Page 24 of Runt of the Pack
Anya’s response is lost in a moan as she writhes beneath me, hips bucking against mine as she clings to the edge of the mattress. Her fingers tangle in the sheets, straining against the fabric as if it were my skin. She’s close, I can tell by the desperate way her body quivers around me, and that knowledge only spurs me on more.
I growl against her swollen lips before suckling on her bottom lip gently. The combination of pleasure and pain tips her over the edge and she arches off the bed, nails leaving white-hot lines on my back as she cries out my name.
My voice comes out raw with desperation. “Anya, I need to claim you...” I rasp against her neck. “I want all of you... Oh, gods!” My body quakes with uncontrollable desire. I can’t stop myself anymore. I must mark her as mine, to leave an indelible brand on her silken skin that will last an eternity.
“Yes...!” she responds with a sultry moan, giving herself over to me completely.
With one final, powerful thrust, I surge deep within her contracting depths and stiffen as my climax rocks through me, unyielding in its intensity. A primal roar escapes my lips as I release everything within her, claiming her as my mate, my blood bonded to hers for all eternity. The connection between us ignites like wildfire, searing and scorching as our orgasms crash together in a cacophony of passionate growls and whimpers.
My body trembles as the searing heat of my climax courses through my veins, a molten wave of pleasure, unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. With a savage growl that is both animalistic and triumphant, I pull back just enough to angle myself more precisely, aligning my fangs with the throbbing vein at the slope of her shoulder. At once, the scent of her arousal and the heady scent of her blood fills my nostrils, clouding my already addled senses. My canines lengthen in anticipation, aching to taste that honey-sweet nectar that will seal our bond for eternity.
Anya whimpers under me, her breathing ragged and body trembling as she clings to me with all her might. “Take me... make me yours... I’m yours, Vlad...” she breathes out between pants, her words sending fire straight to my core. My self-control snaps like a taut bowstring in that moment, and with one last, powerful thrust, I plunge my fangs deep into her shoulder as I empty myself inside her.
Her blood coats my tongue like ambrosia, sweet and intoxicatingly rich. As our two hearts hammer against each other in a frantic rhythm, our blood mingles, intertwining our very souls as we collapse into each other’s arms. We are no longer two separate beings but one. Bound together for eternity, entwined in a bond that transcends time.
Anya’s whimpers of ecstasy mingle with mine as our orgasms subside, our bodies still joined as our pulses slow to a more manageable rhythm. She shivers beneath me, her nails still embedded in my back, and I can feel the searing heat of our bond solidifying between us like molten lava cooling into unbreakable obsidian.
Slowly, I pull my fangs from her shoulder, our gazes locking in the dim moonlight. Her eyes are now a swirling maelstrom of chestnut and amber, proof of the claiming that just took place. A smirk tugs at my lips as I brush a strand of hair from her face.
“Mine,” I growl softly, my voice raw with emotion and possessiveness that I no longer have the will to hide. “You’re mine, Anya.”
Her eyes darken with desire and acceptance as she nods in agreement, her fingers tracing the wound that now bears the mark of my bite: a perfect pair of intertwined V and A symbols. “Through every lifetime... I belong to you...Vlad,” she whispers hoarsely.
Gently, I lick the wound on her shoulder, speeding its healing before my eyes. And as we lay there, tangled in the sheets, our breathing gradually returning to normal, something inside me settles. A long-felt emptiness is finally filled, as if a missing piece of my very soul has been returned to me.
With a contented sigh, I roll onto my side, bringing her with me so she rests her head on my chest. Her heartbeat thuds against mine, a steady drumbeat that soothes the savage beast within me.
21
VLAD
The days pass in a blissful haze as Anya and I continue growing ever closer. Our new romance develops slowly but steadily, each shared moment forging fresh links in the profound bond between us.
My wounds have mended to faint scars thanks to Anya’s mysterious healing powers. And she’s finally finished the paintings commissioned by her patron Yulia before the roads become impassable.
We’re preparing a simple dinner together in the kitchen when she mentions needing to deliver the artwork into town later today.
“I’d really like you to meet Yulia,” she says. “She’s quite a spectacular lady, truly one of a kind.”
I pause in chopping vegetables to meet Anya’s hopeful gaze. While social calls don’t come naturally to me, I realize this trip is important to her. “I’m certain this Yulia must be quite special, to have earned such high praise from you,” I reply.
Setting down the knife, I take Anya’s delicate hand in my own and bring it to my lips in a tender kiss. Her blush as I do so never fails to make my inner wolf rumble with satisfaction. No matter how charming she finds this mentor, to me, Anya outshines all others.
“But you should know,” I add throatily, “I’ve already had the privilege of meeting the most spectacular woman I’ll ever know.”
Anya melts beautifully at my sincerity, shyly meeting my eyes. In moments like this, her pure joy pierces through the darkness that once shrouded my battered soul. Each day with Anya is a gift, her light guiding me further out of lonely shadows into hope.
The urge to keep Anya confined safely in our territory gnaws at me as we prepare to venture out to her patron Yulia’s estate. I know Anya values her independence, but ever since fate bound her to me as mate, my primal instincts bristle at letting her out of my sight. The wolf in me paces and snarls, fixated on shielding its vulnerable female. After my past failures, I cannot risk Anya coming to harm.
When she takes my hand reassuringly, sweetly trying to ease my restlessness, I feel a surge of gratitude and protectiveness. She does not fully grasp how utterly helpless I was when my old clan abandoned me, bleeding and broken in the snow. I will never allow Anya to know such devastation. She is everything to me—my hard-won second chance. I failed my kin, but I will tear apart anything that threatens my new mate.
The journey passes tensely as I scan our surroundings, senses primed for any potential threat. Anya stays close by my side, recognizing my need to keep her within reach. Her willingness to accommodate my instincts despite her independent spirit only deepens my longing to prove I can defend her against all perils.
As we approach the grand estate, a sense of foreboding settles in the pit of my stomach. The grounds are eerily silent, and my wolf senses pick up on a distinct absence of any other living beings nearby. Anya, unaware of my unease, rushes heedlessly forward.
“Stop!” I hiss, snatching her arm and pulling her to a halt.
She scowls at me, her expression darkening with confusion. “What’s wrong?”
