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My wolf also had something to say about Tori’s idea of being cured, and I couldn’t keep him reined in. I didn’t shift, but he slipped out enough that it wasn’t me talking anymore, but my wolf.
Grabbing Tori by her shoulders and dragging her onto our lap, we snarled at her as we pinned her to our chest. “You’re not a fucking monster. I don’t care what anybody says. You’re perfect, and you’re going to be rid of this ridiculous idea of a cure. You were born a wolf. You were made to be a wolf, and you’re absolutely not going to keep running from your wolf.”
Tori’s eyes bugged out wide. She squirmed in my lap so she wouldn’t fall, but we’d never let that happen to our mate. She was always safe with us. No matter how aggressive my wolf could be, she never had anything to fear from us.
She knew that, because someone who feared us wouldn’t get snippy while we manhandled her. “I never said I would have made that same choice now, Cujo. I said I’d have gone for it back then.”
I sniffed her neck and licked her. My wolf was so tempted to bite her. I fought him off, but the pull to claim her was eating away at the both of us.
She swatted me away from her. “You know what? Maybe I should try to free myself from being a wolf now. My inner wolf’s still half-feral most of the time. There’s no controlling her. I never want to end up losing it like your aunt, and I don’t want to hurt someone I care about. What would I do if I hurt Margo or Diana? What if I hurt you? That would destroy me.”
Her chest was heaving from the sudden outpouring of emotion, and I grew more aroused by her sassy spirit. Nothing could eliminate my fear of losing my fated mate more than Tori admitting she cared about me. It made me ecstatic and stunned my wolf enough that I could pull him back. I must have had the dopiest smile on my face.
Tori took one look at me, and her eyes widened. Quickly, she started backpedaling and sputtering nonsense. “I mean, I care about a lot of people. Platonically. It’s not a big deal, so you don’t need to look so freaking smug about it.”
I let my hands roam over her body. My dick hardened and begged to get inside my mate because for once, she’d admitted that she cared about me.
“Oh, little wolf, I’m not smug. I’m just so fucking happy that you’re returning my sentiments.” I crushed my lips to hers, pouring every inch of my being into the kiss. My soul already belonged to her, and I was ready for her to take ownership of it. “I care about you more than anything in this world.”
Tori backed away, sucking in a breath and searching my eyes to see if what I said was true. I could sense she was holding something back, so I didn’t push. I didn’t tell her I was falling in love with her—forget the falling, I was in love—and that I dreamed about our future together and everything it entailed. I didn’t tell her we were fated to be together.
It was better to soak in the moment, and I latched back onto her lips as our eyes stayed locked on each other. I didn’t say the words, but I made sure she saw them and felt them as I stroked her tongue with mine.
Within seconds, she was kissing me back fervently, and we got swept away inside each other. It was heaven, and I never wanted it to end.
Chapter48
Tori
The kisses were electric. Keeping eye contact made it all the more intimate and turned me on like I’d never believed possible.
Seeing how happy I’d made Ridge when I let it slip that I cared about him formed the most profound connection I’d ever experienced. It still made me uncomfortable to think about our inevitable ending, but I refused to lose out on my remaining time with him.
When he’d followed it up by saying he cared for me, too, my heart had soared. I couldn’t resist getting caught up in the moment. I wasn’t used to being cared about by anyone—I’d only had myself for so long—but having this gorgeous, wonderful alpha wantme, be interested inme, even after I’d shared my past with him, had me flying to the moon.
It didn’t stop the Magpies’ words from lurking in my thoughts. Ridgecouldhave anyone he wanted, and that realization made me ache because I couldn’t deny that I wanted him to want only me. I wanted this daydream of being with him to never end.
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know he’d tire of me eventually and that this fake relationship would get old and die out. I no longer needed the protection the alibi had afforded me.
I resolved to take everything I could before Ridge came to the same conclusion and called off our engagement.
Him telling me he cared for me had me needing him to care for me enthusiastically and, preferably, inside of me. Once again, I allowed myself to fall into my desire for the gorgeous alpha. It was better to seize every opportunity that came. Who knew if he’d wake up tomorrow morning and decide he was done with me? After all, he had cures, dark witches, and hunters to worry about.
I pushed all thoughts and worries into the background and focused purely on the man beneath me and the sensations we invoked in each other. Never taking my lips from his, I maneuvered my body to straddle him. I tugged on his hair to pull his head back so I could control more of the kiss, and he growled inside my mouth as his hands moved to my ass, squeezing each globe tightly, forcing me to squirm in his hold and grind against his erection that was as solid as steel. It astounded me how he was always ready for me. I shivered at the feel of his cock grinding against my pussy, soaking my panties with the evidence of my desire. Even with several layers between us, the feeling had me working my hips faster to get a proper rhythm going.
Ridge’s hands left my ass and roamed under my shirt, all over my back. His soft caresses became harder until he forced my back to arch, pushing my breasts closer to him. My breasts, heavy with desire, were bared as he expertly unsnapped my bra and moved his hands to the front, snaking his hands beneath the bra and cupping my flesh, his thumbs stroking my nipples.
Jerking, I pushed harder into his hands, inviting more of his touch. Ridge obliged, trailing kisses down the column of my neck that had me burning for him. I ground harder against his covered shaft. He growled at the sensation as I bit hard on my bottom lip.
“Fuck, Tori, like that. You feel so good. I’ll never get enough of your body and touching you.”
I let his words soak into me, then washed them away. There was too much potential for hope in them, and at that moment, I wanted the excitement of the here and now, not the worries of tomorrow.
Ridge lifted his head from my neck, and he quickly shucked his shirt off as I devoured the exquisite body before me. I kissed my way along his collarbone, briefly grazing my teeth over his nipples. The sounds that left his mouth had my core clenching and flooding with desire. He didn’t have to do anything but show me his body to bring me to my knees.
Ridge nudged me back slightly, pulling my shirt and bra over my head. My hair tickled my back when it fell across my skin. My nipples puckered into pebbles at the heated gaze Ridge devoured them with.
I couldn’t help but mirror Ridge as he licked his lips. He stared at me lustfully, soaking me in as if taking a mental picture. I could probably get off on his expressive eyes alone. I could envision what he wanted to do to me.
