Page 17

THIRTEEN

KIERAN

M aya stepped even closer to Kieran, her chin tilted upward in defiance. Her green eyes blazed with a fire that made his wolf howl inside him. The evening sun caught the copper highlights in her hair, turning them to liquid flame.

"I'll be fine," she insisted, jabbing her finger into his chest. "Nothing bad will happen to me. I'm not some fragile little human who needs protecting."

Kieran's jaw clenched, his teeth grinding against the force of his frustration.

How could she be so brilliant and yet so blind to the danger she was in?

"I can't guarantee that's true, Maya. The Council has killed for less than what we discovered today.

" His voice lowered to a low growl. "And I can't let anything happen to you because you are my mate.

Do you understand what that means? I cannot lose you. "

The word 'mate' hung between them, charged with a significance neither had fully addressed until now.

Maya's expression softened, though that stubborn spark remained. "I'm not going anywhere, Kieran. I'll be by your side while we figure this out together."

Something in the way she said it—the quiet certainty and the absence of qualification—made Kieran's carefully constructed barriers crumble.

His wolf surged forward, demanding he finally claim what was his.

The rational part of his mind, the part that had spent years navigating pack politics and hiding his true feelings, simply surrendered.

Without warning, he bent down and swept her into his arms, backpack and all, lifting her against his chest as if she weighed nothing.

"What are you doing?" she gasped, her arms instinctively wrapping around his neck.

"Showing you exactly what you mean to me," he growled, kicking open the cabin door and carrying her inside.

He set her down gently once they crossed the threshold, her backpack sliding to the floor with a thud. His eyes never left hers as he moved deliberately to secure the door, sliding the heavy wooden beam they'd constructed yesterday into place across it.

Maya watched him, her breath coming faster and her pupils dilating as he stalked back toward her. "Are you planning to keep me prisoner again?" Her voice carried a husky edge that belied the challenge in her words.

"No," Kieran reached her in two long strides, cupping her face in his hands. "I'm planning to worship you."

Any response she might have had disappeared as his mouth claimed hers, hungry and possessive. His hand slid into her hair, cradling the base of her skull as he deepened the kiss. She tasted like something sweet and something uniquely Maya—something his wolf recognized as home.

"I've wanted this since I first caught your scent," he murmured against her lips, walking her backward toward his bed. "You have no idea what you do to me."

Maya made a small sound of pleasure as his kisses trailed down her neck. "I think I'm starting to get the picture."

Kieran smiled against her skin, then gently guided her down onto his bed. She looked at him with those impossible green eyes, her red hair fanned out across his pillow, and something primal roared to life inside him.

Mine , he thought, lowering himself over her. His hands skimmed the curves of her body through her clothes, memorizing every dip and rise. His lips found the pulse point at her throat, and he dragged his teeth lightly over the sensitive skin there.

"Tell me you want this," he demanded, his voice rough with need. His wolf was nearing the surface now, demanding he claim, mark, and possess. But the man in him needed her consent, needed to know she was choosing this—choosing him.

Maya's fingers tangled in his hair, pulling his mouth back to hers. "I want this," she breathed against his lips. "I want you, Kieran."

Kieran's breath hitched as her words sank into him—a permission, a demand, and a plea all at once.

She wants this. She wants me. His wolf pushed forward, a primal force that burned through his veins, but he held it back, just enough to savor the moment.

Her hands were already pulling at his shirt, her fingers trembling with urgency as she yanked it over his head and tossed it aside.

The cool air pricked his skin, but the heat of her gaze on his bare chest made him feel like he was on fire.

"Maya," he said, his voice low and rough, before capturing her lips again.

Her mouth was warm and insistent, and he couldn't get enough of her taste—like the forest after rain, wild and intoxicating.

His hands moved to the hem of her shirt, pulling it up and over her head in one swift motion.

She sat up slightly, letting him discard it, then reached behind her to unhook her bra.

He watched, mesmerized, as the fabric fell away, revealing her perfect breasts, her pale skin flushed with anticipation.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured, his voice thick with reverence.

He kissed her again, slower this time, before trailing his lips down her throat, then her collarbone, until he reached the curve of her breast. He took her nipple into his mouth, flicking his tongue over the hardened peak, and she gasped, arching into him.

Her hands tangled in his hair, pulling him closer as he sucked and bit gently, teasing her until her breath came in short, ragged pants.

"Kieran," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Please."

The sound of her begging lit something raw and untamed inside him.

He smiled against her skin, kissing a path down her stomach, his hands working to rid her of the rest of her clothes.

He tugged her pants and panties down in one smooth motion, leaving her completely bare before him.

His breath caught at the sight of her—her body flushed, her thighs trembling, and her arousal glistening in the dim light of the cabin.

"You're perfect," he said, his voice a hoarse growl.

He settled between her thighs, his hands gripping her hips to hold her steady as he lowered his head.

Her scent was intoxicating, a mix of her natural sweetness and the heady musk of her arousal.

He couldn't resist. He pressed a kiss to the soft skin of her inner thigh, then another, working his way higher until his breath brushed against her core.

"Kieran—" Her voice broke on his name, her hands tightening in his hair.

He didn't give her time to think or to protest. He licked a slow, deliberate stripe through her folds, relishing the sound of her gasp.

She tasted like everything he'd ever wanted, and he couldn't get enough.

He teased her with his tongue, circling her clit until she was writhing beneath him, her hips rocking against his mouth.

"More," she begged, her voice cracking. "Please, Kieran."

He complied, sliding two fingers inside her as he returned to her clit, sucking and licking with a rhythm designed to drive her out of her mind. Her inner walls clenched around his fingers, and he could feel her on the edge, her body tensing as pleasure coiled tighter and tighter inside her.

