Laying in bed curled around a pillow, my mind races with thoughts of earlier today. Tanya was now Luna of Pine Moon, a title that the Moon Goddess had deemed fit for me months ago. Not only that, but Valor and his allies are now planning war against us for no other reason than the threat Rune, Asteria and I pose.
War.
I knew that this would be a possibility considering how power-hungry and deranged Valor has turned out to be, but I never thought it would come this soon. Maybe in a year, but those messages are planning the massacre to happen in two months.
Rolling over to look at the time on my alarm clock, I sigh as I read twelve-fifty-one in the morning. I know I should sleep, but it is not coming so easily tonight. Tomorrow we will be discussing countermeasures to protect Crescent Phoenix from our enemies and I need to be well rested for it. With a groan, I throw my blanket to the side and push myself into sitting, swinging my legs over the edge of my bed. If sleep won't come to me, then maybe a walk will help.
Exiting my room, I stop as Rune’s door opens as well, his grey eyes meeting mine. The faint glow of the moon coming from the hallway window illuminates his body from the baggy pajama pants hung low on his hips to the outline and ridge of each and every muscle my Mate possesses. I blush, my eyes meeting his as he gives me a soft chuckle.
“Do you want me to walk around shirtless from now on?” He teases, stepping closer to me. His scent of vanilla and mint invades me, making me want to bury myself against him.
“I… um… sorry.” I mutter out in embarrassment. Rune lets out a deep laugh, his eyes closing slightly as he reaches out and pulls me to his side. I don’t stop him, instead, my hands move on their own landing flush against his solid pecs.
“You don’t ever have to apologize for staring at me. I am your Mate, Brynlee.” He reassures me, his left hand moving to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear.
“So what has you up so late?” He asks, placing a kiss on top of my head.
“I can’t sleep. I keep tossing and turning and thinking about what we saw today and worry about our future.” I answer with a sigh, leaning my head against his body and breathing in his scent. Rune hums, his right hand slowly rubbing my back.
“I thought maybe a walk would help but now I don’t think I can sleep.” I admit quietly, eyes closing as I relish in Rune’s touch.
“Would you like me to come cuddle you in bed then? We could just talk until you fall asleep.” His suggestion surprises me, but the Mate bond hums in agreement with his words. Maybe what I need right now is to be in my Mate’s arms.
“I’d like that.” I agree softly, pulling back to look up at Rune who stares at me with wide eyes.
“I honestly thought you would say no.” He admits with a blush, turning his head to look out the window as he rubs the back of his neck. I chuckle, walking towards my room and motioning for Rune to follow, which he happily does. If he was in wolf form, his tail would be wagging a mile a minute from the happiness seeping off of him through the Mate bond.
Rune helps me into bed before moving to the other side to climb into it with me. The comforter is pulled around us as I move to lay against his side, my head resting on his chest and above his beating heart. Its steady rhythm calms my frantic mind, and the thoughts that kept me awake for hours on end slowly melt away.
“So what should we talk about?” I find myself asking as a comfortable silence settles around Rune and me. Rune chuckles, his arms moving to wrap around me.
“Anything you want, Brynlee.” He answers, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. I blush, my heart picking up its pace as I try to come up with something to say. There isn’t much to talk about between us now that we have been living together for a week. We have worked through the problems that were caused by the rejection since I decided to give Rune a chance to redeem himself as my Mate. He has spent time learning how to function as a normal wolf who has to cook and clean for himself without the help of maids picking up every mess he makes.
“How about our pup.” I finally state smiling.
“What are we going to name them and what will we need to buy for them.” I add, my hand moving to rest on my flat stomach.
“Well, what names were you thinking?” He asks, his fingers finding their way to my hair and playing with my blonde strands. My mind draws a blank as my eyes gently close from how nice it feels to have my hair played with.
“Emory.” I finally say in a whisper. Opening my eyes, I find Rune staring at me, his grey eyes a shade darker than usual and his face closer than before.
“A neutral name?” His breath fans my face as he moves closer to me, his eyes moving between my lips to my eyes as if asking for permission.
“Yes.” My voice is a breathy whisper now and my body feels like it is slowly heating up. I am not sure if I am saying yes to his question or yes to him kissing me, but his lips are on mine before I can figure it out.
The kiss is slow and soft, Rune being gentle and not overbearing. My hands snake around his neck to pull him closer than ever. Rune takes this as his cue to turn so that I lay beneath him, his lips moving from mine to trail down my jaw. A moan leaves my lips involuntarily, the Mate bond humming and sparkling so brightly inside me that I feel like I might combust with each peck of Rune’s lips along my skin.
I can feel the tips of his canines poking through, gently brushing along my skin as Rune trails more kisses down to the nape of my neck coming to a spot that has me gasping for breath and arching my back.
“Brynlee.” He growls my name out in lust, holding himself back with lips pressed against my skin.
“If we continue, I won’t be able to hold back.” He sounds pained, as if holding himself back is hurting him.
