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“Not the water. Over there. The island.” Mitch walks to the end of the dock and points to the middle of the lake. The only light is the pale glow of the moon shining down, turning the lake into a shimmering mirror, and I follow his gaze to the small copse of trees rising from the glassy lake.
“You don’t mean…” I’m about to argue with him when a tiny flicker of light in the distance catches my attention. If I’d blinked, I’d have missed it. “How the fuck did she get out there?”
Relieved, frustrated, angry, horny. I don’t know what the fuck I am.
“The island. A safe haven for women who want to avoid the mating frenzy,” he explains, tone sympathetic as the meaning of his words land. She ran here instead of trusting me to protect her. My heart sinks.
“Has anyone explained any of this to you? Mates, the heat…” Mitch watches me closely. The stubborn set of my jaw tells him the answer. That would be a no. He nods, looking pensive as he glances out toward the island.
“I’m not supposed to know about this place, but I do. When she left in a hurry, and after what happened in the bar, I figured this was where she was going. You’ve both been acting crazy.” He gives some major side-eye, and his expression sours. I can appreciate not wanting to talk about your sister’s love life. “She’s only out there to protect you. Not because she doesn’t want you. If you go out there, there’s no turning back. She’s yours forever. So, make sure you’re certain you know what you’re doing.”
Before I can ask him more, right in front of my disbelieving eyes, he transforms into a giant bear, dipping his head once and chuffing, lumbering back into the trees.
My jaw hanging open, I watch him disappear.
This is real. This is all real.
Mine, forever.
Instead of being scary or overwhelming, it sounds perfect. Except she’s over there and I’m over here. If Belle was anything to go by, Natalie’s hurting, too. Stripping off, I pray my uncanny ability to withstand the cold is still part of me. Wading into the water, I curse. It’s freezing, but I have my mind on the prize. Diving in, I begin the swim, despite the stabbing pains of cold against my skin. In fact, I feel better. Sighting the island every few breaths, I get more and more excited the closer I get to Natalie.
Hopefully Mitch wasn’t lying to me. Otherwise, I’ll have to swim back, find him, and kill him.
CHAPTER 35
NATALIE
Eyes closed, I lie back on the bed, imagining it’s Chase between my legs and not a soft, pliable but ultimately far less interesting replacement.
The low hum of the vibrator disrupting the quiet makes it easier to forget that I’m in an isolated cabin in the middle of nowhere. Only the flickering glow of an oil lamp lights the room, basking it in warm amber light. Letting my dressing gown fall open, I welcome the cool air on my flushed skin. My exposed nipples pebble as I reach up to play with my heavy breasts.
Pressing the toy in my hands against my sensitive clit, I arch my back and rock my hips. Sighing in frustration, I position the tip a little lower, moaning as I find just the right spot. Visions of Chase between my thighs overwhelm me, and I whimper. But then it’s gone again.
It’s just not the same.
Grinding against the vibrator, I chase my release, imagining it’s my mate taunting me with his thick cock, not letting me come. Growling in exasperation, my climax stays just out of reach as I claw at the sheets with my other hand, desperate to ease the frantic need within me.
“Damn it, just let me come already! This isn’t fair,” I cry out, knowing that if I could just find my release, the ache inside me would ease. “Why are you torturing me like this?” I hate feeling out of control, completely helpless, like my body has a mind of its own. The memory of how Chase took charge and held me tight when I was overwhelmed last night settles me. I cling to the memory of him covering me from behind and holding me tight until my nervous system calmed.
Just thinking about it helps.
Bears don’t have fated mates, but wolves do. Can I not come without him now? Oh, God, I never even thought of that. I’m almost hoping it’s just Chase’s moon goddess punishing me for going speed dating.
* * *
CHASE
Dragging myself onto the shore, my teeth chatter from the frigid cold.
Every muscle is stiff from clenching against the cold and the long swim. Picking my way through the dense scrub, I’m almost glad I can’t feel my feet because I’d say this would hurt like hell otherwise.
She’s definitely here. At least Mitch wasn’t lying about that part. But that doesn’t mean she’s alone or unhurt. Concentrating hard, I listen for voices, attempt to pick up any strange scents, and probably assess the situation, but my mind is screaming at me to go find her immediately.
A circle of cabins come into view and there’s only one, the furthest to the back, that has light coming from inside, the warm glow soft. I force myself to be methodical, testing the doors on the rest of the cabins first, I check for other signs of life or recent occupation.
There’s nothing. The wet ground only shows evidence of one person trampling through here, and the heady scent trail she’s left behind leads straight to the door ahead. As I get closer, a low steady hum catches my attention, but before I can think too hard about what that is, I hear her voice.
She sounds pained and out of breath. “Damn it, just let me come already!”
