Page 24

24

TILDA

I don’t know how I missed it, but there’s an old barn on the other side of the visitors’ center, out on the fringes of the encampment. I hear a familiar whinny as soon as we’re within earshot, and I glance at Reyes with wide eyes.

He tilts his head with a smile. “Go ahead,” he says. “I’ll meet you there.”

I break into a sprint, my feet pounding against the earth as I race for the barn. I don’t know where they got the stuff, but they’ve outfitted the whole place with feed, halters, and hay, the familiar smell of horses filling my lungs.

The barn is full of horses I recognize—just four, all from the fallen bounty hunters the night I got here. I pass a pinto mare, a chestnut gelding, and a sable stallion. At the very end is my horse: a palomino with braided mane.

My Annie.

She whinnies, her ears twitching as she recognizes me, and I’m already running toward her before I realize what I’m doing. My hands reach out instinctively, cradling her muzzle as gently as I can, and she leans out over the stall door, meeting me halfway. I bury my face against her neck, my arms wrapping around her as if she’s the only solid thing in the world. My fingers trail over her familiar coat, dusty gray and warm beneath my touch.

“Oh, Annie,” I whisper, my voice cracking. “I’m so sorry I left you here. I hope Peaches has been taking real good care of you.”

Her response is a soft snort, her breath warm against my skin. She nudges me with her nose, almost like she’s trying to reassure me. I stroke her neck, letting the motion calm the storm of emotions inside me: relief, guilt, joy—all tangled together.

Behind me, I hear Reyes’ footsteps as he steps into the stable, and I reluctantly pull back from Annie to turn toward him. My eyes narrow, anger bubbling up alongside everything else.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I demand, my voice sharper than I intended. “She’s been here this whole time, and you didn’t say a word?”

Reyes stops a few feet away, his expression unreadable. “Because I didn’t know if you would try to run,” he says evenly. “And when you were…well, in that gray area between hostage and guest, I couldn’t risk it.”

I stare at him, the weight of his words settling heavily in my chest. It’s not that I don’t understand—if the roles were reversed, I’d probably have done the same thing. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t sting. That doesn’t mean I can let him off the hook so easily.

“So I just had to fuck you to get my privileges back,” I mutter, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Tilda, it isn’t like that,” he says, his tone firm but not unkind. There’s a flicker of something in his eyes—regret, maybe, or guilt.

I can’t help the smirk that pulls at my lips, even though I’m still pissed. “I’m just fucking with you,” I say, leaning against the stall door. “Maybe. But I’m still angry.”

His mouth quirks in a faint smile, though there’s a weight in his gaze as he steps closer. “You have every right to be,” he says quietly. “But I didn’t want to lose you. Not then. Not now.”

That takes the edge off my anger, though I don’t let it show. Instead, I turn back to Annie, running my hand along her neck again. She’s steady beneath my palm, a grounding force, and for the first time in weeks, I feel like I can breathe.

“She’s been well cared for,” Reyes says after a moment, his voice softer now. “Peaches made sure of it. And I came to check on her too…just in case.”

I glance at him out of the corner of my eye, my hand still on Annie. “Good,” I say. “Because if she wasn’t, we’d be having a very different conversation right now.”

Reyes chuckles, the sound low and warm. “Noted.”

Annie nudges me again, and I smile despite myself. “You’re lucky I’m a little distracted,” I say, my tone light but with just enough edge to let him know I’m not entirely letting it go.

He nods, his expression softening as he watches me with her. “Take your time,” he says. “She’s yours, after all.”

He goes silent as I continue to stroke Annie’s neck, crossing his arms over his chest. He’s so big that I don’t think he could even really ride a horse—or at least he’d need a very big horse. “You know how to ride?” I ask.

“It’s been a while, but I think I could manage,” he says. “Either that, or I could shift and run along with you, keep to the shadows.”

“I don’t think the people of Homestead would take it well if a naked giant strolled out of the woods once I get our meeting started,” I murmur. “So horseback it is. Did you want to go now or…”

“I thought we would wait until tomorrow,” he says. “Tell the pack what our plans are, make sure we have a chain of command in place in case things go sideways. Frankie is being…difficult.”

“Who would you put in charge?” I ask. I don’t want to think about the possibility that something could go wrong, but I understand where he’s coming from—and I think he needs to talk about it.

“Will,” he says. “No doubt. Then Mateo, then Grant. Frankie is too aggressive.”

“I think you should consider Suyin,” I say.

Reyes cocks his head. “But Suyin is a beta.”

“Just—from a human perspective,” I say, leaning casually against Annie’s stall. “I know she can’t have the magic ‘tell people what to do’ thing, but she’s smart, strategic, and has a good relationship with everyone in the pack. Maybe even Charlotte.”

“A pack led by an omega?” Reyes snorts, shaking his head. “Jesus—I sound like a real misogynist, don’t I?”

“A little bit,” I tease, raising an eyebrow.

“These things get ingrained,” he says, running a hand through his hair. “I’m hardwired for it, apparently.”

“I get it—you’ve been a wolf for a long time,” I say, my tone softer now. “But I’m here to remind you the world doesn’t actually work that way, darlin’. I know these classifications mean something to you, but…you don’t have to follow every rule to the letter. Break a few now and then.”

