a

, familiar, safe. His head rested on my chest, his long, luscious hair spilling over my bare skin l

eird lately," Reed said suddenly, h

ugh his hair. The motion was automatic, a routine I'd

his tone laced with curiosity. "She's been distant, like she's t

ain, but I wasn't really listening. My thought

be

r, since I'd lost control and ruined everything. For two weeks, I'd b

ke I was trying to sever it completely. I didn't want to feel her. I didn't want to hear her voice in my

d didn't wo

back of my mind, a constant reminder that she existed, th

We were bonded now, and nothing could undo that. No amount of pretending could erase h

d to ha

eeded to

to despise her freckles, scattered across her pale skin as if the moon goddess herself had painted the

ng, intoxicating. It clung to my skin, my clothes, my

art was the sou

godde

he bed as the memory of that night

ections of what had happened. But for the past two weeks, flashes of that night had started cre

sound echoed in my head, refusing to leave no matter how hard I tried to push it away. I could see h

d and clung to me like I was the only thing keeping her grounded. Her arms had wrapped around me

impered when I knotted her and su

s, tha

perate, taking in every drop of my seed like it was what she'd been made for.

ed under my breath, drag

in my stomach, spreading through me like fire, and no matter how hard I tried to will i

many times I'd gotten hard to the

rtably tight, and I c

. You can't even sit here without thinking about

ing it, hated the bond for making it true. No matter how much I

y frustration bubbling ove

my chest as he frowned. "Rayne? What's wrong?

rifted lower, and the second his eyes landed on th

is head. "Well, well," he said, amusement dripping from his tone

d, d

ugh. "You haven't been in the mood, but now..." He gestured toward the unmistakable b

will the heat in my body to fade. But my wolf gr

snarled. 'She's your mate

e my lap, his hands already reaching for my belt. "I've missed this," he murmu

nto a roar, his voice

ppen if you go through with this. She'l

I didn't need him to remind me. I already knew. If I

two weeks. You haven't spoken to her, haven't checked on her.

adn't asked for this bond. She hadn't asked to be marked, to be tied to m

ngers moving to unzip my pants. I grabb

I said, my v

ion flickering in his br

d, Rayne. Amber is our mate. How can you let someone else touch you? You

My wolf's words struck again, the guilt twisting in my chest like a kni

ed, loosening my grip bu

s softer now, laced with

. "I just... I can't," I said fina

y not? You're hard," he said, his tone al

I said quickly. "

auge whether or not I was telling the truth. "Tired?

murmured, avo

softly, though his tone was reluctant. "But if you really don't want us to fuck..." He glanced down, a sly