How else could I willingly do something so bold and possibly so stupid?
“Then tell me,” I replied, needing to hear now more than ever what I meant to him.
“Tell me what I mean to you, Arys. I need to hear you say it.”
I didn’t miss his hesitation. Lifting his head to look at me, I was shocked to see that his eyes had gone all wolf, the whites’ now solid blue. Some things about our bond, I would never get used to. The hand that held my hair loosened but didn’t let go. We faced one another with an open, raw emotion that made me feel uncomfortable and exposed.
Arys gently touched the side of my face, stroking it with an affection that stole my breath. His eyes went to my bloodied lip, and he ran his tongue sensually over his fangs.
My own curiosity was piqued. What would Arys taste like? His blood had to be overwhelming, like way too much of a good thing. How bad did I want to find out?
“Alexa, I have never been more alive in the past few centuries than I am right now, with you.” He paused, second-guessing himself, and I turned to plant an encouraging kiss in the palm of his hand where it continued to stroke my cheek. “You are the only light in my dark world. All I see … is you.”
I closed my eyes, the emotion overcoming me in its immensity. His next words came low, barely a whisper. Yet, I heard them as clearly as if they’d been shouted at me.
“I love you. I know it’s wrong, but I do. You have given back to me everything I thought I’d lost forever.” His voice carried the sound of defeat. I opened my eyes to find him staring at the floor, shame evident in his expression.
“How you feel, Arys, it’s not wrong.” I placed my hand over his, drawing it to my chest where my heart beat steadily. “And, it isn’t one sided. Arys, I-,”
“Don’t say it!” He looked up suddenly, his eyes filled with hope and fear. “Don’t say it,” he repeated, placing a finger over my lips. “You love the white wolf.”
Knocking his finger away, I rose up on tiptoes to look him directly in the eyes. “I do.
And, he has his own place within me that can never be touched by another. As do you.”
He wanted to believe me, but Arys didn’t know how to be loved any better than I had just a few months ago. I understood how hard it was to trust fully. I’d been there.
“I’ll never let Harley get his hands on you. I will kill him before he can do anything to separate us.” Arys kissed me then, a hard bruising kiss that spoke of his need for solace. His desperation was evident by the pained energy that rolled off him.
“He wants to bond me, Arys,” I managed to get out between fevered kisses. “I would rather be dead than be bound to him.”
Arys began to slide my clothing off, a simple task since I’d been lightly dressed for shape shifting. His hands caressed my stomach, sliding up to cup my br**sts firmly.
“Nobody is going to harm you, my wolf. I swear it.”
Lowering his head to my br**sts, he ran his tongue lightly over one nipple and then the next. A soft moan escaped me, and my knees went weak. His arm went around my waist, holding me up as he sucked and nibbled at my br**sts. I threaded my fingers into his soft, perfectly messy hair. He still held a tangled handful of my own long locks.
Arys’ touch held a tenderness that he’d never shown me before. It caused a tightening low in my body and a quickening of my heart. Nobody had to tell me this time would be like no other before it.
I tugged at his t-shirt until he quickly discarded it. I was already making short work of his jeans when he brushed my hair from my face and kissed me again. He pulled me down to the soft carpet, allowing me to get comfortable before slipping between my thighs. I instantly grew moist when his erection pressed against my soft folds, instinct drawing our bodies together. Yet, there was something else drawing our souls together, and seeing that love in his eyes as he leaned to run his tongue along my collarbone completely boggled my mind.
My arms went around him, and I hugged him close. I wanted to feel him on every inch of me. Arys rose up over me so that we had to stare into one another. It demanded more boldness than even I possessed. The intimate nature of it had me shaking in anticipation.
Arys grinned knowingly, and I flushed from head to toe. The embarrassment was washed away when he pressed closer, guiding his hard shaft to my entrance. I expected him to thrust into me immediately, so when he ever so slowly slid inside while pressing his lips to mine, the rush and tingle that filled me was overwhelming.