Reyes chuckles, his gaze dropping for a moment like he’s considering my words. “Guess that’s part of why I need you around,” he says. “To call me out on my bullshit.”

“Always happy to help,” I say with a grin, pushing off the stall door. I cross the space between us slowly, testing the waters, my boots scuffing softly against the stable floor. Reyes doesn’t move, his eyes tracking my every step, but the tension in his shoulders starts to relax.

“Let me guess,” I say, stopping a foot away from him, close enough to feel the heat radiating off his skin. “Omegas and betas are supposed to be docile, follow the Prime’s orders, never question anything…”

“Something like that,” he admits, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “At least if you believe everything we’ve been told about lycan dynamics.”

“Well, hate to break it to you,” I say, tilting my head with a playful smile, “but I’m not that kind of girl.”

Reyes’ expression shifts, his smirk fading into something more thoughtful. “No,” he says quietly. “You’re not.”

His words catch me off guard, the sincerity in them cutting through the playful banter. I feel a warmth rise in my chest, unexpected and unfamiliar, and I look away for a moment, pretending to brush dirt off my hands.

“I mean, you didn’t really give me much of a choice when you bit me,” I say, my voice lighter again, though there’s a tremor beneath it.

Reyes’ smile returns, softer this time. “You’re right. I didn’t. And I’d apologize, but…I don’t think I’m sorry.”

I glance back at him, his brown eyes meeting mine with an intensity that makes my stomach flip. The barn feels quieter now, the hum of crickets outside the only sound between us. For a moment, we just stand there, the unspoken weight of everything—his bite, our bond, this strange new world we’re building together—hanging in the air.

“You’re trouble,” I finally say, a half-smile playing on my lips.

Reyes chuckles, the sound low and warm. “Takes one to know one.”

I get close enough to slide my arms around his neck, biting my lip. His hands find my hips, that scent overwhelming me…and it’s like I’m back in bed with him, no time having passed, eager and desperate for him.

“Tilda…” he starts, a note of warning in his voice.

I slide one hand up the back of his neck, tugging on his hair.

“Shut up,” I breathe.

I kiss him hard, standing on my tip-toes to get a better angle. Reyes lets out a rumble deep in his chest, an animalistic sound that seems to awaken every primal instinct I have. My fingers grasp at his white t-shirt, eager to tear off the fabric–and I gasp and pull back at the sound of fabric tearing.

“What the–” I jerk my hand away and look down at it, splaying out my fingers. My nails have gotten just a little sharper and longer—more like claws. “Is this…?”

Reyes takes my left hand in his right, narrowing his eyes in curiosity. “Maybe the exchanged bites have quickened the process,” he says. “Who knows? You…I think you might be able to turn soon. You’re transforming into one of us.”

The prospect of that sends a thrill through me. It’s a little disturbing, but it feels exciting to know that I’m going to get some of the perks of having that lineage—quick healing and in-built weapons. Reyes’ bite mark on my hip throbs, sending waves of liquid heat across my skin.

“Is it bad that I want to tear your clothes off right now?” I ask, my voice dropping as I trace the line of his collar with a single finger.

Reyes chuckles, the sound low and warm in his chest. “I think you kind of already did.”

I glance down at the tatters of his shirt hanging loosely from his shoulders, the black fabric barely clinging to his frame. “Oh,” I murmur, feigning innocence as I hook my fingers under the remaining fabric. “Guess I got carried away.”

“You don’t say,” he quips, his lips twitching into a smirk.

With a little tug, I do away with the rest of his shirt, the shredded pieces falling to the stable floor like ribbons. I step back slightly to admire him, my gaze roaming over the broad planes of his chest, the muscles shifting beneath his bronze skin. There’s a smattering of scars—small, faded reminders of battles fought and survived—and the sight of them makes my chest tighten with something I can’t quite name. Admiration? Longing? Whatever it is, it feels raw and overwhelming.

“You’re beautiful,” I whisper, the words escaping before I can stop them.

Reyes raises an eyebrow, his smirk softening into something gentler. “That’s not exactly the word I’d use.”

“Well, it’s the one I’m going with,” I say firmly, stepping closer again. My hands find their way to his shoulders, the heat of his skin searing against my palms. “You’ve got, like…a whole stash of shirts somewhere, right? With how many of these I’ve ruined, I’m starting to feel bad.”

He laughs, the sound rumbling through both of us as he leans in. “Don’t worry. We’ve got plenty. Though at this rate, I might have to start hiding them from you.”

“Oh, so you think I have no self-control?” I tease, arching an eyebrow.

“None,” he says, deadpan, though the sparkle in his eyes gives him away.

I laugh, shaking my head. “Well, you’re not exactly helping, standing there looking like…that.”

His hands find my waist, steadying me as he pulls me closer. “If it makes you feel better,” he murmurs, his lips brushing against my temple, “I don’t have any self-control around you, either.”

I duck my head against his neck to inhale his smoky scent, dragging my tongue over my bite mark before growling in his ear.

“Here,” I say. “Now.”

