Page 51

Chapter fifty-one

Sofia

T he bedroom door clicked shut with finality, sealing us in a cocoon of muted gold lamplight. Derek didn’t turn on the lights. He didn’t need to. Moonlight streamed through the windows of his bedroom, gilding the hard planes of his face as he leaned back against the door, watching me with a predator’s stillness.

Ripple was still spreading through our communities. Kane was still out there, and none of us was under any delusion that this was the end of it. Sam had shared the information they found on the USB with those he trusted on the Council, which, it turned out, was only five others. We couldn’t be sure just how far Kane and Webster’s operations had spread inside the Council, but it didn’t look good.

I had no doubt that there were more warehouses or hangars with werewolves being forced to take ripple. That Victor Kane would be looking for another town to release them into. We were onto them now, though. We knew their plans; we knew their end goal. It was going to be brutal and bloody, but we would stop them.

Most of Derek’s injuries had healed through Thomas’s help and Shifting several times a day. He hadn’t had any nightmares since we got back, and it had been three days since Thomas had declared Derek as fit enough to go home. Three days of Derek not leaving my side, of debriefs, of assuring Jase I was okay—while he sat and glared at Derek just in case he spontaneously sprouted fur and fangs and tried to eat me—of us drinking tea with Mrs. Patterson after Derek carried her shopping up to her apartment, checking in with Julie and Brian, Derek holding his phone out to me and telling me either I was going to fire Shannon or he would, and finally sitting with Mai for three hours as I explained everything. Mai had not been happy, but she hadn’t gone into labor either, so I was taking that as a win.

Derek seemed to be on a mission to take care of me. Yesterday, he’d cornered me in my kitchen. “Either you fire Shannon, or I will,” he’d said flatly. “Not negotiable. She’s unreliable as fuck. She’s gotta go. I’ll find you someone else, someone you can count on.”

And then this morning, he’d informed me—not asked—that I was moving in with him. When I raised the issue of Jase, Derek had simply shrugged. “Your brother's a grown-ass man. He can learn to cook and clean just like everyone else.”

When I’d pointed out that I wasn’t sure Derek had learned to cook, not if his attempts at the cabin were anything to go by, he’d stared at me for a beat and then said, “I’ll learn too.”

It gave me a warm feeling inside, one I was coming to associate with Derek. Especially when he then brought out rectangular box all wrapped up in blue paper.

“What's this?” I asked, my fingers already reaching for it.

“Open it and see.”

I carefully unwrapped the paper, lifting the lid off the black leather case inside. Nestled in velvet lay a Damascus steel throwing knife with intricate swirling patterns etched into the blade. My eyes widened as I lifted it up. The handle was wrapped in dark leather that felt like it had been made specifically for my grip. It wasn't just beautiful—it was perfectly balanced, the kind of weapon that becomes an extension of yourself.

“This is a Katsumoto original,” I whispered, recognizing the maker’s distinctive style. The Japanese bladesmith made fewer than a dozen knives a year, each one crafted by hand using techniques passed down through fifteen generations. “How did you even—”

“I ordered it months ago,” Derek admitted.

It was everything I'd dreamed of—the perfect pivot point, the seamless balance between blade and handle, the edge that could split a hair. But it was more than that. It was Derek seeing me—truly seeing me—when I thought I'd been invisible.

"Derek..." My voice cracked. I couldn't find words for the constellation of emotions expanding in my chest—gratitude, joy, and something deeper that terrified and thrilled me in equal measure.

When I finally looked up at him, his expression was unguarded. There was a vulnerability there, a question in his eyes that made my heart stutter.

"You like it?" he asked softly.

I laughed, a sound caught between a sob and pure delight. "No. I freaking love it!"

I placed the knife carefully back in its box, then launched myself into his arms. Because some feelings couldn't be expressed with words—they needed to be shown.

The Pack was still worried about Derek, though. He wasn’t showing signs of bloodlust, but everyone was on edge, as if waiting for him to turn again. I knew, through the mate bond, that it was pissing Derek off. But I also knew he wasn’t entirely sure it wouldn’t happen, either. He felt guilty about Harris, about not realizing he was still alive. He was second-guessing his every decision since he’d left the army. He was worried he would succumb to bloodlust again and hurt me. I’d noticed today he was getting grimmer by the hour, drawing into himself, reminding me more and more of Sam.

I wouldn’t let that happen. Wouldn’t let both Shaw twins get lost in the darkness. So I’d told him he had a window of one hour to collect on his bet, or it would be gone for good. It was the first time I’d seen him smile today. He needed this. I needed this. Needed to feel alive, to know that Harris hadn’t won.

“You sure about this?” he asked, his eyes searching my face. “After everything that happened, after Har—”

“I’m sure,” I cut him off. I wanted Derek to erase Harris’s touch on me. I wanted to prove to myself that he hadn’t damaged us, hadn’t put an end to Derek and me, hadn’t had any effect on us whatsoever.

“Say the word, Sofia; tell me to stop, and I will. You’re in control here, you understand?”

