Chapter 28 AURORA

Dane’s words, whispered with a quiet, aching desperation I’d never heard from him, practically turned me feral. They were everything I’d needed to hear from him. Everything I’d ever dreamed of hearing. I felt like I’d waited all my life for this moment. For his mouth to be on me and his body to be pressed against mine, and for him to say those words.

“I never stopped thinking of you. Dane, I…” I was about to tell him everything. I was going to tell him about our children.

Then he tore open the shirt I was wearing and dipped his head down so he could kiss my breast, then take my pebbled nipple in his mouth and suck. First gently, then hard. At the same time, he flexed his hips, grinding his hard length against my needy sex.

No man had touched me since Dane, five years ago. I hadn’t let anyone come close. Now, with his mouth on me, his words in my ears, his other hand cupping and squeezing my other breast, I nearly lost it.

I nearly came for him from one kiss. One touch. One thrust, and he wasn’t even inside me. I still had most of my clothes on. That was how much I wanted him. And to have him admit he wanted me… it reignited hope that I had let die so, so long ago.

“Dane, I need you. Please.” “Anything,” he growled. “Tell me how you want me to make you feel good.”

He lowered me to the ground and settled between my legs. My shirt was gone as he lavished attention on my breasts. “Anything,” he said as he kissed his way up my chest to my lips. “I’m so tired of fighting how I feel for you.”

I tangled my hands in his hair and pulled his lips to mine as he moved against me. I imagined the things he could do to me. His mouth on me, his tongue slowly stroking between my folds… finding my clit… His fingers inside me, sliding in and out to make sure I was ready for him. Him inside me, filling me, bringing me to the edge as he thrust…

Lights flashed above. The sound of voices echoed through the cave. Then the lights found us. For a moment, I was blinded.

Then I blinked. Night’s Truth. The effects were dispelled by light. The spell shattered, and I realized what we were doing. Realized he was on top of me, touching me, kissing me. He was about to claim me. Because the desire of his heart was to love me. Not kill me like I’d imagined. And mine was to love him back.

All this I realized in a flash as the spell broke. Then a woman’s voice called down to us, trembling with hurt or rage or both. “Dane?” It was Evelyn. Somehow, she was here.

On top of me, Dane froze. He pulled back and looked down at me. His brows drew together, like he was confused. Then he closed his eyes and whispered a single word. “Shit.”

DANE

The effects of the Night’s Truth shattered like glass when light hit my eyes. I was on top of Aurora, about to do all the things I did to her in my dreams. I’d denied it for so long. Now I couldn’t anymore. Aurora was my deepest desire.

I let out a breath and lifted off of her. My shoulder was screaming with pain again. I hadn’t noticed it under the potion’s spell. I pulled the fabric of her shirt together and waited for her to hold it before I climbed off of her. There would be no hiding how much I wanted her, not naked like I was. For probably the thousandth time in my life, I cursed that wolves couldn’t shift in clothes.

“What is happening here?” Evelyn called out from above. Her voice was shrill with anger and pain. Of course, it was. She just found me cheating on her. But how could I explain? Telling her I’d been given a potion that made me act on things I truly wanted wouldn’t make it better.

Esther Reed’s words came back to me. You’ll make your own poison tonight. Or murder each other. I’ll be fascinated to see which. No matter what I did, from this moment on, everything between Evelyn and I would be poisoned. Because now she would know what I wanted… and so would I.

There was a thud next to me. A bundle of clothes. I finally looked up and over my shoulder. My beta, Archer, stood at the top of a stone cliff. It was about fifteen feet high. Not too much trouble to climb with the right equipment, even with my shoulder hurt.

“Get dressed, Alpha,” Archer said roughly. “We’ve got Esther Reed. Don’t worry, no blood was spilled. But you should question her, and we should get off their land as soon as possible.” I did, glancing at Aurora. Her cheeks were flushed, her hair a mess. “Dane…” “We’ll talk about it,” I said. She nodded.

Once I was dressed, the pack warriors who’d come with Evelyn and Archer tossed down some ropes and we climbed out. We walked the hundred or so feet from our prison to the cave mouth, where a few members of my pack had Esther Reed tied and sitting on the ground. When we got outside, Esther said in a simpering, fearful voice. “I did what you asked, Ann. He had sex with you just like you planned. Now make them let me go!”