Chapter Fourteen

 

Otto clenched his fists as he sat in the armchair, trying not to let his nerves show. He’d promised Kate that everything was fine, and he’d truly believed that it was. But a shifter in Gilt Hollow could never be sure when his luck might run out. Had one of the guards said something about the vault raid? Otto clenched his fists tighter. If so, he would make good on his promise to tear them to pieces. And if anyone tried to hurt Kate, well, they would be torn to pieces as well.

Kate looked nervous, too, but once the door had creaked fully open, they both relaxed into smiles.

“Leo!” Kate said. “It’s only you. I was worried it might be…someone wanting answers about today.”

She didn’t have to explain further. They both knew what she meant by that. But Leo smiled broadly as he shut the door behind him.

“No, I don’t think anyone’s looking for any answers about today. Everyone’s angry with the wild animal handlers, and between all of the protests, I don’t think anyone has noticed that the vault here was raided. It looks like the guards are going to keep it quiet after all.”

Otto let his fists relax a little. “Good.”

“Indeed,” Leo said. “I only came up here to check on Kate. No one could tell me how she was doing.”

“I’m great,” Kate said. “A little banged up as you can see. But no major injuries.”

Leo’s smile widened. “Awesome. I’m very glad to hear it, and I also have news I think both of you will be very glad to hear.”

Otto raised a questioning eyebrow, indicating that Leo should continue.

“I just spoke with a few of the shifters who are reviewing the minutes from the vault. They’re not even ten percent into reading through them, and they’ve already found some really useful stuff.”

Otto saw Kate grin, and his own heart warmed at the sight. Her mission had been insane, but it was paying off. “What kind of stuff?” he asked.

Leo shrugged. “I don’t know exactly. But they told me that they have several ideas for how we might weaken the Gilt Hollow infrastructure. They suggested we call a resistance meeting for tonight to discuss some of those ideas. In fact, it sounds like we are going to need several meetings over the next several weeks.”

“Really?” Kate asked. “There’s that much stuff?”

“There’s that much stuff,” Leo confirmed. “It sounds like things are going to be heating up quite a bit now. Who knows: maybe I’m being overly optimistic, but I’d like to think that by next winter there might not be a need for the secret tunnel anymore. Maybe by then the shifters will be free.”

Otto opened his mouth to say that he doubted things could move so quickly, but then he changed his mind and shut his mouth again. If the last few days had taught him anything, it was that he didn’t know everything. He’d been wrong to think that successfully raiding the vault was impossible. Maybe he was also wrong to think that finding freedom within a year was impossible. He’d tried to be harshly realistic with the resistance crew, but perhaps they’d be better off with a little more hope and inspiration. Besides, Kate’s wide smile was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. He didn’t want to do anything to wipe it off her face. He opened his mouth again, but this time he decided to speak encouraging words.

“I can hardly wait to see what they’ve found. The future is looking bright, Kate. And it’s all thanks to you.”

Kate blushed in that adorable way that she did, and Leo looked at Otto in surprise. Otto shrugged and smiled at Leo.

“I know I’ve been kind of hard on Kate. But I’m not afraid to admit when I was wrong. We needed to take a big step forward in this resistance, and I’m glad she pushed for that even when I was too stubborn to listen.”

Leo grinned back at him. “You’re a good man, Otto. You’re not perfect, but you know how to admit it when you’re wrong. And no one can say you don’t care about the shifters you’re leading. I’m damn proud to have you as my leader.”

“Well I hope you’ll be damn proud to have Kate as your leader, too. She’s going to be co-captaining this thing with me from now on.”

Leo’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yes, really. I think her courage and pluckiness provides a good balance for my caution and rationality.”

Leo glanced back and forth between Otto and Kate, his face lighting up with happiness. “I think that’s a fantastic idea. You two will make an unstoppable team.”

“I hope so,” Otto said. “I hope the resistance crew itself makes an unstoppable team. It’s time to put an end to Gilt Hollow’s rule once and for all. Keep us posted on the meeting details. I can’t wait to hear what the guys have discovered in the minutes they’ve been reading.”

“Will do,” Leo said. “I’ll be in touch very soon.” Leo gave them a small salute, and then left the room.

Otto turned to Kate with a devious smile. “Now…where were we?”