Warmth spread through me that had nothing to do with how close Derek was standing to me. “You want to collect on your bet?”

The tension in his shoulders eased slightly, a glint of wickedness lighting his eyes. “I did win. Time to pay up.”

I took a deep breath. I could do this. I’d faced down Harris. I’d brought Derek back from bloodlust. I could tell Derek about one of my fantasies.

“Well…”

“Yes?”

“I have a few. You only earned the right to hear about one of them.”

He raised an eyebrow; a look of surprise was quickly replaced by calculation. “So, this is just the first one?”

“First one.” I nodded.

Okay, I could do this. Given that Derek was still recovering from his injuries, I had chosen one that wouldn’t require too much physical effort. “I want… I want to have sex in the shower.”

“The shower? That’s it? Not getting dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood while I chase you through the forest?”

I laughed. “Not today. Today, the shower. But…”

“But?”

“I don’t know if I want a hot or a cold shower.”

He got a speculative look in his eye, then grinned. “Shower it is, then.” He scooped me up without warning, making me yelp.

“Derek!”

“What?” he said, already striding toward the bathroom. “We’ve got work to do. I want to see you wet and slippery, flushed from the heat. I want your cold, perky nipples begging for my hot mouth. I want to make you come so hard you forget everything but my name.”

Okay, then.

The shower stall was large, with a rainfall showerhead and a handheld sprayer. The sleek glass stall took up the entire far corner of Derek’s bathroom. Dark slate tiles covered the floor and climbed halfway up the walls, meeting crisp white paint that brightened the space despite the lack of windows. The double vanity with matte black fixtures and marble countertop and the oversized tub built into an alcove were already giving me new fantasies.

He set me down gently, his hands lingering on my hips before he reached into the shower to turn the water on. The chill of the bathroom tiles seeped into my bare feet as I watched steam begin to rise, fogging the glass door and the wide mirror that ran the length of the vanity.

“Hot it is,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble that made my core clench with anticipation.

Steam began to fill the room, obscuring the mirror and fogging the glass doors of the shower.

“Strip,” Derek ordered.

The command rolled through me like thunder, low and inevitable. My pulse spiked. His eyes, molten with desire, never left mine as he pushed off the door and prowled closer.

“Now, Sofia.”

A shiver raced through my body, pooling heat in my core. I dropped my pants, then my panties, then pulled off my vest and bra.

“There she is. So. Fucking. Gorgeous.”

It was an emotion I wasn’t used to, but I smiled, feeling safe and loved and treasured.

“Your turn.”

He peeled off his shirt, revealing the hard lines and defined muscles of his chest and abs. I couldn’t help but stare, my fingers itching to trace every contour. My eyes lingered on the fresh scars from our battle with Harris—raw pink lines and healing punctures that marred his skin. A reminder of how close I’d come to losing him.

Shower forgotten for the moment, I traced my fingertip lightly along a jagged wound on his ribs.

“Does it hurt?” I asked softly.

“Not when you touch it.”

I leaned forward and pressed my lips against the scar, feeling his breath catch. I moved to another mark on his shoulder, a deep gash that had nearly reached bone.

“I almost lost you,” I whispered against his skin, unable to keep the tremor from my voice.

Derek’s hand came up to lift my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze.

“But you didn’t.” His thumb stroked my lower lip. “I won’t leave you, Sofia. No matter what.”

I rose on my tiptoes, pressing a kiss to a smaller scar near his collarbone. Derek stood perfectly still, his breathing shallow as I worked my way across his injuries, kissing them when I found them. The slash across his pectoral. The bruising along his side that was still fading from yellow to normal. The bullet wound on his forearm.

My fingers found his belt, undoing it slowly, never breaking eye contact as I slid his jeans down powerful legs, and then he was standing before me in all his glory, his cock thick and hard. My mouth went dry. I couldn’t believe he was mine, all mine.

My nipples hardened into peaks. Derek’s eyes lingered on them, then he smiled, all pleased and predatory, his eyes devouring my body.

“Me fucking you in the shower? Gotta say, Sofia, I’m loving your fantasy.”

There it was again, that feeling of being treasured and safe. A girl could definitely get used to this.

He guided me into the shower; the hot water sluiced over my skin, just shy of scalding. My heart beat faster as Derek’s hands followed the rivulets that trailed down my body. He cupped my breasts, his thumbs circling my nipples, sending jolts of pleasure straight to my core. I gasped.

“Fuck, yeah,” he groaned, then bent down to take one into his mouth. He sucked hard, his tongue flicking against the sensitive bud as I moaned and arched into his touch as he worked first one nipple, then the other.

The sensation of the hot water on my skin, the steam in my lungs, the heat of Derek against me, was taking me there already.

Derek released my nipple with a wet pop. “Ready for more?”

Freaking hell, yes, I was ready!

I nodded. Derek trailed his hand down my stomach, going straight for my clit. He swirled his finger once, twice, three times.

“Holy crap!”

His finger paused. “Is that a good holy crap or a bad holy crap?”

I looked into his eyes, at the wicked glint in them; he knew exactly what kind of holy crap it was.

