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To Close to Resist
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2026-04-09 02:24:59The space between them didn’t exist anymore.
Carolina felt it before she even moved. That pull— Stronger now. Deeper. Not just a bond. A need. Her hand was still on his chest, but now she could feel everything beneath it— The steady beat of his heart. The rise and fall of his breath. The tension he wasn’t even trying to hide anymore. “You’re not even pretending to be calm now,” she whispered. Xander’s gaze dropped briefly to her lips— Then back to her eyes. “Didn’t see the point.” Her breath caught. The honesty of it— The way he said it like he was done holding back— It sent heat curling low in her chest. Her fingers pressed slightly into him without thinking. His reaction was immediate. A sharp inhale. A tightening of his grip on her hand. There it was. That shift. Not just awareness anymore— Want. “Careful,” he murmured, voice lower now. Carolina tilted her head slightly. “Or what?” His hand slid from hers— Up her arm— Slow. Deliberate. Every inch of movement dragging heat behind it. Her breath faltered. “Or I stop being careful.” The words landed between them—heavy, charged. Carolina didn’t step back. Didn’t look away. “Maybe I don’t want you to.” That was it. The line snapped. Xander’s hand found her waist again— This time not tentative. Firm. Pulling her closer until there was no space left between them at all. Her breath hitched sharply as her body met his— Solid. Warm. Real. The bond surged— Not wild— But hungry. Her hands moved on instinct— Sliding up his chest— Over his shoulders— Until her fingers tangled lightly at the back of his neck. Holding him there. Not stopping him. Inviting him. “Carolina…” her name left his mouth like a warning. Or a promise. She wasn’t sure which. “Too late,” she whispered. His forehead dropped against hers— But this time it wasn’t gentle. It was restraint. Barely there. His breath brushed her lips— Warm. Unsteady. “You feel what you’re doing to me?” he murmured. Her pulse raced. “Yes.” The honesty only made it worse. His grip tightened at her waist— Pulling her just slightly closer— And the subtle shift made her inhale sharply. The bond pulsed hard between them— Alive. “You keep saying things like that…” he said, voice rough now, “and I’m going to forget every reason I had to slow this down.” Carolina’s thumb brushed lightly along the back of his neck— And this time— He reacted. A quiet, sharp breath. A slight lean into her touch. That was all it took. She closed the distance first. Not a kiss— Not yet. Just enough that her lips hovered dangerously close to his. “You’re the one who stopped last time,” she whispered. A mistake. A challenge. Xander’s restraint snapped. His hand slid higher along her side— Anchoring her to him— And then— He kissed her. Not hesitant this time. Not careful. Still controlled— But deeper. Intentional. Carolina’s breath caught against his lips as the bond surged around them— Hot. Steady. Pulling. Her fingers tightened in his hair as she leaned into him— And he responded instantly. Pulling her closer— Tilting the kiss— Not rushing— But not holding back either. Every movement slow enough to feel— Every second stretching longer than it should. Her heart pounded. Not from fear. From him. From the way he held her like he wasn’t letting go. From the way the bond wrapped tighter— Not suffocating— Claiming. When they finally broke apart— Neither of them moved far. Barely an inch between them now. Carolina’s breathing was uneven— His wasn’t much better. “This is a bad idea,” she whispered. Xander’s lips brushed hers again— Not quite a kiss. “Probably.” She exhaled softly— “But you’re not stopping.” His hand tightened slightly at her waist. “No.” A pause. Then quieter— “Are you?” Carolina didn’t answer right away. Because she already knew. Her fingers were still curled against him. Her body still pressed close. Her heart still choosing him. “No.” The word barely made it out— But the bond heard it. Felt it. Sealed it. And this time— When he kissed her again— There was no hesitation left at all.
