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“You’re mine ,” he thought fiercely, pulling her tighter against him. “ And I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe, to keep you strong.”

She stared up at him, the paleness that had been there now replaced with a radiant glow. Her cheeks flushed, and her chest rose and fell with her rapid breaths.

Finn cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing away the tear that slipped free. “You’re not alone.” His voice was rough with emotion. “You’ll never be alone, Lizzy. Not as long as I’m breathing. And you’ll always have what you need.”

She nodded, her breath hitching as she leaned into his touch. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Finn pressed his forehead to Lizzy’s, his breaths coming in slow, controlled pulls.

He needed to ground himself, to keep his wolf from surging forward and taking over.

Every instinct in him—the man and the wolf—roared with need.

Need to complete the bond in every way, to have her scent all over him, and his on her.

He wanted to remind her of the depth of their bond, to show her that she was his in every way that mattered.

Lizzy’s scent—a mix of wild jasmine and the faint coppery tang of his blood still lingering on her lips—filled his lungs.

It was intoxicating, wrapping around him like a tether, pulling him deeper into her orbit.

His hand slipped under the hem of her shirt, resting on the flesh of her waist, his thumbs brushing up and down her flat, toned stomach.

Her skin was warm beneath his hands and soft as silk.

Her heart beat against his chest, steady but quickened, matching the rhythm of his own heart.

Her breath was soft against his lips, a faint tremble there as though she was holding back, unsure. He wouldn’t let her doubt—not herself, not him, not this .

Finn released her one hand and lifted it, tilting her chin up gently, his thumb brushing along her jawline. Her eyes, wide and full of emotion, searched his, and he saw everything she felt reflected there—uncertainty, fear, longing, and trust.

“I need you, I want you, and I’m yours for the taking,” he murmured, his voice low and rough. “Always.”

The tension in her body eased slightly, and when she nodded, he leaned down, brushing his lips against hers in the lightest of touches. It was a question, a promise, and when she didn’t pull away, he deepened the kiss, pouring every ounce of his love and devotion into it.

Her hands slid up his chest, tentative at first, but as his lips moved against hers, she clutched his shirt, pulling him closer.

The world around them faded, the hum of the forest dulling until there was nothing but her—the softness of her lips, the heat of her breath, the way her body melted against his.

Finn wrapped his arms around her, one hand tangling in her hair while the other pressed against the small of her back, anchoring her to him. She fit against him perfectly, because she’d been made for him, and the thought sent a bolt of possessive pride through him.

“Lizzy,” he whispered against her lips, her name a reverent prayer.

Her response was a soft sound, somewhere between a sigh and a moan, and it undid him. He pulled her closer, letting his hand slide low and under the hem of her shirt again. He moved it up her spine, feeling the warmth of her skin against his palm.

The kiss deepened, slow and consuming, their breaths mingling as the bond between them flared brighter.

Finn was aware of every detail—the way her fingers curled into his hair, the slight hitch in her breath when his fingers danced along the flesh of her back, the way her heart raced in time with his.

The taste of her was still tinged with the iron tang of his blood, but beneath it was something uniquely hers, something that made his wolf growl with satisfaction. She was his, and she’d taken what she needed from him, but he wanted to give her more.

Breaking the kiss, Finn rested his forehead against hers, his breath uneven as he tried to rein himself in. “You good?” His voice was low and thick with emotion.

Lizzy nodded, her hands still clutching his shirt. “Totally good,” she whispered, her cheeks flushed and her green eyes glowing. “I just…” She bit her lip, and Finn’s gaze followed the movement, his body tightening in response.

“What is it?” he urged gently, brushing his thumb over her cheek. His other hand was still under her shirt, flirting with the strap of her bra.

“I need more,” she admitted, her voice barely audible. “More of you.”

Finn shook his head, a soft smile tugging at his lips. “Thank the Great Luna.”

Her lips parted as if to make a retort. He silenced her with another kiss, this one slower, deeper, carrying all the reassurance he couldn’t put into words.

When he pulled back again, he cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing over her cheeks. “You want to stop, you say the word and we stop. Clear?”

