They kissed and touched and played with each other, savoring this new level of intimacy. There was no doubt. He’d let her mark him, and from the way he fervently touched her and kissed her, it turned him on as much as it did her.
He rolled so he was on top and fit his hips between her legs. He took his erection in hand and entered her in one slick motion. She gasped, back bowing, as she adjusted to the sensation of him filling her. Moans and groans filled the room as they adjusted to the new onslaught of sensations, then he gave a self-satisfied masculine grunt and kissed her lips. Meeting her eyes, he braced his hands on either side of her head.
“You ready?” he asked, voice gravelly.
She lifted her hips. “Yes.”
“I’m claiming you tonight, too. Are you ready?” he repeated, intense brown eyes pinned her so hard she lost her breath.
All she could do was nod and hold on as he pulled out and thrust back in until there was no doubt in her mind that he claimed her more thoroughly than any bite mark. Theirs was a claiming of hearts, bodies, and minds. Of futures and of pasts. Of wolves, fae, shifters, and ox. It didn’t matter what they looked like, only what they felt. Their love was forged from ice and fire, from kisses and wishes. And it was real.
Anise woke entwined with Caraway’s muscular, naked body. She was so happy, she didn’t want to leave, but one look at the black leather Guardian jacket hanging on the door hook reminded her of reality. They might have claimed each other, but it didn’t mean the world would let them be together.
A Guardian warrior, and a lesser fae.
The world was full of cruel boundaries.
She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. Her exhale ruffled the hair on his chest. His rumble of appreciation brought a smile to her lips so she ran her fingers through the coarse hair, wanting to elicit more sounds from her sleeping giant. His hand snapped up and swallowed hers whole, and then he directed it downward with a cheeky smirk, keeping his eyes closed the entire time.
“So demanding, already.” She laughed.
He chuckled. It came from deep in his belly and sent Anise’s hormones crazy. She’d always loved his laugh. It was so genuine, so real, and she never wanted to lose it again.
He must have sensed the change in her mood because when he looked down at her, a solemn shadow flittered in his eyes. He rolled to face her and gently traced fingers down her arm.
“We’ll figure it out, Anise,” he promised.
“You can’t quit being a Guardian.” She touched the glowing blue teardrop tattoo beneath his right eye. “It’s a part of you.”
His brows joined in the middle. “So are you.”
“How will we make this work, then?”
He shrugged. “Live with me at the Order.”
“That’s not possible.”
“It is for Rush and Clarke, and Thorne and Laurel.”
“But they’re Well-blessed. Their union is honored above all else, especially by an organization that worships the Well.”
“We don’t worship it. We respect it and work to keep it flourishing. There’s a difference.” Darkness formed in his eyes. “And I don’t care if our union is blessed by the Well. I’m not leaving you again. They can all go and fu—”
“Shhh.” She put a finger on his lips and sat up. Her ears twitched as she picked up voices. “Someone is outside.”
She’d never seen Caraway move so fast, but within seconds, he was out of the bed. He threw a blanket over her and collected Justice. Heedless of his nudity, he went to the window and peered through. All the tension left his shoulders as his eyes latched onto their visitors, and then he turned back to her with confusion.
“It’s Rush and Thorne.”
She sat up with a squeak. “Don’t let them inside until I’m dressed.”
He went back to the window. “Clarke and Laurel are also here. And Willow.”
“What?” Willow was Rush’s and Clarke’s small daughter.
Caraway nodded and slipped on his pants. “Maybe Clarke saw something in a vision. Could be why she sent me the portal stone. I’ll go and greet them. You get dressed.”
He put on his shirt and rested his sword by the door then went outside. While he was gone, Anise made quick work of clothing herself, and then straightened the cabin as much as she could. It wouldn’t do to have the owner arrive and see it in such disarray. Thankfully the sprites had redirected the flames from burning the pot overnight. Only half of the wood smoldered. The soup was cold but not inedible. When she was done straightening the room, she put on her boots and ventured outside.
Fresh morning air greeted her. At least it wasn’t snowing. Down on the shore of the lake, Caraway spoke with the two Guardians, while Laurel and Clarke collected stones with Willow by the waterside. Clarke’s red hair was unmissable, and Laurel’s dark bob just the same.
Anise didn’t realize how tense she was until she saw the women were a distance away from her new mate. Her body viscerally relaxed, but the underlying protective mode was still there. It was a wolf instinct. She was sure it happened to the males of the species more, but she still had to make an effort to calm herself down. When she had, a new kind of anxiety entered her system. She didn’t know which group of visitors to go to first. She’d not truly met Laurel, but had served her at the Birdcage elixir den in Cornucopia.
Anise was saved from making her decision when Willow spotted she was out of the cabin, squealed, and ran toward her with unrestrained delight. Anise had not formally met the little girl either but had heard about her stark white hair from Thorne. She was a halfling—half wolf-shifter, half-human—but one-hundred percent tenacious.
Willow’s little legs brought her closer to Anise with every squeal. As she neared, Anise recognized the squeals were words.
“Gray is coming. Gray is coming!” Willow barreled past Anise and up to the cabin porch where she grinned and whirled around, hiding behind a wooden pole, intently watching the horizon of the nearby woods where an old wolf emerged, sniffed the air, and then spotted Rush. He trotted over, sniffed him too, and then yipped before heading up to the cabin to meet Willow.
“He’s getting old,” Clarke noted as she arrived and gave the wolf a pointed look. “He was Rush’s long time companion when he was cursed, and he protected our cabin while Willow was a baby. This might be the last time she will get to see her old protector.”
“Oh, that’s sad,” Anise replied.
Clarke gave Anise a gentle smile. “It is, but it’s the natural order of life for those animals, and humans for that matter. Any creature without mana in them ages so fast. I’m still getting used to the idea that I’m not one of them anymore. Anyway, it’s good to see you, Anise.”
Caraway had said something similar to Anise back at the witch’s lair. If Anise was truly without mana, she’d have aged a long time ago. Somehow, knowing that made Anise feel warm inside. She smiled at Clarke. “It’s good to see you too.”
Clarke gestured to Laurel. “I think you might have met Laurel.”
“Sort of.”
Laurel bit her lip. “Yeah, that’s my fault. I was a bit preoccupied the last time we met.” She made the fae hand-sign for an apology—a fist in circles over her chest. “It was rude of me.”