I don’t know what’s come over me, but I like it—and have zero intentions of stopping it. The compulsion to give in to this pull to Stone has reached a fever pitch and the anticipation of what comes next is just as palpable.
Especially when I can feel the blood rushing through him as I hold his erection in my hand.
The masculine lines of Stone’s body have mesmerized me since the first time I saw him and for some reason, right now, I can’t for the life of me remember why I’ve been holding myself back from touching them.
He presses his forehead to mine and groans in the sexiest way as I slowly stroke his length. The velvety feel of him in my palm and the way his breaths catch in his throat are all I need right now.
All I ever need, if I’m honest.
He’s been so patient, so conscientious, so loving…
“You don’t want to do that too much,” he warns, a predatory glint flashing in his eyes.
“And why is that?” I ask, biting the side of my lip and swirling my palm across his tip.
He bucks slightly under my touch and a shiver rolls through him as he spits out my name like a curse.
A slow grin spreads across my lips and I do it again.
Any of the thoughts that weighed on my mind moments ago have fluttered away on the breeze and I’m consumed by the urge to finally give in to the bond that’s been drawing me to Stone.
My mate.
With a growl, he reaches out, palming my breasts with warm and attentive hands and all I can think about is how much I need him inside me, not just in my hand.
I want his warm body pressed against mine and his massive cock buried inside me.
We should have done this ages ago. Should have given in to it and trusted we were strong enough to withstand it.
I could feel it.
He could feel it, too.
He was just letting me figure it all out.
I was just so worried.
Worried about rushing things.
Worried about what this would mean to the kids—to me.
Scared to death he’d hurt me if I let him in fully.
I’ve never felt anything as intense as this connection to him.
He feels like the air I’m meant to breathe.
How can that be real?
My head lolls back and I shudder from the intensity as his fingertips pinch my nipples and his tongue grazes my neck. He drags one of his hands down my body, leaving a trail of fire across my skin.
As he peppers kisses across my chest, he dips his hand between my legs, pressing a finger to my clit and drawing lazy circles against it.
God, why haven’t we been doing this all along?
A soft moan escapes my lips and I close my eyes, indulging in the moment—allowing myself to let loose and give into this alchemy.
This… fate.
He’s proven himself time after time. And it’s time I let him know how much that means to me. How much I trust him and… love him.
The thought makes my heart expand, like a star bursts from the center of my chest, and I let it consume me, giving into the heat, the promise, the need of it all.
“Fuck, I’ve wanted this moment with you for so long,” Stone murmurs, his dark eyes glazed with the same lust and love I feel consuming me.
I lean forward, pressing another kiss to his lips, needing to show him how much I want him, too. He parts his lips, allowing me to dive in and enjoy the taste of him.
My head is dizzy and my body is thrumming as I tug on him again, feeling the moisture from his arousal pool against my hand.
“Stone, I—” I begin, pulling back enough so he can see the readiness in my eyes. “I want you, too.”
His eyebrows tug inward as his fingers stop their ministrations. “Are you sure—?”
Still so caring.
“Yes, I’m sure.”
I stroke him again, a smirk floating to my lips. I’m rewarded by another growl that rumbles through him. His lower half tenses and I lift onto my toes to press my lips to his.
No more discussions.
No more questions.
No more distractions.
He settles into the kiss, opening his mouth slightly—just enough for my tongue to slip inside. I brush it against his, sweeping it across his lips and back again.
He tastes so good—smells so good. Feels so good.
I don’t know what it is—my hand or my kiss—but Stone unhinges. His emerald eyes glow—an unearthly, beautiful luminescent green and he lifts me right off of my feet.
My hand releases him and I let out a squeak of surprise despite myself.
Stone beams back, his hands gripping my ass as he positions us.
With my arms around his neck, I wrap my legs around his waist, feeling the pressure of his crown resting at my entrance—waiting for one final invite before plunging in.
His eyes lock with mine, the question again lingering there unspoken.
