“You’re mine. No one else will ever get to fuck you,” he demands as his pace becomes punishingly fast.
“Yes, I’m yours,” I whimper. “I’m only yours.”
The slap of his hips against mine becomes a raw, visceral percussion, accompanying the moans and cries that escape our lips as our bodies give each other pleasure. I push back into him, meeting his every thrust. Needing him deeper in my body, feeling him in my soul.
I glance sideways at the mirror and see us: Jackson’s toned and tanned body contrasts against my soft curves and pale skin as he pounds relentlessly against me. His wild eyes, my tangled hair, and flushed cheeks. It’s messy. It’s perfect. Watching our bodies connect; it's beautiful. Jack notices me watching and smiles devilishly.
“You like watching me fuck you, baby? You like being my perfect little slut? So fucking perfect for me,” he grunts, changing the meaning of that word completely. Making me feel like being a slut for him is a badge of honor.
“Only for you,” I moan. “No one else.”
“Oh fuck,” Jackson bellows as his movements become jerky and he fills me up with his cum. He reaches around to rub my clit while still working his fingers in my ass, pushingme into another explosive orgasm that leaves me breathless. I collapse forward, totally spent and at ease. Jack pulls me into him and kisses me softly.
“I love you, Emily,” he whispers into my ear, and my heart feels like it could burst with happiness. Rolling over to face him, I take his face in my hands. I kiss him softly but can’t stop the smile that stretches across my face.
“I love you too. I can’t believe how right this feels.”
He drops a kiss on my forehead, then my lips.
“Give me a second?” He heads into the ensuite to wash his hands and comes back with a warm washcloth. I wonder will I always feel such warmth in my chest when he looks after me.
“I need to check in on what’s happening.”
“Oh okay. I’ll be fine. Will you be back tonight?” I can’t help the lump that builds in my throat. I don’t want him to go, not because I’m not okay, but because we just said we loved each other, and I want him with me all the time. He has a duty to the pack, but this stings a little.
“Babe,” he groans and tears prick my eyes. I’m being too needy and turning him off me. “I mean by mindlink. I’m not leaving you after what you’ve gone through.”
Oh. My tears fall freely now. “But your Alpha…” I choke back a sob, struggling to understand that this is the man I’m with. Someone who is willing to put me first and prioritize my needs. The difference is so vast that I know if I had met Jackson first, there would have been no way I would have tolerated Aidan’s abuse.
“He’ll understand,” he says, cupping my cheek. “You need me right now, and the last thing I want to do is leave you on your own.”
I press my cheek to his chest, letting his heartbeat anchor me. This is what healing feels like. Not the absence of fear, but the presence of safety.
Chapter 28
Jackson
I’m completely in awe of my girl. It’s incredible how she refused to see herself as a victim. I’m so proud of her and how far she has come. So fucking proud to get to call her mine. I want nothing more than to be with her forever. My wolf huffs in agreement and I know he’s blaming me for every single second that we spent without her before I admitted to myself how much I wanted her.
She is my mate. I’m sure of it. And tomorrow we will know for sure. When she wakes on her twenty-first birthday, she will have the ability to recognize her fated mate and they her. The tingles I feel when we touch will become more intense. Her delicious scent will be stronger and clearer. A bond will develop that pulls us together like magnets, which means I will always know where she is. A bond that will only strengthen when we accept and mark each other.
She has to be my mate.
After washing up and grabbing a washcloth to clean Emily, I settle into her bed and pull her close to me. She rests her head on my chest and hooks a leg over mine. I rub my knuckles along the outside of her arm and bury my nose in her hair, anchoring myself in her scent. Emily lets out a soft sigh and I wait for her breathing to even out before letting my eyes glaze over as I reach out to Ryan through the mindlink.
I allow myself to feel again. Because Emily needs me to be strong for her, but there’s nothing I want more than to tear apart the fucker that tried to break her—tried to take what’s mine. Was going to fucking rape her. I scowl at the memory of how that fucker tried to touch what’s mine. I would hate him if he did that to any female, but the fact he did it to mine? Unbearable. My rage instantly returns to take over from the serenity I experienced only seconds ago. I want to tear him apart.
I mindlink Luca and Ryan, who inform me John Anderson is in holding, waiting for his pack elders to arrive tomorrow, when he will be subject to an Alpha challenge. “Letme in to him,” I plead through the link. “Let me hurt him. He needs to feel as scared as he made Emily feel.”
“You know I’d love to," Ryan responds, "but he’s an Alpha subject to an Alpha challenge. We need to do this the right way.”
Fuck. Is there a way to get to him before then? Knowing that he is still breathing has me and my wolf on edge and ready to do anything to get to him. It’s like I’m being torn apart between my need to be here with Emily and the need to eliminate any dangers to her.
“Just come down to my office. You need to hear this,” Ryan says through the mindlink.
“I can’t leave Emily. She can’t be alone after what happened to her. After what could have happened.”
“You need to hear this. Don’t make me come up there and alpha command you.”
