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"Right," Matt said, listening to Bronson go on about how important the mission was. Everyone except Jameson, Nina, Rex, and Gemma had left the Ring of Fire. Those four sat in two contented pairs, sipping drinks and talking quietly. Matt wanted to be out there with Erena like that someday.
He wanted to be somewhere, anywhere, with Erena right now, but Bronson wouldn't stop talking.
"Jameson wasn't there for us when we needed him," Bronson was saying. "He's not a good alpha, and this will ensure we can gain the power we need."
"Wait," Matt said. "The power for what?"
"For staying strong," Bronson said. "We're getting the numbers, but everything could be taken from us."
Matt glanced at the clock again. He needed to end this conversation as soon as possible and get to the Cattywompus. He knew she would be there—he had watched her leave her cabin, all dolled up. He couldn't wait to meet her. He'd sit next to her, brush his arm against hers. He wasn't sure why, but he had the feeling that tonight was the night. He would convince her, one way or another, that they belonged together. It was time for her to stop fighting their attraction.
Bronson took another breath to speak, but Matt quickly said, "Look, I gotta go."
Bronson gave a huff of impatience. "I get the feeling you're not telling me everything I should know about this mission."
Matt wanted to laugh. He'd already decided he wasn't going to tell Bronson anything useful. The problem was, Bronson knew Matt could lie. Well, Bronson would either have to trust him, or not.
"There's not a lot to learn here." Matt kept his voice even. "Everything that I know, you know."
"I'm counting on it. Make sure it stays that way." Bronson hung up.
Matt looked again at the clock. Fuck. He had wanted to be at the bar half an hour ago. He dashed outside his cabin toward his SUV, passing the couples at the fire pit.
"Yeah, because Jameson's abandoning me for some university conference," Nina was saying, although her eyes were affectionate as she gazed at her mate.
Jameson laughed. "I'll just be gone for a couple of nights."
"When are you leaving?" Rex asked.
"In forty-eight hours, not that I’m counting," Nina said, frowning. "He's taking a red-eye."
"So I can spend less time traveling and more time with you," Jameson said, kissing her cheek with a loud smack.
Matt automatically made a note of Jameson's trip, before realizing that he wouldn't be sharing that information with Bronson. Now that Bronson was talking about gaining "power," Matt's gut was telling him to keep all information close, regardless of how harmless it might seem.
"Hey, lion," Rex said, "where you going?"
"Oh, leave him alone," Gemma said, squeezing Rex's hand.
Matt stiffened, but turned to the side to face Rex and the others. He wished Rex would get over whatever grudge he seemed to be holding. "I'm going into town to meet everybody else for a drink."
Rex nodded. "Be careful."
Matt nodded once, understanding that there were several layers of meaning to Rex’s words. Be careful.
With a last wave at the folks around the fire, he said, "See you guys."
He climbed into his car. While the engine warmed up, he thought about the different layers of Rex's words. Be careful on the snowy roads. Be careful who you're talking to outside of the clan. Be careful of your loyalties.
Be careful with Erena's heart.
It was that last one that Matt thought about the most. And he would be careful.
He sped all the way into town. It was a weeknight, but downtown Helene was surprisingly crowded with cars. When he finally found a parking spot, he was already cursing up a storm. He climbed out of his car, every fiber of his being intent on seeing Erena.
He didn't run down the sidewalk, but he walked as fast as he could. The sign for the Cattywompus glowed in the distance, just half a block away. He picked up his pace.
Someone stood outside on the sidewalk. Blond hair like Erena's. She shoved her hands in her coat pockets and hurried in the other direction.
"Erena!" Matt called, breaking into a jog.
The woman ignored him, but by the set of her shoulders, he knew it was Erena.
"Erena, wait!"
She didn't turn, but she stopped walking.
He caught up with her. The sidewalk wasn't too crowded—all the parked cars had made him think it would be busy, but all the people must be inside the pub. A woman sat in a bus stop shelter on the other side of the street, turning the pages of a book with her gloved fingers. There was an alley nearby, but he sent out his awareness and found it empty. They were effectively alone.
