Jayson didn’t return with Devin until nightfall. The mood of both men had been somber when they walked through the door. Arianna had immediately known that her situation had been the topic of discussion. Instead of returning to his condo, they visited a lake near the Caedmon village to talk.

Jayson left to hunt and to blow off some steam, leaving her in silence to contemplate her choices. Now Arianna sat alone at water’s edge, listening to the sounds of crickets and small mammals scurrying about as she lay back on the grass. The sky was clear with only a hint of clouds scattered about. The stars were in abundance tonight. They were numerous, but her choices were not.

It didn’t surprise her that she feared for her father more than herself. The consequences for breaking a nearly thirty-year-old agreement could be risky. Zeldano was known to retaliate against those who defied him. There was a long list of names on the missing persons list linked to business dealings with Zeldano.

Something jostled the bushes next to Arianna, and she pulled herself up into a sitting position. She lifted her nose to the breeze and caught the scent of sandalwood.

“Come out, Jayson.”

A black wolf emerged, majestic and glorious against the darkness. The very first time she’d seen him in wolf form; it had taken her breath away. Even now, he commanded her complete attention with his uncontainable presence. His eyes were a stormy blue, and he studied her intently.

Jayson prowled toward her and she welcomed him with open arms. His sleek, black fur had always been surprisingly soft. The more she touched him, the more she found herself unable to resist him. Even now, as she pressed her face against it. He purred and growled softly as she stroked his belly.

For what seemed like an eternity, they sat there, woman and wolf, looking out at the gleaning surface of the lake. A sharp breeze flowed across the water, and then rushed over her bare shoulders.

Arianna moved closer to her wolf, and whispered, “I sometimes wish I were born wolf instead of human. I would run free, like the wind, just as you did.”

Jayson came to stand on his hind legs and faced her.

“I feel incomplete with this wolf spirit roaming through my human veins. The same spirit that grants you the ability to shift from wolf to man and then back again at will is the same spirit that controls this drive in me to run wild and free.”

Arianna stroked the wolf’s ear, and then brought her face to settle against his.

“What does it feel like to be free?” she asked. “Free from the confines of the life you were born into? Do you even know?”

The wolf exhaled deeply and his soft nostrils flared against her face.

“I’ve decided that my fate cannot be changed. These things must happen for a reason.” Her shoulders slumped and she pressed her forehead onto his. “I’m sorry. I won’t let everyone suffer because I am selfish. This is the life I was born into. These are the laws of the Caedmon for which I must abide by.”

Jayson shifted gracefully back into human form. “What are you saying?” He pressed his lips to hers.

“You were threatened because of me. I have to fix this. I have to do it myself. Alone.”

“No.”

“Just kiss me, Jayson.”

He kissed her, caressing her lips softly between his. His tongue lingered across the seam of her mouth.

“I always return to you. If we are meant to be, we will eventually be together. Why force it?” She grasped the back of his neck and returned his kisses. “If I break this agreement, everything will end badly. I can feel it…”

“I can’t live with the knowledge of you being bonded to another.”

“It’s an arrangement only. On paper.”

“But he means to have you completely,” Jayson said. “No wolf would propose such an agreement without your exclusivity.”

“Remember what we did when we were young?” she asked. “We made an eternal promise. Don’t you remember it?”

“I do,” he whispered against her forehead. “It was how I found out that you were my true mate. It’s when I began to believe that there was such a thing.”

“We didn’t understand. We were just too young.”

They’d been inseparable back then. Like brother and sister, they did everything together. Caught fireflies, chased rabbits, climbed mountains, and jumped off cliffs. Anything and everything possible under the sun. He’d even grieved with her for months following her mother’s death. One day they declared that they would always be friends, no matter what. Jayson wanted more than an eternal promise. He wanted a blood bond. Both of them still had the raised scar from where they’d slashed through the skin on their palms. The bond seemed to satisfy them for a while, but they still had sexual urges—like most teenagers. Kissing and groping him had done nothing but leave her hot and horny. Masturbating while fantasizing about him didn’t satisfy her in the least bit. It only left her wanting more of his touch. When the attraction became too much to bear, they were left with no choice but to consummate their passion. It was the start of an explosive frenzy that never faded. One taste had never been enough.

