27. Ryder
I go to bed highly unsatisfied and don’t sleep a wink, but rather focus on Carina’s heartbeat from down the hallway. With each beat, more of my yearning grows. Tasting her was exactly that—a taste and nothing more. A tease to my desires. A temptation in the flesh that left my own body with the urge to hunt. It confirms what I suspect—she wants me as much as I want her. Perhaps the mate bond is truly affecting her more than I assumed it was. Claim. Until I own her completely, this won’t end. And she will be mine, whether she likes it or not. I gave her the space she wanted and I’m over it. My c**k twitches in my pants. I’m sure all it’ll take is a single touch and she’ll be ready to accept me—accept us. She’s on edge nearly as much as I am. But I won’t. Not yet. I’ll continue the slow,
- Writer
