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Only… I’m not the first female who’s been inside of there.
Now that I don’t want to claw out Trish’s eyes every time I see her, I can kinda get past her entering Ryker’s private domain in the cabin before me. Shane’s the one who invited her in, I tell myself. I’m the first—theonly—one that Ryker’s ever invited himself.
The Luna Ceremony was purposely set up outside of the Alpha cabin so that we wouldn’t have far to go. Add that to Ryker’s obvious determination to get to the next part of the ceremony and it seems as if he’s crossed the distance in seconds. Next thing I know, he’s kicking in the front door, carrying me human bridal-style over the threshold before setting me gently on my feet.
With a quick slam, he shuts the door behind us. Just like that, he’s cut us off from the rest of the pack. It’s only me and him in here, and the weight of the significance of this moment.
A girl only gets one mating night. I’m going to enjoy every moment of it while it lasts.
From the way my new mate is watching me hungrily, I doubt it’s gonna last all that long, but that’s fine with me. Sex is just sex. Mating is just mating. Over the last two months, we’ve explored each other pretty thoroughly, though it’s exciting to know we have a lifetime to try all the kinky things I’ve been wanting to experience with him.
Tonight, though? Tonight it’s all about cementing our bond—and, when it comes to shifters, there’s only one way to do that.
Ryker’s so amped, he’s basically vibrating in place. It’s so strange to see my alpha in anything other than complete control, though I know it’s a combination of the moon’s pull on him and the aftereffects of the Alpha challenge. His desire for me is so strong, it’s almost like a thick cloud whirling around us.
I can only imagine howmyarousal is hittinghim. Considering my wolf’s bloodthirsty nature had me just about creaming myself when Ryker won his challenge, I’ve been dying to get my claws on him all throughout the first official part of the Luna Ceremony.
But instead of leading me straight to what will become another bedroom for us, he actually has the nerve to ask, “You want me to give you a tour? Show you around?”
Before I can answer, Ryker moves into me. I shiver as soon as his hands touch my bare shoulders, caressing me all the way to my wrists. I lean into him, stifling a moan when I feel his erection pulsing through his ruined pants.
He circles one of my wrists with his now-human hand, as if he needs to keep that connection. The other lifts slowly, stroking the underside of my jaw as he angles my head just so.
He nips my bottom lip. His canine fangs are extended; not as long as a vamp’s fangs, but still sharp and intimidating. The point snags, the tiny bloom of pain almost as intoxicating as Ryker’s tight groan when he darts out his tongue, lapping up the bead of blood.
“Hmm, sweetheart? What do you say? Tour? Yes or—”
“Later,” I gasp. How I manage to get eventhatout, I’ll never know.
Oh, he knows exactly what he’s doing to me, the bastard. He lets out a low chuckle, then uses the flat of his tongue to lave the edge of my jaw. “Later,” he echoes.
Grabbing me by the hand now, the tips of his claws prick my skin. I ignore it. What’s a little more blood when, if things go according to plan, I’m going to be even more marked up pretty soon?
Unlike Ryker’s personal cabin, the Alpha cabin has two floors, but the bedroom is kept on the ground level. I expected that. Most wolf cabins are set up the same way so that it’s easier to defend our territory. When I first moved to Muncie, I had to get used to the idea that I was actually on thetwentiethstory while there were times I could tell Ryker was antsy just being on the second floor of his rented townhouse.
There’s no antsiness tonight. No nerves. Only two people who have been putting this off for too, too long.
Because Ryker usually stays in his old cabin if he can help it, the bedroom is very basic and—to my relief—carries no scents other than his. There’s a wide window that lets the light of the Luna inside, a single chair, and a king-sized bed covered with a thin, white blanket. That’s all. No lamps. No dressers.
Just a bed.
Welp, when we’ve come here with only one thing on our minds, a bed’s all we need, huh?
Ryker lets go of my hand. With a smoldering look at me, then the bed, I watch as his dark gold gaze goes bright. So bright, in fact, that it’s like a pair of high-beams directed right at me.
“No going back,” he says in a low warning. “You promised.”
“I did.” Reaching behind me, I tug on the zipper of my mating dress. Another aspect of this dress that I really appreciate is how easily I can get myself in and out of it. As Ryker watches me closely, I unzip myself before letting the fabric shimmy down to drop at my ankles. “And you’re right. There’s no going back.”
Ryker swallows roughly. “Luna, do you have any idea what you fucking do to me, Gemma?”
My lips curve. “I’ve got a pretty good idea. But you’re still dressed, so how am I supposed to know for sure?”
It’s a dare. In my own way, it’s a challenge.
Of course my mate has to respond.
While I’ll want to keep my mating dress—even with the blood staining it, it’ll have sentimental value for me—Ryker doesn’t give two shits when it comes to his ruined clothes. With that calculating expression of his that I’ve actually grown to be a little fond of, he nods, then shifts completely to his wolf.
