Night Forgiven, page 12
He entered her with a steady thrust, not slow, but not rushed either, and the immediate pressure of his impressive size made her moan with satisfaction. He pulled out and pushed in again and again, working his way deeper inch by thick inch. Every rock of his hips blanked her mind, each thought dissolved by the time he drove in and claimed more of her body with his cock. She felt impossibly full and keenly stretched by the time he sank fully into her, and her arms shook with the unfamiliar sensation.
“So tight,” he said, his voice strangled. “Tight and wet and mine… all mine. Fuck. You’re mine.”
“Don’t stop,” she breathed.
He didn’t reply, but his tongue bathed her exposed neck and shoulder, hinting at the next part. She closed her eyes and grit her teeth. It wasn’t the pain that she steeled herself for, but the submission. It comforted her that the male on her back was one she truly wanted there, but the urge to fight back still burned in her.
His mouth closed along the slope where her shoulder met her neck, and then he bit down, breaking the skin. His hips moved, thrusting deep into her, asserting his dominance while she tried to think not of her metaphorical place beneath him and only on the pleasure his quick movements brought her.
The hold was symbolic, keeping her locked in place, and he’d keep her there through the act of sex and only release her once his knot had abated. It was an act of trust for her to give him not just her body—because sex wasn’t the be-all-end-all of their existence—but giving her back to him because she trusted him to protect it.
Though the act itself was one of pain, it was a promise that this would seal their bond to protect each other, and as Sierra’s body rocked with his, she felt a swell of emotion for the magic of it all.
The moon bathed them, the earth bit at her hands and knees, and through it all, she felt the whisper of the ancestors slipping through the air to bless their union. She let her mouth fall open and didn’t stifle the sounds of pleasure that trickled from her throat.
Heat spread over her, combatted only by the heat moving within her, where Viktor’s cock stroked deep and ignited her. It amazed her how he seemed to touch her everywhere she needed him to and found places that she hadn’t realized needed him. She held her breath as the pressure built and thrummed like a buzzing energy in her belly, and when she felt like her lungs would explode, she surrendered to the torrent of physical bliss in a crashing wave.
His grip tightened, but the renewed sting of claws in flesh only sent another surge of pleasure through her. He rode the wave with her, plunging deep and hard and bruising. Through the tingling euphoria, she felt him expand within her, and though her thighs shook she did her best to remain still and upright as he stilled and held himself tight against her body, his knot forming and locking them together. It was another foreign sensation to endure, her body spasming to accommodate him, but it felt more like a battle.
He shuddered, and the reverberation carried through his chest and sent a shiver through her. A low snarl followed as his hips twitched once, then his cock pulsed and emptied into her. He released his hold on her neck, threw back his head, and howled in pleasure and triumph. Had the encounter not left Sierra dazed, she would have howled too. His energy and the prickle of the moon’s magic danced on her skin like ants marching. A new wave of excitement built within her, and she felt invigorated. His knot still held them together, and he’d just filled her with his seed, but she wanted more. She now understood how a mating could last all night; she felt charged and ready to go forever.
Panting, he pulled himself from her as his knot contracted. The air hit her open wounds, and she hissed at the sharp reminder of them while her heart pounded with pride. She was officially his. The wounds would scar and not heal in the way of typical lupine injuries, as proof of the ancestors blessing their union.
Technically the mating wasn’t over, as their bond wouldn’t be cemented until she did the same and marked him, but that wouldn’t happen for hours still. She planned on holding out as long as she could and making him work for it—that was the lupine way.
The power in their bond already flowed, however. Already his strength flowed through the invisible connection and restored her. The sluggishness and lack of focus she’d had the past few days wiped away and revealed sparkling clarity of who she was, and who he was.
She slumped to her forearms for a moment, aware of the spill of his seed now trickling down her inner thighs. Goddess help her, but she wanted him to fill her until she gushed. She couldn’t explain it. She’d always wanted a family, but for whatever reason, she felt more zeal in her to start it tonight than she’d expected. She wanted it for herself, but also for him. She wanted to be a strong mate, and she wanted to give him the family he deserved.
He rolled her gently onto her back, and she smiled at the sight of him squatting beside her knees. He was massive and heaving with primal lust, and he was hers. If a human saw him like this, they’d see a beast and they’d be terrified, but she couldn’t fathom it. The lupine form was a thing of beauty, and gazing upon Viktor gave her a pang of disappointment that he had to hide this, or really, that they all did.
He caressed her from ankle to thigh, his golden gaze cast over her with a touch of something mysterious, something she chose to identify as more than mere desire—an emotion more akin to affection.
She reached her arms out to him, and he bent over to nuzzle her neck and lick the side that wasn’t sore. She dug her fingers into the thick fur of his collar and sighed.
“I want to do this every night,” she moaned.
“Don’t give me ideas.”
She bit her lip and pulled herself up so that she could bury her face in his chest and inhale his scent. It was still Viktor, but he was sweeter now. Whether that was a result of his lupine form or their mating, she couldn’t tell.