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Alpha’s Forbidden Mate Ch 23
The return to the house was a wet blur. They let the darkness muffle their footfalls and pretended not to notice the twin beams of porchlights tracking them over the marshy lawn. Xander’s shoulders dripped, a fresh stripe of mud painting his cheek. Carolina caught the turn of his jaw, the way he kept glancing at her as if to confirm she was real, still tethered to his side. It made her feel less like a person and more like a crisis he’d learned to nurse. The foyer was empty, except for a pair of discarded boots and the echo of a door closing somewhere above. They shed their coats in a heap, careful not to touch, but then Xander’s hand found her wrist and, as if remembering itself, held there. It was nothing like the first time. That had been reckless, gritted-teeth and bruised lips, an animal need that didn’t apologize or linger. But now there was a hush to the world, a deliberate pause, like the space between lightning and thunder. Xander’s
Alpha’s Forbidden Mate Ch. 22
A week of sullen rain soaked the world to sponginess. By the time the next evening with even a hint of clear sky arrived, the whole crew was ready to throttle one another purely from boredom. But Carolina had a plan and, improbably, so did Xander. They met in the blue hour outside the derelict greenhouse, where steam from the boilers curled around shattered windowpanes like something alive. He brought her a thermos, black coffee diluted with something caramel-sweet, and she clinked her mug against his, because if you didn’t toast to survival, what was the point. After dinner, instead of the usual shuffle back to bunks, Carolina led Xander up the trails, through the slick branches and deadfall, up a slope that overlooked the valley. “Date night,” she said, voice bright and hard, like she’d rehearsed this. A picnic, but without the kitsch—just a battered blanket and two packs of peanut butter crackers. She’d pilfered a bar of chocolate from the dry goods, too, which mad
Alpha’s Forbidden Mate Ch. 21
The first day after was always the worst. The way every look sideways had a question folded into it—How long have you been hiding this? What will you do now? She let each stare slide off her as she crossed the muddy lot, Xander at her side, the two of them a gravity well for gossip. She was not unused to attention; she just hated the kind that involved her feelings.The training field was a wet sprawl of grass, cordoned off by battered fencing and the odd, half-collapsed barricade. Most of the others were already assembled, their breath rising in steamy clouds, half-listening to Hayden’s attempt at a pep talk while they passed a dented thermos around. Carolina caught the drift of cinnamon and remembered, faintly, the last time she’d let herself want something as basic as comfort.Hayden’s voice broke over the field: “—and that’s why if you aren’t at least pretending to care today, someone’s going to get their ass handed to them.” She glanced up, spotted Carolina and Xander, and someho
Alpha’s Forbidden Mate Ch. 20
The morning pressed its way in through the window—a clear, pale slab of light slicing the room in half and falling directly across Carolina’s face. It was the shift in temperature, more than the brightness, that woke her: the air had that cool, dusty feeling that made her want to burrow in. Instead, she blinked against the glow, feeling the weight of the blankets, the heat of the body curled against her spine.Xander had not, apparently, moved at all since last night. He was still bracing her in place, chin tucked between her shoulder and neck, arm a heavy bar around her middle. Sometime in the night, she’d shifted that arm higher, so her hand rested atop his. She let herself hold still, breathing in the scent of him—a little woodsmoke, a little sweat, all wolf and summer.If she stayed like this, she could almost forget why sleep had been so necessary. That the world outside was already spinning up, waiting for her to step back into it. That the shrapnel of what had happened yesterda
Alpha’s Forbidden Mate Ch. 19
“—insane,” she finished, blinking at him. “That was—” Xander braced a hand near her head, looking at once predatory and oddly vulnerable, like the wolf and the man still hadn’t decided who was in charge. He kept himself close, his breath cool and shivering against her skin. “That was?” he prompted, a hint of teasing behind the gruffness. Carolina shook her head, dazed. “I have no words.” He grinned in a way that made her want to punch him and kiss him all at once. “Good. Because if you’re out of words, you’ll listen for once.” She snorted. “Unlikely.” But she didn’t protest when he pulled her against him again, his mouth finding the hollow just below her ear, then the corner of her jaw. It was softer now, as if the rough edge had burned away. When their eyes met, she felt the full weight of him—wanting, watching, almost afraid. “Say it’s not too much,” he said, voice low. She stared at him, her thumb tracing the line of his collarbone. “It’s not enough.” Xander’s expression w
Alpha’s Forbidden Mate The Bond Grows More
His hand left her waist and, with a slow, deliberate slide, tangled in the hem of her shirt. He paused just long enough for her to inhale—a single, tight breath—before he lifted the thin fabric. His palm flattened, grazing up her side, the contact electric in the hush of the room.Carolina arched toward him. His touch was tentative for just an instant—an old habit of restraint—then grew bolder, thumb sweeping beneath the curve of her breast. She shivered.“Tell me if you want me to stop,” he whispered, the words barely shaping the air.She shook her head, voice silent, body answering for her. His hand found her breast, fingers spreading, the heat of his palm striking through the thin cotton. She exhaled—shaky, unguarded—when his thumb brushed the nipple, slow and gentle at first, then pinching just enough to draw a quiet gasp from her throat. The sound seemed to undo him. He bent to kiss the side of her neck, grazing the soft skin just below her jaw with his teeth, not quite biting, t
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