Page 68 of Hexmate

My heart hammered against my ribs. I knew what that meant. The locker room would be empty soon enough—the team always celebrated victories at a bar just off campus that catered to the supernatural population. And with all the danger on campus recently, they were sure to leave campus as fast as possible and under the watchful eye of parents, coaches, and security.

I slipped out of the bleachers and made my way to the secluded corridor behind the gymnasium. The hallway smelled of floor cleaner and sweat, but I didn’t care. My magic thrummed beneath my skin, responding to Atlas’s proximity even through walls. Being bonded to a werewolf was far more intoxicating than I expected. And, just for this once, I was going to allow myself to give into the moment.

I knew the moment we left the gym, we would be in danger. If our plan worked, we’d come face to face with the witch trying to kill the monster students on campus, Rowan Hargrove. We wanted to face him, to bring an end to all the violence and curses he was slinging at the students. But if things didn’t go well, if by some chance we had severely underestimated our foe, this might be the last hour we had together. And I wasn’t about to waste that opportunity.

The locker room door banged open precisely nine minutes later, and Atlas stalked toward me with predatory intent. He’d showered hastily, water droplets still clinging to his dark hair, but he’d barely bothered to dress—just basketball shorts riding low on his hips, exposing the cut V of muscle disappearing beneath the waistband.

“You’re distracting me during matches now?” he growled, backing me against the wall. His scent enveloped me—pine and earth and musky werewolf that made my magic spark beneath my skin.

“I wasn’t doing anything,” I protested weakly, unable to tear my gaze from the water droplet sliding down his chest.

Atlas’s laugh was low and dangerous. “Your thoughts were so loud I could practically hear them.” He pressed closer, trapping me between his body and the wall. “Every filthy thing you wanted me to do to you.” He leaned even closer. “All you had to do was ask, Caden.”

His mouth crashed against mine, hungry and demanding. I surrendered immediately, my hands clutching at his broad shoulders as he lifted me effortlessly. My legs wrapped around his waist, and he ground against me, making me gasp into his mouth.

“We don’t have much time,” I muttered breathlessly. “If we want to catch him…”

“I won’t need long,” Atlas growled back, his teeth against my neck. “I’m so fucking turned on already I can barely think.”

I moaned as his teeth grazed my skin, not quite breaking the surface but threatening to. Through our bond, I could feel the wolf inside him, eager and restless, wanting to claim what was his.

“Atlas,” I gasped as his hands slid beneath my shirt, hot palms against my cooler skin. The temperature difference between us was something new I’d noticed—werewolves ran several degrees hotter than humans, and even warmer than witches like me.

“Say it again,” he demanded, golden eyes flashing in the dim corridor light. “Say my name.”

“Atlas,” I breathed, and he rewarded me by grinding his hips against mine, the thin fabric of his basketball shorts doing nothing to hide his arousal.

The magic within me responded to his touch, tiny green shoots sprouting from the cracks in the linoleum floor beneath us. It happened whenever we were together like this—my nature magic manifesting without my conscious control. The first time, Atlas had been surprised. Now he seemed to take pride in it, as though my inability to contain my power was a testament to his effect on me.

“I can feel how much you want this,” he murmured against my throat, one hand sliding down to palm me through my jeans. “I can smell it too.”

My head fell back against the wall with a thud. “Anyone could walk by,” I whispered, even as my hips pushed forward into his touch. Not that I really cared.

“Let them,” Atlas growled, his eyes flashing gold in the dim hallway. “Let them see who you belong to.”

He spun us around, carrying me through the locker room door and kicking it shut behind us. The sound of the lock clickinginto place sent a shiver down my spine. In one fluid motion, he set me on my feet and yanked my shirt over my head, tossing it aside before backing me against the lockers.

The metal was cold against my bare skin, but I barely noticed as Atlas dropped to his knees in front of me. His fingers worked at my belt, unbuckling it with practiced ease.

“We have ten minutes before we need to be in position,” he said, looking up at me through dark lashes. “I intend to make every second count.”

My breath hitched as he tugged my jeans and boxers down in one swift motion. The cool air hit my exposed skin, but Atlas’s breath was hot against my thigh. My cock throbbed, bouncing less than an inch from his nose.

“Every. Second.” He emphasized each word with a kiss pressed to my hipbone, my stomach, working his way down with deliberate slowness that made me squirm.

When his mouth finally closed around my aching cock, I had to bite my lip to keep from crying out. My fingers threaded through his damp hair, and he growled his approval, the vibration sending sparks of pleasure up my spine. Vines began curling up the sides of the lockers, tiny buds unfurling into flowers that had no business blooming in a boys’ locker room.

His tongue swirled while he sucked, one hand gently tugging on my balls to heighten the sensation. I closed my eyes, leaning back against the lockers as I did nothing to stifle my moans. We hadn’t been doing this for that long, but he was damn good at it already. In less than a minute I could already feel myself approaching the edge.

“Atlas,” I gasped, tugging gently at his hair. “I’m not going to last if you keep?—”

He pulled back, golden eyes glinting up at me. “That’s the point, Caden.” My name sounded sweet on his lips.

“Wait,” I said, pulling his head back. “Wouldn’t you rather fuck me instead?”

Atlas’s eyes flashed dangerously, pupils dilating until only a thin ring of gold remained. A low, rumbling growl vibrated from his chest as he surged to his feet with inhuman speed.

“You can’t just say things like that,” he snarled, his voice dropping an octave. Through our bond, I felt his control slipping—the wolf clawing closer to the surface.

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