~ CASIMIR ~ All thoughts of time, the council, meetings, even the humans fell out of my head like raindrops through the leaves—falling to be trampled underfoot without notice. Jesse leaned into that kiss, her hands climbing my chest, plowing into my hair, and when I reached for her buttons, she arched into my hands and returned the favor, working quickly to get my shirt open first and stroking my chest with a sigh that sounded like relief. Her scent was rich with desire and need, drenched in thrill, but tinged with the blade edge of apprehension. Once I had her shirt open, I cupped her jaw and kissed my way down her neck, plunging one hand into her leathers and growling with approval when I found her already heated and slick for me. The moment I slid a finger against her, she sucked in a breath and hollowed her lower back to press herself into the touch with such eagerness that I chuckled, my voice deep and ragged, because my body was already demanding her. At some point I remov
~ CASIMIR ~ Home. Mate. Soul— I drew back to leave her body, but Jesse grabbed for me, never breaking the gaze. “No, Cazz! Don’t be scared!” Her eyes were wide, and fear tainted her gorgeous, rich scent. Shuddering, I bent forward, bracing one arm on the bed, grounding myself, preparing to tear out of her gaze and take back control. All the words to dismiss her rose in my throat—how dare she call me frightened? I could make her scream. I could make her beg. I could make her come over and over and over— But I still hadn’t turned away, and her beautiful eyes softened. She gasped as I drew out of her all the way because I’d intended to punish her, and seduce her. But I hesitated… Then she smiled. And I was fucked. Straightening with a broken moan in my throat, I pulled her right to the edge of the bed, held her hips and plunged into her again with a shaky cry. “Yes, Cazz! Yes!” she whispered, clinging to me as if I was life. She knew nothing. My ribs were glass, shivering an
~ CASIMIR ~We lay together for a long time in silence, both of us regaining our breaths. I prayed she was returning to her equilibrium better than I was. My body quivered with a strange joy and terror at the same time. And yet, I didn’t want to move. Didn’t want to break the spell she’d cast on me. Something flowed between us. Something that my heart ached for—and yet… I wanted to recoil from it.The tug of war was exhausting, but that just gave me more reason to stay there.I sighed heavily when she turned her head to face me and our noses almost touched. She stared at me with the same combination of joy and fear in her eyes that trembled in my chest.But as I shifted my weight so I wouldn’t crush her, a memory triggered in my mind.…laying in warm furs that stuck to the sweat on my back, her lush body under mine. Even her eyes smiled when she turned to look at me and combed the hair off my forehead with her long, elegant fingers.We both smiled. I’d never felt anything so simply, p
~ CASIMIR ~When I straightened next to the bed, she rolled to watch me, the silence between us tense and questioning.I swallowed and reached to stroke her face. I couldn’t resist, but leaned a fist on the bed and bent over to kiss her again. She held my face and kissed me like it was goodbye and before long I was panting again.With a groan I tore out of her grip, shaking my head, but being as gentle as I could, prying her fingers from my hair and giving her hands back to her.When I stood again and looked down on her, saw the whole picture of her flushed skin, mussed hair, her eyes wide and bright and locked on me… God, I almost dove back into the bed and told the Council to go fuck themselves. But the urge to do so terrified me.The tension in her made my stomach sick, so I compromised, gripping her little hand and twining our fingers.“I have to work, but...” I had to clear my throat because my voice was ragged. “How about tonight we visit the Den again?”Jesse’s head drew back q
~ JESSE ~I didn’t need a drink. Or drugs. Dancing with Cazz was intoxicating all on its own.I’d been nervous when we arrived, hanging back a little. But he didn’t let go of my hand, and he kept the bond open, offering assurances and encouragement, pulling me immediately onto the dancefloor and beginning to move.‘Keep your mental defenses high—against everyone but me,’ he sent as we walked together into that sea of feral, writhing bodies.I’d already been doing the exercises Maya had taught me while we were walking there—envisioning the high walls surrounding me, peppered with gates and doors and windows… examining all of them, making certain they were locked and barred—except for the door that was Cazz.That one I left wide open.I swallowed as we were engulfed in that ocean of wolves, but I could feel Cazz growing more relaxed. And when he pulled me to him, his hands on my back, his body rippling, and encouraged me to just put my hands on his shoulders and move with him…It only t
~ CASIMIR ~As we entered the little dungeon I turned to lock the door behind us, but pulled her up to me, so as I let go of her hand she stayed close, right at my back, her hands gripping my waist, her breasts pressing against my bare back, which was delicious and made me grip the lock bar tighter until I got it into the brackets to keep the door closed.Then I turned inside her hands to face her again.Which was when I realized she couldn’t really see. Her head was tipped up to me, but her eyes were unfocused and her scent a mix of confusion and nerves.I slapped the wall to turn on the lighting—a dim line, a band of cold, purplish light that circled the floor and silhouetted everything on the floor. But she was still staring up at me. She blinked as her vision cleared, but her nerves didn’t ease. If anything they got worse.“Cazz…”I frowned. She’d been so eager for me outside, why was she—I must have opened to her more without thinking about it, because I caught a flicker in her
~ CASIMIR ~I closed the space between us, tongue between my teeth, biting back the urge to just strip her bare and take her. There was so much opportunity here, I wanted to savor her.But while my heart pounded with anticipation, and her eyes held that heat for me, I could still scent her uneasiness, and sensed a self-consciousness in the bond that kept pulling her eyes towards the door, and made her movements stiff.A surge of frustration came, but I tamped it down, and instead kissed her, letting her feel my demand, but keeping it slow.It would be a unique challenge to compel her with skill rather than the power. To thrill her to the point that she forgot where we were, or what she was afraid of.I was up to the challenge.And so I set to my task, not breaking the kiss, but letting my hands roam all over her body, teasing, pressing, sliding, tracing lines to make her skin pebble and her small hairs rise.I listened for the moments her breathing picked up—or even better, caught and
~ JESSE ~Cazz kissed me and stroked my body for so long I did forget about the wolves outside and even where we were. By the time I was rocking my hips and starting to whimper, his breathing had grown loud and harsh.I was still in my bra and skirt. I’d felt daring going out without underwear. But the skirt was tight and ended halfway down my thighs. I’d practiced kneeling in front of the mirror, and as long as I kept my knees together, no one saw anything. But I had hoped Cazz might discover my boldness during the evening and get excited about it.He was. By the time he tore his mouth from mine and growled, “Turn around,” the skirt was already shoved halfway up to my hips.Heart pounding and need coiled in my belly, I turned, thinking he was going to take me doggy style—a thought that made me want to giggle hysterically—and I was eager for it. But when I turned around I was faced with that strange couch thing and I hesitated.It was about two feet wide and shaped kind of like a kidn
~ 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