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MAGNOLIA

H is words hang in the air between us, heavy and light all at once. I’m staying. It’s everything I wanted to hear, everything I didn’t dare let myself hope for. My wolf hums in satisfaction, her instincts settling, a low, steady thrumming of mine, mine, mine running through me.

But it’s the way he says it—the way his voice cracks, raw and vulnerable, like he’s handing me the last unbroken piece of himself—that undoes me.

He’s staying.

For me.

I press a kiss to his cheek, my lips brushing the roughness of his scruff. “Forever, then,” I whisper, and I know it’s corny…but it feels right. Like it’s the most true thing I’ve ever said. Like he would never judge me for it because he already knows.

When I pull back just enough to look at him, his eyes are dark, searching mine with an intensity that makes my breath hitch. His hands stay on my waist, anchoring me to this moment, but his fingers flex slightly, like he’s holding back.

Like he’s waiting for permission.

And I realize I want to give it to him. I want to give him everything.

My pulse quickens, my skin prickling with heat as the air between us shifts. I feel his breath against my lips, the faintest hint of hesitation in the way his hands tremble slightly where they rest on me.

I don’t want him to hold back.

“Colt…” My voice is barely above a whisper, and I swear I see his jaw tighten, his wolf stirring in his eyes as I say his name. I slide my hands from his chest to his shoulders, letting my fingers trail up the back of his neck into his hair, pulling him closer. “Kiss me again.”

For a moment, he doesn’t move, and I wonder if I’ve pushed him too far, if the weight of his past is too much for him to let go of. But then, his grip tightens on my waist…and he leans in.

Last night’s kisses were frantic, almost brutal, like he’d been dying for me for years. This one, though? It’s soft…and it melts me completely. Gentle at first, deepening, then his tongue slides across my lips, asking for entry.

I moan as I open to him.

There’s a hunger beneath this kiss, raw and untamed, and it ignites a fire low in my belly. His hands tighten on my waist, pulling me flush against him, and I swear I feel the rumble of his wolf beneath his skin, barely contained. My fingers thread through his hair, tugging gently, and he growls into my mouth, the sound sending a delicious shiver down my spine. It’s like he’s unraveling, bit by bit, every hesitation and wall he’s tried to keep between us crumbling with every stroke of his tongue against mine.

“Magnolia,” he growls, his lips curling into a smile. “Any chance you picked up more condoms between the time we got back and now?”

I shake my head. “I don’t care.”

“We should?—”

I tug on his hair hard enough to meet his eyes, taking him by surprise. He lets out a harsh breath, that clear blue gaze piercing through me.

“I don’t care,” I tell him, rocking my hips against his quickly hardening cock. “I don’t want to wait for any of it.”

For a moment, he looks at me, his eyes flickering with surprise, then hunger. I know I’m being reckless, but I truly cannot be bothered to worry about it; this is what I want right now, and I’ll have it. His grip on my waist tightens. "Are you sure?"

I don't answer with words.

Instead, I lean in and claim his lips with mine once more, pouring every ounce of my certainty into the kiss.

Colt lets out a primal growl and his hands slide down to cup my ass, pulling me against him so I can feel how hard he is even through both our jeans. My heart races, my blood heats, and I know this is what I want.

This is what I need.

His lips continue to move over mine, the taste of him intoxicating. His hands are hot, his fingers firm as they bracket my waist—then he’s suddenly lifting me, forcing me to wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck so I don’t fall.

I don’t know where he’s taking me—there’s not really a good place for…well, what we’re about to do, and I can’t exactly take him home—and I’m surprised when I find myself outside, the cool air on my skin. Colt is striding toward the edge of the pack’s land, the moon shining bright overhead, almost full.

I cling to him tightly, my heart pounding in my chest. I don't know what's going to happen, but I trust him completely. His pace slows as we approach the border of the territory, and he gently lowers me to the ground.

I look around us, my breath hitching in my throat as I take in the sight. A clear, open field bathed in moonlight, the tall grass whispering in the breeze. It's beautiful, ethereal.

“What…why?” I whisper.

“Because if we’re doing this, we’re doing it in the moonlight,” he growls, his eyes glinting like opals. He’s in a partial shift…

…he’s going to give me his bite, his mark.

He puts me down on my feet, gentler than I could ever expect. He locks eyes with me as he lowers his hands to the hem of his shirt…peels it off of his muscular torso, revealing miles upon miles of toned muscle and intricate tattoos. I saw it all last night, but I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of it.

Seeing him, all of him.

Knowing he’s mine.

My breath hitches when his hands lower to my shirt, dragging it up my waist. “I need to hear you say it,” he rumbles.

“Say…” I gasp when he slides his hands underneath, finds my nipples and squeezes. “Say what?”

“What you want,” he goes on. “Exactly. Explicitly.”