“Then don’t hold back.” The words are out before I can think, shocking me and Rune both as he pulls back to stare at me.
“What?” He asks dumbfounded, his grey eyes so dark that they appear black in the night.
“Don’t hold back Rune. Mate and mark me.” I answer slowly, reaching out to cup his face. The feel of stubble tickles my palm as Rune leans into my touch, the shock in his face slowly melting into a soft, yet worried smile.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to push you into anything you’re not ready for.” His words make me giggle. To think a man that wouldn’t have hesitated to take me to bed the moment we found out we were mates is hesitating now.
“I am sure, Rune. You’ve proven to me that you’ve changed and I think it’s time we finally accept the Mate Bond.” I reassure him, pulling Rune down and running my lips along his jaw.
“I want to be yours, Rune.” These seem to be the words he needs to hear as his lips are once again on mine. This time the kiss is heated, Rune and I fighting for dominance. His hands make quick work unbuttoning my shirt, helping me to shrug it off. His scent now controls my mind, his touch the only thing I can focus on.
His lips leave mine once again, trailing down my neck and past the spot that I so wish to feel his teeth sink into towards the swell of my breast. I shiver the moment he latches onto the hard bud of my nipple, sucking and rolling the sensitive flesh between his teeth while his right-hand moves to cup the other, toying with my free nipple between his fingers.
“Rune.” I moan out his name, hands in his soft black hair and tugging at the strands. He growls his approval, releasing the abused nipple with a pop before moving to capture the other in his mouth.
I writhed beneath him, feeling a need grow inside me, a need that involved him, my Rune, deep inside me. As if sensing my growing arousal, his free hand trails down my body, fingers pushing into my wet folds and teasing my soaking pussy.
Tugging on his hair harder, Rune releases the second abused nipple as I pull his face to mine, kissing him deeply. He groans when I move my hand to run grasp his already hard cock, slowly running my hand up and down his thick shaft.
“Brynlee, I need you.” He moans against my lips as the kiss ends and we come up to catch our breath. His fingers move faster inside me, causing my hand to pause on his cock and me to let out a loud moan. I can feel the brink of an orgasm coming, my mind so hazy with lust that his words barely register.
“Then take me.” I find myself replying as soon as I comprehend what he just said, gasping when his fingers are pulled out of me, preventing me from coming.
“Are you sure?” Rune asks, his nearly black eyes filled with lust and love staring into mine.
“Yes. Take me. Mark me and just make me yours finally.” I nearly plead. The Mate Bond hums in agreement, the flames of desire, lust, and love being amplified by it. If it weren’t for the fact I am carrying his child, I would think that I am in heat once again. But unlike the first time, my mind is clear. I want Rune. I want his mark on my neck to show all that we are Soul Mates. I want the man that was made for me and I for him.
Yes, he fucked up royally when he rejected me, rejected the Mate Bond because of his duties as the next Alpha of Pine Moon. But he gave it all up to find me. To prove to me that he regrets everything he did that caused me so much pain. He’s earned the right to be my Mate back.
Rune kisses me once again, this time dominating me completely and I allow it. I can feel him position himself between my legs as I wrap them around his waist. Feel the tip of his cock rub against the entrance to my pussy.
His tongue dives into my mouth, caressing every inch of it and in one quick thrust, he is buried deep inside me. I gasp as he stretches me, fills me with his thick cock. He growls his approval, pulling back from the kiss to stare into my eyes as he continues to thrust in and out of me with hard, slow precise movements. I become a mess of moans and gasps, my hips moving against him and causing Rune to groan and moan with me.
It isn’t long until Rune thrusts into me at just the right time to cause me to spill over the edge. My vision blurs as an orgasm rocks my body and my pussy clenches around his cock. He growls in approval once more, his lips finding the crook of my neck where he kisses and nips at my sensitive skin. I can feel his canines poking through, feel his thrusts quicken as his own release grows near.
I quickly fall from my high only for another bout of pleasure from how rough he has grown to cause me to grow closer to another orgasm.
“Hold it in Brynlee.” He mumbles against my skin when he senses I am once again close to spilling over the edge.
“Hold it until I mark you.” I nod, unable to do anything but obey as he fucks me, making me his with each thrust. My hands claw at his shoulders and on instinct, my lips move to kiss his sweat-covered skin. Rune is close, I can feel it. It's how his thrusts are stronger, more dominating. How his lips finally land on a spot at the crook of my neck that makes me moan loudly and my body shiver uncontrollably with pleasure.
Then it happens.
Rune thrusts one final time, burying himself deep inside me until our bodies are so closely pressed together that I don’t know where I end and he begins. Hit hot cum shoots inside me and as he releases, his teeth sink into my flesh. I howl his name, feeling our souls merge as one without thinking, my teeth sink into the crook of his neck as my pussy clenches around him. Everything is a white haze as I taste the sweet vanilla-mint flavour of his blood on my tongue and know that in this moment Rune will forever be mine and I will forever be his.