Kiernan
Kiernan could see the wheels in Carly's head turning, and not driving in a good direction. He figured he'd head it off at the pass. The way she looked down at his question just confirmed his suspicions.
"You remember Dawn, right? My friend who was weaving next to me in the booth at RenFest?" Carly said.
"I do," Kiernan said, thinking back.
Carly chewed her lip again. "She had a really, really messy divorce a couple of years ago."
"Mates don't divorce," Kiernan assured her. "I've only heard of it happening three times in the entire history of any pack."
"But are they always happy?" Carly asked.
Kiernan kissed Carly's temple. "Nobody's ever always happy, Carly."
"Right," Carly said. "My parents..."
"Your father doesn't sound like the kind of guy who makes a warm, fuzzy marriage, if that's where you're going with this," Kiernan said.
Carly snorted. "That's the understatement of the century. But you're right, that's where I was going with this. I don't know what Mom is thinking, but they're just two people cohabitating. She does domestic things. He works on the farm and reads the paper. It's like watching June and Ward Cleaver most of the time, only they barely talk to each other. And, you know, apparently my dad kills people in his spare time."
"Now now, it's not that bad," Kiernan said. "I think he probably kills people, and then farms in his spare time."
Carly's shoulders drooped under his arm, and Kiernan felt like an ass. "It was a joke," Kiernan added lamely.
"I know," Carly said. "But it wasn't funny ."
"It wasn't. I'm sorry," Kiernan said.
"Thanks for trying, though." Carly leaned her head against his shoulder. "I promised myself I'd never end up in a marriage like that."
Kiernan kissed the top of her head. "I promise you on my life, I will do everything in my power to make you happy. I'd die before making you live the kind of life you're describing."
"I believe you," Carly said. "But what if, someday, you change your mind?"
"Do you love me?" Kiernan asked.
Carly ducked her head. "That's not the point."
"That's the whole point," Kiernan said.
"It's only been four days." Carly kept looking at the ground.
Kiernan tipped her head up gently. "I know," he said, looking into her eyes. "But do you love me, anyway?"
Carly teared up, and Kiernan couldn't take it. He pushed Carly back against a birch tree and kissed her. "Babe, forget I said anything. You're right, it's too soon-"
"Yes," Carly said, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Yes. Yes I do love you."
Kiernan's heart pounded. "I love you, too."
MATE! his wolf howled.
Kiernan's fangs started to elongate, but at the same time he was telling his wolf to calm down, Carly put a hand over his mouth.
"What if love isn't enough?" she asked, searching his eyes.
"Then nothing ever will be, Babe," Kiernan said, forcing his fangs back. He licked her hand, and Carly finally smiled.
"Dawn said I should probably get a cat. But I guess I'm more of a dog girl at heart," she said.
Kiernan stumbled back dramatically, putting a hand over his chest. "Wolf. Wolf! You wound me."
Carly followed him, and was about to wrap her arms around the back of his neck, then felt the bandage and stopped at his shoulders. "So... about this mating thing..."
The look in her eyes had Kiernan cursing Alec for having taken over his house.
* * *
Carly
They didn't make it to the lake. Kiernan took Carly by the hand and hurried her down the path, then past the lodge and into the thick of the woods. Carly knew Sean was following somewhere, but she was starting to get used to his omnipresence. "I know what you're thinking," Carly panted as she fought to keep up, "and I'm pretty sure Doc would not count it as rest."
"We'll rest after," Kiernan grunted.
"Are we really going to have sex in the woods?" Carly asked.
"God, I hope so," Kiernan said. He stopped and pressed her back against another tree, smashing his lips to hers.
It was alright, because Carly was just as hungry for him. When he grabbed the waistband of her shorts, however, Carly stopped him. "Don't rip them. I have to walk back home, remember?"
Kiernan growled, but took the point and stripped her shorts off instead. He unzipped his shorts, his cock bulging out of his open fly. Miraculously, Kiernan produced a condom from his back pocket.
"Do you just carry those everywhere?" Carly giggled.
"Be prepared, that's my motto," Kiernan said with a grin.
Once the condom was on, he hiked her thighs up over his hips. Carly locked her ankles behind his back.
Carly moaned as Kiernan sank into her.
"Yes-s-s," Kiernan hissed. "God, Babe, you feel so good."
"So do you," Carly said. She clung to Kiernan's shoulders, minding the gauze and his bite.
Kiernan started to thrust, rocking her against the tree. The bark bit into her back and butt, but it wasn't painful enough for Carly to care. "Do you want me to?" Kiernan asked, nibbling a spot on Carly's left shoulder.
Carly chewed her lip. "Yes," she decided. "Yes, I want you to."
"Okay."
Expecting the bite right away, Carly squinted her eyes shut. She peeked one open when no bite came.
Kiernan was grinning at her. "I'll bite you when you come."
"Ohhh," Carly said. Of course, knowing what was ahead didn't make that particularly easy.
Kiernan was skilled and determined, however, and soon Carly was coming around him. "Kiernan!" she shouted.
Then he sank his teeth in.