Chapter Thirteen

Nyla

Hours after leaving the cave, I walked out of the bathroom wrapped in nothing but a fluffy, white towel. The hotel we were staying at was nice, much nicer than I’d expected, though it was no cabin in the woods. I would have liked to wait to finalize the mating ritual until we arrived at Kian’s, but there was no time for that. My Tallan was out of control, forcing horrible visions into my head at the worst moments.

The drive so far had been long and difficult, the barrage against my mind becoming darker, scarier, and more real. The delusions were trying to steal what was left of my mind, forcing me to fight to find reality. With every mile placed between us and Deals Gap, my anxiety had increased, the terror only I could see growing worse. I’d tried to hide it, but Kian knew. After the third time I’d caught him staring at me with a worried expression on his face, he’d signed, “That’s it.” So we ended up in this grand hotel, alone, Audrey and Whit in a room down the hall. With the biggest bed I’d ever seen smack-dab in the middle of the room.

Kian sat at the edge of the bed, head in his hands. He’d taken off his shirt at some point, wearing only the jeans he’d yanked on when we’d reached the truck and he’d shifted human once more. I loved the look of him in the tight denim, adored seeing him as real and here and solid. But flaring around him like a picture on a television just out of signal range was the other Kian. The one from my delusions. The one who didn’t want me. The one who scared me.

I must have made a sound, because Kian jerked, standing when he saw me, eyes dark and wide. The bad Kian flickered, glowing bright for a second before fading behind the real one. Or at least I thought he had. I couldn’t tell anymore, couldn’t see the difference between the two at times.

But then Kian smiled, and I knew which one I had. The smile was so bright, so perfect, and the look he gave me so filled with what I could only hope was something growing toward love. That gave me the courage to move toward him. With every step, the weight of the moment grew. This was it. My mate. My one. And tonight, we’d join ourselves forever.

“Beautiful Nyla,” he signed, making me feel wanted and sexy.

But when I was two steps away from the bed, Kian flickered and held up his hands, palms out to block me, his face twisting into an angry sneer. I stumbled back, my heart leaping in my chest. No, no, no, I thought, fighting for my balance, struggling to get back to reality. But nothing changed. Smiling Kian had disappeared, leaving me with an angry man who suddenly rushed at me, hand raised. I cowered, ready for the pain, but a slap never happened. Instead, I felt strong hands on my arms, rubbing me, holding me up. Calming me as I trembled.

“Kian,” I signed when I finally found enough courage to meet his concerned eyes once more.

“The visions are getting worse,” he signed, watching me, his eyes growing dark but scared.

“Help me.” I let my hands come to rest against his skin, connecting us. He took a deep breath before nodding, bringing his face down to rub his nose along the length of mine. I mimicked him, knowing it was something his bear liked, something that seemed to calm him. And I wanted to make his bear happy, needed to. They were one and the same, two halves of a whole.

His hands slid slowly to the knot of my towel as his eyes stayed on mine. Questioning, making sure. I stared back, solid and strong, knowing this was exactly what I wanted. Proving it without words. We didn’t need them anyway. And when he tugged, when the knot came undone and the towel fell to the floor, I smiled. Ready. Willing. Wanting.

He looked me over, his eyes hot and hungry as they seemed to devour my naked body. I gave him a few seconds to look, to see me, before reaching to unfasten his jeans, pushing them down his legs. Stripping him bare. He stepped out of the worn denim, letting me see him, watching me watch him.

“When we get home,” he signed, coming closer, those eyes of his burning with desire. “I’ll spend hours loving every inch of you. But tonight…”

He didn’t finish his thought, didn’t have to. I knew as well as he did what tonight needed to be. So I stepped into his arms and turned around, my back to his chest, pulling my hair over one shoulder and exposing my neck to him.

“You’re not my first, but you’ll be my last,” I signed, turning my hands so he could see. So he knew what I wanted. “I’m yours, Kian. Mark me.”

His chest vibrated against my back as his hands came around me. One on my hip, the other clutching my breast. He licked and kissed a trail up my neck, pulling me to him. Pressing his erection into my side. Every long, hard inch of him rested against me, teasing me with what I knew was to come. What I wanted with a desperation that made me ache.

I reached down, running a finger along the length of his dick, learning the feel of him. The width and ridges. His growl must have deepened, the vibration growing stronger, making me shiver. He was like a living, breathing vibrator, and I couldn’t wait to feel that tickle all over my body.

His hand released my breast and traveled down, creeping between my legs. Fingers finding me wet for him already. Breath rushing out of him on a whoosh when he slipped between my lips.

He teased me until I could barely stand, his fingers swirling around my clit for a few strokes before sliding into me. Pumping hard. Pulling out and returning to my clit. All the while, his other hand tweaked my nipples, grabbed my breasts roughly. Worked the rest of me over. Rough yet careful, just this edge of painful. Driving me wild.

When I shook in his arms, too close to coming to do anything more than cling to him, he removed his hand from my pussy. Not missing a beat, he reached between us to line up the head of his dick with where I was hot and achy for him. Slowly, he teased me, sliding back and forth, bumping my clit on every pass. But I didn’t want teasing. I bent over, placing my hands on the mattress and spreading my legs before looking over my shoulder to give him a smile. One I hoped told him all he needed to know. That I wanted this. That I was ready for him. That I needed to be claimed by him.

He nodded, his face intense, his eyes locked with mine as he slid inside. Slowly. Inch by glorious inch. I took all of him, rocking forward when he slid deep, stretching around him until his hips were pressed firmly against mine. Until he filled me, made me ache in the best way. I reached back, grabbing his ass, keeping him tight as I rocked a little. Testing. Adjusting. And then I sighed.

His thrusts were long and deep, needful. Not rushing but speeding up with every press, directing us to where we needed to be. His hand slid down the front of me, fingers finding my clit. Stroking me. Making my orgasm come on faster, harder. And fuck, I wanted to reach that point with him. Wanted to come on his dick. Wanted to shake and shiver with him deep inside me.

I clenched my muscles around him, wanting more, needing him to give me everything. Craving his bite. He bent over my back, licked my neck, his chest rumbling as he nuzzled a particularly hot spot on my neck. As he fucked me hard enough to lift me off my toes on every thrust. Still, I pushed back against him, wanting it, trying to tell him how much I needed his mark with my body. Waiting for his teeth. For his mating bite.