"What are you doing out here?" he asked her.
She didn't turn to face him. "Everyone else is inside. They'll be happy to see you."
"But I don't want to see everybody else," he said in frustration. "I want to see you."
"Matt, this isn't going to work." Her voice came out quiet, uncertain. "I can't do this. I can't feel things."
Understanding dawned on him when he heard the hurt in her voice. "You were waiting in there, and you thought I wasn't coming."
She shook her head. So much emotion in that one little action—he could see her pain, her feelings of rejection.
"Come here," he said, reaching for her shoulders.
He pulled her into a hug. Her body was stiff and cold. She didn't put her arms around him and she didn't lean into his warmth. It was like hugging a corpse. It was by far the worst hug he had ever given or received.
"Come on, Erena, you've got to hug me back. Just a little. That's how this works."
She gave a little huff of impatience that reminded him of Bronson. He shoved that comparison way far away to the recesses of his mind.
Erena lifted her arms and wrapped them around his waist. She was still rigid in his embrace, but this was progress.
He rubbed his hands up and down her back, soothing. Slowly, so slowly he didn't notice at first, her body started melting into his. He held her like that, waiting until he felt all of the tension ease out of her. Then he tilted his head back so he could see her face.
Some of her mascara was smudged, as if she had wiped away a tear. He felt like hell. He wanted to make her happy, dammit, not make her cry. Her deep blue eyes were downcast. He wanted her to meet his gaze, but he had already gotten a hug out of her and he didn't want to push it.
"Do you want to go in for a drink with me?" he asked. "Or I could take you home if you want."
She gave a shaky laugh and finally, finally looked up at him. Her gaze was tentative, almost shy. He couldn't read it.
"What are you feeling right now?" he whispered.
"I'm not sure," she said. Then she added, "I'm scared."
"That makes sense. I'm scared too."
They stared at each other for a long moment, their arms still wrapped around each other. The energy around them changed. Erena's gaze flicked to his mouth. He smiled. Did his mate want a kiss? He still hadn't forgotten their first kiss, that night in the Circle. He'd give anything for another.
Slowly, he dipped his head toward hers. She stood on her tiptoes to meet him. Their lips touched. Hers were warm and soft and she tasted clean, like a pure mountain river. Her vanilla scent surrounded him. Matt bunched his hands in the folds of her coat, twisting the fabric in his fists. The kiss transported him. He felt closer to her than he had ever felt to another human being in his entire life. No longer the powerless orphan, no longer the wandering liar. He was exactly where he belonged—with her.
She moaned against his mouth and the sound sent a sharp spike of need through him.
She pulled back suddenly, looking startled.
"What are you scared of?" he asked.
She looked away and shook her head.
"You can tell me," he said. "You can tell me anything."
Although he thought himself a liar, he was all honesty now.
"Fine, you really want to know?" she said, her mouth pulled down in a challenge.
"Yeah, I do," he said. He wasn't intimidated in the slightest by her hostile tone of voice. His little fox was all bark and no bite.
"Okay." She tugged her lip between her teeth. It looked like she was psyching herself up for a big reveal. "I'm scared that I want you more than you'll ever want me."
The words hung in the air. Matt could imagine them floating there. If he didn't move fast enough, the spell would break and they would all come crashing down between them.
"Oh, sweetheart," he said. He moved his hand down to her ass and yanked her against him so he could press his aching cock against her hip. "You have no idea how much I want you."
"Guys get boners all the time," she said. Her voice was tough but she was obviously flustered, her words a little breathier than normal.
So his mate needed convincing? He was up to the task. He pulled her by the hand over to the alley.
There was a doorway halfway down, the concrete stoop covered in enough snow that Matt knew the door hadn't been used in a long time. He cradled Erena's head in his hands and pressed her back until she was sandwiched between him and the wall. He leaned into her and rubbed his whiskers against her cheeks and neck, wanting to mark her with his scent. Then he took her mouth with his for another bruising kiss.
