Page 147 of Alpha Queen
Ares stood motionless, watching her through hooded eyes as she knelt to remove his shoes and socks, then reached for his belt. The leather slid free with a soft hiss, followed by the metallic click of his zipper. She tugged his pants and underwear down in one fluid motion, helping him step free of them.
Standing before her, completely naked, vulnerable in a way only she could make him feel, River quickly slipped her nightgown down her body, where it pooled at her feet, before she kicked it aside.
Taking his hand, she guided him into the shower, the warm water cascading over them both. Steam enveloped them in a private cocoon as River reached for the soap, working it between her palms until it lathered.
Her hands moved across his skin with deliberate strokes, washing away the remnants of death and vengeance. Ares closed his eyes, surrendering to her touch as she cleansed not just his body but his spirit. Her fingers traced each muscle, each curve, removing all traces of Titan's blood.
Our River. Our mate.
Ares lowered his head, lips finding the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder. He kissed a path up to her ear, inhaling her scent as his hands roamed her body. His palms curved around her waist, fingers splaying across her back as he pulled her closer.
"Let me take care of you," River whispered, her hands continuing their cleansing journey down his torso.
The last pink-tinged rivulets swirled down the drain as her soapy hands moved lower, fingers wrapping around him with gentle pressure. Ares groaned against her neck, his body responding instantly.
"River," he breathed, his voice thick with need.
Her eyes met his, golden irises darkened with desire. Without warning, Ares captured her mouth in a fierce kiss, his tongue sweeping past her lips as he backed her against the tile wall. The contrast of temperatures, hot water, cool tile, and burning skin heightened every sensation.
Lifting her effortlessly, Ares pinned her between his body and the wall, her legs wrapping around his waist.
His wolf growled.
He needed her. They both needed her. Needed to feel her, claim her. Wash away Titan's last words from his mind.
Their bodies joined in one powerful thrust, drawing a gasp from River that he swallowed with another hungry kiss.
There was nothing gentle in their need for each other. It was primal, urgent, a life-affirming celebration after facing death. River's arms tightened around his neck as he drove into her again and again, the water beating against his back in a steady rhythm. The world narrowed to just the two of them, to the perfect friction of skin against skin, to the heat building between them.
"Mine," Ares growled against her mouth, the word torn from somewhere deep within him. "My mate."
The image of Titan's final moments flashed through his mind. The feel of flesh yielding beneath his fangs, the hot gush of blood, the light fading from his eyes. He had done that for her, had torn out the throat of the wolf who dared threaten what was his. Who had dared to touch her, to mark her, to claim what could never belong to him.
River's body tightened around him, her back arching as pleasure overtook her. "Ares," she cried, her voice echoing off the tiles. "Oh goddess, Ares!"
The sound of his name on her lips pushed him over the edge. His release crashed through him with staggering force, his body shuddering against hers as he buried his face in her neck, breathing in her scent. His mate, the mother of his children, his everything.
They remained joined, water cascading over them as their breathing gradually slowed. Ares lifted his head to capture her lips in a tender kiss, so different from the desperate hunger of moments before. River's fingers traced across his shoulders and up into his hair.
"I love you," she whispered against his mouth.
"I love you more than life itself," he answered, the words inadequate to express the depth of his feelings.
Eventually, Ares shut off the water and carried River from the shower, her legs still wrapped around his waist. He set her on the counter and reached for a plush towel, drying her.
He worked methodically, patting her skin dry with care. When he reached her belly, rounded with their growing children, he sank to his knees before her and pressed his lips to the taut skin.
"Hello, little ones," he murmured, his voice a deep rumble. "Your father loves you so much already."
River's fingers threaded through his damp hair.
"They're safe now," she said. "We all are. Because of you."
"Yes," he agreed, pressing another kiss to her belly. "They are safe because of all of us. You, Apollo, and I. No one will ever threaten our family again."
He continued drying her, moving down to her legs and then up her torso to her neck. When he reached the spot where Titan's bite had left its mark, now healed to a faint scar, he paused. Without hesitation, he lowered his head and licked the scar. Never again would anyone touch what belonged to him and his brother. Never again would anyone hurt his family.
Ever.