“I want to hear you say it, Sofia.”

“Good,” I gasped through the almost overwhelming need for him to touch me again. “Good. Holy. Crap.”

He smirked, then spun me, so my back was flush against his chest.

“Put your hands on the tiles, Sofia.”

I did, and he kicked my legs apart, hands tilting my hips so my ass pointed up.

I glanced over my shoulder at him, watched as his eyes followed his fingers down my back, over my cheeks and dipped inside. My legs went weak, and I locked them in place, not wanting to move, not wanting this to stop. My head dropped and I panted, trying to keep myself in control of the sensations flooding through me.

Derek moved to my side, his free hand grasping my throat, forcing me to look at him, as his fingers kept pumping in and out.

Okay, wow. Just freaking wow.

It was so hot, him holding me here, the water running off us both. My skin felt on fire, every nerve open and alive, my breathing short and shallow.

“You’re fucking drenched, Sofia. And I ain’t talking about the water. You want me inside you? Want to feel me fucking you?”

Freaking hell, yes!

“Derek.” That one word was all I could manage.

He grinned, a smug grin, as if knowing exactly what he was doing to me. He turned me again, pressing me back against the cool tile wall. The cold against my back made me gasp in surprise, but I didn’t have time to savor it before he lifted my leg, hooked it around his hip, and thrust inside me, all in one swift motion. I cried out, the fullness of him buried inside me almost too much to bear with all the other sensations.

He growled in response, a primal sound that resonated within my chest.

He began to move, slowly at first, each thrust deliberate and deep, hitting a spot inside me that lit up my entire body. The sound of our bodies coming together, slick and fervent, echoed around the shower.

He drove into me again and again, methodically driving me higher and higher. I loved it, loved the feel of him stretching me to my limits, the feel of the water cascading down our bodies, a scalding curtain that heightened everything.

I wanted more, needed more. He was holding himself back. Too afraid of losing control, of what might happen if he let loose. I had to reach him, had to show him that he wouldn’t hurt me. That he was safe, that he wasn’t going to slip back into bloodlust, that I had him.

I trailed my fingers over his abs, his chest, my nails lightly scraping against his skin. Then I found his nipples and pinched them.

“Holy crap!” he gasped.

I grinned. “Is that a good holy crap or a bad holy crap?”

“Good, definitely fucking good, Sofia!”

I pinched his nipples again, getting his attention. “Then I need you to let go, Derek. Stop holding back.”

Water ran off his face. He flicked it away with a shake of his head.

“I—”

“This is my fantasy, right?”

He paused, his eyes searching my face, before he nodded.

“So, I want the whole of you. The bloodlust is not going to take you again. And if it does, I’ve got you. I’ll bring you back.”

I cupped his face, my fingers tracing the rough stubble along his jaw. “I trust you, Derek Shaw. I trust us.”

He leaned into my touch, his eyes closing briefly. When he opened them again, his eyes were filled with fire.

“You might regret asking for this; you know that?”

Derek didn’t wait for an answer. He hiked my other leg around his waist, his hands going under my ass as he lifted me up. He held me in place, with just the tip of his cock inside me. I squirmed, desperate for him to be inside again, to fill me completely.

“Derek!”

He slammed me down on his cock.

Yes! Freaking hell, yes! Holy crap, yes!

He lifted me up again, and I struggled to catch my breath as he drove his beautiful, huge cock inside of me. This was too much, all of the different feelings overwhelming me, but especially the feel of him bucking into me, over and over again, completely out of control. It was fast and furious, and I could feel my inner walls contracting.

“I…”

“Not yet, gorgeous,” Derek panted, then reached behind me and turned the heating switch to cold.

The sudden blast of cold water against my heated skin was a shock to my system, a jolt that had me gasping for breath. I didn’t know what I thought it would feel like, but this… this was freaking amazing. Like all of my nerves, inside and out, were switched on and alert. My skin was so freaking sensitive from the sudden, drastic change in temperature. The cold water on me, pouring over my nipples. Derek’s heat, his hot skin on mine, his cock buried deep inside me, heightened the pleasure tenfold. Every inch of my body was being caressed, being stimulated. I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding on as he drove into me again and again.

My back arched, pressing my breasts against his chest, the contact sending little shocks of electricity through me. I could feel the tension building inside me, a tight coil of need.

“Derek, I’m…,” I gasped, the words torn from me. Then, with a cry that echoed off the tile walls, I shattered around him, my body convulsing with the force of my orgasm. Stars exploded behind my eyelids as wave after wave of pleasure washed over me. With a final, powerful thrust, I felt his cock pulse as he came, filling me with new warmth as the cool water cascaded over us.

It felt like it took forever to come down, Derek’s breath mingling with mine as our breathing eventually slowed.

“Fucking hell, Sofia.”

I nodded, not able to speak yet.

“I’m thinking we’re going to be doing more fucking bets. I’m going to find out your fantasies, gorgeous, and we’re going to do all of them.” He kissed me softly. “Every last one.”

My inner walls pulsed. That sounded so freaking awesome.