t. “I choose you.” She shivered, her eyes locking with his.
“Do you understand what you’re saying, Jessa?”
Her fingers traced along his jaw. “You’re mine. And I am yours.”
He clasped the back of her head, fighting the wolf’s hunger even as he held her close. He ran his nose along her hairline, a strange thrum of heat and a prick of pain tightening his chest, stealing the air from his lungs. “Always, Jessa. The wolf—I—won’t let you go. I can’t.”
Her green eyes burned. “Never let me go,” her voice hitched.
He gave up, and the wolf took over. If this was what she wanted, he couldn’t fight her. She’d given herself to him, and the need to possess her was undeniable.
The last threads of rational thought and restraint slipped away. His hold tightened, hard and desperate, cradling her head, pulling her against him as his lips captured hers. She shuddered, her fingers gripping his shoulders as his tongue delved between her lips. The heat of her mouth, the broken gasp of breath, the tentative stroke of her tongue against his, had him lowering her to the bed beneath him.
There would be time to love her, to explore every inch of her. But right now, the wolf needed to seal their bond. Finn needed it.
He pushed his boxers off and kicked them aside, his hands already slipping under her flannel nightshirt to pull the fabric up and over her head. She helped, tugging the sleeves free and tossing it over his shoulder. He stared down, enthralled by every curve. Her skin was smooth, the small birthmark under her right breast the only mark on her. She was breathing heavily, watching him—waiting. And the instinct to fill her erased all else.
His hands clasped her hips, sliding her to the edge of the bed. “I’m not sure I can keep control. I want you so bad.”
She nodded, the erratic rhythm of her breathing inflaming him further. “Lose control. Love me now.”
He stood, so hard he hurt, staring down at her. She was beautiful, soft and eager. Her hands gripped his forearms, her green eyes fixed on his face, waiting. He ignored the painful singe of the silver against his neck and chest, and lifted her hips. No one had ever looked at him like this, had accepted him as he was. He held her gaze. Even as he traced his thumb across her taut nub, as she arched up and against him, as the pulsing tip of his erection slid just inside the tight heat of her body, his gaze remained locked with hers.
He groaned, his hands tightening on her hips.
Her nails dug into his skin, her breath escaping on a tight hiss.
He slid deep, her body stretching to accommodate him.
“Finn.” His name. His Jessa. His mate.
Something shifted inside him, chipping away at the wall around his heart, the isolation he’d used to stay strong. No more. His heart and that of his wolf’s aligned, beating as one. A sharp pain sliced through is chest, his lungs convulsing so tightly he could not move or think or breathe. The scar at his side was on fire, throbbing. The wound felt new, agonizingly raw. He curled in on himself, grinding his teeth against the remembered tear of bone into flesh. For an instant, he froze, struggling to stay upright as his gaze bored into Jessa’s.
She moaned, her hands tightening on his arms. “Finn?” It was a broken whisper.
He drove into her, the pain easing the more he moved. The more he moved, the more she responded. Her hands slid up his arms, running over his shoulders. Her nails raked his back and buttocks, pushing him on. Her head fell back, her eyes closing.
“Look at me, Jessa,” he murmured. He heard the command in his voice, knew she heard it, too. Her green eyes fluttered open. It was more than this overwhelming drive to join her body. In her eyes, he saw the acceptance of their bond. That she wanted this. That she wanted him. He could feel the rapid beat of her pulse, her body constricting tightly around him. Her breathing was shallow, almost panting. He wasn’t the only one drowning in this. And it felt right.
He bent, dropping a kiss against her lips, leaning into the touch of her hand on his cheek. He moved with a frenzy he didn’t understand. He didn’t want to hurt her, but there was no easing the wolf. Groaning, he cradled her face between his hands, and kissed her.
She stared up at him, the need in her gaze shameless.
His hand slipped between them, his thumb sliding over the tight nub. He stroked the smooth flesh, smiling at the high-pitched whimper she made. He watched her face, her parted lips, the slight crease between her brows. His lips latched onto her nipple, tongue and teeth working the hardened peak until her hands fisted in his hair. He didn’t stop until he felt her climax, the rhythmic clamping of her body constricting around his rock-hard erection.
He arched into her, wanting more, to be deeper. To leave her, even a fraction of an inch, drove the wolf into a frenzy. He thrust deep, mindless, seeking, burning. His heart clenched, gripped in an unseen vice. His release slammed into him, forcing a cry from his lungs—from deep inside. He braced himself over her as wave after wave of pleasure and pain wracked his body.
She held on to him, her soft hands clinging to his sides, sliding to his hips. As the fog of release cleared, his heart pumped frantically.
Only then did he realize what he’d done. They were mated, his wolf was happy, but he’d lost total control. And, for the first time in his life, he’d had sex without a condom.
…
Jessa couldn’t move. Her heart was pounding, her lungs were scrambling for air, and every cell was processing what had just happened. She hadn’t known what to expect, if it would be different for her. Yes, she’d picked Finn as her partner, her mate, but she wasn’t a wolf. She didn’t know what, exactly, would happen. If anything. But different wasn’t the right word. Never in her life had she experienced anything like that.
“Jessa?” Finn’s voice was low, soft.
She opened her eyes. He was beautiful, braced over her, breathing hard. She hadn’t expected to know, with absolute confidence, that he was hers. “Hi.”