that we’re going to find her. Just let us do our thing, and we’ll get her back.”

“I know.” I gave a soft smile as I looked up at him, then nuzzled against him again, letting him wrap his arms around me as my eyes fluttered shut. I inhaled his scent. My wolf growled in contentment, happy to be by the shifter she had recognized as our mate long before I had ever even considered it.

Will’s hands moved to my shoulders. I let out a soft moan as he massaged them, the muscles loosening beneath his firm grip. Shivers ran along my spine as he continued working his magic.

His lips moved to the back of my neck, gently kissing my skin and sending new shivers radiating through me. I sighed, my head tilting to give him a better angle as his arms wrapped around me, drawing me back into his chest. I sucked in a breath, unable to help myself.

“Is there anything I can do to take your mind off it?” he murmured. “Or at least distract you for a handful of minutes?”

I gave a wicked grin as something kindled inside me. “I think you can come up with something,” I said.

Fingers tilted my chin upward, and Will’s mouth found mine. The kiss started gently at first, then grew more earnest, a spark igniting as our lips met. His hand went to my head, tangling in my hair. Shivers of need and pleasure raced through my body, settling below my stomach.

He turned me around so we were facing one another, his mouth showing no signs of leaving mine as he backed me against the wall. His hands slipped beneath the hem of my shirt, fingers exploring my stomach slowly, tantalizingly, sending electric tendrils running through me wherever they touched.

Rough, calloused hands lifted up my shirt. Will eyed me hungrily as the fabric fell to the floor, and a soft snarl emanated from his mouth as he saw me. That intense look, filled with lust and need, made me burn with my own longing. I fumbled with his jeans as he removed his shirt. His cock, already hard, sprang out. I took it in my hand and grinned as he let out a soft groan, his hands going to my hips as my hand ran along his shaft. My free hand traced the rippling muscles of his stomach as the need for him began to smolder inside me.

I crouched, but he stopped me, grabbing my wrists and pulling me back up to my feet. “You’re the one who needs relief,” he said.

He picked me up, carrying me into the kitchen, his eyes locked on my face, that hunger evident all over him. He placed me on the counter. Without a word, he unfastened my jeans and jerked them down so they fell around my knees. One finger reached between my legs, running along my slit, feeling the wetness already there. He let out a growl of approval that sent new pangs of longing racing through me. His thumb pressed against my clit. I squirmed, writhing at the touch until his hand gripped my hip and held me in place.

He toyed with me for a few moments like that, fingers circling my vagina, not plunging in, occasionally playing with my clit, making that need for more build and swell inside me. Still holding onto me, his head dipped, moving between my legs as his hands gripped the sides of my hips. His lips brushed against the inside of my thighs, moving upward slowly, tantalizingly, making me squirm slightly as the fire inside me continued to grow. His grip on me tightened, pinning me in place.

A soft moan escaped my lips as his tongue ran along my slit. My fingers reached out, knotting in his hair as his fingers tightened on my hips. My mind had turned blank. New shivers raced through me as his thumb pressed against my clit. I gasped. His fingers tightened on my thighs as he continued devouring me. That burning desire and need for him, that delicious pressure, continued to build and swell.

Just as I was beginning to turn delightfully mindless, his tongue thrust inside me. I screamed in pleasure as ecstasy radiated through me, only intensifying as his tongue continued to plunge in and out as his thumb flicked across my clit. My breathing went ragged, fingers gripping the edge of the counter as my back arched. The fire continued to burn, growing hotter every second as my eyes fluttered shut. I could feel myself beginning to tip, to fall into oblivion.

Finally, just as I was about to tip over the edge, he stopped, leaving me aching with need. He raised his head to look at me and laughed as I glared at him. A mischievous sparkle glinted in his eye.

“I didn’t say it was only for you,” he said.

He brought his lips to mine, and I could taste myself on his lips. That scent brought new shivers of longing through me, only intensified by the way his hand roamed along my body, tracing every inch of me with rough, ragged hands. The soft kiss grew hungrier, more intent, his hand going to the back of my head, trapping me in place as his mouth claimed mine.

He hoisted me onto his hips and thrust into me. I screamed, toes curling in delight and my back arching as he continued to ram into me. My legs wrapped around his waist as he continued thrusting in and out, gliding in and out. My hips ground down in pleasure as my breasts pressed into his chest, my lips locking on his as he plunged in and out of me. My moans grew high-pitched as I mewled into his mouth, the pressure and craving and need for release continuing to grow every minute.

I knew I wouldn’t last much longer. I tried to hold it, to keep it in check, to make it last. The waves of pleasure began to grow larger and more intense, sending me closer to the edge every second. My mind had gone blank, and for the time being, the only thing that mattered was me and Will.

I could tell I was about to tip over into oblivion. I tried to teeter on the edge, savoring that swelling need and lust and desire for release for as long as possible, wishing I could stay on that precipice forever.

Eventually, though, one final thrust sent me tumbling. I screamed in relief and ecstasy as I rode the waves of pleasure that exploded through me, only intensified by Will’s repeated pumps. I relished the feel of him inside me, and just as my own orgasm finally began to slow, I felt his cock twitch and spasm as he finished inside me, a satisfied moan of his own filling the air, his grip on me tightening as we finished together.

His pumping slowed, finally stopping. We both panted as we looked at one another, his cock still inside me, as if unwilling to let me go. He pulled my head down to his, his lips brushing tenderly against mine, a dozen unsaid things lingering on both our lips. Slowly, almost reluctantly, he lifted me off him and lowered me to the floor.

“I love you,” he said.

I smiled. After years of being used and discarded and treated like property, hearing those words—and knowing they were the truth—meant more to me than I could ever properly articulate.

“I love you, too,” I said.

His hand reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from my face. “We’re going to get her back,” Will promised. “You know that, right?”

I nodded, and was surprised that I meant it. I did know.

“If anyone can do it,” I said. “It’s the Gold Wolves.”

He grinned, giving a nod. “We won’t stop until she’s back. I promise.”

*****

THE END