CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Trevor was glad he was already on the floor, because after hearing Beth call him her mate, he knew his knees wouldn’t support him. He held her close, reveling in the moment. He’d been half-afraid most of his life that this day would never come.
Now that it was here, he wanted to enjoy the moment…and all the moments to come. He’d found his mate, and nothing would ever be the same again. From now on, it would be his honor and privilege to look out for not just himself but her, as well. They were a pair now. A team. A partnership that superseded every other commitment in his life.
They would grow into it. Although shifters often knew when they met the person destined to be their life partner, the relationship grew and matured over time. The attraction was instant, and potent as hell, but the path to true understanding was a journey they would undertake together…for the rest of their lives.
It promised to be amazing.
And it all started right here. Right now.
Trevor pushed off from the floor, lifting Beth in his arms and depositing her on the nearby bed. She smiled at him as he set her down, her fingers tangling in his shirt and pulling him down toward her. She matched her lips to his in a kiss that was both exhilarating and new. She was claiming him as much as he was her. A partnership of equals.
They didn’t speak for long moments while their kiss went on and on. Clothes got in the way, and he made them disappear. He wasn’t conscious of his movements, only that he had to get skin to skin with his mate as quickly as possible.
His mate! She’d said it. She felt it, too, thank the Goddess.
When he had them both naked, skin to skin, he lay next to her on the wide bed, leaning over on his side so he could kiss her. He wanted to take this slow. After all, they’d just mutually acknowledged something that would change their lives forever. There was just one little thing left to put out there. He lifted his head and looked deep into her eyes.
“Just so you know… I love you, Beth.”
When Trevor declared his love so straightforward and simply, it took her breath away. Tears quickly welled behind her eyes. Tears of a happiness so profound, she wasn’t sure how to deal with it. The only thing she could think of was to return his honesty with her own.
Throwing her arms around his neck, she let the emotion of the moment rule.
“I love you, too, Trevor.” She placed kisses all over his face, wherever she could reach. “So much.”
His laughter was rich and genuine, and it touched her deeply. She felt the same bubbling joy. It was a happiness she thought she might never find, and now, here she was, with her one true mate. How had she been so blessed?
They made love slowly, cherishing every moment. At least, that’s the way it felt to Beth. Trevor had undressed her with the impatience that had been characteristic of their moments of passion up to this point, but with the declaration of love, it felt like, suddenly, they had time. Or maybe it was the resolution of Beth’s problems with Jonathan that had changed things.
Beth was much more secure now, and Trevor had played a major role in making that happen. He’d given her room to breathe by protecting her with love and care. He hadn’t stifled her in any way, and ultimately, he’d been okay with the way things had ended.
Trevor hadn’t seemed at all negative about the way she’d taken the killing shot at Jonathan when he’d been poised to injure or kill Trevor. There was no pride, no one-upmanship, no jealousy. Only concern that she was emotionally okay after the ordeal.
Trevor’s concern had been for her throughout. His ego didn’t interfere with their relationship. That was important to her because she’d grown up watching Jonathan—who was nothing but ego—destroy her mother’s spirit with his overbearing ways.
She loved the way Trevor’s strong hands felt against her most sensitive skin. He cupped her breasts in both hands as he kissed his way down her neck. Lifting her nipples toward his mouth, he spent time making sure he didn’t miss one millimeter of excited flesh in his mission to tease every part of her body.
When he had her sighing in pleasure, he moved on…slowly. Trevor seemed to be making a concentrated effort to drive her out of her ever-loving mind. It was delicious torture. And when he settled between her thighs and spread her wide, she sucked in a sharp breath as his tongue zeroed in on her clit.
“Trev!” she gasped, the sensations his tongue evoked as he used it in ways she’d never dared dream about on her most sensitive flesh making her squirm.
She could feel his lips smile against her, and that, too, was one of the most erotic moments of her life to date. Everything about Trevor was new and exciting, strange and completely fascinating.
He kissed his way back up her body, pausing here and there to whisper words of love and praise. When he reached her lips again, she sighed into his kiss as he rose over her body. He joined them together simply. Slowly. As if they had all the time in the world.
And they did. She realized they had the rest of their lives to share this incredible intimacy. All those days to learn each other and every night to spend in each other’s arms. The future—for the first time ever—looked bright, indeed.
Trevor made love to her gently, but with increasing vigor. He altered their positions multiple times, bringing her to climax over and over again before allowing her that big final orgasm in which he joined her, whispering her name and all sorts of exciting words into her ear as he thrust from behind. Somehow, they’d ended up doggy style, but she wasn’t complaining.
Trevor was proving to be a very thorough and inventive lover, and she had a lot to learn. She already knew she would enjoy each and every lesson.
Later, as they lay together in the aftermath, Trevor realized he still had a few things to clear up with Beth. He’d laid all the groundwork. Now, he needed to tell her what he’d done and make it clear to her that she didn’t have to give up her friends in the pod for him.
“You know, I had a talk with Big John today.” He broached the subject cautiously, not sure how to proceed. He’d take his cues from her responses.
