Mating fire.

Cole stared down at Britney as she thrashed restlessly across the bed. She wore a short, vibrant red cocktail dress that hugged her curves, her movements frantic and disoriented. Sweat slicked her skin, and she kept blindly reaching out, trying to pull Cole closer into her space.

As a powerful Alpha, Cole had never imagined meeting his destined mate like this. He had always assumed she would be a fellow wolf, or perhaps someone living comfortably within the human world, hiding her true nature.

He never envisioned finding a human, let alone meeting her for the first time while she was burning up from a drug, begging him to pull her close.

"Please help me. Please," Britney whimpered, tugging desperately at his jacket.

When Cole initially hesitated, pulling back slightly to assess the situation, panic broke through her defenses. With trembling, fever-driven fingers, Britney began tearing at her own clothes.

Cole drew in a sharp, ragged breath. Kneeling beside her, he gently caught her wrists to still her hands, his dark gaze scanning her flushed face. "You will regret this," he warned, his voice low and strained.

Tears spilled over her lashes, tracking through the sweat on her cheeks. "My friends... they spiked my drink with drugs, and there's no other way to get rid of this poison. Please, just sleep with me," she sobbed, letting out a sharp, aching moan that radiated pure agony.

That sound shattered the last remnants of Cole's control. His anger flared hot and fierce, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles turned white.

The notion that he would slowly introduce her to his world and court her properly over time—evaporated instantly. Seeing her suffer like this broke every barrier he had left.

Reaching out, he dimmed the suite's lights before slowly shedding his shirt. Britney watched him through heavy, half-lidded eyes, before frantically tearing away the rest of her dress until she was completely bare.

Cole caught his breath as he took in her exquisite form from head to top. Running a dry tongue over his lips, his voice dropped to a gravelly purr, "You are so beautiful."

His body thrummed with a heavy, aching hardness. Britney's heart hammered wildly against her ribs, an intense, feverish heat pooling deep in her core.

Cole gazed down at her with hunger in his eyes, causing her to shift restlessly, her legs twisting in discomfort as she arched her back.

"Please," she whimpered again, her fingers tangling into the hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him down until his bare chest collided flush against hers.

The moment their skin touched, a violent wave of electric current surged between them. Sparks showered over their senses, making them both gasp.

"You are so beautiful, so perfect," Cole whispered, trailing his hands across her shoulder blades and cleavage. Wherever his fingertips brushed, electric tingles followed, causing her to moan and arch her body closer to his. Her breathing came in ragged, shallow gasps.

Cole covered her body with his, his hands mapping the curves of her skin. "You are perfect, my mate. So perfect," he murmured, pressing a hot kiss to her throat. He brushed his thumb over her sensitive skin, whispering against her pulse, "Soon I will mark you, but not tonight."

When their lips met in a fierce, consuming kiss, a profound bond snapped into place deep within their souls, widening their eyes in sudden shock. Deep inside Cole's chest, his wolf threw its head back and howled in triumphant victory.

Fumbling with frantic urgency, Britney reached for his pants, and Cole stepped in to help, never once breaking the intensity of their kiss.

Stripped of all barriers, now entirely nude, they pressed against each other like drowning souls. Cole tangled his fingers in her hair, and Britney let out a soft cry against his lips.

Pulling back slightly, Cole trailed burning kisses down her jaw to her neck and chest, nipping lightly at her skin. "You are so stunning, so hot and sexy... I can't hold back anymore."

Britney clawed her nails gently down his back, completely lost to the fire consuming her from the inside out.

Losing every remaining shred of sanity, Cole shifted his weight, positioning himself perfectly between her thighs. Her warmth brushed against his manhood, sending a jolt of pure lightning through his veins.

"Please, give me relief," Britney begged breathlessly, blindly shifting against him. Had she been in her right mind, her human modesty would have stopped her, but the drug stripped away every hesitation, guiding her hips upward to invite him in.

"Eager, are we?" Cole murmured darkly. He pressed his tip against her entrance, his voice dropping an octave. "It's going to hurt a little at first."

Slowly, deliberately, he began to push inside her. Britney’s eyes flew wide, a sharp gasp escaping her lips as a tear slipped down her cheek from the sudden shock of pain.

Cole immediately leaned down, swallowing her cry with a deep, tender kiss while his hand smoothed over her hair and down her trembling spine.

As he settled fully inside her, the friction felt like liquid fire to them both. A magnificent wave of current and vibration rippled through their intertwined bodies.

"I have never felt anything like this," Cole whispered against her lips, pressing lingering kisses across her flushed face. "You are my perfect mate."

He began to move, setting a slow, agonizingly sweet rhythm. Britney let out a breathy sigh as the pain began to melt away, replaced by an intense, consuming heat.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, matching his pace, their movements turning wild and frantic as the friction built toward a fever pitch.

Together, they crashed over the edge into a blinding, ecstatic climax.

Collapsing heavily against her chest, Cole buried his face in the crook of her neck, pressing gentle, lingering kisses along her damp cheeks to chase away the lingering tears.

"That was the most perfect night of my life," he whispered softly against her ear, capturing her lips in one final, tender kiss.