“I want you,” I try to say, suddenly shy. What does he want me to do? Tell him where I want his cock? How I want him inside me, how I could die happy with this man between my legs?

His nose drags up my neck, the movement so controlled that I can tell he’s only hanging on by a thread. “Ask me for it,” he teases.

I stare at him, my heart pounding in my chest. "I want you," I say again, louder this time. But he shakes his head, a challenging smirk tugging on the corners of his lips.

"More, Magnolia." His voice is a low growl, the wolf within him close to the surface.

My teeth catch my lower lip and I swallow hard, embarrassment coloring my cheeks. But beneath that embarrassment is a spark of something else...anticipation. Excitement.

The fierce desire to have him claim me in every way possible.

"I want your mouth," I blurt out. "Your hands..." My eyes drop to his chest as his fingers tighten on my waist, an audible gulp escaping my lips as I continue. "...your...your cock."

His breath hitches at the last word and I lift my gaze, finding his eyes dark with desire. His hands slide further down my waist, then squeeze my ass.

“Oh angel…you have no idea how fucking sexy it is when you say naughty words like that,” he chuckles. “But what else? I’ll give you anything.”

His approval makes me bold, and I’m more confident when I say, “I want you to mark me…and I want you to fuck me.”

His nostrils flare at my words, his eyes flashing with a hunger that sends a jolt of pure desire coursing through my veins. "Can't say no to that," he murmurs.

Then his lips crush onto mine in a fiery, passionate kiss. His tongue sweeps into my mouth, tasting and teasing, staking a claim that leaves no room for doubt. I can't help but respond in kind, my own tongue battling with his as I return the kiss with all the passion I feel for him.

Breaking the kiss, he trails his lips down my neck, nipping and sucking on my sensitive skin, making me gasp and moan in pleasure. He stops when he reaches the junction of my neck and shoulder, his hot breath wafting over the spot where he intends to mark me.

“I wanna be inside you when I mark you, angel,” he breathes.

“Then I guess you need to undress me,” I reply.

His eyes spark with a predatory glint as he gives a low chuckle, his fingers finding the hem of my shirt. With one swift movement, he pulls it over my head, discarding it somewhere in the tall grass. His hot gaze roves over my exposed skin, making me shiver in anticipation.

I’m not wearing a bra, and his hands are on me in a split second, warm and firm as they cup my breasts, his thumbs brushing over my nipples. They harden instantly at his touch, sending jolts of pleasure straight down to my core.

“Colt!” I gasp.

“Stay quiet, angel,” he murmurs. “Wouldn’t want to be interrupted.”

It’s not exactly easy to do that, though, as he ducks his head to suck my nipple into his mouth, wrapping his arms around my waist to lift me toward him. I follow him down into the soft grass as he kneels, lowering me to the grass, his mouth never leaving me, hands going straight to the button of my jeans.

“You…” he starts as he kisses his way down my stomach, my hips, “…you are the finest damn thing I’ve ever laid eyes on, angel.”

He discards the rest of my clothes in the grass, then buries his face between my legs, an open mouth kiss on my pussy. I arch, clawing at the grass and finding myself knuckle-deep in soil, nails sharp with a partial shift.

“Gonna spend the rest of my life making you come,” he says, still talking, voice rumbling against my clit. “Gonna spend the rest of my life making you scream my name. Tasting you, marking you, claiming you.”

I gasp when his tongue slides over my clit, his fingers spreading me open for him. He’s relentless, his tongue lapping at me in a rhythm that makes me squirm and writhe beneath him, my hands fisting in his hair.

“Colt,” I whimper. “Please.”

He hums against me, a deliciously self-satisfied groan, the vibrations sending shockwaves of pleasure coursing through my body. Then he moves away, leaving me panting and wanting more.

He doesn’t leave me waiting long though. He quickly strips out of his jeans, discarding them next to my clothes in the grass. His cock juts toward me, knot swollen, and I can’t help but moan at the sight of him.

He’s beautiful, and he’s all mine.

He positions himself between my legs, his eyes locked on mine as he runs the head of his cock over my slick folds. The anticipation is a sweet, torturous ache, but I don't mind. I can see in his eyes that he's savoring every second of this as much as I am.

"Tell me you're ready," he growls, his voice low and husky.

"I'm ready," I whisper without hesitation. Ready for him, ready to be claimed by him, ready to be his in every way possible.

“Thank fuck,” he curses.

He pushes inside me, slow and steady. A gasp tears from my throat at the sensation of him filling me. He’s big and it hurts a little—I’m still sore from last night, from this morning—but the pleasure far outweighs any discomfort. His hands find mine in the grass, fingers intertwining as he begins to move.

His pace starts slow, but the rhythm of his thrusts increase as he becomes lost in the sensation of me, his eyes fluttering closed. His grip on my hands tightens, anchoring me to the ground as he takes what he wants, knot bumping against my entrance as he gets me ready.

