I don’t give her time to adjust.We’re both too keyed up, too needy.I fuck her like the beast I am, my hips slamming against hers as I bottom out inside her tight channel again and again.
She tightens around me with each thrust, teetering on the edge.My fingers find her clit, and as soon as I touch the little button, she goes off like a rocket.
“Abe!Don’t stop!”she screams.
“Wasn’t planning on it,” I grunt, hammering into her.
My orgasm builds, and I grit my teeth.
“Roxie!”I groan as I come.
She clings to me as my hips jerk, and I grunt as I spill my seed deep inside her.
“Mine.Mate,” I pant.
“Mine,” she says, smiling at me sleepily.
I pull out of her gently and collapse next to her on the mattress.
“Did you sleep while I was gone?”I ask.
“No, I started thinking and then was nervous for you,” she admits with a yawn.
I brush the hair out of her face.“I’m fine.We’re fine.”
“I know.I just… couldn’t turn off the bad thoughts.”
“We’ll work on that,” I promise, and she smiles softly.
When I finally gather her close, the rest of the world fades.The danger, the cult, everything.There’s only the woman in my arms… and the truth we’ve already fallen into without even trying.
Roxie settles against me, and I grin as her breathing evens out and she falls asleep.I stroke her back as my eyes grow heavy, and I follow her into slumber.
TEN
Roxie
Fernand I are sprawled across her couch, legs tangled in a blanket, mugs of tea cooling on the coffee table.It feels like the first completely normal moment we’ve had in what feels like forever.
We’ve spent the morning talking about everything—Jameson and Abe, the cult and what they could have possibly wanted from us, shifters and fated mates, our old lives in Tacoma, and the strange curveball that is fate.
“I still can’t believe it,” I admit, staring at the steam curling from my mug.“Two months ago, we were mapping out our ‘fresh start’ city list and daydreaming about apartment hunting.Now here we are.You’re mated to an overprotective bear shifter, and apparently… I am, too.”
“Nah, you have a wolf shifter,” Fern says, laughing as she sips her tea.
I roll my eyes, but I can’t hide my smile.
Fern stretches and nudges my leg with her toes.“Not what we pictured, huh?”
“Not even close.”I huff out a laugh.“I thought we’d get a studio apartment, pick up a boring admin job, maybe finally take a pottery class or something.Life would be quiet and predictable.”
“And instead, you survived a cult, got rescued by the broodiest man alive, and found a community that actually cares about you.”
I swallow.“Yeah,” I say softly.“Are you ever worried about staying here?I mean, we’re still so close to the cult.Anything could happen.”
“Jameson says we’re safe here,” Fern says firmly.“Our mates will always keep us safe.I mean, Abe would burn the world down for you.”
My heart squeezes.I already know that.That man really does care for me.He would do anything for me, and he never plays with my safety.