She opened to him eagerly, her tongue stroking his, her scent enveloping him. She moaned and squirmed. Her faint whimpers urged him on, encouraging him to take the kiss deeper, harder. He moved his lips down her jaw to her neck. She gasped and arched into him.
He needed to touch her skin, feel her softness. He lifted the hem of her sweater and felt the smoothness of her waist against his palm. More. He wanted more. He traveled his hand up farther until he cupped one of her breasts. She moaned and twined her leg with his. The point of her nipple was already stiff beneath his hand and he plucked it lightly between two of his fingers.
Erena's breathing was coming faster. Her body held so many delights, he hardly knew where to focus.
"More?" he asked, his voice husky.
"Yes," she said. "Everything."
It was the closest thing to surrender he would ever hear from her. He treated it like the gift it was.
He dipped his hand down to the waistband of her jeans and unfastened them.
"Right here?" Her voice was a squeak.
"Right here," he said in a dark voice. "At least, for now."
He had every intention of taking her back to his cabin and doing more wicked, dark things to her body. But right now, his mate needed release. The aroma of her desire wrapped around him as he shoved her pants down slightly, just enough to give his hand some room. He stroked a finger along the outside of her panties. They were warm and damp.
He brought his lips down to her mouth again to taste her as he shoved aside her panties and gently explored her folds. She was slick with desire and his cock ached to be inside of her. Later, though. He pressed a finger into her pussy and felt the shape of her tight, wet heat surrounding him.
"You feel so good, Erena," he whispered against her lips. "In less than an hour, I'll be inside you."
She kissed him back, her tongue tangling with his, before she pulled away and said, "Yes."
He plunged a second finger inside of her and she gasped.
At the end of the alley, a loud group of people walked past, laughing and singing. Erena froze, halting her movements, but he kept his fingers inside her, dipping in and out.
"Matt, what if they see?" she whispered.
"They'll only see a couple making out," he said. "As long as I don't make you scream too much, we'll escape notice."
Her beautiful blue eyes, nearly black in the darkness, widened. He stroked within her one more time, and her eyes closed again in ecstasy.
“I’m in this, with you,” he whispered. “It’s you and me now, Erena. What we’re doing right now—it’s not temporary.”
She gasped, shuddering around him, her body winding up for an orgasm but not quite there yet.
“We feel scared because the feelings are so big. You’re afraid of falling, aren’t you?”
“Yeah,” she said, still squirming against him.
“But sweetheart, when we fall, you and me, we’re gonna catch each other.”
He rubbed the heel of his hand against her mound, searching out her clit. When she moaned and said his name, he knew he'd been successful. He repeated the action as he thrust his fingers in and out of her tight pussy. She kissed him fiercely, lips to lips, teeth to teeth, tongue to tongue. He snaked his free hand up her shirt to pinch her nipples, alternating between one and the other. She writhed and gasped. A moment later, her entire body tensed up and she moaned loudly.
At the same time, another couple of people walked by the end of the alley. Quickly he pressed his mouth to hers to smother her sounds.
Getting her alone where he could hear every sexy noise of hers without fear of discovery—that was his new, number one goal.
He eased his finger in and out of her in time with her aftershocks until she completely melted against him. She blinked up at him, looking surprised, but sated.
Leaning down once more, he kissed her sweet mouth, then pulled back. “I meant every word that I said.”
She nodded, smiling at him shyly. “I could hear the truth.”
His heart swelled. She trusted him. It was the biggest, best gift he’d ever been given.
A couple of guys started to walk past the alley on the sidewalk. Unlike the last couple, they paused and peered into the shadows where Matt and Erena were standing. One of them gave a wolf whistle. "Get a room!"
His friend laughed before they walked on.
Matt made sure his body was blocking Erena's as he helped her straighten her jeans and re-fasten the buttons.
Looking at Erena, he smiled. "Should we? Should we do what he said and get a room?"
She grinned and reached out to slide her hand along his cock, which was painfully hard in his jeans. "Why should we get a room when I have a perfectly nice cabin?"