Nerves pinged around inside me like a pinball machine as we walked down the dimly lit aisle of the movie theatre. Previews played up on the big screen, to give the viewers a chance to sit down with their mega-jugs of popcorn and soda and get comfortable. I was nearly ready to jump out of my skin by the time we picked a spot.

Hunter’s arm grazed mine. “Relax. I don’t bite.”

“Liar,” I whispered back, and I was rewarded with a throaty chuckle. That was the problem—I wanted him to bite me. I wanted to climb into his lap and straddle his legs and lose myself in his kisses. Instead, we were going to sit here and watch some action flick with a couple of big-name celebrities in it.

“Maybe later, if you’re good,” came his purr in my ear. I clamped my jaws tight to keep from whimpering. Had to be the hormones. Since when was I a slut, ready to jump his Alpha’s bones at any given moment? Ugh. I settled back into my seat and stuffed my mouth full of salty popcorn and forced myself to focus on the movie.

Somewhere between the car chase and the daring rescue of the heroine by the studly hero, Hunter’s fingers found their way between mine. In the darkness of the theatre, I held his hand with a goofy smile on my face the entire time.

Maybe it was the boost of confidence that came during dinner, when Hunter admitted he’d wanted to kiss me for months, but as we walked out into the cool spring evening, I was practically bouncing. I felt like a puppy going for a walk with his beloved master, dancing at the end of his leash.

We held hands all the way home. To my delight, we no sooner made it in the front door when Hunter pounced. He had me plastered against the wall in moments, tugging at my jacket and pulling on the sleeves. I gasped and squirmed out of the fabric and his hands slid up my arms, all the way to my shoulders, where he paused.

“Soren.” He leaned in close enough that I could taste the buttered popcorn on his breath.

“Touch me,” I whispered fervently, and that was exactly what he needed to hear. He took my mouth with such a passion that it stole the air from my lungs. I was left grasping at his shirt as his lips caressed mine, as his tongue delved inside to touch me in all the right ways, until I was whimpering in his grasp.

I needed. I needed so badly. I was dying for his touch, dying to feel those roughened hands against my skin, to give myself up to the only Alpha I’d ever been drawn to. We were magnets, vibrating on the same wavelength, and I would gladly surrender my body to this man.

“Hunter—” My pleas were kissed away. I squealed when Hunter bent down and scooped me off my feet. I threw my arms around his neck and clung to him until he lay me down on the mattress and caged my body with his.

My breath came dizzyingly fast and we began to shuck clothes. When we were finally skin to skin, he hovered over me with a strange expression on his face. With his lips mere inches away from mine, he asked, “Were you really a virgin?”

Heat swamped through me. I knew my face was redder than a tomato, but I quickly nodded. “Yes.”

To my surprise, Hunter looked almost sad. His brows knitted together, his forehead wrinkling as he gazed down at me. “Why didn’t you tell me? I was so rough with you. I would’ve been gentler for your first time.”

Growling my exasperation, I shoved at his shoulder. “I might be an Omega, but that doesn’t mean I’m fragile. I can handle whatever you can dish out, Mr. Big Bad Alpha.”

“That’s not what I meant,” he murmured. “I just wouldn’t have been so damn…bestial had I known.”

It was my turn to frown, because we both knew the truth. “You never would’ve slept with me had you known,” I pointed out bluntly, and Hunter scowled. “I wanted it—wanted you—and it was the best night of my life, so don’t worry about it.”

“Let me make it up to you tonight,” he said, slowly sliding his big palms up my sides. His hands came around and his calloused thumbs grazed my nipples. They rasped over the sensitive skin and I shivered. Any argument I might’ve had fluttered away like ash on the wind, because all he had to do was kiss me and I was his. “Let me love your body the way it deserves to be loved.”

He dragged wet kisses down my jaw, all the way to my ear, and began to suckle at my earlobe. I shivered beneath his touch and wrapped both legs around his hips. I needed to feel him. I dug my heels into his ass and he groaned, rutting forwards until I felt that delicious slide of our cocks rubbing together.

“Such a naughty boy,” he whispered in my ear. He pinched a nipple between two fingers and I whimpered for more. My skin was on fire, tingling all over every time his body rocked against mine. I reached down to touch him and Hunter hissed. It was such a sweet sound that I wrapped a hand around both our cocks.

“Hunter. Please.” I ached for his touch, my muscles clenching up when his hand fell between my legs to rub over my hole. My thighs fell to the sides to give him access and when his middle finger slowly pressed inside, I groaned. It wasn’t enough. Wasn’t nearly enough. “More.”

“Greedy,” he teased, but he began to thrust the digit in and out. I reached down and grabbed behind my knees, drawing my legs out of the way. “So eager, aren’t you, pup?” His voice was thick with lust. He settled behind me, and his finger was soon replaced by the tugging burn of something much bigger. “Want it?”

“Pl-Please! You’re killing me.”

“Tell me you want it,” he growled.

“God, I want it! Please, fuck me already!”

With one smooth thrust, Hunter was inside of me, filling me to the brim with his cock. All I could do was moan and grasp at his shoulders, my nails biting into his skin. Breathing in sharply, he gave me a moment to adjust to the fullness. “Oh my god…”

“You feel so damn good,” he groaned. “Been thinking about this since you left.”

“Me too.” I squeezed my eyes shut and rolled my hips to greet him, urging him on. Right now, all I wanted was to feel Hunter’s body crash into mine. I wanted him to make me his, if only for tonight.

He let out a low growl and began to drive into me, slowly at first, but building up speed until his heavy balls slapped against my ass with each wild thrust of his hips. I clung to him, panting for more, crying out his name each and every time he struck that magical spot inside me that made me see stars.

“Hunter!” I writhed beneath him, shaking with the pleasure that snaked through my soul, lighting me up from the inside. “F-Fuck!” His mouth covered mine, his kisses plundering things. He swallowed my moans as he tongue-fucked me into oblivion.

Within moments, a sizzling heat burned through my veins and I came with a shout between the sweaty press of our bodies, but he didn’t stop. If anything, he fucked into me faster, like he was trying to catch up with my runaway heartbeat. Two quick jerks of his hips and he buried in deep. With a growl of release, I felt the heat of his seed spreading deeper as his cock swelled to tie us together.

I shook, weak and completely spent. Hunter turned soft, kissing and sucking at my sweat-damp skin, holding me in the aftermath while his cock still twitched inside of me. I moaned and collapsed. Hunter shifted our bodies so that we could cuddle while he was still knotted, and I let myself enjoy that simple touch.

And in that moment, I felt hope for a future.

I felt hope for an us.