86

There’s a reason why I don’t drink very often. Because I tend to be blunt and say what’s on my mind. What I don’t expect is for Cedric to react the way he does.

His hand reaches out and grabs a fistful of my hair before flipping us both over. When his mouth descends on mine, it’s to deliver a forceful, heated kiss that has my toes curling.

He doesn’t ask any more questions. He doesn’t stop. He simply stakes his claim.

The kiss is fierce, a clash of tongues and teeth, a desperate hunger in it. His mouth moves against mine like a starving man finally getting to eat. His body presses into mine as if he wants to take me right now. I can feel his hard length against my stomach, and I’m instantly sent back to a bedroom surrounded by stone walls, the shadows of the flames from the fireplace dancing along the ceiling as this man ravaged me, his body sweaty and strong as he held me, moving with me at a pace that left me breathless and delirious.

I can smell the musky scent of my arousal in the air, and Cedric groans as his tongue pushes its way past my lips. I sigh as he licks the inside of my mouth, tasting every inch of me. His grip in my hair is tight, and his body has mine pinned to the bed. My nipples are painfully rigid, pressed against his hard chest.

His touch, his kiss, everything feels far too familiar. It’s almost like coming home. I hear something tear, and then there’s a breeze upon my legs as the fabric that was my pants is pulled off. Cedric’s hand comes to fondle my chest, his fingers twisting and pulling at my hard nipples, causing me to moan into his mouth.

He releases my lips, his mouth trailing along my jaw as he forces my head back, settling on the spot where the mating mark is supposed to be. His voice is a throaty growl. “You want to claim me? I never took you to be so possessive.”

My wolf paces inside my head, baring its teeth. “Well, I am.” My nails dig into his biceps, drawing blood. “I’m not going to share you with anyone. Do you understand?”

He lifts his head to give me a feral smile. “Good.” His hands run down my naked body, leaving a trail of blazing white heat across my skin. I tremble at his touch, and my back arches. His thick finger probes my lower slit, and he growls, “Even after all this time, you get wet so easily.”

I whimper when he inserts not one finger but two, plunging them deep inside me. It’s an uncomfortable intrusion, my pussy too tight. It doesn’t stop him though, and as he pulls his fingers out at a punishingly slow rate, I gasp.

Cedric uses those fingers to loosen me up for him, and remembering his cock like I do, I know I’m going to need it. I shatter on his fingers, crying out as he elicits orgasm after orgasm with ease.

My lips are parted as I struggle to breathe. My body is shaking, sweat clinging to me. I feel Cedric hold my legs open as he pierces me with his cock. I can feel every inch as it enters me, and I call out his name, clutching him for dear life.

How did I live without him for all these years? Every part of me that he touches feels like it’s coming alive. With his cock fully inside me, Cedric begins to move. My hands dig into the sheets for purchase, his sweaty skin too slippery. I meet him thrust for thrust, both of us chasing our pleasures. But I forgot about my mate’s stamina.

His cock still in me, he grabs me by the waist and twists me around. I yelp at the sharp pleasure. My stomach barely hits the bed before he has my bottom lifted up, his thrusts becoming harder and rougher. I find myself getting closer and closer to the edge, and when I cum, I scream out his name. But Cedric isn’t done. My insides feel raw, and yet, I want more.

Panting, moaning, I feel his hand circle my neck and squeeze as he fucks me relentlessly. And then, he releases. His soft growl is followed by a red hot, piercing pain where my shoulder meets my neck. I can smell the metallic scent of my blood in the air. The agony gives way to an intense pleasure, and I collapse with Cedric, our bodies writhing with the aftershocks.

He holds me to him, his teeth still in my flesh. Tiny electric pulses pass through the most sensitive parts of my body, pushing me to the very brink. My eyes flutter shut, and then suddenly, I feel him.

All this time, the fated mate bond has been there. I could sense it, a soft, throbbing presence deep inside me. But now, I’m overwhelmed with this inexplicable warmth, this desire, this love so deep that it makes me want to weep. If there were any doubts in my mind about Cedric or how he feels about me, about my safety, they’re washed away.

I can sense his emotions, each and every one of them. His love for me and his profound, unwavering loyalty humble me, and tears drip from my eyes. Our bodies are still throbbing from the force of the mating bond, and Cedric silently gathers me in his arms. He holds me, hiding my face in his chest.

Is this what it is like to be loved? How is it possible that someone could love me so deeply? The truth is that even after Cedric came back, even after we sorted things out between us, the most vulnerable and broken part of me still believed I wasn’t worthy of receiving love. That nobody could care about someone like me.

To be proven wrong, to see the evidence of how precious I am to Cedric, shakes me to my very core. I didn’t know a mating bond could be like this. I never knew that I would be able to feel how he feels about me, that his existence would completely mesh with mine. We are two individuals, but we are also one.

After a prolonged silence, with Cedric simply holding me, he finally asks, “Are you feeling better?”

I nod, sniffling. “That was intense.” I look up at him. “Are you okay?”

Cedric wraps a strand of my hair around his finger and tugs it lightly. “All this time, I had certain misgivings, doubts. When I found out you were alive, the initial relief gave way to feeling hurt. It seemed like I was the only one who cared. Like I was the only one who had been bereft. I didn’t realize how you truly felt about me. But I can feel it all inside me now, the things you don’t say. I will try to change for you, Leanna. I’ll try to become a better man. I will give you everything you could ever dream of.”

I wriggle my arms free and wrap them around the neck of this big, hulking man who is feared by all and yet whose heart is soft when it comes to me. “I never want you to change. Who you are is perfect. And if I haven’t said it before, I love you. Despite what happened, despite what I believed had happened. Even when you found me, I could deny the truth to everybody but myself. I loved you back then, too. When you held me at night, I felt secure and safe. When you made sure I was fed and taken care of, I felt happy. But I didn’t know what those feelings were because I had never felt them before. I understand them now. I love you, Cedric.”

My mate presses his lips to my forehead. “I love you, too, Leanna. But I’m not good with words. If this is something you need to hear frequently—”

I give him a warm smile. “No. You don’t need to say it all the time. I know how you feel.” He searches my eyes, and I tilt my head back to kiss him. “I will tell you enough times for the both of us.”

His response is a fierce kiss, and as he pulls me under him, I laugh, knowing he’s about to ravish me all over again.

I have a feeling I won’t be able to walk tomorrow.