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Riaz nodded. “Good. I want to see this through. We can ask for help from a teleporter when they’re … available. In the meantime, we can level the facility here—warn them away in the future, at least.”
“I agree. It’s important to send a strong message,” Cortana echoed. “The Raeths can help with the logistics.”
Shuddering faintly, Ava said, “On that lovely note, I think I’ll go do some yoga and eat a cow or something.”
“Fine.” Riaz waved her out. “Get outta here, you mangy wolf. I’d like to get back to necking with my mate.”
After she left and closed the door behind her, Cortana turned to her mate, concerned for the other woman. “Will she be okay?”
“She’ll never grow if we don’t water the seed.” A shrug. “And she’s held that seed hostage for eight centuries.”
“Good. But now, I intend to make good on your promise.”
Popping up on her toes, she pecked a kiss on his full lips, happy to see the smile spread across them in her wake. Before he set upon her with a hungry grin, she pressed one hand into his chest, conflicted. When he paused with a question in his eyes, she spoke again.
“Will you unbraid my hair?”
A strangled noise sounded in Riaz’s throat, his eyes pinching in—was that fear? Gaping like a fish, he suddenly cleared his throat in a nervous tick.
“Me?”
“Is there another wolf you’d allow to paw at me?”
Snapping his mouth closed and instantly donning an indignant expression, he shook his head forcefully before settling and studying her in earnest.
“I ... I don’t want to accidentally hurt you, Cort.”
“I trust you.” He went to protest, but Cortana cut him off. “And it doesn’t matter if you hit a tangle or snag a finger, Riaz.” Letting sincerity bleed into her voice, she implored him, “Please.”
Though hesitation lingered, he inhaled and nodded. Before she turned around, she caught sight of his expression: the man looked as though he were about to defuse a bomb. A chuckle threatened, but she caught it in her throat before it could escape and undermine the wolf’s concentration.
Careful, so very careful, he unwound the tie at the bottom, the ends nearly brushing her waist. Now free, Riaz’s fingers gently sifted through the thick brunette tresses, gradually working up from the bottom toward her scalp.
Each gentle pull caressed her scalp, sending pinpricks of pleasure racing over her skin. At no point did she resort to the fear that’d previously marred the experience, her only emotion one of contented delight.
It’d been bliss since they’d begun their lives together, eagerly jumping into this phase of their lives with both feet.
Epilogue
Much to his surprise, Riaz had discovered that his vampire temptress was indeed faster than he was. Even with his four-paw advantage, the Mistress of Shadows beat his wolf every time they challenged each other.
While the beast beneath his skin protested the perceived weakness, the man very much enjoyed it. He would continue to shorten his stride when he ran with his packmates, as any alpha would, but his daily private runs with his mate had no restriction. He could finally give in to the freedom of the sprint, the untampered speed. He hoped it was a metaphor for their lives together: she’d be there by his side through it all.
He shifted back into human form to wash off the sweat of the run, mulling through what the night would bring. These days, he had a schedule to keep. Wonders would never cease.
The way Cortana had fit into his life and that of the pack was nothing short of miraculous. She was the driving force behind innumerable improvements in the den—things he hadn’t even known could work better—and his pack was the happier for it. She complemented him perfectly. He continued to focus on the pack’s emotional balance while honoring their wolf needs, and she was right behind him with the next barbeque or an outdoor movie screening. All of it was fastidiously scheduled—and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Today, she’d put her organization skills to the test once more, meticulously arranging everything for the ceremony in just a few short hours. Though an inkling of anxiety threaded through him, Cortana had assured him that he was worthy of the undertaking.
A secret smile stretched his lips. With it being her birthday, she hadn’t planned everything. Riaz still had a few tricks up his sleeve. After his shower, he checked on his treasures once more, pretending not to hear her sneaking in behind him.
The two figures in his hands caught her attention. “My wolf!”
“Present!”
Snorting, Cortana reached around him and snagged the wolf—and the bat. The howling wolf ceramic had been intended to mirror Riaz’s mahogany count, but instead had come out a blood red color.
“I’m a bit bitter about that, Blood Queen,” jeered Riaz. “That looks way more like Gadriel than it does Fluffy.”
