“Roll over.” He wanted her beneath him. He wanted to look in her eyes as she came apart. She did as he asked, and in seconds he was above her, ready to place himself in her warmth—a place he’d never known existed until he’d found it within Elizabeth. “I love you.” He’d spoken the words and they felt right on his tongue. He could feel her love for him in the parts of her soul where she’d melded to him. But he wanted to tell her, in case she hadn’t received the same from him.
“Oh, Randolph.” Tears leaked from her eyes, and he wished he’d never said a word.
What was wrong? Was the idea he loved her so unappealing she wept?
She raised her neck until her head was right beneath his. Seconds later, she’d fused their mouths together. He could feel the wetness on her cheeks as her mouth begged him for attention.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Anything his witch needed, he would do. Anything to see her stop crying.
“Just, please, Randolph. Please. I need you.”
He wouldn’t have her ask again. She never needed to feel like she should plead for anything from him. She was his mate. With a gentle push, he was inside of her. Her muscles quivered around him, making him nearly end their joining before it had begun.
He groaned as he struggled to keep himself in check. Would it always be like this with her? Would he always be two seconds away from losing control?
“Yes, thank you. Thank you.”
He grabbed the side of her cheek, forcing her to look him in the eyes. “You don’t ever thank me for this. I should be thanking you. I’m always going to want to be with you like this. Always.”
Rex couldn’t imagine how alone she must have been feeling. Separated from everyone by a curse placed on her face. He would find a way to show her she would never be alone, never be without him.
“I hope that’s true, Randolph. I truly hope so.”
Together they moved, a rhythm forming which made him want to shout for joy. He thrust forward, and she took him deeper inside of her. She gasped, and it moved through him like joy and sadness. He felt so close to her, he was sure he could feel what she felt as she experienced it. “I’ve got you, sweetheart.” His words were barely a whisper but he knew she heard them.
She reached out with both hands, and he grabbed her behind her head to keep her from hitting the headboard behind them. Her hands cupped his cheeks even as their bodies picked up pace in this sweet mating dance he was sure he would never forget.
“Please don’t ever let go.” Her voice quivered as she exploded around him. Her body clenching around his, pulling at him until the pleasure was so intense he spilled inside of her, knowing he’d found home inside his little witch.
Rex felt certain time must have passed. He wasn’t sure how much of it, though.
Finally coming back to his senses, he rolled off Elizabeth. He had to have crushed her.
“No, don’t move. I like the warmth.” She sounded sleepy and, he was glad to hear, happy.
He snuggled next to her, pulling her until she spooned against his back. Much as he hated the cover for the bed—it did not smell exactly one hundred percent clean—he moved them both underneath it. “I’ll keep you warm.”
She sighed. “Your skin is like a furnace next to me.”
“We are hotter than humans by a few degrees.”
“I was cold now I’m warm.”
He pinched her arm gently. “It’s because you’re so thin. Five more pounds on you and you’ll be warmer.”
“Five more pounds and I’ll be fatter.”
“You could never be fat.” He kissed the back of her neck. “What did you want to talk about earlier?” He felt her whole body stiffen up. It was as he’d suspected. Whatever she had to discuss was the reason for her unhappiness. Her scent changed from blissful to the acrid smell of fear in a matter of seconds. She was scared of him? “Elizabeth, whatever it is, you don’t have to fear me or be sad. Just tell me and we’ll work it out. You’re my mate. You are my only priority.”
All that mattered in the world was her. He had to get things straight with Westervelt—had to stop his father and make the pack stronger—so she could be safe. His brother’s reasons for excluding the non-mated males from decisions, while still wrong, made more sense to him now. Only the mated could truly understand how much there was to lose. He had to protect her soul; it had been entrusted to him.
“Rex, I did something before I understood…”
The scent of danger hit him hard. Someone—no, more than one person—approached the room. He jumped to his feet, shushing Elizabeth as he did. He’d destroyed her clothes and left her vulnerable.