Filed to story: The Wolf Prince’s Fated Love
You are my gift.” I cupped his cheek in my hand, begging him with my eyes.
Marciana was immune to my begging. “A worthy sentiment made with a pure heart, but I will not reject his request. If you accept him, you must accept the sacrifice.”
“It’s okay,” he murmured. “Say yes, princess.”
“Yes, I accept this offering.” The words quietly slipped from my lips, and I resisted the urge to cling to Gael’s hand as he stepped back, out of the circle. I didn’t know how one got a warrior’s rune, but I clutched both Olivia’s and Brielle’s hands for dear life when they stepped into the circle next to me.
Gael quickly shucked his button-up shirt, handing the garment to Kane before turning to face the gathered crowd. Two of the priestesses stepped forward, carrying a heavy-looking pot between them, with a single metal rod sticking out. A third priestess stepped forward with a pouch and sprinkled something over the pot. It billowed smoke and steam, and Olivia stiffened at my side.
“Wolfsbane and… salt,” she whispered, somehow identifying the contents from a distance.
No, no, no, no…
Marciana stepped forward, gripping the handle of the metal rod, but not yet removing it from the pot.
“Kneel and receive your rune with honor.”
Gael did as he was told, locking eyes with me as he knelt, hands clasped behind his back, bare chest on display.
The red-hot iron she pulled from the coals smoldered, and I tried to intercept her, but Kane stepped in front of me, not letting me out of my position.
“Be strong for him,” he murmured, a hint of alpha command fastening me to my spot. With nothing else to do, I held Gael’s eyes as she pressed the brand to his shoulder. He flinched, but didn’t move, didn’t utter a sound as she lifted the brand away from his skin.
The mark it left behind was raised, the full moon crossed with the curved blade of the Maiden’s Enclave, and another runic symbol that I didn’t recognize.
“Bear the rune with honor for the rest of your days. Go forth, warrior, and claim your mate.”
When Gael rose, there was a heat in his eyes that belied the pain he must have been feeling. He strode back into the flower circle with purpose, dropped to one knee, and fitted the ring onto my finger. It slid home with perfect ease, and my hands shook once more as I slid his own ring over his knuckle with a kiss.
Marciana had ditched the brand before stepping back into her place as the ceremonial leader, and when she spoke now, it was for all to hear. “The bond between mates is sealed with a bite. It is tradition for this to be done privately, and it must be completed before the moon sets on this night. In the eyes of the Moon Goddess and these witnesses, I bless this joining. Go forth and claim your mate.”
Gael surged to his feet with masculine grace, wrapping me in his arms and planting a searing kiss on my lips that held all the pent-up need and desire between us. I felt cherished, but also a need blooming inside me to claim him.
He scooped me off my feet, hooking my heels behind his hips, and showing off far more of my bare leg in that slit than was decent, but neither of us cared. Whoops and cheers rose from the maidens, and they began to sing a new song as he carried me back down the garden path, into the night.
SIXTY-ONE
Gael
Ikicked open the door to our borrowed room, which was on the bottom floor of one of the fortress’s turrets. The heavy wooden door rattled against the stone walls, but I didn’t give a fuck. My mate was in my arms; my wolf was riding me to sink my fangs into her and seal this bond between us, and then sink into her and let the rut take over.
Because, hot damn, she smelled delicious. Her arousal was heady and thick in the air, and I knew my eyes were glowing as my need brought out my primal instincts. I would never smell a cup of coffee the same way again after this night.
I flicked the lock on the dead bolt with one hand, the other still cupping her ass through this indecent dress. Goddess, I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to frame the damn thing as a work of art or light it on fire so she could never wear it in public again.
But when my thighs bumped the edge of the oversized mattress, she buried her fingers in my hair and yanked me free from her lips. Her puffy, red lips that had been bitten half a dozen times on the walk over here.
“Put me down. You need to let me take care of your shoulder before anything else,” she demanded. If I weren’t already hard as a rock, her trying to boss me around would have absolutely done it for me. But as it was, I was already a steel rod, so I gripped the back of her neck and used the hand already on her backside to grind her pussy against me through the dress.
“You’re not in charge here, princess. And I’m not putting you down unless it’s down on my cock.”
She shuddered, skin flushing at the mere suggestion of what we were about to do, but there was a stubborn light in her eyes that I knew meant she wasn’t going to let this drop.
Time for a distraction.
“This dress is even worse than that hot little black nightie you were tormenting me with when we stayed that night on Pack Effelin’s grounds,” I said, letting my thumb graze her nipples through the thin fabric.
Her eyes went wide, even as she arched her breasts against my chest. To my surprise, she laughed, dropping her head briefly against my shoulder as her body rocked with the force of her laughter. “I can’t believe you remembered that. I was so embarrassed, but Dirge seemed like he needed to pee.”