"Oh God, Colt," I gasp, my voice breathy. The tension in my lower stomach coils tighter with every thrust, the pleasure building and building until I think I might shatter.

"Look at me," he growls, his voice ragged.

I open my eyes and find his gaze locked onto mine, the intensity of his stare sending a jolt of excitement through me.

"I want to see you when you come," he grunts, his thrusts becoming harder and faster. "I want to see that beautiful face of yours when I make you mine."

His words are like a trigger, pushing me over the edge. An orgasm rips through me like a lightning bolt, tearing a cry from my throat. My body convulses, my fingers digging into his as wave after wave of pleasure crashes over me. His eyes never leave mine, drinking in every reaction, every gasp, every moan. No one’s ever looked at me like that. I know nobody else ever will.

"Colt," I whisper, my voice hoarse from crying out. "I need you to...I need..."

"I know, angel," he murmurs. "I'm gonna give you everything."

His pace quickens then, his hips snapping forward with a ferocity that leaves me breathless. He growls low in his throat, his eyes flickering with an animalistic hunger that sends another surge of desire coursing through my veins.

Then he's there, pressing against me, knot catching at my entrance before he finally pushes through.

The sensation of him expanding inside me is unlike anything I've ever felt before—not even this morning, when he fucked me raw. My body stretches to accommodate him, a sharp gasp tearing from my throat as he fills me completely. His hands tighten on mine, his lips move to my throat, I feel his teeth?—

He bites.

My body explodes with pleasure, like I’m not even in my own skin anymore, flying somewhere high above in the starry sky. The sting of his teeth embedded in my skin, the sensation of him deep inside me, his knot holding us together…it all merges into an overwhelming storm of ecstasy that takes over my senses. The world spins and sparks fly behind my eyelids as I shudder uncontrollably beneath him.

And then he’s moving again—different now, rocking me on his knot as his tongue drags over his bite mark, the root of him pressing somewhere that feels so, so good…

He lets out this breathy, low moan, his voice vibrating against my skin as he licks his mark, a sound of pure satisfaction that sends a pleasant shudder coursing through me. His hand travels up my side, fingers tracing a lazy path over the curve of my breast, thumb brushing over the sensitive peak that hardens instantly under his touch.

"Colt," I whimper, my body still quivering from the tremors of pleasure. He's so deep inside me, so intimate. I feel every inch of him, every pulse of his heart against mine.

"Hush now," Colt whispers, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear in a soft kiss. "Just let it happen, angel."

Then he shifts slightly, adjusting our position and leaning onto one elbow so that his cock nudges up against that sweet spot inside me, sending another wave of pleasure crashing through me. I arch as a quiet moan catches in my throat.

"God..." I gasp, arching off the earth, unable to form any other words.

“Fuck, you are fucking…” he trails off, like he’s just as lost. I manage to open my eyes and see him with his eyes squeezed shut, like he doesn’t want to come yet because it feels too good. “…you’re fuckin’ ethereal, angel. Goddamn religious experience.”

I let out something between a laugh and a moan, the pleasure making me delirious. His praise is sweet, his voice a rough caress. His hand leaves my breast, moving to grip my hip as he begins to move again, slow and rhythmic.

His name is a chant on my lips, a prayer whispered into the night as he thrusts into me over and over again. His knot keeps us locked together, the sensation of him moving within me creating a delicious friction that has my body burning with desire.

"Can't...can't stop..." I pant, my voice breathless. The pleasure is building again, growing with each thrust until it feels like I'm floating. My fingertips dig into his biceps, nails leaving crescent-shaped imprints in his skin. He grunts in response, the sound vibrating against my breasts where they're pressed against his chest.

"I don't want you to stop," he growls, his voice strained with effort. "I want you to come all night, angel. Gonna fuck you through it.”

“Oh God?—”

“Jesus,” he hisses as I clench around his cock. “Magnolia, you’re so fucking beautiful. You feel so fucking good. And you’re…you’re all mine. All fucking mine, I’m never letting you go?—”

His claim sends me spiraling, the climax ripping through me with a force I've never felt before. My muscles tighten around him, my back arches off the ground, and his name tears past my lips. And we’re both whispering it—mine, mine, you’re mine, his bite on my neck singing in tune with mine on his as he fills me with his seed.

And I…I like it. I wasn’t lying to him.

Now that I’ve found him, I don’t want to wait on anything. Sex, love, mating…babies…I want it all.

With a trembling sigh, he collapses on top of me, his weight pressing me into the cool grass. We lay there for a while, panting and gasping for breath, our bodies still connected by his knot as I stare up at the stars and just feel his hard, big body keeping me safe.

His soft growl reverberates through his chest, a gentle rumble that echoes throughout my body. The sound of it is intoxicating, lulling me into a state of blissful tranquility. His hands that had been gripping onto me with such fervor now gently roam my body, fingers tracing over the soft curves and contours as if trying to memorize every inch of me.

