Still pounding inside her, he bunched his hand in her hair, snatched up her head, and held her face to his neck. “Do it.”
She bit down hard, tasting blood and returning his claim. Cursing, he hammered into her even faster than before. Just as he’d done, she licked and sucked, ensuring the brand would be recognized for what it was. And then finally he exploded inside her—an orgasm that seemed to never end.
They both collapsed, panting and shuddering and all hollowed out.
Aspen lay there, sated. At peace. Claimed. And she couldn’t have been damn happier about it. All of which he’d no doubt feel through the mating bond. It was so … vibrant. Intense. Almost electric. And it allowed her to sense the masculine satisfaction and pride currently humming through him.
Usually, it took a series of “steps” for a true-mate bond to fully snap into place. But it didn’t surprise her that she and Camden had no steps to take. Not when they’d been so intricately connected for so many years of their lives. Not when their animals were already so committed to each other.
Still, it had been something of a shock when the bond made itself known purely because she’d never allowed herself to believe she’d have it—it just would have hurt too much to realize she was wrong. The shock had quickly been drowned out by the sexual need that fired through her, courtesy of the mating urge. It was as strong as it was rumored to be.
At that moment, her bearcat was utterly serene. It was only then that Aspen realized the animal had sensed from the very beginning that Camden was their true mate. She hadn’t communicated it to Aspen because she’d known Aspen feared mating. The bearcat was too elemental in her way of thinking to understand the whys of Aspen’s fears. So, not wanting to risk that Aspen would distance herself from Camden, the bearcat hadn’t tried to enlighten her.
Now, the animal felt more secure than she had since before Aspen’s father died. Connected to her mate so irrevocably, the bearcat felt her world was “right” once again.
Lifting himself onto his elbows, Camden stared down at Aspen, his eyes languid. “Did you mean it?” he asked, his voice low and soft.
“That I love you?”
He only nodded.
She was about to say he could surely feel it through their bond, but it was possible that he didn’t recognize the emotion for what it was. “Yes. Yes, I love you.”
His eyes fell closed, and he dropped his forehead to hers. “Never stop.”
She smoothed her hands over his back, careful of the rake marks. “I won’t.”
He sipped from her mouth, lightly flicking her tongue with his own. “I don’t know how to describe what I feel for you. It’s not … romantic. It’s not soft and sweet.”
“I know. You don’t need to try to put it into words. I feel it through the bond.” It might not be sweet, but it was so strong. So all-consuming. A force. A storm of adoration, protectiveness, and devotion overlayed by a dark cloud of obsession, ownership, and a determination to keep. Most of those were components of love, so maybe this was a form of it. Perhaps the only form he could feel. Whatever the case, she’d take it.
It broke her heart that he’d been so shocked to hear she cared for him so deeply. But then, he never even expected people to like or want him around, so he’d hardly expect to be loved. She blamed his family and old pride for that.
“The bond is … strange,” he said.
“You don’t like it?”
“I like it just fine.” Or, more to the point, Camden liked what it meant. Aspen Montgomery—the most important thing in his life, the person he couldn’t exist without—was solely his. She couldn’t know what that did to him. Couldn’t know how much peace it brought him.
It was as if every single cell in his body had relaxed. No other man could ever come along and try to replace Camden or push him out of the picture. No one else could ever matter to her on the same level that he did. His claim to her ran so deep and true that she’d never be free of him. The fact that their scents had mixed meant that the world would know she was taken; that she belonged to him.
Nothing brought him more satisfaction than to know that she loved him. It didn’t seem possible, but he’d psychically “touched” that soft yet strong bundle of emotion on the other side of their mating bond. He knew her claim was true.
Currently, his tiger was calm both inside and out. She’d always brought his cat some element of peace, but this was different. More. A sense of … fulfilment. Something that could surely only come when a shifter bound themselves to the other half of their soul.