Jesse’s eyes were closed, but her mouth was wide, her breath tearing in and out of her extended throat. As our bodies joined again and again, she gave small, sharp cries of joy. And just when I worried I might be too rough, her hand clawed down my back to grip my ass and pull me in harder.
Oh fuck.
“Jesse… Jesse, say it… say it again—”
“S-say what?” she gasped.
I shivered, my body flinching from the embarrassment, but my heart rushing towards it. But I couldn’t say it.
‘Open your eyes,’
~ JESSE ~I just love you. I just love you and there’s nothing better than when you give yourself to me. It’s… beautiful.I hadn’t meant to say it, but it was there and it was true, and the bond was so deep and close, it just came out.I knew it was a terrible mistake the moment Cazz froze up. Desperation and fear rocketed through me and I held onto him, gripping him, one hand on his beautiful, square jaw, the other buried in his hair.“Don’t do it, Cazz, please,” I breathed, panicking. He didn’t move. His eyes were locked on mine and he stared like he was trying to see inside me.And he could. He could!
~ CASIMIR ~My entire body trembled as I worked to accommodate that torrent of power she’d imparted to me. My head was spinning, my heart was full, and the bond was alive. But it was overwhelming, all of it. So I shook, and I doubted and I tore in half, right down the middle of my soul.Half of me was terrified—this was exactly what I’d been warned about. Exactly what I’d feared. The closer we got, the stronger she would become. And as Alpha female, her power would draw the wolves. She fed off of me, and whatever she gained would benefit her in their eyes.It wasn’t even a matter of loyalty. They sensed it in her, and the animals within followed that kind of power w
~ CASIMIR ~ My father stared at me, power crackling and boiling in the air behind him. I rushed to soothe his suspicions, raising my hands in surrender, which was the only kind of submission he’d accept. “No, no, Dad! I just meant, that’s the hierarchy—if the male dies, the Alpha female is supposed to be the one who leads until the next Alpha takes the—” “And what do you think it does to her if she believes that’s her due? What would you do if you knew that with one step you could snap my neck and take it all fo
~ JESSE ~Cazz was gone the next morning when I woke up.When I realized he was gone, I sat quickly, heart racing. My body wanted to panic. But the moment I was awake he was in my head.'Good morning, mate.''Oh, Cazz. Thank God. I thought you'd run away again.''No, sadly I was called out of the furs by Ghere. The throne needed me. But I'll come to you as soon as I can. Are you meeting Maya this morning?''Yes.''Good.'There was a hea
~ JESSE ~Maya burst into cackling laughter when I delivered Cazz’s message—which made me giggle too, but would disappoint him, I suspected. He had wanted to piss her off.I watched her face and tried to fix the memory in my mind to share with Cazz later, because I couldn’t reach him from here in her cave—a fact that made my chest a little cold.This morning I had almost turned around and fled back to my quarters when I was halfway to Maya’s cave, because I could feel Cazz fading. But I had made myself keep going. He needed space, he was going to get it. And I would survive.He’d said the link would come back when we were closer. I just prayed he was right. And that he didn’t take
~ CASIMIR ~ When Jesse faded from the link it was a relief. And a niggling anxiety. I could still feel her, knew her to be drawing closer to Maya’s cave. But there was a fog between us now that wouldn’t let me reach her with words. Or rather she couldn’t reach me. The cold side of me could finally breathe. The warm half of my heart wanted to storm out into the tunnels and go after her, making certain that she could hear me when I got close enough. But I knew that was stupid. Of course she’d hear me again when she returned. I’d told her as much. Bonded mates didn’t lose their connections unless… unless one of them breached the bond. And neither of us was going to do that. I swallowed quickly and considered that thought and the curious feeling it spawned in my chest. Something tingly and— “Cazz?” I startled, realizing I was standing on the opposite side of the room, staring at the wall, and had completely tuned out from the discussion of the Council. I turned quickly to face the
~ JESSE ~Maya and I finished earlier than usual, which just made me jittery because I knew Cazz wasn’t going to be done with his meetings yet, and I was nervous about whether he’d retreat from me again. So I took the coward’s way out and distracted myself.I called the younger three of the females Maya had introduced to me to, and this time I wasn’t going to be distracted. I needed to choose one of them to present at the Selection.I reached for them through the mindlink, but struggled at first. I was still deep in the catacombs, walking towards the Royal tunnels, so maybe I was too far away. But after a minute, I found Reeca and even though I was struggling to hold the link, managed to communicate to her that I wanted to talk to her and Wylde and Tynker.To help me, she linked with the other two. And with all three of them in a link together, I was able to hold it more easily.‘Will you be in trouble if you leave whatever you’re doing and come visit with me right now?’ I asked them,
~ JESSE ~ Wylde’s eyes were wide and her mouth open. But Tynker was shaking her head. “Not me, please. I’m not… I don’t want a high ranking male.” I blinked. I hadn’t thought about that. I swallowed hard, frustrated with myself for putting it out there, assuming that they’d be excited. “Well, that makes that easy. I’m sorry, Tynker. I didn’t mean to push you—” “You didn’t. I think it’ s a great idea. I just… I don’t want it to be me, that’s all,” she said, putting her hands up and looking back and forth between Reeca and Wylde. I looked at Wylde uneasily. I liked her a lot, but something told me she just wasn’t ready for this. And that was going to get super awkward if Reeca also didn’t want to be chosen. But perhaps Maya would help me ready her? So I looked at Reeca, who was staring at me like I’d just shifted. “Reeca, if you have feelings for someone else and don’t want to be considered, I don’t want to push you,” I said quietly. She dropped her chin and looked down at her
