I was in love with Marina. I was proud Marina was mine. I was humbled by the woman, that she gave herself to me. Me! I would spend the rest of my life trying to make her happy because nothing I could do would compare to what she just gave me.
Marina’s whimper brought me back to reality in an instant. I forced my jaws to unclench and eased my teeth out of her flesh. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I said, “Marina, sweetness. It’s over.”
I licked the wound closed. My saliva would provide antibodies to promote quick healing and prevent infection. “Tell me you’re okay.” I pulled a pillow case off one of the pillows and pressed it against the wound before I rolled her to her back.
Her face was a little pale, but she nodded. “Ouch.”
“I’m so sorry, baby. It will never happen again. I will never hurt you as long as I live. At least not intentionally. Or unless you like it.” I winked, and she relaxed, settling back into the pillows.
“Now I’m yours?” she asked, her voice soft.
“Now you’re mine.”
“Forever?”
“Until death do us part. I will always provide for you. Protect you. Pleasure you. I will spend the rest of my days making up for hurting you.”
“Will you… ” She bit her lip.
“Say it.”
“When can I see your wolf?” She looked almost shy, as if the words weren’t right.
“My wolf?” I cleared my throat.
She nodded, and I smiled.
“Fuck, yeah. It’s big. Bigger than a normal wolf. Do you want to see it now?”
“Yes!” She sat up and put a hand over the bite wound.
I was still on my side, so I leaned forward, kissed the spot, licked it again to get it to heal faster. It would be sore, so showing her my wolf would be a good distraction.
“Don’t be scared, all right?” I looked into her eyes, searched for a depth of concern that she might freak out. She’d seen little Liam shift earlier, but seeing her man turn into a wolf for the first time could push her over the edge.
She took a deep breath, nodded.
Pushing off the bed, I stripped off my clothes, let them drop in a pile on the floor. My cock was hard again, but I ignored it, only looked at Marina as the air around me blurred, and the room filled with the sound of cracking joints.
Marina stifled a scream. I’d warned her. I was huge. And a wolf.
“Oh my God,” she whispered, staring.
I jumped onto the bed, sank to my belly and lowered my head to her lap.
She held her hand out, and I licked it. “Wow,” she breathed, studying me. She stroked my ears. “You’re so soft.” She buried her face in my fur. “You’re magnificent, Colton.”
I let my wolf take a moment to revel in her attention, then shifted back. With my head in her lap still, she stroked my hair. “Wow,” she said again.
“Not too freaked?” I asked, moving slowly, so I settled her on the bed in my arms. We stayed like that for a while, quiet. I’d thrown so much at her, I wanted her to think, to work through everything. I’d wait for her questions, and I’d answer them all. No secrets.
When I thought she’d fallen asleep, she drew in a long shaky breath. “What now?”
“Whatever you want, Marina. Whatever is best for you.”
“I don’t want to go to LA” She sounded surprised, but sure. “I don’t even like college. I hate engineering.”
I stroked my thumb across her cheek. “I didn’t want to fuck up your career path, little girl.”
“You didn’t. I did that--by choosing the career my dad wanted for me. I don’t know--maybe I’ll finish online or something, but I’m definitely not going back. I’m going wherever you go. North Carolina. Here. I don’t care. I needed a fresh start but didn’t realize it was with you. Hell, it is you.”
I stopped to feel the resonance of her words. To notice how my wolf had quieted. The intensity around Marina was the same--the need to focus all my attention on her, to give to her. To protect her. But that crazy, gnawing need had diminished. In its place was warmth. And something else--something I hadn’t experienced before.
What was it?
Fuck. It was contentment.
I was Marina’s fresh start.
And she was mine.
It was fucking perfect.
Epilogue
MARINA
* * *
We walked in the back door of the main house the next day. Late. It had been close to two in the morning when Colton found me at the motel and even later when I’d fallen asleep. No, I hadn’t fallen asleep. I’d passed out from too many orgasms. We didn’t stir until after eleven when housekeeping knocked on the door. While the motel was like a little sex cocoon for us, we didn’t need to stay any longer. Reality was A-OK with me.