Chapter 86

AURORA

Stay his? He was saying this now?

But if I was honest with myself, he was the only man I could ever remember wanting.

It was so easy to forget that just a little while ago, Holden had tried to assault me, and Dane had saved me.

But I couldn’t bring myself to think of that right now. Not with my body screaming for release. For Dane.

“I can promise you I won’t be with anyone else,” I said. “This is what I want.”

His mouth found mine.

Then he slid inside, taking me completely in a few deep thrusts, stretching me and driving all other thought from my head except for the way he filled me.

Our joining felt so good. So right. It was nothing like last time, where I was desperate to enjoy something that clearly meant nothing to him.

No, this time Dane was here with me, whispering soft words in my ear about how beautiful I was, how perfect. About all the things it did to his body to feel how much I desired him with mine.

His words did almost as much for me as the ways he touched me, how he moved his body, and the weight of him, huge and powerful and all wrapped up in me.

“Come for me,” he whispered.

My pleasure built to such a height, I was almost afraid of what would happen when it exploded over me. I clutched at him, my nails digging into his back as the pleasure peaked higher and higher.

Then I shattered. I broke into ten thousand glittering pieces as I came hard, ecstasy rolling over me in wave after wave. He shifted, changing his rhythm, going deeper so that when I thought I was finished, new pleasure rolled over me again.

Only then did he finally allow himself to go over the edge with me, his own orgasm taking him as he groaned and shuddered and emptied himself into me.

Slowly, after I don’t know how long, I drifted back into my own body.

Dane shifted so we both lay on our sides. He held me close and stroked my cheek, then pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.

I felt weightless, but somehow heavy at the same time. Satisfied and so safe as he held me in his arms.

Being loved by him like this…it was so good.

If I got used to this and lost it again, it might break me.

I must have fallen asleep, because when I woke, he was lying on his back and my head was pillowed on his chest. Outside, the light was dimmer, as if it was early evening.

He must have felt me shift, because he looked down at me and smiled.

Oh, goddess, that smile. Soft and warm, with his hair rumpled from our lovemaking.

I wished so hard that I could contain this moment. Capture it and keep it forever.

Later, when things were darker than I could have ever imagined, I would look back on it and hold it close, like holding my hands to a flame on a cold winter night.

One single moment of warmth. One moment of perfect love and peace.

He stroked his hand up and down my back and said, “So. What do we do now?”

With that question, innocent as it seemed, the moment shattered, and uncertainty returned.

“I don’t know,” I said. “I don’t know if Blue Ridge can accept me…”

Chapter 87

AURORA

Children. That reminded me of Evelyn and her pregnancy. I needed to tell Dane about my suspicions. But how could I say anything when I had no proof? He would just think I was jealous and grasping.

Not that I would mind if he kicked Evelyn out of the house….

Except no matter what else, she was the chosen of the goddess. And that meant we needed her. As far as I could tell, her gift was the most powerful weapon we had to fight the shadow creatures that seemed to lurk around every corner these days.

“I think the first thing is to go back to the pack house,” I said. “If we’re going to be together this way, I want to talk to the twins."

“And I want to deal with Coleridge,” Dane growled. “By which I mean I’m going to kill him for what he tried to do to you.”

I shivered at his words. His voice was so cold. He meant what he said.

I put a hand on his chest so that he would look at me while I spoke. I didn’t want him to misunderstand what I was saying.

“As much as I love the idea of you avenging my honor, you can’t kill him. That will lead to war. Not just with Fall Line, but maybe with my grandmother.”

Dane’s face darkened. “What if I don’t care about war? What if I think it’s exactly what Fall Line and Holden Coleridge deserve?”

He couldn’t be serious. He wouldn’t risk war. Blue Ridge was powerful, but there was no way it could stand against Fall Line and High Alpine.

“I know you care,” I said. “That’s why you’re such an incredible Alpha.”

He grunted, then changed the subject. “I can agree to speak to the children at least. I wanted to suggest staying here tonight. To be together…but also so I can search this place for anything left by my grandfather.”

At mention of Connall Montague, a wave of sadness rocked me. “I’d be happy to help you honor him. Is there anything specific you’re looking for?”

A troubled look crossed Dane’s face. “He said something before he died. Something about what we’re doing requiring a sacrifice. It sounded like he knew something we don’t. I hope to find a clue to it.”

I agreed, and we got up and began the search. Going through Connall’s personal papers was part investigation, part a walk down memory lane for Dane. His grandfather had a safe in his office, and much of what was inside was personal family mementos.

Including a picture of his parents.

I was the one to pull the picture from the box of photos. A man and a woman standing in front of the pack house with their arms around each other.

Two children stood in front of them—a boy of about eight and a girl of maybe five. The picture looked at least twenty years old, and their family seemed so happy.

I flinched at the sight and almost slid the picture back into the box. If anyone was going to present Dane with a photo of his murdered parents, it shouldn’t be me.

But he saw it and caught my wrist before I could let go. He took the picture and lifted it. He looked troubled, but he still smiled.

I wondered if I should ask, but if Dane wanted to be with me, this was something we would need to learn to talk about. “Do… you miss them?” I asked carefully.

He nodded, then slid the picture into his pocket. Because he regularly spent the night here, he had changes of clothes in one of the closets. A good thing, since transforming in what he was wearing this morning had shredded his clothes.

I wasn’t sure how far I could push his boundaries, so I decided to just ask. “I want to ask you about them, Dane. But I’m not sure if that will be too painful for you.”

He looked at me in surprise. “You speak whatever is on your mind, don’t you?

“When I’m with people I know,” I said. “In business, or when I’m with someone I don’t trust, no. I keep as much hidden then as I can. But if you want us to be together…I want to be open with you.”

Dane cleared his throat, then pulled the picture out again. “My father was like my grandfather. Good with people. He loved parties, and he was always laughing. Piper takes after him. I’m like my mother. She was more serious, quiet. Some pack members said it was hard to get close to her, but she loved who she loved fiercely.”

“I can see that in you,” I said.

He swallowed like he was feeling some strong emotion and said, “Thank you. I still miss them.”

He ran his thumb over the image of Piper’s face. “Don’t worry, little sister. I’ll save you.”

In that moment, swearing to protect his little sister, he reminded me so much of Tristan and the way he protected Seraphina that my throat closed, and I couldn’t speak.

I wanted to help him in any way I could, but I was afraid anything I said right now, any promise I made, would sound hollow, considering that I had just caused the death of his grandfather.

We stayed the night, with Dane using his pack bond to let the others know that we were both safe. Otherwise, I was afraid Trajan would have hunted us down.

He made love to me that night, again insisting that we focus on my pleasure. Every time he brought me to orgasm, I felt my heart wrap around his a little more.

I still didn’t know what to do. I was still afraid of the darkness hidden inside me. The more I fell for him, the more I feared what being close to me would do to him.

The next morning, we returned to the pack house. Just as we got to the door, Trajan and Evander came rushing out.

“Aurora!” Evander grabbed me. My cousin’s light purple eyes were huge with fear. “It’s the twins. They’re missing, and so is Mrs. Jamison!”

Just then, there was a noise. A howl of pain that came from the woods in the direction of Broken Forest pack land.