Page 94 of Hawke

But this was my mate, my one desire, the one love I’d always wanted.

My mate let out a needy moan, her head thrashing as I held her in my arms. Her arousal smelled sweeter, her nipples turning a darker pink. She couldn’t be? Could she?

My wolf howled, elated at the prospect.

My cock burned, ached at the sight of her leaking cunt. I gripped my throbbing cock, pumping it several times, only to be greeted with no relief.

This couldn’t be happening. It would be too soon, right?

Gently, I laid my mate in our nest. Wrapping her with the greatest care. I needed answers, and unfortunately, that meant leaving her in the nest alone.

I grabbed my shirt, covering my privates, and headed down the winding metal stairs. I left the door open so I could hear my mate’s cries if she needed me. I jumped down the last five steps to be greeted by Bram, shooing a customer out the door.

He flipped the sign to closed and flipped off the lights. He turned, his eyes flickered red with the last remaining light. “You’ve mated with her. Congratulations. But I must ask why you are down here?” A smirk appeared on his lips as he passed me going behind the counter.

“She bit me first.” I ran my hand through my hair.

Bram paused, his back facing away from me. “Delilah did what?” he asked, amused.

“She bit me first. I wasn’t planning on completing the bond. Just knotting her, I wasn’t sure–”

“You weren’t sure if she would survive a shift, so you were just going to take the first step.”

I nodded, gripping my cock. It was going to fucking explode if I didn’t rub one out soon.

“And you bit her back?” Bram turned, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

“My wolf wouldn’t have it any other way. He took over and—”

“Of course, he wouldn’t. Animals are selfish bastards.” Bram picked up a glass of bourbon underneath the counter and swallowed the remnants from the glass in one go. “But that presents a new problem. You’ve gone into your rut.”

“Shit.” I gripped my cock through the shirt. My come was soaking the material, but I gained no relief.

“Hawke!” A cry from the corner of the room made me drop the now soaked shirt covering my dick.

Delilah stood on the stairs with her purple silk robe barely covering her breasts. Her hair was ruffled, covering half her face, the bite mark that was once red and angry was now a beautiful scar that held my mark making her mine.

Even though she looked in pain, disgruntled and worried, I was fucking proud of how my mate took my mark so well.

I rushed to her, dropping the dirty shirt, and I heard Bram groan as my ass hung out for him to see. I covered her body, holding her as she fell into my arms. “My mate, what is wrong? Why are you up?”

“I’m hot all over,” she breathed. “My... Between my legs, it’s so hot.”

When I touched her, she felt cool to me. My cock brushed between her legs, and I felt instant relief. I bet I would feel more once I buried myself deep inside her. She must feel the same because she wrapped her arms around me, sighing deeply into my chest.

“She’s in heat.” Bram mentioned from the other side of the room. “Rather odd, since she was just bitten.”

I turned to him, my mate not paying any attention to the warlock.

“What?” I snapped.

“I’m saying it should take longer for the venom to work for her heat to come in,” he mused. “Venom doesn’t work that quickly.”

Delilah cried out again, her fingers digging into my skin.

“Take her,” Bram ordered. “I’ll leave you food and pregnancy preventives until it’s over.”

“But Shane,” I countered. “Don’t you have something to delay the rut and her heat? Do you have rutting root?”

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