It’s good to know that not everyone in North’s pack was awful.
I kiss his cheek as he watches the fae and shifters interacting. “I’m proud of you.”
Tiorelle commends North as well. “Shifters are formidable fighters. They’ll be quite helpful in the upcoming battle. Thank you for bringing them to us.”
Hudson suggests that he reach out to some other packs and see if they’ll help us as well. “A threat to one pack of shifters is a threat to all of us. I can’t say that they’ll all see it the way that I do. A lot of them might take Ratchet’s viewpoint and stay isolated. But it’s worth a shot.”
North agrees to go with him and they split off to see what can be done, with one of Tiorelle’s council members accompanying them to make the portals and to be a proper fae representative.
Tiorelle, King Malcolm, and I work to introduce the vampires and fae to the shifters who remain behind. The shifters seem truly eager and willing to listen and participate, which is a good thing. I’d kind of been afraid that once North and Hudson disappeared, the other shifters would get surly and uncooperative. But they’re happy to be here. It seems this has given them a strong purpose, something all shifters like to have.
North returns later in the afternoon, with shifters from some other packs accompanying him. Some of the pack leaders were more willing to listen than others, but even if the pack leader wouldn’t listen, there was always at least one other shifter in the pack who wanted to follow and help.
That gives me hope.
North looks exhausted from a day of being diplomatic, so he slips away to the hut we’re staying in.
I follow.
I know that I can’t really sneak up on him. He might not be able to shift into a wolf, but he still has heightened senses, and he can smell me and hear me no matter how quiet I try to be, so I don’t really try.
North turns to look at me as I enter the hut. “Everything good?”
“I should be asking you that. I’m not the one who just went and played ambassador for hours.” I sit down on the bed and pat the spot next to me so he can join me.
North all but collapses next to me, burying his face in my neck so he can inhale my scent. “I’m doing fine. Just tired. Lots of posturing, lots of having to be careful not to piss off any alphas, lots of just… shifter politics.”
I wrap my arm around him so that I can stroke my fingers through his dark hair. “I’m really proud of you. Seriously. I know that wasn’t easy, but you did it. Especially going back to your own pack. I really,reallydon’t like them.”
North snorts in amusement. “I don’t really like most of them either.”
“They need to appreciate you more.” I pause. “But at least you have us now.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I do.”
Silence falls for a long moment. Then I say, “I really am proud. I know that took a lot for you to do, and you didn’t want to do it.” I take a deep breath. “Everything you said about yourself to Ratchet is what I’ve always seen in you. And I know it’s what Cain and Raven see in you too. I’m just really glad that you’re able to see it in yourself now.”
North sits up. “I couldn’t have done it without you pushing me. Demanding that I stop feeling sorry for myself. I got used to thinking this way about myself, and I didn’t think there was any other option. Until you showed me differently.”
I smile helplessly. I love this man so much. How can I do anything except lean in and kiss him?
He kisses me back, his full lips possessive and firm against mine. His tongue slides over the seam of my lips, and as soon as I open for him, he delves into my mouth like he’s starving for another taste of me.
“Can never get enough of you,” he murmurs, echoing my thoughts as his hands slide down to my waist, lifting me effortlessly onto his lap.
I’m only there for a second, just long enough to grind against the growing bulge in his pants as my arms wrap around his shoulders. Then he’s moving me again, flipping our positions so that I’m on my back on the mattress, his large body draped over mine. His hips settle between my thighs, and he rolls his hips against mine with more intention now, making me gasp as his dick gives me the perfect friction against my clit.
“You’ve taught me so fucking much, baby girl.” He punctuates his words with another deep kiss, one hand sliding down my body to grip my hip. “I should thank you properly.”
I grin, lifting my head to nip at his lip as he breaks our kiss. “Hmm. What kind of ‘thank you’ did you have in mind?”
“The kind where I have you screaming my name,” he growls, and I swear I come a little bit just from the sinful promise in his voice.
“Yeah, that works for me.” I hiss out a breath as he rubs the hard length of his cock against my clit again, my head tilting back. “Shit, North…”
“I like it when you moan for me,” he says gruffly, sliding his other hand up my shirt to grope my breast. “But I told you, I want you toscreamit.”
Before I can respond to that, he grabs the hem of my shirt and shoves it up over my breasts. He tugs down the cups of my bra next, then drops his head and sucks one of my nipples into his mouth.