She gave him a sly smile as he saw her confidence grow. “Clear. But if you say the word stop, I’m just going to keep going until I’ve convinced you stopping is the last thing you actually want.”

Finn chuckled, even as his insides burned with desire. “Come here,” he rumbled as he sat back on the fallen log, pulling her with him.

L izzy straddled Finn’s lap, her legs on either side of his hips, and her breath caught as she felt every hard line of him beneath her.

The heat radiating from his body poured into her, and for a second, she could only stare at him, her hands resting on his broad shoulders.

His copper eyes glowed with a primal hunger, his wolf just beneath the surface, and still, he waited.

Always waiting, always letting her set the pace, even when she could feel the tension coiled in him like a tightly wound spring.

Finn’s gaze flicked to her lips and then back to her eyes, his breathing uneven. “You’re driving me crazy, you know that?”

Lizzy smiled, her fingers tightening in his hair as she leaned closer. “Good. I’d hate to be the only one losing my mind over here.”

He didn’t wait for her to say more. His lips crashed against hers in a kiss that was anything but gentle.

It was raw, desperate, and consuming, as if he was pouring every ounce of his need, his love, into her.

Lizzy responded in kind, her hands sliding down his chest, feeling the hard planes of muscle beneath his shirt.

The kiss deepened, their breaths mingling.

Finn’s hands roamed up her back and slid under her shirt.

His touch left a trail of fire in its wake.

Lizzy arched into him, a soft sound escaping her throat as his fingers brushed the clasp of her bra.

She didn’t care about anything else in that moment—only him, only the way he made her feel whole, like she wasn’t the broken girl she’d always thought she was.

Her past on the streets—clawing and scraping to survive and the choices she’d made in order to do so—couldn’t touch her here with Finn.

Finn broke the kiss, his breathing heavy as he stared up at her. “We need to move.” His voice was gravelly. “Unless you want to risk someone stumbling upon us.”

Lizzy’s cheeks burned, but she nodded, her hands trembling slightly as she climbed off his lap.

Finn stood, his movements quick and deliberate as he took her hand.

The forest seemed to hold its breath as Finn led Lizzy deeper into the trees, his warm, calloused hand wrapped tightly around hers.

The air was cool and filled with the faint scent of pine and damp earth mingling with the sound of rustling leaves and distant crickets.

The moon hung low in the sky. Its soft silver light filtered through the thick canopy above and spilled onto the forest floor in fragmented beams. Shadows danced across the mossy ground, creating an otherworldly glow that felt like it belonged to a place untouched by time.

In this moment, it was only them. Lizzy locked out the rest of the world and all its problems and allowed herself this.

Her life had not been a cake walk, and besides Kara, she’d had nothing good.

Nothing to look forward to. But now she had her mate.

Finn stopped abruptly, his sharp eyes scanning their surroundings before his gaze softened as it landed on a small clearing ahead.

The space was encircled by thick, towering trees whose roots twisted and coiled into the earth like ancient sentinels.

The ground was carpeted with a lush layer of moss that shimmered faintly in the moonlight, inviting and soft.

A gentle breeze whispered through the clearing, carrying with it the faint scent of wildflowers and something deeper, something raw and untamed.

“Here.” Finn’s voice was low and sure. He turned to face Lizzy, his broad shoulders blocking the faint light behind him and casting him in shadows that only made the glow of his brown eyes more striking.

He looked at her as if she were the only thing in the world that mattered, his expression a mixture of tenderness and something far more primal.

Lizzy swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest. Her wolf stirred, restless and yearning, matching the emotions radiating from Finn.

She felt like she was standing on the edge of a precipice, the pull of their bond urging her to take the leap.

But the leap was terrifying—raw, vulnerable, and unguarded in a way she wasn’t sure she could handle.

Being on her own, homeless and always on guard, had made her beyond cautious.

Until Cain. Apparently she’d had a momentary lapse of sanity, judgment, or all the above.

For some reason, when he’d come knocking she’d been desperate enough to throw caution to the wind.

But then, that decision had led her to the man who stood before her now.

So maybe throwing caution to the wind wasn’t always a bad thing.