Chapter 30 Flowen slurred , I'm fine . I can walk , I have legs . You have them . Ash said dryly , but they're currently decorative . " Daxon looked at me , mouth twitching with a grin . " Thanks for watching her . " ' Anytime , " I said , holding in a burp . She didn't bite anyone , so I call that a win . " Rylen's hand brushed mine as he stepped past , and I swear something deep in my bones whispered , soon . Zuki ? Zuki was already planning the wedding . Rylen POV Night . Somewhere between the Stormclaw firepit and fucking emotional chaos after we left Elowen with Daxon and Ashrian . I'm losing my damn mind , I mean that literally . I've taken hits to the skull that made more sense than this . Taya's laugh echoes behind me as we leave the fire , and Anton is pacing inside my chest like a rabid beast in heat . Anton : " Mate . Ours . Touch her . Smell her . Bite her . " Me : " She's not eighteen yet , dumbass . " Anton : " She will be in three days . We can wait three days . But we can kiss now . We can taste . " Fuck . 64 I rub a hand over my jaw , trying to breathe through the burn under my skin . I've never reacted to someone like this . Not in all my years in this pack . Not ever . Fated mates ? They were damn near a myth . The last one in our territory was over a hundred years ago , our Alpha King Draven and his Luna Queen Aelira . Everyone else ? We got ' compatible bonds " or " spiritual ties . " Close enoughs . Safe choices . Chosen mates . But this ? This feels like my soul got branded and she's the only one who can read the mark . When her fingers brushed mine back at the fire , I felt it in my fucking spine . And now , as we slip into the woods , giggling and warm with firelight and liquor , I can't stop watching the sway of her hips or the way Zuki's presence brushes against mine like a challenge . 1/3 12:01 Mon , Sep 22 Chapter 30 She glances over her shoulder . Her red hair's wild , cheeks pink from the run , eyes glowing like she knows what I'm thinking . " Wanna sit for a sec ? " she asks , voice soft but sure . " Sure , I say , somehow hoarse and confident at the same time . We settle against a mossy boulder in a small clearing , just far enough from the Keep that I can pretend I don't have responsibilities or rules for a few minutes . And then she shivers . I don't even think ... my jacket's off and wrapped around her shoulders before she finishes blinking . She looks up at me from beneath thick lashes and my entire nervous system lights up like someone struck a match inside my chest . Her hand brushes mine . And I snap . One hand slides into her hair , and I press my mouth to hers like I'm dying and she's the cure . She gasps against me , lips parting , and fuck me , she tastes like danger and heaven . I groan into her mouth and pull her closer , her body melting against mine like she was made to fit there . My other hand finds her hip , anchoring her to me as I kiss her deeper . Tongue , teeth , need . She moans into my mouth and my knees nearly buckle . Anton : " Mark her . Bite her . Now . RIGHT NOW . " Me : " We . Wait . " I nip her bottom lip , dragging it gently before pulling back just enough to see her flushed face . " You're gonna kill me , ' I whisper . She smirks , breathless . " Not before I ruin you first . " My growl is not voluntary . She grabs my shirt and pulls me back in , climbing into my lap like it's her goddamn throne . My hands find her thighs , then her waist , sliding under the oversized shirt she borrowed from Elowen . Her skin is soft . Warm . Addicting . She grinds against me once , teasing , testing . I bury my face in her neck and groan like a dying man . " Taya ... fuck , I ... I want you . " ' I know , " she whispers . ' Me too . " I kiss her again , slower this time . Deeper . Worshipping her mouth like it holds all the answers . 2/3 L 12:01 Mon , Sep 22 Chapter 30 I don't let it go farther . I can't . Not yet . But gods ... when her birthday comes ? I won't just claim her . I'll devour her . Chapter Comments Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!