She turned toward him on the bed, putting her hand across his chest and her head on his shoulder. He felt the warmth of affection blossom in his heart anew. Life with her was going to be glorious.
He just had to make sure she realized she had options. He’d spent a lot of time that afternoon trying to set things up. Now, he just had to see which way she wanted to go.
“I also talked to my commanding officer, Major Moore, back in Wyoming.”
“Really?” She yawned and snuggled closer. He forged ahead, figuring, if she fell asleep, at least he could use this as a practice run for when she woke up.
“I live there, you know. In Wyoming. But I have a sense that it wouldn’t be the ideal place for you. Any water we have is frozen a good part of the year. Of course, the skiing is great, but I get the idea you need the ocean.”
“Mm-hmm,” she agreed, nodding faintly against his chest.
“So, I asked John if I could join the guys here in Grizzly Cove, since this is where your pod is based for now, but he came up with what I think is an even better solution.” He wasn’t sure if she was still listening, but he kept talking, anyway. “Major Moore and Big John have agreed to grant me a unique sort of dual-citizenship. I’m still part of the Wraiths, and I can keep my cabin on the mountain in Wyoming for now, but we can live here in Grizzly Cove. Or we can go wherever else you want. I figure you’d like the coast. California? Or Oregon? Wherever you like.”
“I like it here,” she replied, proving she’d been listening all along. She rose up to meet his gaze. “And I love it that you put so much thought into this.” She leaned down to kiss him. “Thank you, my love.” She kissed him again. “But you should know, I would’ve gone anywhere as long as I’m with you. If you really want to stay with your friends in Wyoming, I’m okay with that. We’ll figure it out. And I really would like to learn how to ski, sometime.” She kissed him a little longer this time.
It meant the world to him that she’d been willing to give up the ocean to be with him, but he’d arranged it so she wouldn’t have to. They were both thinking of each other, which meant their relationship was off to a really good start. Love would see them through whatever issues might arise.
*
They held a birthday party for Beth a few days later, attended by all their friends. It was really a combination birthday and mating celebration. They’d gone public—to the surprise of absolutely no one in Grizzly Cove—the day after the battle, to the good wishes of all their friends.
Now that she was of legal age to inherit the property that had been left in trust for her, she was able to begin legal proceedings to fully deconstruct what Jonathan had built. The mated lawyer pair that called Grizzly Cove home—Tom and his mate, Ashley—had already begun writing up the necessary documents. There would be plenty of work for the lawyers and for Trevor, Beth and the team she was building, starting with Ezra.
It might take months—possibly even years—but they’d fix what Jonathan had broken. It was something Beth had vowed to do, regardless of how long it took. She’d also resolved to help her mother and had already sent a shifter psychologist to talk with her mother at the big house on Catalina Island. The preliminary report had confirmed Beth’s suspicions, without breaching patient confidentiality, that Beth’s mother had faced years of abuse, both physical and psychological. It was going to take time for her mother to heal, but at least she had it now. Time and space away from Jonathan and his goons.
Maybe, someday, Beth’s mother would come visit, or maybe even choose to stay in Grizzly Cove, but for now, she had her own demons to put to rest. Beth trusted the people she’d put in place to help her mother with Trevor’s help. The psychologist was someone he knew and who had worked with civilian victims of violence many times. Major Moore had a number of qualified people like that on call because he was one of the good guys, and he didn’t like to leave a trail of traumatized people in his wake.
When the Wraiths rescued someone, they truly rescued them—in every sense of the word.
That was certainly true in Beth’s case. Trevor had come into her life and rescued her from a future without him in it. A future in which she would have continued to be afraid of every little change.
Come to think of it, she probably would’ve been captured by one of those bounty hunters and sent back to Jonathan. That was no future at all, as far as she was concerned.
Instead, with Trevor in her life, Beth had finally come into her own. The problem with her stepfather had come to a head and been dealt with once and for all. Her inner predator had finally made peace with her previously wimpy human half, and not only was she in better harmony with herself, but she was in better harmony with all those around her who had put up with her whining for so very long.
Beth was well and truly rescued, and Trevor continued to be a source of love and delight in her life as they worked through the residual issues left by Jonathan’s actions. She was surrounded by friends and the man she loved more than life itself, celebrating a birthday she almost didn’t live to see, in a place she intended to call home for the foreseeable future.
Life couldn’t get much better than this.
Just as she had that thought, Trevor returned to her side and took her into her arms.
“I stand corrected,” she whispered as he swept her into a slow dance on the beach where they’d set up party lights and had music playing. Her party was for land and sea shifters alike and was taking place in a venue both groups could easily enjoy.
“What’s that, my love?” Trevor whispered near her ear as they swayed to the music.
“I was just thinking things couldn’t get any better, and then, you took me into your arms. You proved me wrong. It did get better—just because you’re here.” She reached up and kissed him gently. “I love you, my mate.”
“I love you too.”
They danced the night away under the stars, surrounded by friends in a place of peace and harmony. Grizzly Cove had made Beth’s dreams—even the ones she hadn’t really dared to dream—come true.
*
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