“You will always be a part of me,” she said. “No agreement, on paper or otherwise, will change that.”

He lifted her chin and his gray gaze burned into hers. “Do you love me, Arianna? Like I love you?”

“Yes, Jayson. You are my best friend. I love you. Man and wolf.”

He took her lips in a demanding kiss, and then led her to lie down again on the grass right next to the lake. His body shifted against her and he settled on top of her, slipping his thighs between hers. He moved his mouth lower to reach her chin and slid his lips up the column of her jaw. She lifted her neck, giving him full access to explore.

His mouth fell on the unfinished mark on her shoulder and she gripped his back hard as delightful sensations ran through her. Her hips moved against him as he stroked at her skin with his tongue.

“Jayson, one more time, and then I must go…tomorrow.”

“Don’t say that.”

“An agreement on paper only…” When he pushed his hands up her thighs and under her skirt, she parted her legs, lifted her knees, and held him tightly to her.

He stroked at her core through the seat of her panties. “You’re wet already. I can almost taste your desire now.”

She moaned against his ear as he pushed the fabric aside and slid his finger through her slit. He played with her pussy, gliding his digits up and down her opening and over her clit.

Jayson gazed down at her body as he fingered her. “Your skin is so beautiful and flawless under the moonlight.”

She arched into his palm and he played her like an instrument—a guitar. He held her open gently and pumped in and out of her with skillful strokes. Suddenly, he grabbed her panties, lifted her hips, and threw the garment aside.

Jayson lowered himself between her legs and lashed at her clit while fingering her needy pussy. A sharp ripple pushed through her and her hips bucked slightly off the ground.

Arianna was on the edge, ready for release. She felt like a wanton woman with her dress bunched at her hips and her legs spread for his roving tongue and delicate fingers. Her nails pierced the ground as something twisted at her core. He worked her faster, knowing that she was near. A hungry growl erupted in his throat, and that animalistic sound alone sent her spiraling up into ecstasy. Her orgasm overtook her and sent her even higher.

He didn’t waste any time thereafter. Lifting himself to a standing position, he jerked off his shirt and pants, and settled back between her legs. His mouth was lightly parted and his fangs were clearly visible. The once calm look in his eyes was replaced with uncontrollable animal lust. She wasn’t sure who had the upper hand against her now. The man or the wolf.

Jayson cupped her ass and led his rock hard cock into her pulsing pussy. Even now, the length and girth of him shocked her. When his crown hit the back of her, she cried out and bit into his shoulder. He tasted of salt and honey, an addicting combination.

He began moving within her, opening her even further to his thick penetration.

His hand held her backside firmly and up off the ground. Each time he speared her, it took her closer and closer to another climax. She rocked her hips against him, heightening the sensation for the both of them.

Arianna could feel his cold fangs against her neck. Man and wolf struggled with each other. Both of them wanted to claim her, but one of them fought more than the other.

‘When, Arianna?’ he pleaded through telepathy.

‘Not now.’ She pulled his mouth to hers and kissed his lips sweetly. ‘Not like this.’

It was a successful decoy, but she could still feel his wolf protesting just underneath the surface of his skin.

His plunges became hard and relentless. Warm friction intensified between her legs and her clit pulsed eagerly.

This time when she came, he came with her. His seed flooded into her, uniting with her essence to create the potent mixture that sent molten ice sensations shooting throughout her. She quaked under him. He shuddered against her. Their lips touched, but they did not kiss. He pulsed within her and her pussy convulsed around him in the aftermath.

For a long moment, they remained drunk from the sexual high caused by the serum.