rode him through the shared orgasm, slowing and finally coming to a rest, draping her body over his as they both caught their breath.
“Jake?” She pet his chest, content to lie in his arms as they both quieted.
“Mmm,” he replied, the lazy sound sending new shivers down her spine.
But she couldn’t give in to the satisfied lethargy threatening to claim her. She had serious things to discuss with him. Life-altering things.
She lifted up a bit so she could look into his eyes.
“Jake?” she asked again. His eyes opened and gazed up into hers. The look on his face was one of joy and satisfaction, mirroring what she was feeling too—except for the trepidation about what she had to say next. She decided to just get it all out. Like ripping off a bandage, it was probably better to do this quickly. “Jake, I was serious before. I just want to make sure you know that. You’re my mate.”
She watched his expression carefully as a broad smile came over his lips and he tugged her a little closer.
“I like the sound of that even better now that I know how great we are together.” He kissed her temple in a playful move, but she was trying to be serious.
“Mating means something really important among shifters, Jake.” She tried to make him understand, but he was still being a little more flippant than she wished.
“If it means we get to do this every day for the rest of our lives, I’m all for it.”
Hope lifted her heart a tiny bit. He was thinking in terms of forever, but was he only teasing? Mating was deadly serious among her kind.
“The rest of our lives,” she repeated his words more slowly. “That’s what mating means, Jake. Are you up for that ?” She wasn’t smiling now. No, she was challenging him to match her serious mood.
His expression turned grave and her heart sank. Had she scared him off? Had she overdone it? But, dammit, she had a right to know what he was thinking. He was her mate . There were no secrets among mates. Her inner cat protested the very idea that he could be thinking in less permanent terms about their relationship.
Jake sat up in the bed, taking her with him until they faced each other. He slid his hands down over her arms until he could grasp both of her hands with his.
“I am very serious when I say that I am with you for the duration. As long as you’ll have me, Ria,” he said in a deep, somber tone, his gaze searching hers. “I have an inkling what mating means for your people, but not being a shifter myself, all I can say is that I’ve seen us together when we’re old and gray, and our joy in each other never diminishes. I want that. I want that future with you, sweetheart. Of all the possibilities I’ve ever foreseen, that’s the thing I want the most. You. In my life. For the rest of my life. Is that enough for your inner cat? Will you be satisfied with that?”
It was on the tip of her tongue to demand one thing more, but she figured she’d gotten enough out of him for now. It was early days in their relationship and he was already thinking in terms of forever—which satisfied her cat very well indeed.
The human part of her wanted his heart as well, but she figured that would come in time. They were on the same page. It would just take a bit of time and shared experiences to cement the relationship into what she wanted most…his love.
Near the empty warehouse on the shores of North Carolina, Master Willard Fontanbleu, Necromancer of the Venifucus Council of Elders seethed. His scraggly, long gray beard whipped around his portly body as he chastised those who worked for him.
“You let her escape!” A little bit of spittle shot out of his mouth along with the words. He was in a frothing rage. “She was within your grasp and you let her escape!”
“My lord, she had a team of commandos on the roof with a Blackhawk. There was no way we could have known she had such resources at her disposal. Our intelligence didn’t prepare us properly for
“Jake?” She pet his chest, content to lie in his arms as they both quieted.
“Mmm,” he replied, the lazy sound sending new shivers down her spine.
But she couldn’t give in to the satisfied lethargy threatening to claim her. She had serious things to discuss with him. Life-altering things.
She lifted up a bit so she could look into his eyes.
“Jake?” she asked again. His eyes opened and gazed up into hers. The look on his face was one of joy and satisfaction, mirroring what she was feeling too—except for the trepidation about what she had to say next. She decided to just get it all out. Like ripping off a bandage, it was probably better to do this quickly. “Jake, I was serious before. I just want to make sure you know that. You’re my mate.”
She watched his expression carefully as a broad smile came over his lips and he tugged her a little closer.
“I like the sound of that even better now that I know how great we are together.” He kissed her temple in a playful move, but she was trying to be serious.
“Mating means something really important among shifters, Jake.” She tried to make him understand, but he was still being a little more flippant than she wished.
“If it means we get to do this every day for the rest of our lives, I’m all for it.”
Hope lifted her heart a tiny bit. He was thinking in terms of forever, but was he only teasing? Mating was deadly serious among her kind.
“The rest of our lives,” she repeated his words more slowly. “That’s what mating means, Jake. Are you up for that ?” She wasn’t smiling now. No, she was challenging him to match her serious mood.
His expression turned grave and her heart sank. Had she scared him off? Had she overdone it? But, dammit, she had a right to know what he was thinking. He was her mate . There were no secrets among mates. Her inner cat protested the very idea that he could be thinking in less permanent terms about their relationship.
Jake sat up in the bed, taking her with him until they faced each other. He slid his hands down over her arms until he could grasp both of her hands with his.
“I am very serious when I say that I am with you for the duration. As long as you’ll have me, Ria,” he said in a deep, somber tone, his gaze searching hers. “I have an inkling what mating means for your people, but not being a shifter myself, all I can say is that I’ve seen us together when we’re old and gray, and our joy in each other never diminishes. I want that. I want that future with you, sweetheart. Of all the possibilities I’ve ever foreseen, that’s the thing I want the most. You. In my life. For the rest of my life. Is that enough for your inner cat? Will you be satisfied with that?”
It was on the tip of her tongue to demand one thing more, but she figured she’d gotten enough out of him for now. It was early days in their relationship and he was already thinking in terms of forever—which satisfied her cat very well indeed.
The human part of her wanted his heart as well, but she figured that would come in time. They were on the same page. It would just take a bit of time and shared experiences to cement the relationship into what she wanted most…his love.
Near the empty warehouse on the shores of North Carolina, Master Willard Fontanbleu, Necromancer of the Venifucus Council of Elders seethed. His scraggly, long gray beard whipped around his portly body as he chastised those who worked for him.
“You let her escape!” A little bit of spittle shot out of his mouth along with the words. He was in a frothing rage. “She was within your grasp and you let her escape!”
“My lord, she had a team of commandos on the roof with a Blackhawk. There was no way we could have known she had such resources at her disposal. Our intelligence didn’t prepare us properly for
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