“I know, I know. But don’t you see? We have everything we need right now, right here. With each other. You need to believe that.”
He lifted her into his arms, carrying her to the bedroom. She let him set her on his bed, let him strip her clothes off. He removed his jeans and laid beside her. He stroked her cheek while she calmed.
“Do you believe it?”
She wanted to. She’d try to.
“I’m going to make you believe it.”
He skimmed his hand along her thigh, lightly, before nudging her legs open and cupping her sex. He rubbed softly, slowly, his shaft growing hard against her hip.
“Trager…”
“I plan on marking you.”
He settled between her legs, pressing into her slowly, until he filled her completely.
“I should have done this a long time ago,” he rumbled against her shoulder.
“Yes,” she sighed.
“You’ll be mine forever. Do you want that?”
“Yes.” She did. Belonging to Trager sounded like heaven wrapped in a bow.
“It will bind us, it can’t be undone.”
She opened her eyes to stare into his careful ones. He was asking for her commitment, for life. And giving his at the same time. For better or worse. Flaws included.
A final tear skidded across her cheek.
“Yes,” she breathed.
“Yes?”
“Yes.”
Trager began a torturously slow rhythm. “When we come this time, my body will imprint, mark you with my scent. Permanently. Everyone will know you belong to a wolf. To me.”
More perfect sensations below her waist. More of his hands on her body.
“Also, I’m going to bite.” He dropped a kiss to the curve of her neck and shoulder. “Right here. And I can’t let go until the imprinting is finished.”
Trager increased his speed, his body shaking. She was close, so close.
“Will it hurt?”
He slowed, looking sad. “Yes. Just know, when you mark me, it will hurt a million times worse.”
“Mark you?”
Trager pulled her legs higher, thrusting deeper, harder.
“Alpha, on his chest. The mark there.”
“You’ll have one like that?”
“Yes.”
Trager dropped his head to suck an aching nipple between his lips, and all conversation was forgotten. Kerrigan writhed under his body, loving the way he loved her.
She was about to burst when he ground out, “Are you ready, mate?”
“Yes.”
Sucking on the skin of her neck, lapping, licking, sucking, nipping. She was completely lost. He pushed into her one last time, and simultaneously, she felt his teeth pierce her skin and his hot fluid fill her up.
She screamed. It did hurt, but it pushed her over the edge and her orgasm washed away the sting of the bite.
Latched to her neck, Trager continued to thrust, until Kerrigan thought she would come a second time. But then he slowed, and stopped altogether.
The sounds coming from her mouth were a cross between a whimper and a grunt. It was unattractive, but she couldn’t care. Everything was too tender. Inside and out.
Trager carefully, slowly, released her neck, blowing lightly on the mark.
“Mine,” he said. He kissed it, barely a brush of his lips. “You okay?”
Kerrigan felt better than okay. She couldn’t explain it, much like she couldn’t explain Trager, but she felt safe, protected. He was right about the bond. It was tangible, like a cord that couldn’t be cut.
“Perfect,” she said. “I feel perfect.”
Trager kissed the mark again. “Yes?”
“Always yes.”