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twenty-seven

ASPEN

Twenty-eight days and eight-hundred-fifty-three couples later, Enzo and I collapsed in bed together, exhausted.

We were both getting tired of Crock-Pot dinners, but they saved time and energy. Neither of which we had much of.

But Crimson River was alive with new excitement. And new blood, even if it was just altered old blood. Changing people took a lot out of both of us, but there was no one else who could do it. Not like we could.

Even if Nova agreed to mate with Hunter—which seemed highly unlikely, given that they hadn’t even spoken to each other since they got back after her heat—he couldn’t pull on the pack’s energy like Enzo could.

Enzo played with my hair lightly, holding me in his arms. My eyes were already closed, my face pressed against his throat. But he’d been uncharacteristically quiet all day.

“What’s up with you?” I mumbled.

“Nothing.”

I tickled his side, and he swore, trapping my hand against him as he growled, “Princess,”

“Out with it.”

There was a moment of silence before he finally grunted, “You’re still in a tower.”

My forehead creased. “What?”

“I promised you freedom. A job. Space. I haven’t given you any of those things.”

The gigantic bank account with no one’s name but mine on it was proof that he’d upheld that part of our post-mating plan. The shiny, red Hummer he’d bought me was too.

“I’m getting my own freedom by changing women into wolves,” I said. “I have a job. Making more people like me. And I don’t want space from you.”

His chest rumbled unhappily. “It’s not enough.”

“It is enough.”

“It’s not.”

I peeled my face off his skin, propping myself up with my arms. “Enzo,” I said.

“Hmm?”

“It’s enough. You’re enough. You’re all I want.”

He didn’t look convinced.

I wanted him to be convinced. Needed him to be convinced. He was just as drained and exhausted as I was, but he never complained about it. He never asked me to stop. Not unless he could tell that I needed a break before I passed out.

He was always taking care of me. I couldn’t handle him feeling guilty the whole time he did.

Sex had come second since we started changing wolves. Or third, after eating. Or fourth, after sleeping.

Alright, sex wasn’t anywhere near the top of the list. We fooled around a little every morning, but we’d never had time for more than a quickie.

Yet Enzo hadn’t left me.

He hadn’t pushed me.

He wanted me comfortable.

And I wanted him… happy.

The thought surprised me.

What I wanted for him and with him was simpler than I realized. In the beginning, I had wanted him to leave me alone. To let me go home. To let me leave him.

Now, all I wanted was for him to enjoy our life as much as I did. Because I was exhausted, yes, and absolutely wiped out. But I was content. I felt fulfilled by what we were doing. We were making a difference in a way no one else could.

Couldn’t he see that?

Why was he so worried that he wasn’t enough for me?

I decided distraction and physical evidence could function as one and the same in this situation.

So, I rolled off his chest.

He lifted his head, concern in his eyes. “Are you okay?”

I ignored the question.

For at least a few minutes, he was going to stop worrying about me.

I unzipped his jeans, and pulled his cock out as I lowered my mouth toward him.

He growled, the sound low and warning. “Be careful what you start, Princess. You know I’m out of practice when it comes to slow and easy.”

“You were never in practice with that, Alpha.” I dragged my tongue over the underside of his cock, and he swore, his hips jerking roughly. “You’re more than enough for me, in every way. We’re not arguing about it, okay?”

“Okay,” he snarled, as I wrapped my lips around the head of his cock.

“I’m happy with you. I don’t want anything else, or anyone else. Got it?” I asked, pausing as I waited for an answer.

“Got it.”

I licked him again, just to tease him. “And you’re not allowed to question that ever again. Is that a deal?”

“Deal. Fucking deal,” he barked out. “Give me your mouth.”

“One more thing,” I said, and he glowered at me.

My lips curved upward.

“I’m going into heat the day after tomorrow. We’re going to the cabin in the morning, and staying there until the night after heat ends. We’ll read spy books and romance books until we’re tired of it. Clay will reschedule the appointments we’re going to miss.”

“Alright, agreed. Now, are you going to put your mouth on me, or am I going to set you on your hands and knees and fuck you until you scream?” he growled.

I laughed. “I love you, Enzo.”

The words shocked him into silence.

His grip on my hair tightened. “I love you too, Princess. More than anything.”

“I know you do.”

Leaning down, I proved exactly how I felt with my tongue

And my lips.

And my throat.

Until he was bucking wildly, gripping my hair hard as I swallowed his release.

Life with him was perfect.

So, insanely perfect.

The last thing I’d ever expected was to fall for the Wolf King, but now?

I was so damn glad that I did.