Never Leave, A Human Mate - (Book 2 The Mist Series)

~Chapter 13 - To Feel the Bond~

~Reece~

I sprinted to the third floor, taking two steps at a time. My heart pounded with a mix of excitement and nervousness in my ears. A knot twisted in my stomach, a combination of anger and guilt that I knew I had to push aside for now. I needed to be there for Dawn, no matter what. Bursting onto the landing, I found Louise standing sentinel by the open doorway; her face a mask of tight-lipped worry.

“Luna Louise, what happened?” I asked, stopping before her.

Her breath hitched. “I think… I think Dawn has a wolf.” She swallowed hard, her gaze flitting nervously towards the room behind her. “And you won’t believe who it is…”

“Who?” The word tore from my throat.

Before Louise could answer, Donte, my own wolf, whimpered in my head, slinking back into the recesses of my mind. “Freya Greystone…” he gasped, his usually booming voice a mere thread of sound. “I can feel the bond to her, but she scares me…”

“Freya!” My hand flew to my temple, a wave of dizziness washing over me. “Faith’s sister!” The pieces of a puzzle I didn’t even know existed were slamming into place, each one a sharp, unsettling revelation.

Every muscle in my body coiled tight. If Donte, my alpha wolf, the one who stared down monstrous creatures without a flicker of fear, was unnerved by Freya, and Faith was teetering on the edge of panic, then we had a serious problem. Having Freya’s wolf spirit residing in Dawn’s body… that was a volatile situation. The implications hit me like a physical blow.

Suddenly, blindingly, I understood. The Moon Goddess hadn’t chosen Dawn at random. She hadn’t just plucked a soul from the ether and tossed it into a vulnerable body. This was deliberate. Dawn wasn’t just a vessel; she was the chosen instrument, imbued with the very essence of Freya Greystone.

Freya, the legendary warrior, who fought alongside Fenrir, the monstrous wolf of legend. Freya, who took what she wanted, crushed her enemies without hesitation, and never looked back. Freya, the ultimate survivor.

She wasn’t meant to be a gentle guide, a nurturing mentor. She was meant to be a trainer. A ruthless, uncompromising force to mould the new generation of wolves into warriors. The children the Moon Goddess demanded wouldn’t learn compassion and diplomacy; they would learn survival, strength, and unwavering loyalty.

It was all set in motion, the gears of fate grinding inexorably forward. And with that realization, the guilt I’d tried to bury clawed its way back to the surface, sharper and more agonizing than before. I knew, deep down, that I had been complicit in this.

“Freya is there… Somewhere…” Louise added, her eyes pale. “But she’s distant, not complete…” She turned to me. “Can you feel the bond?”

“I can…” I admitted, honestly. It was as strong as the second I had seen her. “But Donte’s scared of her.”

“With what Faith has told me, I can understand why…” Louise backed away, still far from her usual self. “Faith and I need to… I need to check on the triplets…” She turned on her heels before I could say anything more and raced away.

Oh, boy! Had I completely screwed this up? Had I condemned Dawn to a life she never asked for? I pushed the door open wider and stepped inside, shutting it firmly behind me, sealing myself inside this volatile situation.

Dawn’s shallow, rapid breathing filled the room. She was still asleep, her face pale and drawn. I tiptoed to the bed, the aroma of warm chocolate chip cookies hitting me unexpectedly. The smell, familiar and comforting, seemed to soothe Donte, relaxing his tense posture in my mind. Dawn’s eyes twitched beneath her lids, but she didn’t stir.

“I can’t see Freya…” Donte whispered, tilting his head to look closer at Dawn’s soul for Freya. “I can feel it… The pull, the raw power, but where is she hiding?”

“It might take time…” I sighed, crawling into the bed beside her, careful not to jostle her too much. “Maybe Faith can see her because they’re sisters… But even Louise said Freya wasn’t complete.”

Dawn whimpered as the mattress shifted. I tried to get closer, shifting my weight carefully. I laid my head before hers and draped my arm over her waist. The adorable lines around her eyes had softened, and a few little grey hairs had vanished. It is one of the perks of being inhabited by werewolf souls. They healed our bodies and made us youthful, even if a few of us were pushing mid-forty. Freya may have been a deadly force, but she was healing Dawn at a rapid pace.

This must be a good sign… I sighed, caressing her arm with my fingers.

Suddenly, Dawn’s body stiffened, the muscles in her back coiling like a tightly wound spring.

I swallowed nervously, my throat suddenly dry.

She sucked in a strained breath, a sound like a strangled sob, and sat bolt upright. I yanked my arm back just in time, scrambling to sit up beside her. Her breath wavered, a desperate battle raging within her.