His head moved and he lapped at her breasts, his long, wide tongue covering enough ground to leave her dizzy with pleasure. Her nipples were hard and aching, as they often were when she was thoroughly aroused. The discomfort hadn’t ended with her last climax, but she guessed it was because she would need much more before her body was sated. She was a needy vixen, and she wasn’t ashamed.
“Damn,” he rumbled.
“Hmm?”
He sat back on his haunches and peered down her body. “I should have licked you before I made a mess.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’d have me suck you off after being in me and I’d taste myself, but you can’t do the same?”
He shuddered. “It’s different.”
“It’s not.”
He curled his lip. “Do you have to disagree with everything I say?”
“Only when you’re wrong.” She opened her legs and scooted so that he was between them. “Not my fault you’re wrong so often.”
Even in his lupine form, the furrow of his brow was classic Viktor, and he was unamused. He anchored her knees around his arms and lifted her bottom, and in the same motion slid his thick length into her with a forceful grunt.
She gasped as he leaned forward, bending her knees to her chest, all the while wearing a devious grin that displayed his bright canines. He pounded into her, at first filling her with the achy discomfort of being sore, but soon transforming into the consuming pleasure of being filled. Her fingers clutched at the ground for purchase against his rough onslaught, and dried leaves and bits of wood pricked her palms.
The urgency in his thrusts matched her own, a conflicting blend of wanting the act to go on forever versus frantic need. She whimpered as the pleasure built, not into the fiery inferno like before, but something desperate and clawing to escape. Her heart galloped to keep up with her quick breathing, or so it felt. There seemed to be a race inside her, and though it made no sense, she had to see it to the end.
She cried out as his knot formed again, and the pressure against her inner walls sent a shudder through her that found the tangled thread of her climax and tugged it loose. It swept through her, chasing each nerve ending, turning her limbs to jelly. Viktor cradled her close.
“Again,” he growled.
It took her a moment to catch her breath. His knot held them together, though she could barely feel her legs. “I know.”
“If you need a break…”
“No,” she murmured. “I can keep up with you, Viktor Fekete. You’ve met your match.”
* * *
Sierra’s breath appeared as tiny clouds piercing the cold night. She was exhausted on so many levels, but she had enough energy to hold on as she rode Viktor to yet another climax. He held her waist possessively as she shook and he pumped and spilled into her once again. She’d lost count. Not that she needed to count. The night went as long as she needed before her wolf would rise up and still him.
She traced her fingernails across his wide chest and realized that at some point she’d partially shifted, and her hands were now tipped in dark claws. She understood the sign for what it was and went to repeat the action—only this time hard enough to break his skin—but she froze.
Her claws pressed into his skin, but as the euphoria of her climax broke and dissolved, the rational side of her mind woke. She kept her eyes open and trained on him, but that couldn’t stop her memory from playing back the last time she’d held her claws out like this.
Everything went dark and red.
“Sierra.”
Her name from his lips shook her loose, but she still stared and couldn’t move.
“What’s wrong?”
She trembled, unable to voice what kept her paralyzed. She opened her mouth as if the action would force out an explanation, but there was nothing to say. She didn’t know how to tell him and now didn’t seem the right time to dive into the twisted chasm of her turmoil.
He cupped her cheek in his left hand. “Hey.”
She leaned into him instinctively. “I can’t—can’t—hurt…”
Viktor narrowed his eyes, and he seemed to understand her meaning despite her inability to explain it all. He drew in a breath and exhaled slowly. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not,” she rasped.
“This is our way.”
“But I…” She frowned, and though her lips moved, nothing came out.
He moved beneath her, lifting himself upright until he sat up with her in his lap. He was still inside her, but though she registered this, it didn’t change the chaos within her heart.
“You aren’t a monster,” he said carefully.
“What?”
“You aren’t doing this to hurt me. You’re doing it to claim me. To complete our bond and join us forever. This isn’t pain, this isn’t violence; this is simply our way.” He reached out and touched her neck, where his bite still stung. “The ancestors are watching. Make them proud.”
She gave a nod and pushed the bloody memories away, rejecting the regret and anger that swirled within her to focus only on him. On Viktor. On her mate.
She poised her claws high on his chest. These marks were supposed to be given in the heat of passion so that the pleasure of sex would take the edge off, but she’d ruined that. She bit her lip, clenched her eyes, and raked her hands down.
He snarled under his breath, then lifted her face with two fingers beneath her chin. He released a howl, and she followed along, though her human throat couldn’t quite master the sound, nor convey the glorious emotion fueling it.
He held her for some time then. She lost track of whether it was seconds or minutes or hours. Eventually he softened and slid from inside her and released his shift to return to his human form, but continued to hold her against his body. His warm hands rubbed up and down her back, her sides, her arms. He cupped her face and kissed her forehead, nose, and lips, each press a searing reminder of their new bond.
As her grief subsided and the feel of blood beneath her nails became less distressing, Sierra wondered if she’d somehow cheated fate and gotten something she didn’t deserve. But she refused to allow that thought to linger. It was too soon after their joining for her to be sinking into guilt.
