It amused me to watch Hawk as he discovered his powers. After he’d woken up early this morning, I’d sent the others home under another cloudy sky. We were expecting rain later and clouds all day, which made me feel better about sending everyone away.
If it was cloudy, then it meant the hunter wasn’t here yet. Today, it was all about Hawk. I needed to watch him, to make sure he was adjusting. To make sure he didn’t hurt himself or someone else since he was so much stronger now.
But I didn’t plan on letting him go far anyway. I wanted him all to myself now. Now that I knew I couldn’t hurt him, I needed to be with him in every way possible.
We walked outside, our footsteps crunching lightly on the forest floor.
“I can see so much better,” he said, looking around at the trees, the sky, the animals. “And hear. Everything. It’s loud.”
I linked my fingers with his. “It is at first. Everything seems so much louder and brighter. And everyone else also seems a lot slower. You perceive things differently now. You’ll get used to it. Just take things slowly.”
“I don’t feel like I want to take things slowly. I can run faster and farther now.”
Smiling at him, I kissed his fingertips. “Which is why it’s better if you’re not around anyone else right now.”
“You think I might hurt someone?”
“No.” I stopped him and turned to face him. “I’m not worried you’ll hurt someone. I promise. I’m worried you’ll move too quickly. Do something suspicious.”
He smiled at me, a brilliant smile that touched me all the way in my heart. “Yeah, I guess I could see how that’s bad. It’s hard not to want to do everything that way. It feels natural.”
I brushed my thumb on his cheek and kissed him. “Today, it doesn’t matter. Do whatever you want. Be this new you.”
“You won’t mind?”
“Of course not.”
He kissed me softly, wrapping his arms around my neck. I relaxed into it, realizing I didn’t have to be as gentle as before. I could get carried away in my passion and he’d probably match every movement with as much power.
“I mean,” he said, lips brushing mine as he spoke, “I knew you weren’t on board with all of this before.”
“With what?” I asked, distracted. I was already picturing him naked, lying under me as I straddled him.
“With me being a vampire.”
I eased back just slightly so I could see the expression on his face. “I know I was. But we’re okay, right?”
“I’m okay,” he said, “but I want to make sure you’re okay. You gave me something—something huge—even though you didn’t want to.” He curled his fingers into my shirt at the front and looked down, giving in to a moment of vulnerability. “That’s a big deal.”
“It is a big deal. It’s a big deal because you wanted it. I want you to have what you want, but I did have reservations.”
“But you gave in anyway.”
I tipped his chin up so I could meet his eyes. “Your well-being is important to me, but so is your happiness. I knew it was hurting you knowing there wasn’t anything you could do as a human to help out in this situation. And when you said you loved me…” I kissed him softly… “I knew I wasn’t going to be able to send you away to keep you safe. The only solution was to have you here with me. Because of that, the stronger you are, the better. And that’s what you wanted.”
“It is. But it means a lot to me that you went along with it.”
“I will always try to do what’s best for you, and if it’s also what makes you happy, then we both win.”
He leaned in and slid his tongue across my lips. “I love you. I really do.”
“I know. I feel the same.” I groaned when his tongue touched mine. “I really want you right now.”
His lips curved. “Race you home.”
In a flash, he’d pulled away and started toward the house. I laughed and raced after him, high on love. And the fact that he’d said “home.” Like this was his place now. We hadn’t even talked about it, him staying or what his plan was.
But the fact that he became a vampire without a second thought said volumes about his allegiance to us. And how much he wanted to be with me.
I let him beat me to the house, because I could tell he was just as happy and high on love as I was. My heart was full of everything I knew we were going to share in the future. Everything I’d been waiting so many lifetimes for.
I stopped inside the door, searching for him. I could feel him here somewhere, like a small beacon at the back of my mind.
“I’m in here,” he called.
I followed the sound of his voice to the library, where he stood with his book in his hands. He grinned at me. “Did you really order this after you met me?”
“Yes. I wanted to know more about you. All your others are on their way.”
He smiled. “Really? So either it was that good or you’re just trying to give me a boost in royalties.”
“It was an insight into who you are. I couldn’t ask you before. I couldn’t…hell, I could hardly believe you were here. This man who I’d known as a child. A man who had been looking for me his whole life. I had no right to ask you anything, and I was struggling with myself. I…”
He set the book aside and cupped my face between his hands. “You don’t have to justify yourself to me. I know why you did what you did. You have more good in you than most humans I’ve met in my lifetime. Even if we weren’t Fated, I would have fallen in love with you anyway.”
I closed my eyes, loving the feel of his hands on me. That was one thing that hadn’t changed. How we felt when we touched.
“You’re everything to me,” I murmured.
His lips touched mine. “Then take me, right here. Let’s be together how we want now.”
My eyes came open at his words, my cock going hard. “You amaze me.”
He grinned. “The feeling is mutual.”
“Nothing is holding you back now,” he tempted me.
I yanked the hem of his shirt, hearing it rip when I pulled it from his body. He launched himself at me, mouth locking on mine. I stepped back to steady us both, my shoulder blades hitting the bookshelves. I heard a few books fall behind me but ignored them.
He pulled off my shirt as well, tossing it aside and letting his hands wander down my torso. I groaned into his mouth. I’d never wanted this so much from anyone.
“Clothes,” he panted. “I need your clothes off.”
I unbuttoned my jeans while he kissed my shoulder and my neck and then switched to the other side. My pants fell to the floor along with my boxers.
He stepped back, eyes traveling the length of my body. My cock was rock hard, curved to meet his waiting hand.
He curled his fingers around my shaft, eliciting another groan. “Hawk,” I murmured.
“I want you inside of me.”
Fuck. I almost came in his hand, I was so turned on. I tugged his pants down as well and then backed him up to the solid wood table in the middle of the room.
“Lay down,” I ordered.
He glanced behind him, eyes wide, but he obeyed, climbing on top of the table and leaning back so he was at my mercy.
“You’re beautiful,” I told him, pulling his legs to the edge. I stepped between his muscular thighs so I could bend down to kiss him.
His cock pressed against my belly, the head of it wet. He was as aroused as I was, and I knew I couldn’t hurt him now.
Hawk was mine to do whatever I wanted with, and I planned on enjoying it.