~ CASIMIR ~I was pretty sure if I didn’t get inside her, I was going to eat her alive.Scooting with her in my lap, still straddling me, I got her so both my knees and her back were flat against the wall. Then I flipped open the wide, leather cuffs that had been secured directly to the wall and first lifted one of her hands, to strap it in so her hand was levered above her shoulder, but with her arm comfortably bent so she could relax. Then I did the same with her other hand on the other side.So I straddled the banana-seat, while she straddled me and her hands were secured to the wall behind her.Her breasts rose and fell with her heavy breathing, and her eyes were bright with desire.Overwhelmed again with how much thought she’d put into this, for a moment I just took her face in my hands and kissed her. But that drew us together—my cock pressing against her, and I couldn’t resist rolling my hips, teasing
~ CASIMIR ~“I made a new Den,” Jesse whispered, her hands over her mouth, staring up at me—those beautiful eyes wide, but also a little fearful. “I know it’s not the same, but I got Ghere to help me because he remembered what things you’d had before and… I hope you like it.”Like it? Was she serious?My heart was slamming against my ribs, and I was having trouble breathing.The room seemed smaller than I remembered because the walls were painted a dull black. But the tighter space than what I’d had down next to the Den just made it feel more intimate.There were two lamps, one on each end, and a chandelier high above. Candles everywhere, though she hadn’t lit mo
~ JESSE ~It was Cazz’s turn to plan the monthly date. But I was humming about this one. Things were finally ready, and impossibly, Ghere had helped me successfully pull off the surprise. But I still had to figure out how to get Cazz there without ruining it.He’d taken me out to the meadow again—my favorite date. Though we’d enjoyed several others now too—and we’d just finished eating. He was leaning back against the cab of the truck, looking out at the city lights, his brows a little heavy.“What are you thinking about?” I asked him, though I had a hunch.He had his arm around me and I was leaning on his shoulder. His hand trailed up and
~ CASIMIR ~I came out of the bathing room after a long bath rubbing my hair with a towel, to find my mate standing in the middle of the chamber with her arms folded and looking sternly at my daughter, who sat on the floor in nothing but a diaper, with her chubby legs straight out. She, too, had her arms folded and her lips pursed in the perfect reflection of her mother.The two glared at each other and half my heart went cold, while the other half wanted to splutter with laughter.“Abigail, I have told you—”“No!”Our daughter could only get her tongue around a few words so far, but
~ JESSE (a few weeks later) ~I had just finished nursing Abigail and was holding her on my lap while Reeca sat with me on the couch.Her eyes were bright and she was beginning to smile, so I was tickling her cheeks to see if I could get her to do it. But she was sleepy because she’d just eaten and only yawned and cooed.“She’s a very calm baby,” Reeca commented from the other end of the couch, smiling. She loved babies, and had been so helpful when I was tired—and just for reassurance for me.She was a calm presence in any room, and with Abigail, she showed a lot of delight and joy that she seemed to stifle in other areas of her life.“Reeca,” I said carefully, because I’d b
~ JESSE ~I was too tired to do more than lift my hands to his neck, so I just curled my face into his chest and let him settle us into the chair, cradled in his arms with my ass in his lap.When he’d sat, I had my head resting on his shoulder and my body curled in his arms.“Do you hurt?” he asked quickly.“No, just tired, like I said.”I felt him relax a little then and another chill started in my blood.“Cazz… what’s happened?” I asked quietly.He turned his head to meet my eyes and lifted his hand to comb hair back from my face. His throat bobbed, but his touch was g
~ JESSE (Hours later) ~My dreams were disturbing—my body in pain, screams of terror, darkness, the floor shaking, the mountain falling, humans fleeing and wolves…I tried to break free, tried desperately to open my eyes and to speak, because I knew I was asleep. But all I did was fade… in and out. The nightmares, or nothing.And through it all, his voice.“Heal… live.”My heart ached. My body hurt. My chest didn’t want to expand. It was as if my flesh fought his words, and I didn’t understand.But finally, the dreams faded and I could hear a heartbeat. Little, and quick. And feel warm flesh. And the breath of my m
~ CASIMIR ~I felt the moment the power went out of Jesse. The entire mountain felt it.I howled with triumph and shifted, sprinting towards the room, ecstatic when there was no sense of Maya gripping my mind or stealing anything from me. But of course, there was no power left for her to steal.I prayed and pleaded and ran, Rory and the others coming in my wake. And the moment I broke through that door in my wolf—the only power left to me anymore—everything slowed. Though my body whipped and my mind was singularly focused, it was as if everything happened in slow motion.I caught a bare glimpse of Jesse on the bed, and at first my heart leaped. She was moving, awake, aware,
~ JESSE ~Maya had me sitting up in the bed, curled forward, gripping my knees. Reeca on one side, helping prop me up, a guard on the other.My body was nothing but a conduit for pain. Wave after wave, my entire lower body condensing, contracting, pushing to get this baby out. I could barely think.Cazz was there, so quiet, so distant, but there, calling his encouragement and pushing love at me through the bond.There was a moment when I thought I wouldn’t make it, when I thought my body would give and I would just drift away.But then I caught Maya smiling. Leaning forward between my legs, reaching, grasping, for