Page 37 of The Witch’s Shifter (Season of the Witch #3)

Aurora

THE PAIN IS EXCRUCIATING. IT’S so much worse than I thought it would be.

Is it always this painful, or is it because I’m not like him, not a shifter?

Buried in my neck, Faolan’s fangs burn like fire.

My scream echoes off the rock walls, reverberating around us.

Without intending to, I fight against Faolan’s hold, but he has my hands pinned firmly above my head, and his grip is unyielding as iron.

When I try to turn my head, he growls against me, chest vibrating, and I swear his cock gets bigger as he pushes it deep inside me.

My scream turns to a whimper, the heat now traveling down my neck, through my veins, and into my shoulder and chest. As it moves through me with each beat of my heart, Faolan thrusts his hips, rocking me in the dirt upon the cave floor.

Held in his grasp, my wrists are immovable. Despite this, I continue trying to tug them loose so that I may shove him away, free myself of the flames scorching me beneath his lips.

He shifts so that he can hold my wrists with one hand. The other slides down the length of my body. When he touches his fingertips to my swollen clit, I squeal. Still sensitive from my release, I squirm, afraid it’ll be too much.

But with Faolan’s fangs buried in my throat and his length as deep into me as it can go, my body surprises me.

I relax, even close my eyes, relishing his touch.

And somehow, it helps me to bear the agony still blazing through me.

He circles my swollen flesh gently, rocking his hips in a slow rhythm that has me already climbing that mountain again, soaring toward the peak.

I didn’t think my body could yield to such bliss again so soon, but I was wrong.

Ankles locked around his low back, I tighten my grip, trying to drive him into me harder, faster. It takes very little coaxing; with a rumble of approval, Faolan does just that.

My breath escapes in short punctuated gasps with each of his rabid thrusts. His fangs are agony while his touch is unrivaled ecstasy.

And this time when I scream, the sound forms his name.

I cum around him, my body throbbing so hard I feel it like a heartbeat.

At the same time, Faolan’s muscles coil tight, and then he releases himself into me with a growl that vibrates through his fangs, into my throat, and all the way to my core, making my body shake. His heat fills me.

I’m panting hard, Faolan’s passion and the fire beside us making my body slick with sweat.

As my throbbing slowly subsides, leaving me completely exhausted, Faolan slides his fangs from my neck.

Even that hurts, and I wince. But then his tongue drags across the puncture wounds, and with a magic all his own, he seals the bite mark, trapping the heat inside.

Once he’s completed the marking, he releases his hold on my wrists and sits back on his knees, then helps me sit up.

“Are you all right?” he asks. His blue eyes are stormy. “I know it hurt... I didn’t know how bad it would be.”

“I’m okay,” I say. My throat feels raw from screaming.

“I didn’t want to hurt you. I had to hold you down. If you’d torn yourself free of my fangs...” He averts his eyes for a moment. A muscle in his sharp jaw ticks.

Gently, I lift a hand and trail my fingers across my neck. The wounds are still sensitive, but I can feel the softness of the new scar tissue already forming, and I wonder what it’ll look like when I get a chance to peer into the mirror back home.

Everyone will see. Everyone will know.

And as I look into Faolan’s eyes and see the concern brewing there, pride swirls within me. I’m proud to bear his mark.

To be his mate .

A feeling crashes into me then—worry, fear, guilt. It’s so overwhelming, I have to put a hand out to steady myself.

At first, I struggle to understand where it’s coming from. What am I so worried about? And the guilt—

My eyes widen. It might not be my guilt I’m feeling.

“I...” I whisper. “I think I can feel what you’re feeling.”

His dark brows rise. “You—”

At once, he pauses. His eyes search mine. And then he smiles.

“You feel...” He shakes his head, a chuckle rising up to grace my ears. “Happy.”

“Happy?” I arch a brow. “I think my emotion is a bit stronger than that.”

“All right, how about...” He scoots closer and pulls me into his lap, cradling me to his chest with his strong arms. “Overjoyed. Rapturous.”

I laugh lightly. “That’s more like it.” My fingers press against his firm chest. The smile slips from my mouth. “If I’m so happy, why do you feel scared?”

Faolan sighs. Gently, his fingers trail through my hair. “I hurt you. That’s the last thing I want. I was afraid you were upset, had perhaps decided you already regret this decision.”

Sitting up in his arms, I place my hands on either side of his face and look him in the eye. “Of course not. It hurt, but...” Suddenly warm again, I bite my bottom lip. “But it felt good too. Really good. I liked it.”

Faolan’s lips quirk up on one side. “You liked me hurting you?”

Saying it out loud again would feel a touch embarrassing, so I simply nod, cheeks prickling with warmth.

His resulting smile is fang filled. “Well...” He slowly shifts to lie down, pulling me along with him so he can curl his body around mine as we lie before the fire, my head propped upon his arm. “We could always do it again.”

His breath across my ear makes me shiver, and I press myself back against him, feeling safe and warm with my skin against his. “I’d like that... mate.”

With a rumble of contentment in his chest, Faolan wraps an arm around me, presses a kiss to my bare shoulder, and holds me before the fire until I drift off to sleep, surrounded by the smell of woodsmoke and fresh autumn rain.