Yes.She wanted this.
He climbed back over her, covering her body with his own, his eyes locked onto hers the entire time. She reached for him, her fingers brushing along the heat of his rigid length, and he instinctively pressed into her touch. The subtle movement unleashed another surge of longing that rippled through her body.
Guiding her onto her back again, Kaldrek captured her mouth in a kiss so deep it made her dizzy, his hands spreading her thighs with a growing, reckless need. Evelyne gasped when he pressed against her, the feel of him overwhelming, making her ache in places she never knew could feel so empty.
“Please,” she whispered desperately.
Kaldrek moved with a gentleness that broke her heart, one hand cradling her face, the other steadying her hip.
He entered her in one slow thrust.
Though he was careful to give her time to adjust, the stretch of him was intense, and Evelyne cried out, her nails clutching at his back. Kaldrek froze, his forehead pressing against hers, like he was breathing through the desperate instinct to move. Once comfortable, she lifted her hips in silent invitation, and he met her with a kiss that stole her breath.
“You’re all right,” he murmured against her lips. “I’ve got you.”
She nodded, trembling, and he began to move inside her—slow at first, reverent, as if he were worshiping every part of her. The pleasure built steadily, her body molding to his, the bond between them humming louder and stronger. Each thrust sent a ripple of heat through her until her hands clutched at him, pulling him deeper, closer.
He groaned low in his throat, the sound vibrating through her, and then he flipped her, pulling her atop him. He gripped her hips firmly, guiding her movements and staring up at her body. She braced her palms against his chest, feeling the strength beneath her fingers as he drew her down with ravenous intensity. Her nails bit into his skin as a moan escaped her lips, lost to the rising tide of pleasure.
“You’re mine, Evelyne,” he murmured without breaking rhythm. “And I want the whole fucking world to know I’m yours.”
Understanding flooded her. Evelyne tilted his head back and sank her fangs into the strong curve of his throat, claiming him as he had claimed her.
The instant her teeth pierced his skin, Kaldrekbroke.
A roar tore from his throat, ragged, as if the bond seared through every wall he had ever built. His hands clamped down on her hips, dragging her hard against him as he drove into her with wild need. He moved without restraint now, their bond fully awakened, instinct taking over. Everythrust sent pleasure shattering through her, the movement punishing and beautiful all at once.
“Kaldrek,” she gasped, lost in the overwhelming tide of him. A warning she was close.
“Say it again,” he rasped with pure lust.
“Kaldrek,” she cried, digging her fingers further into his chest.
The pleasure coiled inside her, impossibly tight, until it finally snapped. Evelyne shattered with a moan that echoed through the tent, her body trembling violently as she came apart around him.
Kaldrek followed with a broken curse, his body stiffening, his arms crushing her against him as he poured himself into her, sealing the bond entirely.
They collapsed together, tangled, panting, shaking from its force. Evelyne lay sprawled across his chest, feeling the wild thunder of his heart beneath her cheek. His arms stayed locked around her, his fingers stroking her hair with a tenderness that made her eyes sting.
They were bound now. In blood. In body. In soul. And for the first time in her life, Evelyne knew what it meant to belong completely.
Kaldrek pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her hair. “You are everything,” he murmured against her. “So perfect. I can hardly believe you’re mine.”
“And I’m yours,” she whispered, smiling against his chest.
He let out a low hum that seemed to settle through him, his breathing slowing until the steady rise and fall of his chest lulled her toward sleep. Wrapped in his warmth, Evelyne’s eyes fluttered closed.
Tomorrow, they would begin the long journey back to Caltheris to confront the fractured pieces of the life she had left behind. Evelyne would have to face her mother and sister with painful truths in hand. And Seraphine—gods, how she had missed her. She couldn’t allow the Noskari’s corruption to reach her family. The thought of losing them to that darkness turned her stomach. She had to protect them. And she would return Cillian home, not as the shattered young man who was stolen from them, but as the wolf he was always meant to become.
Beyond that, the real war loomed.
The Noskari still lingered in the shadows, waiting and watching. Evelyne felt it deep in her bones; their hunger forblood and power had not ended with Vaelora’s death. More lives would be at risk. More battles would be fought.
They would need to find the others. The forgotten wolves, the scattered packs, the warriors still willing to stand and fight, because the real battle for their world was just beginning. And while she was grateful to have Obren and his pack by their side, she still needed to learn his true intentions. Now that vengeance had been served, what was it he truly wanted? She would speak to him—but not tonight.
Tonight, she would rest. Tonight, she would lie curled beside her mate, wrapped in his strength, knowing she would not face the coming darkness alone.
Chapter 52