That notion of fate stuck with her, though. Lupine weren’t fated anything. They lived by choices and consequence, and few believed that there was a greater power moving them like pieces on a board. She and Viktor, however, felt right. Even if everything had come together under the worst circumstances, their mating felt meant to be.
“Are you hungry?” he asked, combing his fingers through her tangled hair.
At the question, her stomach growled. “I suppose I could eat.”
She crawled from his embrace and stood, a bit ashamed to have required him in such a comforting manner, but set on not chastising herself for it—at least for the moment. He was her mate. The action could have been seen as a weakness otherwise.
The coals had died, but as Viktor carved a strip of darkened flesh, the scent of the deer sweetened the air and she knew she’d eat her fill—raw or not, cold or not.
It wasn’t raw, however, and it was tender and surprisingly warm given the chill in the air.
“How did you learn to do all of this?” she asked after she’d quickly devoured her first portion.
“I was taught.”
“Obviously. But by who? Ian?”
He laughed. “Ian? No. Ian’s a tough bastard ,but a teacher he is not. My dad taught Mikos and me to do things like this.”
“That’s nice. I would’ve liked to have learned helpful skills,” she mused. “Kalle got to do all the interesting things.”
“And what did you learn?”
“Cooking is really about it,” she admitted. “I wasn’t kidding when I told you that in my old pack, I was just meant to mate and bear children. I can run a household, which is a skill, true, but it doesn’t help me when I’m out in the woods by myself.”
He tsked. “I can teach you anything you’d like. I’m surprised you never asked, though.”
“I have a history of being a bad student.” She tilted her head. “At least, that’s what Kalle said. I think it was a combination of him being a terrible teacher to me and me being a brat, though. He was patient with everyone else, but with me… we’d always end up butting heads.”
Viktor grinned. “I know how that goes. It’s not easy being the older brother, trust me.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but caught herself. She’d almost commented on how he’d make a great dad, and how she looked forward to seeing him teach their pups. She believed the statement but wasn’t sure how he’d handle it. It seemed too soon. He’d need time to adapt. Their decision to mate had happened quickly, after all. It could be years before he wanted children, even though she wanted them as soon as possible.
Kalle would be an amazing uncle too. They just needed to find him.
Viktor ate quietly beside her, staring out into the night. She looked at his chest and at the marks she’d left, and her heart swelled at the sight. It was so strange, though. This had to be the most awkward post-mating conversation ever. Any other couple would be professing their love for each other, or planning for the future, or still holding each other and snuggling until they slept.
“Thank you,” she said to kill the silence.
He glanced at her. “You don’t have to thank me.”
She had a hard time deciphering his meaning, but then again, she wasn’t sure what she was thanking him for. Was it for the meal? For taking care of her this entire time? For mating her to save her life? For everything?
Goddess only knew. Sierra’s mind was a jumble. Maybe he couldn’t tell what she meant either.
“Was it good?” he asked.
She blanked. Again the ambiguity stretched between them. He could have been referring to the deer, but maybe he meant the actual mating, which was far from good—it had been marvelous.
She stared out into the night. Her vision was sharper than it had been before, and the core of her—her heart, her soul—felt stronger. The wolf moon would be the true test, but she felt nearly invincible. It was a cold night as it always was, but a fire burned within her. A fire he’d given her, and one she had to not think too hard on because she felt like she’d stolen it.
“Everything you do is amazing,” she said finally. Her tone lacked enthusiasm, but only because it seemed she was stating an unremarkable, obvious fact.
“I see,” he said. Something about his expression worried her, and he stared up at the moon as he continued, “I don’t know whether I should be grateful for that, or if I should wonder if I’ll forever be pulling teeth to get a compliment from you.”
“Why do you need them?” she asked.
“Why do you?” he snapped.
She frowned. “What do you—”
“I’m sorry. I’m just tired, I guess,” he said.
The lingering heat and comfort of their mating session kept her from being riled, and for a moment she felt hurt and confused, but she didn’t want to look too closely at his sharp tone.
“I’m just surprised you need me to tell you what you already know,” she reasoned. “I honestly assumed you’d be tired of any sort of praise by this stage in your life. You’ve grown up being the golden wolf.”
His brow arched, but he didn’t reply, and she didn’t poke at him to continue the strange turn of conversation.
They continued to eat in silence, and after they’d stuffed themselves, worked together to clean things up before curling up to sleep. They’d always slept rather far apart, but though they hadn’t discussed it, tonight Viktor lay behind Sierra and pulled her back to his chest.
She was thoroughly exhausted by the time they lay down and didn’t think too hard about it, though it certainly triggered a sweet tumble in her gut. She was too sleepy to overanalyze, however. Viktor’s breath on the back of her neck sent her into a deep slumber. It had been some time since she’d slept without the stress of her impending doom weighing heavy on her, and her spirit now felt light and free.
21
The next day passed like most of the previous days, as did the one after that. Sierra wasn’t sure what she’d expected, yet when nothing outwardly changed between them despite the massive change in their relationship, a low rumble of resentment burned in her gut.