I turn and push him backwards onto a bail of hay. He stares up at me with a dazed smile, reaching for his pants and unzipping them. I don’t need any fanfare this time around—I just want to feel him inside me, filling me up. His thick cock falls out of his pants, the heft of him making my mouth water, and I get on my knees in front of him.

Now that I’m not in such a haze—like I was last night on that altar—it’s time to have a little fun. “I bet it’s been a while since you got head, huh?” I ask, reaching to stroke him. I widen my fingers to palm his knot. They don’t even reach all the way around.

I think he’s been struck speechless. Or at least, it seems that way when I wrap my lips around the head of his cock. Reyes groans and tilts his head back against the wooden wall of the barn, his arms limp at his sides as I suck him deep into my throat.

“Fuck,” he curses. His hand reaches to tangle in my hair, but I growl a warning.

“I’m in charge,” I mutter. “Stay still.”

As if compelled, he draws his hands away, placing them firmly at his sides. He doesn’t even rock his hips as I draw him deep into my throat, spit dripping down his shaft and over his knot. I taste precum on the back of my tongue like so much red wine, and just vaguely like blackberries.

We’ve become one flesh, just like he said. Intermingling and colliding.

I squeeze his knot as much as I can as I keep sucking, harder, faster. He tastes so fucking good I could do this for hours…especially when he loses control again and takes hold of my hair, pulling hard. His hips rock up into my throat, and I raise my eyes to see that his are closed, his brow furrowed, that gorgeous body glistening with a thin sheen of sweat.

“Tilda…” he rumbles. “I’m going to…”

I pull off of him with a pop, stroking him slowly. “Don’t you dare come until you’re inside me,” I murmur.

He tugs softly on my hair again, and with his free hand, he pats his knee.

“Then get up here,” he commands.

I stand and shimmy out of my jeans, and Reyes gazes up at me with the kind of reverence I thought he was supposed to reserve for the divine.

“Are you going to knot me now?” I ask.

“No,” he says. “And don’t…don’t order me to do it, because I think your powers of suggestion are growing.”

My panties are already soaked through, the heady scent of him invading my senses. My pussy throbs with need, my inner walls clenching with an overwhelming desire to swallow him whole.

I straddle him, and we both close our eyes and gasp at the contact. He’s so fucking thick that I can’t believe I’m not sore today, but I guess it just has to be that wolf magic.

“I wish you would, though,” I whisper, careful not to say the word.

“Tonight,” he says through gritted teeth. “I’ll do it tonight.”

I rock my hips slightly, feel the head of his cock press against my entrance. Reyes’ breath catches in his throat, he grasps my neck and pulls me against him.

Yes…right there.

Just like that.

I sink down on him with a groan, taking his full length. Reyes unleashes a primal growl, his teeth grazing over my neck. I’m tempted to tell him to bite me, but I know we should be careful; if we’re going to meet with the Homesteaders tomorrow, I don’t want them to see the mark on me.

“Not there,” I gasp, rolling my hips. His knot is dangerously close to slipping inside, and I know we won’t be able to untangle once it penetrates me. I yank my top down to reveal my breasts, and gesture over my heart. “Here. I want you to bite me here.”

His hands are still at his sides, not touching, just like I told him. His hips twitch to thrust into me, though, and I let myself rise and fall to build delicious friction. “Are you sure?” he asks.

“Yes,” I say. “Yes.”

His teeth are sharp as they graze my flesh, his touch always gentle even when he knows he’ll cause me pain. He doesn’t know I revel in it—that I like a little pain with my pleasure. I tangle my fingers in his thick salt and pepper hair, giggling a little at the way his beard tickles my sensitive flesh. “Do it, darlin’,” I groan. “I want it. I…I like it.”

That’s all the encouragement he needs.

His teeth press hard, then sink just barely into my flesh. My pussy throbs and clenches around him, and I start riding him in earnest as he lathes the bite with his tongue, stemming any blood flow. I keep his head pressed to my breast, and the pain makes me euphoric.

He pulls away, lips red with my blood. “Fuck, you’re beautiful,” he growls.

“So are you,” I breathe.

I kiss him, taste my blood on his lips. The slap of our bodies together fills the stable, my knees stinging from the points of hay biting into them, denim rough on my inner thighs. Reyes is careful not to knot me, but I want it…God, I want it so bad I can hardly breathe.

“Come for me, Tilda,” he commands, jaw clenched. “I’m right on the brink. Come for me–”

I come fast and hard, pulsing around him just as I feel him tumbling over the edge. He comes deep inside me, continuing to thrust, cum dripping down his shaft and coating my inner thighs with our mixed arousal. Half-dressed and flushed with lust, we hold each other tight, where anyone could see.

I take a deep breath, inhaling him, dragging my nose up his jaw. His hands find my ass and he pulls me up and down his shaft one more time, making us both groan.

He’s still inside me when I lean forward, resting my chin on his shoulder. He holds me close, fingers gliding up and down my spine.

“If you keep coming onto me like this, I’m not sure if we’ll ever even be able to leave the den,” he murmurs.

I smile into the crook of his neck. “That doesn’t seem all that bad.”