I shift beneath him, his knot still locking us together as he continues to throb inside me. It's sweet torture, an erotic pulse that has my body instinctively clenching around him. I whimper, the sound barely audible over the rustling leaves and the soft chirping of the nighttime insects.

“Easy, angel,” he says, voice rough. He props himself on his elbow, using his other hand to smooth my hair back from my face. The feeling of him inside me…it’s still so much, too much pleasure. I could come again in an instant, one little movement… “I know it’s intense.”

His thumb brushes gently over my cheek, tracing the curve of my jawline in a soothing gesture. His eyes, blue as a summer sky even in the middle of the night, never leave mine.

They're filled with such adoration and warmth that it makes my chest ache.

"You're so beautiful," he murmurs, voice barely above a whisper. "So damn beautiful."

My heart swells at his words, a blush heating my cheeks as I reach up to tangle my fingers in his hair. I let out a soft sigh, my body relaxing beneath him as his hand continues to explore. The movement is idle, casual, as if we share one body…

“You know I love you, right?”

The words stop me cold.

I look up at him, eyes wide. “You do?”

“I’m just sayin’,” he adds quickly, his voice rough, almost defensive. “It’s not like…I mean, I’m not good at this kinda thing, but I figure you oughta know. In case it wasn’t obvious.”

A laugh bubbles out of me, soft and breathless, because of course this is how he says it. Of course he tries to downplay it, make it seem casual, like he didn’t just knock the ground out from under me. But it doesn’t feel casual. It feels like everything.

I lean in before I can overthink it, framing his face with my hands, my forehead pressing against his. “It’s obvious,” I whisper, my voice shaking just a little. “But I still like hearing you say it.”

His grin is small, shy, and it melts me completely. “Yeah? Well, don’t get used to it. I’m not gonna turn into some poet overnight.”

I laugh again, the sound mixing with the crickets and the rustling leaves, and then I kiss him. Soft and sweet and full of everything I can’t say. When I pull back, I meet his eyes, letting him see everything I feel.

“I love you, too,” I say, the words falling from my lips like they were always meant to.

Colt’s lips curve into the softest smile, a quiet, crooked thing that makes my heart ache in the best way. He leans down, brushing a kiss over my forehead like it’s the most natural thing in the world, like this is something we’ve always done and always will.

"Good," he murmurs, his voice low and gravelly. "’Cause I don’t think I could stop loving you if I tried, Magnolia."

I don’t know why those words make my throat tighten, but they do. Maybe it’s the sincerity in his voice, the way he says my name like it’s sacred. Maybe it’s the way his hands slide over me, grounding me even as my emotions threaten to carry me away. Or maybe it’s just him. Everything about him.

He shifts slightly, his knot still locked inside me, and the sensation pulls a gasp from my throat. The intimate connection between us feels deeper now, more significant. His mark on my neck tingles faintly, a constant reminder that I’m his—and he’s mine.

“You’re stuck with me now,” I whisper, my hands sliding down his arms, marveling at the strength there, the warmth. “Forever.”

“Forever,” he agrees, his voice softening. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

But just as the words settle over us, I feel it…like a shadow skittering across the edge of my thoughts.

Uncertainty.

Guilt.

It’s fleeting, gone before I can grasp it fully, but it leaves a strange tightness in my chest.

I lift my eyes to his, searching his expression for something—anything—that might explain it. He’s looking at me like I’m his entire world, but there’s a flicker in his gaze, a crack in the armor. And through the bond, I can feel his wolf shifting uneasily, like it’s caught between contentment and restlessness.

“Colt?” I ask, my voice tentative. “Is everything okay?”

His smile doesn’t falter, but his hands tighten slightly on my waist, his grip firm but not harsh. “Everything’s perfect,” he says—but it feels too carefully measured. “Don’t overthink it, angel. Just…let me have this.”

Let me have this. The words hang between us, and I know there’s more he isn’t saying. My wolf stirs, sensing the undercurrent of conflict in him, but I don’t push. Not yet.

Instead, I reach up, brushing my fingers along his jaw, and offer him a small smile of my own.

“Okay,” I whisper, letting my hand linger against his skin. “But…you don’t have to keep secrets from me, alright? I’m on your side.”

His eyes soften, but that flicker of guilt lingers in the bond, faint but undeniable. He nods, his lips brushing mine in a kiss so tender it feels like a promise and an apology all at once.

“Get some rest, angel,” he murmurs, his voice low and rough, as if he’s trying to keep it from breaking. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

And I want to believe him. I do. But as I close my eyes, wrapped in his warmth, that faint shadow lingers at the edges of my mind—a reminder that, for all the love between us, there are still things unsaid.

Secrets that could shatter everything.