 

* * *

 

Kate felt like a giant ball of emotions and nerves as Otto walked toward her bed. The last several hours had been overwhelming, and she would need time to process everything that had happened today. But one thing she didn’t need any more time to process: Otto was her lifemate. She’d been right about that from the beginning, which made her wish that she’d insisted on explaining that fact to him when he tried to pull back after they’d slept together the first time. But, on second thought, she was glad that she hadn’t. She was glad that he had been the one to finally step up and say what they both knew in their hearts to be true. There was something sexy about having a wolf of a man look in your eyes and tell you in no uncertain terms that you belong to him.

And that’s what Otto was doing right now. He was climbing onto the bed next to her, already dipping his lips toward hers.

“Mine,” he growled. And Kate did not argue.

She melted into his kiss, allowing the heat of him to sweep over her. The fire started at the point where their lips met, but it quickly blazed across her entire body. She closed her eyes and let the flames take her over. She loved the way he felt: strong and familiar, and yet exciting and electrifying all the same. She felt like she knew him, even though they hadn’t actually known each other that long. There was just something about him that made him feel like home. She figured that’s what happened when you’d been waiting your whole life for someone and they finally appeared. And she had definitely been waiting her whole life for Otto. She hadn’t known it was him, specifically, that she’d been looking for. But she’d been looking for this feeling. She’d been looking for someone worth spending the rest of her life with. And now, she had found him. Her lifemate.

He reached for her shirt, and tore it right down the center. His hunger was too great to worry about things like taking off her shirt without ruining it. He gave her bra the same rough treatment, tearing it away from her body. Then he let out another growl, and moved his lips to her breasts, taking her hard nipples in his mouth and sucking them in so hard that she cried out. He switched to using his teeth, biting down hard and sending tingling electricity radiating through her. She cried out again, screaming his name, and forgetting to care whether anyone walking by might hear her. She couldn’t think about anything right now except him, and how much she wanted him.

She was already soaked between her legs. Every touch of his hands, brush of his lips, and nibble of his teeth increased the hot desire that filled her. The first time they had made love, she’d thought it was the most amazing thing she’d ever experienced. Now, she knew she’d been wrong. This was the most amazing experience she’d ever had. Being dominated by a man who had claimed her as his lifemate, and who didn’t even try to hide how hungry he was for her. She whimpered with delight as he moved to pull off her pants and underwear, then tore off his own clothes in an impatient rush. He would have nothing to wear when he left this room, but he didn’t seem to care about that at the moment—a realization which gave Kate a fresh thrill.

She had made Otto lose his mind. He was so determined to take her that he could think of nothing else. Kate shuddered with delight as he paused to take in her naked body, his eyes roving back and forth across her curves.

“You’re perfect,” he breathed out in a husky whisper.

Kate wanted to tell him that he was the perfect one, but she was too overcome with emotion to even speak. It was true, though. Looking at his naked body, no one would have been able to deny it. His arms, legs, and abs were made of perfectly sculpted muscles. His chest and shoulders were broad and perfect. His chiseled face held just a hint of stubble. And his erection, stiff and huge, and pointing straight at her, was enough to make her swoon.

And he’s all mine.

He growled again, climbing over her so that his lips met hers again. He was on his hands and knees, straddling her body, with his rock solid erection positioned just above her dripping wet entrance. She moaned, wanting nothing more than for him to slide into her. But he, apparently, was determined to take his time.

After kissing her lips, he slid down to nibble her neck. He pulled on her earlobes with his teeth, sending happy shivers up and down her whole spine. Then he traced a line with his tongue down to her breasts, where he pulled her nipples into his mouth and teased them with his teeth, gently at first, and then harder, until she was arching her back and calling out his name. She could feel his erection, now poking against her leg as he drove her crazy with his mouth, and she let out another moan. The stress of the day melted away. Even the triumphs of the day melted away. Nothing else mattered in that moment except the fact that she was with Otto, their bodies crackling with desire for each other.

He learned quickly, paying close attention to what she liked best as he continued to explore her body. He drew a line with his tongue from her breasts down to her bellybutton, and made a little wet circle around her bellybutton with his tongue. Then he pulled back and blew on the damp lines his tongue had left, sending delightful shivers through her body. Having him here, enjoying her body to the fullest, made Kate happier than she’d ever felt before. This time was even better than the last, because this time there was more than just lust behind his actions. There was also love. There was commitment.

He is my lifemate. The thought filled Kate with so much joy that it made her heart hurt. When she’d volunteered to come over to Gilt Hollow, she’d thought that she was giving up the chance to ever find her lifemate. After all, the majority of shifters lived in Bear Hollow, and she wouldn’t be visiting Bear Hollow very much anymore. And what were the odds that one of the few shifters who lived in Gilt Hollow with her would turn out to be her lifemate?