“Are you going to claim me, or what?” I taunt, letting the teasing tone slip through as I roll my hips, allowing the slickness between us to speak for me and how much I want this—want him.
With another low rumble, his answer is clear when his lips crush down on mine and he thrusts upward.
My eyes nearly roll back in my head as I take him in, reveling in the way he spreads me apart, filling me up in ways I’ve never been filled.
Heart, mind… body.
His strong arms surround me in the most protective, supportive way as we begin to move in tandem—slow, purposeful thrusts that gain in speed and ferocity. It’s as if now that things have started, there’s no way to slow any of it down.
Thank god for that because I want more.
I want all of him.
My fingertips weave through his hair, tugging and pulling—earning me the sexiest whimper from him against my lips.
Had I known it would be like this—had I known just how good it would feel—I would never have held out this long. Had I known I could feel his heart and his love like this, I would never have been afraid.
Without consciously deciding to do so, my head falls back and his kisses trail down my neck and to my chest as I thrust upward. His mouth pulls in one of my nipples, then he swaps to the other. The sensation rockets through me and I swear I can feel it all the way to my toes.
Somehow, he’s able to hold me, and fill me, and move in a way that feels like we’re simply two parts of a single whole. Like we were always meant to work like this—be connected this way.
He removes one hand from my ass to palm my breast again, causing a rush of sensation to roll through my entire body, lighting it up. Every place he touches—with his kisses, his hands, or his cock feels like they come alive.
I never knew I could feel like this.
So full.
Perfect.
Blissful.
On the edge of my awareness, I feel my orgasm building, but I can’t get enough. I want more—more of this sensation.
More of his body.
More of our connection.
The energy around us builds, becoming a physical thing in the space around us.
Gone is the woods, the ritual site, the altar.
In its place is a bubble of light and energy that feels meant for only us.
The bond.
It’s the bond…
Like a tangible thing, I feel the bond sealing around us, locking into place in a way that expands my definition of what it means to be whole.
“Oh my god,” Stone murmurs against my sweaty skin as he thrusts again, “you feel so good.”
Swallowing hard, I nod in agreement, somehow having lost all sense of words or how to use them.
Instead, I’m lost in the sensation of being his. Of him being mine.
Mates.
My mate.
My love.
Together we move like that, thrusting up and down, our bodies slick with sweat and our hearts weaving energy that binds us together. I feel him opening, connecting with me in a way that feels absolutely euphoric.
“God, Ella, I’m so close—” his words cut off and his legs quake beneath us. “I hope you are, too.”
I roll my hips again, feeling him penetrate deeper yet, touching a part of me that has me screaming his name.
The energy heightens, expanding and drawing in something so powerful I don’t even have a name for it.
Bond doesn’t cover it. It doesn’t even come close.
He tips his hips again and a litany of curses fall from his lips. His entire body is shaking now and I know it’s only a matter of heartbeats before…
“Fuck, Ella,” Stone cries out, his arms wrapping around my waist and pulling me against his chest.
Light bursts behind my eyelids and we both fall over the edge, succumbing to our bliss at the same time.
The bubble of light—our bond locks into place and I feel our hearts reach out for one another to seal the claim. The energy intertwines, like vines wrapping around each other. Wanting to connect and link with one another.
Only, as they connect, something peculiar happens. A strange sickly gray seeps into the brightness of our bond, casting its inky darkness across the beauty of it. It dampens the effect, making me shudder from the coldness in it.
Then, the darkness expands, causing the light to withdraw and wither back.
As much as I try to hold onto the ecstasy, the darkness causes a wave of panic to enter my awareness.
Before I know what’s happening, it takes over everything and I’m left with a heart-wrenching emptiness that leaves me stunned.
Something is wrong.
Terribly wrong.
My eyes fly open. With my hands still entwined in his hair, I find Stone looking at me as though he might be sick. His arms loosen and the energy between us shifts.
“Well, I’m so glad that’s over,” he says, his voice dripping with disdain as he drops me unceremoniously to my feet and takes a step back. “I didn’t expect it would be that bad.”