“Dawn?” I asked, placing my hand cautiously on her shuddering shoulders. “Are you okay?”

Dawn turned towards me, her pupils blown wide. But the colour… they were the fiery orange known when a werewolf was consumed by excitement, by lust, by overwhelming emotion. She sniffed the air, her chest rising and falling rapidly. The orange flickered, then receded, replaced by her usual warm, chocolate-brown eyes.

“Reece,” she panted, her hand flying to her forehead. “I feel weird… Like there’s this pressure in my head.”

“It will be okay,” I whispered, gently pulling her hand away from her face. I brushed a finger down her cheek, then across her neck, feeling the pulse fluttering wildly beneath my fingertips. The thought of claiming her, of leaving my mark on that pale skin, sent a sharp jolt of desire through me.

Her eyes widened, then softened, focusing on me with unnerving intensity. “I don’t know how to explain it…” She swallowed. “The pressure is there, but it doesn’t hurt… I don’t feel sick, so that’s helpful…”

“Do you feel different?” I caressed her neck, ignoring the growing ache in my groin, the insistent pressure against my shorts. She didn’t pull away, didn’t flinch.

“I could swear I heard voices in my head, but it might have been a dream.” She edged closer to me, pressing against my side, leaving no space between us. She breathed in deep, her eyes flashing amber again, a tell-tale sign of the wolf within trying to assert itself. “And something smells so good…”

“What can you smell?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. My manhood stood at full and painful attention, throbbing with anticipation.

Her eyes flickered between amber and brown, a silent battle for dominance being waged behind them. She pressed her cheek to mine and inhaled deeply. “Lavender…I smell lavender and rose, strong… And I like it…” Her hand hesitantly found my chest, her fingers tracing the outline of my pectoral muscles.

The arousal was so intense it was almost unbearable. I was dangerously close to throwing caution to the wind and tearing her clothes off. Wait… Relax…Breathe!

“I can’t wait…” Donte grumbled, pacing impatiently through my mind.

“Reece,” Dawn breathed, her lips hovering an inch from mine. Before I could say a word, she closed the gap, pressing her lips to mine with a desperate hunger.

“Oh, Goddess!” Donte screamed, a mixture of excitement and exasperation echoing through my skull.

Her lips moved against mine, invading, hungry and delirious, as she reached for the hem of my t-shirt. My heart hammered against my ribs, and my groin throbbed with an almost unbearable longing. Panting, she pulled my shirt over my head. I tossed it carelessly aside and welcomed her warm hands against my bare chest.

“I’ve been wanting this…” She whispered, kissing her way across my jaw, down my neck. “And now I need it…”

“So do I…” I admitted, my voice thick with desire as I reached for the hem of her top, my fingers brushing against the soft skin of her stomach. Her hands followed mine, eager and trembling, and together we pulled the shirt over her head, tossing it to the floor without a second glance. Now, all my insides pulsed, a desperate craving for her, for the feel of her skin against mine. “I’ve wanted to be with you since you looked up from your sketchbook!”

“From the moment you touched me, a switch flipped inside me. My internal buttons have been screaming for you, craving you.” she admitted, her voice husky as she shrugged her bra off, letting it fall to the floor. “I can’t ignore them anymore…”

“Let me make those buttons… sing. Let me make them scream my name.” I whispered, my voice a low growl as I reached for her bare breasts, my fingers tracing the delicate curve of her collarbone.

“Yes…” She pleaded hungrily, her body trembling in anticipation.

Her skin was warm and soft beneath my touch, sending jolts of pleasure through me. Little goosebumps erupted across her skin as I brushed my hand over her breast, making her moan softly, gently kneading and caressing them. This was everything I had imagined it would be, every fantasy I had indulged in since meeting her paled in comparison to the reality of her in my arms. I pressed my lips to hers again, pulling her body against mine, moulding her curves to my hard angles. She locked her arms around my neck as I pushed her back against the mattress, her eyes never leaving mine. My heart was racing, and I could feel the wild excitement thrumming through her.

She moaned as I slid her pants and underwear off, then quickly shed my shorts. The relief was immense, but it was fleeting. I needed to be inside her… I needed to feel her warmth surrounding me… I needed to claim her, to make her mine, now.

Her panting moans were driving Donte and me crazy, fuelling the primal hunger for our mate. I found her lower back and pressed my hand against it, making her body arch even closer to mine. She growled in a way that seemed to surprise her, a raw, untamed sound that only intensified my desire. Her scent, a heady mix of warm cookies and raw, unadulterated lust, made my hands instinctively move between her legs, feeling the heat and dampness waiting to be claimed.