Pretty good odds, it seemed. Her relationship with Otto had gotten off to a somewhat rocky start, but right now, she couldn’t be happier. They made a good team together, and the chemistry between them was amazing. He might have his difficult sides, but so did she. And even the things about him that had been hard to accept at first, like his seemingly too-cautious nature, were really good things. He was brave, but not foolhardy. He wanted to make sure that the shifters he cared about were taken care of, and Kate knew now that he cared for her more than for anyone else in the world.

She was damn lucky.

She felt even luckier as he continued to move his tongue down until he found the spot between her legs where she trembled for him. She was dripping wet with desire, and he growled his approval.

“You’re so wet for me,” he said, right before he thrust his tongue deep inside her. Instantly, her body was on fire. Warmth radiated from his tongue to the rest of her body, and she felt her core tightening with pressure and anticipation as he teased her most sensitive spots. His tongue moved inside her hungrily, massaging her inner walls and filling her with a deep tingling sensation.

She tried to hold back, almost embarrassed at how quickly he could bring her to the very edge of ecstasy. But it was no use trying to keep the earthquake from rushing through her. His fire burned too hot, and her body gave in within less than a minute.

“Otto!” she cried out as the heat and tingling pressure reached a climax, then exploded into a rush of tremors. Her inner muscles clenched around his tongue, and she grabbed his shoulders tightly, as though holding on for dear life. His only response was to intensify the action of his tongue as he hungrily lapped up her inner juices. She squeezed her eyes shut even tighter, and let the pleasure wash over her.

He did not relent until the tremors within her gradually ceased. Kate felt spent, but in the best possible way. Otto pulled back to look at her, his eyes burning with the heat of his desire.

“I want more,” he growled.

Kate grinned happily at him. “Then take more.”

“But are you…okay? You have a lot of scratches and wounds. I don’t want to hurt you.”

Kate’s grin widened. “I’m fine. They look much worse than they actually are. I don’t even think about them when you’re pleasuring me. Trust me.”

That was all the encouragement Otto needed. With another deep growl, he slid so that his face was right above Kate’s face, and his erection was positioned right above the spot between Kate’s legs that hadn’t fully stopped throbbing yet. She moaned as she realized that she was about to experience another wave of ecstasy. Another wave of him inside of her, but even deeper and better this time.

He paused, though, and looked into her eyes, searching. Kate wasn’t sure exactly what he was looking for, but the concern in his eyes undid her. She was sure no one had ever cared about her as deeply as he did.

“What is it?” she whispered. In the stillness of that moment, the calm before the storm, her voice sounded unnaturally loud to her.

“Nothing,” he answered back in a husky whisper of his own. “It’s just that…I love you.”

She exhaled and closed her eyes for just a moment, drinking in the beauty of those words. And then, she opened her eyes again and smiled at him. “I love you, too.”

He growled. “Mine,” he said, the fire in his eyes growing hotter.

“Yours,” she agreed.

And then, he was inside of her. She gasped as he filled her and pushed against her inner walls. Even though she had felt him before, it still surprised her how large he was. His rock solid erection reached deep into her, claiming her completely. Almost instantly, the pressure and tingling heat returned to her core, spreading out to the rest of her body like an unstoppable inferno. He moved his hips against hers with authority. He was a man who knew what he wanted, and he wanted her. Kate felt a fresh thrill at that thought. How had she gotten so lucky, that the man who had started up the resistance, the man so many shifters respected as the force behind the shifters who wanted to take down their oppressors, had chosen her?

Kate didn’t have long to contemplate the question, though, at least not right now. The pressure within her had already built to a breaking point, and with each thrust of his hips, she felt him deeper and more insistent inside of her. She could not resist any longer, and she let go once again, tumbling into her sweet release.

She cried out his name once more, but a little lower this time, almost like a prayer on her lips as a fresh earthquake overtook her. Impossibly, the heat within her body became even hotter as spasms of ecstasy rocked her from her very core. She felt herself clenching around him as he moved inside her, tremor after tremor rocking through her as she once again gave in to him.

He followed closely behind her, letting out a roar as he made one last, deep thrust into her and found his release as well. He pulsed into her, letting out a strong growl. They both held tightly to each other as they once again experienced the heat of the lifemate bond. Kate felt a sense of purpose and hope in that moment that she had never known before.

Otto and she would walk through this life together. They would make a difference for the shifters, together. And she truly believed in her heart that one day they would live free, together.

Until that moment, there was freedom in this moment, in knowing she loved and was fully loved by her wolf shifter, the most wonderful man to walk the earth.