“Princess, the image of you in that skimpy little scrap of black silk kept me up at night for weeks.”
But when I dove back in to pepper kisses along her neck, Leigh pulled back and snarled, holding my eyes in a clear challenge. “You will put me down so I can take care of your shoulder, or you won’t get within five feet of this pussy tonight. Are we clear?”
I groaned, leaning in and biting her bottom lip again. “It shouldn’t be hot when you talk to me like that,” I muttered, slapping her lightly on the ass before settling her on the edge of the bed. “But the priestesses put a pot of salve in here for the rune. Hold on.”
I crossed to the bedside table, and sure enough, next to the usual clean-up supplies for the bites, there was a tin of greasy salve with the rune stamped on top of the lid. I brought it back to Leigh, who snatched it from my grip.
“Turn so I can get to your shoulder.”
“Yes ma’am,” I murmured, and she laughed.
The salve stung a little, but not enough to distract me from the goal. The second I heard the lid of the tin snick back into place, I grabbed it and tossed it toward the chair in the corner, not caring when it bounced and rolled across the floor.
“This dress should be criminal,” I said, letting my wolf’s rumble out as I leaned over her on the bed, my erection straining against the borrowed slacks.
“So you like it?” she asked with a wicked grin. Damn, she was gorgeous.
“I don’t know how I got so lucky to piss you off enough that you picked me, but I’m going to count my lucky stars every day that I did.”
Leigh rolled her eyes at my sappy words, but they were true. “I was only pissed off because I was attracted to you, and I thought you were an arrogant ass.”
“That so? What do you think now?” I ground my hips against hers, the heat of her pussy making it to me even through the dress.
“Mmm,” she groaned, leaning back on her elbows, leaving her chest on display for me. “Now I think you’re an arrogant ass who I want to spend the rest of my life with.”
I laughed, a full-on belly laugh, head hanging from my shaking shoulders.
Only Leigh.
You know you like it, her voice sounded in my head, and I snapped my gaze back up to meet hers.
“I love it,” I said with a growl. “Now stand up so I can see all this beautiful skin.”
She did as I asked, letting me pull her to her feet and spinning so I could see the back of the dress.
Holy fuck.
She chuckled, the throaty sound driving me wild as she peeked over her shoulder to catch my reaction.
“We’re definitely framing this dress,” I said, swearing as I pushed the straps off her shoulders and it fell to a silken puddle at her feet.
I pressed a kiss to her shoulder first, then worked my way down her spine, kissing every single line and curve of her marks as she clung to me. Then I flipped her to her back, starting at her ankle and pressing kisses up all the way to her inner thigh. She was writhing, trying to scoot herself closer to my mouth, to get me where she wanted me, but I wasn’t giving in so easily.
This was the one night we were guaranteed not to be interrupted, and I was going to take my time enjoying her. I skated past her soaking pussy, ignoring the whine building in her chest as I worked my way up from her navel, kissing, nipping, and sucking until I reached her breasts. I lightly rolled one nipple between my fingers as I traced the underside of the other with my tongue.
She practically levitated when I finally reached down, stroking her folds with the pad of my thumb.
“Oh, yes. More, I need more-” Her words were turning to nonsensical pleas, hips moving in time with every stroke. I sank two fingers into her heat, the first billow of her pleasure hitting me square in the chest through the bond.
“Holy hell,” I said against her chest, letting my forehead drop against her sternum for a second as I tried to hang on to my own pleasure. I hadn’t bitten her yet, and already, the bond was about to bring me to my knees.
But Leigh was no wilting flower. She was all alpha, and she used my moment of hesitation to take what she wanted.
“Gael? Stop messing around. I need you. Now,” she hissed, and I watched in awe as she sank her fangs into the heel of my palm.
Bliss rolled through me, radiating from her bite as all thoughts of dragging things out flew out the window. I kept my eyes locked on her mouth as I pinched her clit, rolling it between my thumb and forefinger, and she moaned, eyes sinking closed as the first orgasm hit her.
I could feel the echoes of it in my own chest and had to grit my teeth to keep myself calm enough to ditch my pants. I never stopped working her with my fingers as I kicked them off, freeing myself finally. When she lifted her lips from my palm and licked over her bite marks, the urge to bite her was so strong, I could barely keep my canines from puncturing my own bottom lip.
But I wanted to be inside her when she fell apart the next time and when the bond fell fully into place. I lifted her hips, holding her gaze as I slowly notched the tip inside her. She whimpered and arched, still trying to hurry me along, but I didn’t need reminding.
I slid home in one stroke, and she screamed my name, pulsing around me as her pleasure crested again. When she relaxed, I started to move, pumping in slowly, my grip on her hips holding her at exactly the right angle to stroke the sweet spot inside her with every thrust.