“Yes,” she purred, slamming her lips into mine, her tongue dancing with mine in a desperate, passionate dance.

My fingers slid inside, and she let out a tiny yelp of desire, her muscles tightening around my fingers, pulling me deeper. I slid them in and out, teasing her, building the tension to an almost unbearable level. Her eyes closed as she surrendered to the feeling, her body arching against my hand.

“I can make that feel even better…” I whispered, my voice hoarse as I slowly removed my fingers, leaving her wanting more.

“Yes, I need it…” she pleaded, opening her eyes, her gaze burning into mine. She pulled me over her, digging her nails into my back, urging me closer.

There was no pretence of control now, no holding back. She had brought me to the brink, and there was no turning back. I opened her legs wider and slipped between them, feeling the heat radiating from her core. My manhood pulsed against her, throbbing with anticipation, and I knew she felt it too.

She opened her eyes and held me with her determined glare, her expression fierce and vulnerable at the same time. “I want you, Reece!” Smirking, she ran her hand between her legs and boldly grasped my throbbing length, guiding me towards her.

“Dawn…” I groaned as she expertly positioned me.

“Reece!” She threw her head back and moaned as I finally slipped inside, her body arching with a mix of pleasure and relief, her muscles clenching around me.

“This feels fucken good!” I shouted in my mind, the feeling so intense it was almost overwhelming.

There was no reply from Donte, my wolf. He was completely consumed, lost in the moment, revelling in the connection with our mate.

I thrust into Dawn, feeling the warmth I had craved, the connection I had longed for. The feeling was so intense, so perfect, that I thrust again and again, getting faster and deeper, each movement sending waves of pleasure crashing over us. Her nails dug deeper into my back, but I barely noticed, too consumed by the feeling of her around me. I leaned forward and kissed her neck, tasting the salt of her skin. The primal urge to mark her, to claim her as mine in the most fundamental way, reared its head again, threatening to overwhelm me.

“Not yet…” I warned Donte, pulling him back with an iron will. “We need to wait…”

Dawn grabbed my chin and brought my face to hers, her eyes filled with a mixture of passion and wonder “I don’t know how you’re doing this,” she breathed, her voice ragged as I continued to thrust inside her. “But it feels so good…”

“Is that so?” I grinned, my eyes gleaming with mischief, slamming my lips onto hers in another searing kiss.

She arched towards me, meeting my every movement, riding the waves of pleasure that coursed through us. Her muscles clenched around my manhood, forcing me to move faster, pushing me closer to the edge. At this rate, I was going to explode any second.

“Not yet,” she breathed, pushing me back slightly, leaving me momentarily suspended in mid-air, humping the air in desperation. She pushed me back against then bed and then climbed to her knees, straddling me, her body trembling with anticipation. She kissed my lips, then breathed, “I want to be on top…” Her brown eyes sparkled as she straddled me, grabbed my manhood and slipped it inside.

“Yes,” we both roared in unison, a primal sound of pure ecstasy that rattled the lamp on the bedside table.

Dawn gasped at the sound, but her surprise was short-lived as I grabbed her thighs and pulled her closer, deepening the connection, intensifying the pleasure.

“Oh, my lawd,” she panted, swaying her hips in a slow, sensual rhythm that drove me wild.

We were reaching the point of no return, the precipice of climax, and I could feel it building in her, too.

“Let go…” I said, my voice a low growl as her muscles clenched around me, each contraction sending jolts of pleasure through me.

“Yes!” he shouted, clawing at my chest, her body arching and trembling in a desperate release.

With the following motion, we both erupted, a feeling of pure, unadulterated bliss washing over us. It was a release I had forgotten I needed, a connection I had craved for so long. The world seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of us, bound together by the raw, primal energy of our passion. As her muscles slowly relaxed, I saw the bliss mirrored on her face, a look of complete and utter satisfaction.

After a few moments of riding the lingering waves of the climax, Dawn slipped off of me, collapsing beside me, panting to catch her breath.

“I’m stuffed,” she giggled, a sound of pure delight, as I draped an arm over her, pulling her close.

I pulled her closer, kissing her lips softly, savouring the taste of her. “I could go again…”

“Not happening…” She laughed, playfully slapping my arm. “I haven’t done that in years… I’m a little out of practice.”

I laughed and kissed her nose, my heart overflowing with happiness. “There’s always tomorrow…”

She raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Tomorrow? You’re keen.”

Smirking, I nuzzled her neck, breathing in her scent, the scent that had become my obsession. “You have no idea…”