Cecil moved cautiously down the dim hallway, her footsteps muffled by the plush carpeting. Her heart beat a little faster as she approached the only open door at the end, wide and welcoming, but oddly out of place for a guest room.
A faint breeze brushed her skin, carrying with it a scent so distinctly 'Mason' it made her freeze for a second.
Peeking inside, she spotted Mason crouched near the bedside table, unspooling a long extension cord while holding a hair dryer in his other hand. The sight was so strangely domestic, it made her blink twice.
Without even turning his head, Mason spoke with a deep voice.
“No need to sneak around, Cecil. I could hear your steps the second you hit the hallway. And your scent’s
She could no longer hold back the rising storm inside her. Breathless and flushed, Aria shamelessly whispered, “Faster, please do it faster.”Mason froze for a split second, her plea crashing into him like a tidal wave. He’d been holding himself back, balancing on a razor’s edge, but her words shattered his restraint.He sat up, his eyes locked on her, and let one hand replace his mouth, picking up the pace with firm, fluid motions. He watched, completely entranced, as Aria arched into his touch. Her moans grew louder, uncontrolled, raw.Her face was a portrait of bliss, painted in shades of longing and abandon.“Oh god—M-Mason, ahh…” she gasped, her body trembl
Aria bit her lower lip, her chest rising and falling as Mason hovered above her, staring with that ravenous look, like a wolf seconds away from devouring his prey. Her pulse quickened, not just from fear or instinct, but from desire... Raw, unfiltered desire.'This is it. No turning back now,' she told herself, bracing for what she needed, not just to survive the cold, but to surrender fully to the man who made her feel more alive than she had in years.But of course, someone else cannot keep their mouth shut and fails to stop her urge to comment.[Liar.]Astra, her wolf, chimed in with a smug laugh. [You’d want him even if your life wasn’t hanging by a thread. Admit it, Aria. You wanted him since day one.]Aria clenched her jaw, refusing to respond, but the warmth spreading across her cheeks was admission enough. She silenced Astra quickly, but the wolf’s knowing chuckle still echoed in her mind.Mason’s hand moved to the mattress beside her, his toned body lowering just enough to ki
With a fluid, dominant motion, Mason shifted their positions, rolling them gently until he was now on top of her, his body pressed firmly against hers. He hovered there for a breathless second, gazing down at her with a hunger he could no longer hide.He reached out, brushing the backs of his fingers along her cheek with aching tenderness, as if she were something fragile he feared to break. Then his thumb found her bottom lip, stroking it slowly, teasing it, testing her resolve as much as his own.His breath came out in a shaky exhale, heavy with longing. “You’re making me lose my mind…” he muttered, his voice husky and raw with desire, before claiming her mouth in a kiss that was anything but gentle.It was deep, starved, and possessive.She didn’t resist, how could she? Her arms wrapped around him, pulling him closer, needing more. Her hands explored the planes of his back and shoulders, her fingertips trailing along the firm, heated lines of his muscles, grounding herself in the w
[Damn! This is hot!] Amarok, Mason’s wolf, exclaimed in his head, practically howling in delight.‘Shut up!’ Mason snapped, trying to keep a grip on his sanity, but it was slipping fast.He hadn’t expected Aria to kiss him, especially not like this. Not in front of others.Not with the hunger of a woman as if possessed.The second her lips collided with his, the breath was knocked out of his chest. It was like being struck by lightning, but instead of pain, it ignited every dormant instinct in him. His knees almost buckled from the sheer intensity of her kiss, and his carefully built walls crumbled under the force of it.Her hands were still cold as ice when they framed his face, but her kiss? It burned. It claimed him.And he let it.No... He wanted it.Even if he tried to resist, it wouldn’t have mattered. Not when his wolf was clawing inside him, urging him forward. Urging him to take, not only to help her heal but to mark...It was intense and crazy, and Mason was trying his best
Just as Shaman Orun had promised, the herbal tea and lavender candle worked like a charm. Aria drifted into sleep almost the moment her head touched the pillow. Her breathing slowed, evened out, and her features softened, momentarily free of the burden she carried. She was at peace.Mason sat a few feet away, hunched over his laptop on a nearby chair, fingers tapping on the keyboard—but his eyes kept betraying him, darting toward the sleeping woman. He told himself to focus, but her presence tugged at his attention like a string pulled tight.She looked too still. Too quiet.[The more you believe something will go wrong… the more you invite it to happen,] Amarok, his wolf, warned in his mind.[You’re right,] Mason replied with a mental sigh. [No more feeding the fear.]He shut the laptop and switched to his tablet, relocating to the empty side of the bed, close enough to watch over her without hovering. He opened a report and tried to read it, letting the words pull him back into lo
Aria waited, watching Mason closely, expecting him to elaborate on his earlier statement. But the answer never came.Instead, he nodded toward something behind her.She followed his gaze, turning slightly in her seat to glance over her shoulder. Down by the shoreline, Shaman Orun was surrounded by several people, all busy unloading bundles and crates from a long wooden cart.“What are they doing?” she asked, as she brought her fork to her mouth again.“They’re setting up for your ritual,” Mason replied calmly.Aria blinked, chewing thoughtfully. “I didn’t think it would require that much effort and preparation.”“They rarely are,” Mason said, watching with her as the scene unfolded below. “But your case is… unique.”They both silently observed as the group began arranging stones into a large circular formation. In the center of the circle, they built a small bonfire, layering different types of leaves and flower petals in a careful, almost ceremonial pattern around it. Two other peopl