Page 137 of The Enforcer's Rejected Mate

I don’t think, I act. I bite down and mark my mate. Thorne moans, arms wrapping tight around me and bringing me with him when he leans back on his knees. I wrap my legs around his waist already knowing what’s coming next. A shiver of excitement shoots through me when he slides my hair away from my shoulder and presses a gentle kiss to my neck.

I shift closer, writhing against him so there’s no mistaking what I want from him next. His hard cock moves between my thighs.

“Claim me, Enforcer.”

Thorne does as I ask and I roll my hips so the blunt head of his cock slides through my folds. I see stars when Thorne grabsmy hips and angles me where I’ll take him best. The stretch of him sliding into me has me clinging tight to him. I’ve wanted this since the day we met. I know he has too. And a frenzy sets into me, making my blood hot and my body move.

Later there will be time for slow love-making where we explore the other at our leisure, lazy and happy. But now? I need to be claimed, to feel my mate inside me while his mate bond takes on my neck. When Thorne thrusts up into me, I move with him and I bring my body down to take him into me. To the hilt I take my mate. I whimper when we’re flush up against each other, no space between our bodies and the bond that holds us wraps tight. I can feel it warm against my hot skin, each movement of our bodies pulls the bond tighter. Thorne lifts me and thrusts up into me and I squeeze my legs tight on either side of him and press a foot to the ground for leverage. The soil is warm beneath my foot, the earth slides between my toes while my mate fills me.

Thorne wraps an arm around my waist and shifts me higher so his movements have more punch to them. I put my hands on his shoulders, dig my nails in when I see my mark on his neck. Everything is as it should be. Nothing will ever come between us. The bond hums and glows, it sets the air around us on fire while we lose ourselves in the other.

“I love you, I love you, I love you.”

I don’t know who’s saying it, the both of us are by the time I realize the words are coming out of my mouth. Pleasure zips up my spine at the same time I know Thorne feels it too. I can feel his pleasure too. It’s all overwhelming, too much and not enough all at the same time. He digs his fingers into my skin and moves faster until I shatter into a thousand pieces. My mate falls to his back and brings me with him, my slick covered thighs on either side of his body while he continues to fuck into me. Thorne wraps an arm around me, forearm pressing close across my back while he cups my face and brings my lips to his.

“Look at me, sweetling.”

I open my eyes and look down at my mate. Love shines back at me from him and I know he sees the same when he looks up at me. A second wave of ecstasy rolls through me and I know I’m about to orgasm again.

“Please don’t stop,” I tell him.

“That’s it. My beautiful mate. My pretty mate. Look at me, look at me when you cum. I want your eyes on me when it happens. It’s my knot and my hand on your neck,” Thorne thrusts up into me, the arm around me brings me down to meet him, “my mark on your neck. Isn’t it, my pretty mate?”

“Yes, yes, your mark and your hand, I’m yours,” I lose control at his question and orgasm again but this time my mate comes with me. I hear him, feel him inside and around me. In that moment there is no other soul in the world but his to me. I cling tight to my mate while he fucks me through my orgasm. I’m shaking and sobbing when we both come back to ourselves. When I can breathe again, I almost start weeping but for another reason.

I am with my mate and all is well in the world. Here, in each other’s arms, we’ve found peace.

Thorne shifts me closer and kisses me soft and sweet. I watch him when we part, he looks younger, happier. I kiss him again and lay my head on his chest. Thorne rubs my back and I close my eyes, the sweetgrass blows around us as we lay together in the aftermath of our bonding.

“I love you, Cordelia.”

“I love you, Thorne.”

Epilogue

THORNE

ONE YEAR LATER

“Are you sure that’s enough firewood to send with them tonight?”

I look over my shoulder at my pretty mate. She’s standing in the doorway of our cabin, hands on her hips and a frown on her face. I don’t like it when she frowns so I get to work.

“I’ll chop more.”

She brightens. “Thank you, thank you! It’s just that Maud and Jazzy are finally moving out into the woods with us and I want to make sure we’re good neighbors. It wouldn’t be right if they were chopping wood to get ready for winter.”

The sisters are close, not so close that they’ll interrupt any of the times I have a mind to take Cordelia in the middle of the day on the river bank but close enough that they’re just a short walk through the thicket to the east of us. Ronan cleared some land that way for them when we were building our home when Maud said she liked the feel of the woods.

“It’s nice and old. Lots of power out here. I think I’d like it a good deal more than in Red River.”

I don’t think it has a lot to do with the woods and everything to do with being closer to Cordelia but nobody asked me so I keptthat thought inside. Now here I am, chopping more wood for the witches that just moved in a few weeks ago. It’s nice having them here. Cordelia loves it which means I Iove it but the sisters are also good company. Jazzy is a shark at cards and Maud started showing me how to make whiskey. I might go blind from drinking it but I’m sure between the three females, they’ve got a tonic to fix that if it happens.

“I understand. We’ll be good neighbors so long as we can still have time to ourselves.”

Cordelia blushes bright red when I say that. “Thorne…” she looks over her shoulder and into the cabin. “Ronan is going to hear you.”

Tonight we had family and friends over for dinner. Ronan and my parents are here with Lucian, Clover, Piper, Lux, Nova, Maud and Jazzy, Jenny, Carla and Gus add a human touch to the affair. I’m glad the humans aren’t intimidated by being surrounded by shifters and witches. Not a lot of humans would be keen on it. It’s a jovial group, one that fills our home with love and laughter until it spills out across the clearing and into the night. Lucian laughs and I hear Lux shriek. Whatever they’re doing, they have the group in stitches. I take a break and lean back on my axe to watch Cordelia turn to join in with the group when Ronan comes up behind her. She smiles and hugs him, happy and safe, and I know with every bone in my body that I got it right.

Cordelia is the gift I never anticipated. The joy that found me when I closed myself off and I will forever be grateful to the moon goddess for her blessing. No matter what happens, I fulfilled my purpose in life and made the world right for the girl that saved me.

“You need a hand out there?” Ronan asks. He’s already coming down the stairs with Cordelia on his heels. The scent ofsweetgrass and wild roses fills the late summer air and a second later she’s in my arms.

“Yeah, I could use a hand.”