Page 38 of The Right to Bear Claws (Hollow Oak Mates #6)

ELIAS

T he cabin had been transformed into something magical while they were at the ceremony.

Elias paused in the doorway, taking in the rose petals scattered across their bed and the dozens of candles flickering on every surface, casting dancing shadows across the log walls.

Someone—probably Twyla with help from Miriam—had draped gossamer fabric from the ceiling beams, creating an intimate bower that felt separate from the rest of the world.

But all of it faded into background when he looked at his wife.

Kaia stood silhouetted against the candlelight, her wedding dress pooling around her feet like spilled cream.

The delicate silver embroidery caught the flickering flames, making her appear almost ethereal.

But it was the expression on her face that stopped his breath—wonder and desire and absolute certainty that she was exactly where she belonged.

“Mrs. Vane,” he said, the name reverberating low and reverent in his throat.

Her smile was soft and wicked all at once. “I love the sound of that,” she whispered, stepping toward him like gravity existed only between them. “Though I have to admit… I’m more interested in what comes after the ceremony.”

His cock throbbed instantly at the promise in her voice.

“Are you now?” His bear rumbled, that possessive sound he couldn’t suppress around her. She stepped into his arms, the scent of night-blooming jasmine enveloping him like silk and home and everything good he’d ever lost and now had back.

She kissed him, soft and slow, then deeper—tongue curling, hands gripping the lapels of his suit jacket, pulling him down, pulling him in. Her heart pounded against his chest like it was trying to reach his.

“Let me,” he whispered into her mouth, fingers sliding to the row of tiny pearl buttons along her spine. “Let me worship you.”

Her body trembled against him, but it wasn’t fear—it was anticipation, and she didn’t shy from it.

“I’ve been thinking about this for weeks,” she breathed.

He leaned close, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. “I’ve been thinking about this since I pulled you out of the lake. Even before I knew… my bear knew . You were mine.”

The dress fell away, each button released with reverence, his knuckles grazing her heated skin.

The silk pooled at her feet in a sigh of lace and light.

What was revealed made his cock twitch in his pants—white lingerie, delicate and barely-there, framing the pale curves of her body like art.

But his gaze locked on the claiming scars on her hip. His marks.

Mine.

The word echoed through every cell of his being.

“Mine,” he growled, his voice raw.

“Yours,” she whispered, reaching up to loosen his tie with steady fingers. “And you’re mine.”

She undressed him slowly, reverently. Jacket. Shirt. Pants. Each piece removed with soft gasps and lingering touches. Her eyes widened when he stood before her—naked, scarred, thick with muscle and need.

“God, Elias,” she whispered, hand sliding across his chest, down to his belly, pausing above the base of his cock. “You’re so big.”

He caught her hand, bringing it to his lips. “Made to fit you. You’ll see.”

He lifted her effortlessly, placing her on the rose-covered bed like something precious. Her hair spread across the pillow like starlight, violet eyes dark with hunger.

“You saved me,” she said, voice shaking as he hovered over her.

“You saved me right back.”

He bent his head and kissed her breast, tongue teasing the tight peak through lace until she gasped. Her fingers dug into his hair as he dragged the fabric down and took her into his mouth fully, sucking deep, groaning when she arched up into him.

“I want to taste all of you,” he murmured, trailing kisses lower. He nudged her thighs apart, and she let him, opening with complete trust.

He kissed the inside of her knee, then the soft skin of her thigh, slowly working his way up to where she was soaked.

“Elias…” she breathed, hips twitching beneath him.

He buried his face in her pussy.

She cried out, her whole body jerking. He licked her with long, slow strokes, spreading her open with his thumbs so he could feast properly. Her taste was sweet and heady, laced with magic, her essence pulling at something in him—his bear, his soul.

“Fuck, you taste like heaven,” he groaned, tongue circling her clit before sucking it between his lips.

Her cries turned frantic, her hands fisting in his hair. Her hips moved with him, grinding up against his mouth.

“I need—need—” she gasped, legs shaking.

He didn’t stop until she was whimpering, incoherent, her orgasm hitting like a quake—her thighs clenching around his head, pussy pulsing under his tongue.

When she collapsed, panting, he kissed his way up her body, savoring the way she trembled beneath him.

“Please,” she whispered, spreading her legs wider. “I need you inside me. Elias, I need your cock. I need to feel you.”

He growled low in his throat. “You’ll feel me everywhere.”

He lined himself up, thick and hard and leaking with need, and pushed inside her with one long, slow thrust.

Her pussy stretched around him, hot and slick and tight, and he had to grit his teeth to keep from coming right then.

“ Fuck, ” he groaned, buried to the hilt, forehead pressed to hers. “You feel so fucking good. You were made for me.”

She gasped, nails digging into his back. “Yes. Yes. Don’t hold back. I want all of you.”

He moved.

Slow at first, letting her feel every inch, the drag and slide, the way his cock kissed places deep inside her no one else ever could.

“You’re mine,” he grunted, thrusting harder. “My wife. My mate. My everything.”

“Yes,” she cried, meeting his every thrust, her legs locking around his waist. “Yours. Always.”

The room filled with the sounds of skin slapping, ragged breath, and the wet, obscene sounds of him fucking her slowly, deeply.

Their bond lit up like wildfire—every emotion amplified. Her pleasure crashed into him like waves. Her love. Her awe. Her surrender.

“Touch yourself,” he ordered hoarsely, watching her hand slide between them to rub her clit. “That’s it. Let me see you come on my cock.”

She shattered seconds later, crying out his name, her pussy clenching so tightly it dragged his orgasm from him with brutal force.

He spilled into her with a roar, hips jerking, everything inside him surrendering as she milked him through it.

They collapsed into each other, sweaty, trembling, hearts thundering.

“I love you,” she whispered, nuzzling against his chest.

He kissed her temple. “Forever.”

And outside, the stars blazed bright over Hollow Oak, blessing the bond now sealed in blood, magic, and love.