My fingers dug into the nook where his hips met his waist, giving me ample space to claim his body.
"Mine..."
Animus panted harder and faster. His eyelashes fluttered against his pink cheeks. He watched me fuck him, turning me on, fiercely.
Breed.
Being an alpha never meant much to me—until now. I realized now, finally, what its significance was.
I wanted to protect Animus, to care for him in every possible way. He'd never be alone again, because I'd be at his side. Forever.
I grunted as I slammed my cock into Animus. He was hot, wet and tight. His hole sucked me in, claiming me as much as I claimed him.
I wouldn't last long. I felt my orgasm building rapidly, searching for release—and I wanted itinsideof him.
But if I did that... what would happen? Animus didn't know if it was possible for him to get pregnant. He was a spirit, and I was a mortal shifter. Was our physiology compatible? If he had a womb, would it accept my seed?
Animus moaned my name, writhing in ecstasy. "Leveret… Fill me. Please."
I shuddered at the implication. We wanted the same thing.
"I want to come inside you," I croaked. My voice was hoarse from pleasure and exertion.
"Do it," Animus ordered without hesitation. To further his point, he clenched his calves around my lower back, locking me into position. I couldn't pull out now. Not that I wanted to.
My pace escalated until rivulets of sweat trickled down my skin. I bucked my hips frantically, lost to pleasure. When I looked down at Animus, his pupils were wide and excited. Tiny moans escaped his lips and he tightened around my cock with every thrust.
"I can't hold back," I warned him breathlessly.
"Don't hold anything back, Leveret," Animus said in a tone that was both soft and demanding. His expression was so sweet and vulnerable. The intimacy of this moment caught up with me, and my heart seemed to swell with affection. My whole chest thumped with fondness for him.
With that realization, I pushed into him one final time and came. Shock waves of pleasure coursed throughout my body, lighting it up with invisible sparks. I groaned loudly. All my inhibitions vanished. I felt the warm flood of my seed filling Animus's tight channel.
Animus grabbed my hand and put it around his straining cock. He was already on the edge. All it took was a few pumps for him to scream, arching his back as he shot out all over himself. The thick droplets glistened like dew on his pale skin.
The physical act of sex and coming inside of him was amazing, but I wasn't fully satisfied until I embraced him, holding him close until the aftershocks of his orgasm subsided.
Animus breathed heavily. His eyes were closed as he sucked in rapid gulps of air. When he opened his eyes, they were half-lidded. He looked tired and happy, yet I sensed another emotion mixed in there—one I couldn't read.
"Was that okay?" I asked, suddenly worried I'd upset him somehow.
Animus ran his hand along the side of my face, his claws gently combing through my hair. "Yes, Leveret. That was wonderful."
"I came inside you."
He smiled. "I begged you for it."
As the high slowly faded out, I remembered that I'd confessed my love for him. Had I made things awkward between us? Was that why Animus looked a little sad?
"I'm sorry for what I said earlier," I murmured.
He frowned, then grasped my face firmly. "No. Don't apologize. I liked hearing it."
My hopes lifted. "You did? But you don't seem happy."
"I enjoyed it very much, and I am happy." He smiled again, his moonlight-colored eyes gentle. "Don't mind me, all right? I'm just… being stupid."
How could I not mind when my instincts screamed at me to protect him?