"Let go, Maya," he growled against her skin, his words vibrating through her.

She soon cried out, her body arching as the orgasm ripped through her.

Her thighs squeezed against his head, her hands pulling at his hair as she rode the wave of her pleasure.

But he didn't let up, keeping up the rhythm of his fingers and tongue until her body went limp, her breathing ragged and her skin glistening with sweat.

He kissed her thigh, then crawled back up her body, his own need burning like a wildfire. She looked at him, her eyes dazed and full of something that made his chest ache. He brushed her red hair from her face, his hand trembling slightly.

"You're mine," he said, the words more of a growl than anything else.

She reached up, her fingers tracing the line of his jaw. "And you're mine," she whispered.

He kissed her again, slow and deep, pouring everything he couldn't say into it.

His hands roamed her body again, memorizing every curve and every dip, as if he could imprint her on his soul.

When he pulled back, it was only to look at her, to take in the sight of her beautiful naked body lying there on his bed in his sanctuary.

"Come here," Kieran commanded softly, reaching for Maya to get on top of him.

Maya's hands trembled slightly as she crawled onto him, her green eyes dark with desire.

Kieran watched her intently, his eyes glowing with a feral light as she undid the button of his jeans, her fingers brushing against his taut stomach.

She slid the zipper down with deliberate slowness.

Her breath hitched as she pulled his pants and boxers down in one fluid motion.

His cock sprang free, fully erect and throbbing, and she let out a soft gasp.

Her gaze flickered to his face, and he saw the mix of curiosity and hunger in her eyes.

"You've seen me before," he said, his voice rough with restraint, "but not like this."

She swallowed hard, her fingers tracing the length of him, and he gritted his teeth against the surge of pleasure. "Straddle me," he commanded, his voice low and gravelly. "Take control."

Maya hesitated for a moment, her cheeks flushing.

But then she positioned herself over him, guiding his cock to her slick entrance.

She lowered herself slowly, inch by agonizing inch, her breath coming in shallow gasps.

Kieran's hands gripped her hips, his fingers digging into her skin as she took him deeper, her warmth enveloping him completely.

When she finally seated herself, she let out a loud moan, her head tilting back as she adjusted to the feel of him.

"You're so tight," he growled, his voice strained.

He fought to keep still, to let her set the pace, but it was a battle.

Every movement of her hips was pure torture, her body molding to his in a way that felt fated and inevitable.

She began to move slowly, her hands braced against his chest, her eyes locked on his.

"You're so big," she breathed, her voice shaky. "It's… it's a lot."

Kieran's laugh was low and dark, his hands sliding up her sides to cup her breasts. "You're perfect, Maya. Just like this. Take what you need."

She bit her lip, her hips rolling with more confidence now, and he groaned.

His wolf surged forward, urging him to take and to claim.

But he held back, letting her guide the rhythm, her movements growing faster and more desperate.

Her moans filled the cabin, mingling with the sound of their skin slapping together, and Kieran felt his control slipping.

"Kieran," she whimpered, her hands gripping his shoulders. "I'm close…"

"I know, Maya," he rasped, reaching between them to circle her clit with his thumb.

Her inner walls tightened around him, and he knew she was on the edge.

He thrust up into her, driving deeper and harder, his own pleasure building to a fever pitch.

She leaned forward, her arms wrapping around his neck, her breath hot against his skin.

"Don't stop," she begged, her voice breaking as she clung to him, her nails digging into his shoulders.

He didn't. He couldn't. His wolf snarled inside him, demanding more—demanding he claim her fully, mark her, and make her his in every way possible. His teeth ached with the need to sink into her throat, to seal the bond that pulsed between them like a living thing.

And then—she shattered.

Her orgasm crashed through her violently, her body convulsing around him, her cry ringing through the cabin. The scent of her pleasure, the way her muscles locked around him, sent his own release surging to the brink. His vision blurred, his wolf surging forward?—

Mine. Now.

His teeth grazed her neck, a half-bite, a warning—before his human mind wrenched control back at the last second. He tore his mouth away, pulling out of her just as his own climax threatened to consume him, spilling himself against her thigh instead of inside her.

Panting, he stared at the small trickle of blood on her neck, his stomach twisting.

Shit.

He hadn't asked. He hadn't warned her. His wolf had nearly taken what wasn't fully his to claim—not yet.

Maya blinked at him, dazed, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "Kieran?" Her fingers brushed the bite mark on her neck, coming away with a faint smear of red. "Did you just?—?"

He caught her wrist before she could touch it again, his grip firm but careful. "I didn't mean to." His voice was rough, laced with a growl he couldn't suppress. "My wolf got too close."

She studied him, her green eyes searching his face. "But you stopped."

"Barely." He exhaled sharply, his thumb tracing the edge of the bite. "It's not a full mark."

He hadn't meant to do it—his primal instincts took over. But he'd stopped himself before it was too late. Maybe. He wasn't sure. The bite wasn't deep, but it was enough to leave a mark, and enough to make him worry.

Maya frowned, her fingers touching the spot on her neck. "Is this… part of the whole mate thing?"

Kieran nodded, his jaw tight. "Yeah. My wolf wanted to claim you. To mark you as mine."

She was quiet for a moment, her eyes searching his. "And you didn't want to?"

"I did," he admitted, his voice rough. "More than anything. But I wanted it to be your choice. Not something I forced on you."

Maya's expression softened, and she leaned forward, brushing her lips against his. "It's okay, Kieran."

Her words soothed the storm inside him, but the guilt still lingered.

He'd come so close to crossing a line, to taking something she hadn't fully consented to.

And now, he didn't know what the small bite might mean for her or for them.

His wolf had been too close to the surface, too desperate to claim her, and he'd lost control of himself.

He couldn't let that happen again. He wouldn't.