Twelve years. Twelve years. Myrddin had taken twelve fucking years. My son’s childhood. Twelve years of my marriage, of love between us. Gray was gone because I’d been trapped.
Olivia. He’d taken my best friend.
He’d killed people I knew, people who had lives and loves and should have had more of both. All gone because one wizard wanted power.
He’d scattered our families to the winds without a care for any of us.
I started to fall but Trent was there before I could hit the ground. His big arms went around me and through my wracking sobs, I could smell him. That woodsy, wolfy smell that felt safe, that brought me home, hit my soul, and I wrapped myself around him.
“I’m so sorry.” I was sorry I’d gone into that painting, sorry I’d spent the four days I’d been on the outer planes not thinking much about him. That was the worst. I’d practically viewed it as nothing more than a job. I’d felt inconvenienced, while his world had been turned upside down and he’d lost everything.
He squeezed me so tight. “I missed you. I missed you every second of every day for twelve years, Kelsey. But you’re here now. Fuck it all, you’re here. It’s okay now, baby. You howl all you need to. We’re alone. No one else can see you. Let it all out.”
He understood that I couldn’t lose it in front of our son. I couldn’t let my pain out because it might drown me, and I was a creature who could take the whole world down with her. I’d needed to stay calm until he was here with me, until my mate could hold me and ease me.
I screamed my pain. I shouted and sobbed and let my wolf howl.
At some point, Trent picked me up and carried me back to the cabin, cradling me to his strong chest while I shuddered with an odd relief.
I could breathe again because he was here and whole, and we could make things right. We could do so much as long as we were together, this man and I.
He carried me across the yard, up the steps and into the small cabin. When he set me on my feet, he kissed my forehead. “I’ll get you a beer.”
I shook my head. It was a good bet that I would want something to drink, but that would have to wait. “I can’t.”
I hadn’t told him, had asked Fenrir and the others not to tell him. This was a moment between the two of us.
It should have been between the three of us.
His expression shuttered as though he was trying to figure out how the world had shifted and I didn’t want a beer. Then his hands came up to my shoulders. “Holy shit, it worked. Baby, are you pregnant? Did Quinn verify it?”
I nodded and those tears were back in my eyes. I wasn’t used to crying this much, and not for such complex reasons. Those tears were both anger and sorrow and relief and joy. Even in this horror, I found some joy. “Yes, and it’s a boy. Trent, you know…”
He shook his head. “He’s ours. Yours and mine and Gray’s. Come here. I wanted to give you time, but I have to…I have to kiss you, Kelsey. I have to hold you.”
He needed to do more than that. “I’m not a delicate princess, Wilcox. I’m a wolf, and I need my mate. I was told you managed to turn down a couple of good shots. I need to show you why you waited.”
His eyes immediately went dark, and a low growl came from the back of his throat. “That sounds like Lee. Fenrir would understand there were no fucking shots to be taken. There is one woman in all the planes for me. One.”
His mouth came down on mine, and the world seemed to melt away.
There was no horror in this place. Nothing but him.
Somehow he found his way to a bed. I dropped my backpack close. Even in this intimate moment I didn’t want the book too far away.
My clothes came off, some of them in a way that would be hard to wear them again unless Trent was handy with a needle. He kind of ripped them off, as though he couldn’t stand to wait even a second to bring us skin to skin again.
He managed to get my bra off and then his mouth was on me, licking, sucking, and nipping in that way that sent my arousal right through the roof. Not that it already hadn’t been there. It was mixed up with all the other emotions this wolf brought out in me.
I helped Trent get me out of the rest of my clothes, each of us desperate. Tugging and pulling and tossing the needless items away. Before I knew it, I was on my back and that wolf was naked and on top of me. Pure connection sizzled over my skin. Everywhere we touched seemed to come alive, crackling like electricity between us.
He didn’t play around, didn’t wait. He’d already waited far too long, and I didn’t want him to. I was ready for him, ready for the hard thrust of his cock, for the bite of discomfort that came from him pushing his full length in without a pause.
His hands were in my hair, twisting slightly so I had to look him in the eyes. “I dreamed of this every fucking night.”
I let my hands find his back, nails scoring him lightly. This was what I adored about fucking my wolf. My demon was always so careful with me, but Trent knew I needed to be a little out of control. I could handle it, wanted it so badly. The wolf inside me needed the tiniest bit of brutal passion, and Trent gave it to us.
His fangs were out slightly as he pulled back and thrust in again, moving the bed with the power of those hips. I couldn’t help the moan that came from the back of my throat as Trent’s cock glided over my sweet spot.