Page 103 of Little Red Riding Hood
A familiar burn rippled through his gums, his teeth shifting—not quite wolf, not quite human—as his canines stretched into something wild and wanting.
With a low, possessive growl, Wim leaned forward and sank his teeth into the tender skin of Red’s neck, feeling the warm blood rush to the surface. Red cried out, his body bucking as his release exploded out of him, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, he wrapped his legs tighter around Wim’s waist, pulling him closer, deeper.
At the same moment, Wim felt a searing heat at the base of his cock, a pressure building that made his wolf howl with triumph beneath his skin. His body was claiming Red in the most primal way possible—the way reserved only for true mates.
The glowing toadstools seemed to suddenly pulse brightly around them, and in that moment, the invisible thread that had been tugging between them since they first met blazed golden-bright in Wim’s mind, weaving itself into an unbreakable cord that bound them together.
That knowledge, combined with the pulsing of Red’s body around his cock, was too much, forcing Wim’s mouth to leave Red’s neck. He threw his head back andhowled,the sound filling the grotto, bouncing off the rocks to create a primal chorus that shook the stones.
Wim fully intended to fuck Red all the way through his orgasm and beyond, but then Red whispered those three little words…
“I love you.”
Wim’s control snapped.
With a final, guttural moan, Wim spent himself deep inside Red, his body shuddering with the force of his own climax. As his release flooded Red, the base of Wim’s cock swelled rapidly, locking them together in the most ancient of ways. His throat tightened. Wim had often wondered if he’d ever experience the privilege of having a true mate. And here he was, his knot inside Red.
“God almighty!” Red gasped, his mismatched eyes flying wide. “What in the—are you getting bigger inside me?” His voice cracked, caught between a yelp and a moan. “Wim! I can’t—it’s—”
“Shh, sweetheart,” Wim soothed, cradling Red closer as the knot reached its full size. “It’s the wolf’s way of claiming a true mate.” He pressed tender kisses to Red’s temple, relishing the exquisite pressure around his swollen base. “We’re joined completely now.”
Red’s breath came in short pants. “You might have warned me,” he said with a trembling laugh. “That your cock has… extra features.”
A bead of blood dribbled down Red’s neck, as red as his cloak. Wim pressed his tongue against it in an instant, licking up his neck all the way to his wound. The metallic tang mixed with Red’s natural sweetness made his wolf howl beneath his skin. “Mine,” he murmured against the sore skin, as he drenched the wound in saliva. It would heal within the hour, leaving just the lightest of marks—just enough to let the world know who Red belonged to.
Wim shifted slightly, causing Red to whimper as the knot tugged inside him. “We’ll be locked like this for a while,” Wim murmured against Red’s ear, unable to keep the smug satisfaction from his voice. “My wolf making certain every drop stays deep within you.”
Then, as the last waves of pleasure ebbed away, something felt…different.
The constant gnawing presence that had haunted Wim for so long—that primal beast beneath his skin—was no longer lurking in the shadows of Wim’s mind. The persistent ache in his arm, a reminder of the soulstealer’s bite, had ceased its endless throbbing.
Wim touched his biceps with trembling fingers, expecting to feel the familiar raised scar tissue. His breath caught. The skin was smooth, unblemished, as if he’d never been bitten at all.
“Red.” His voice cracked on the word. He pulled back to stare at his mate with wonder-filled eyes. “My sickness—it’s lifted. You’ve done it.”
Red blinked up at him, eyes still hazy with satisfaction, their bodies still intimately joined by Wim’s knot. “What?”
Ever so carefully, Wim lifted Red off him, easing out his spent cock, the knot now reducing.
“The beast inside me—it’s completely gone.” Wim pressed fervent kisses across Red’s face. “You did this. You’ve given me back my life.”
For many painful months the monster had bubbled just under the surface of Wim’s skin. He felt strangely light without it—like he might float away.
He captured Red’s mouth in a deep, reverent kiss that he hoped spoke of devotion and gratitude beyond his words.
When they finally broke apart, breathing heavily, Wim murmured against Red’s lips, “You’ve given me everything. Given me back my freedom. Given me your trust. Your heart. I swear I’ll spend every day earning all of it.” His hand cupped Red’s cheek, thumb stroking over the scattered freckles. “I’m going to spend the rest of my life making you smile, my fierce little mate. I swear it.”
Red’s eyes widened, a mix of joy and mischief dancing within them. “You swear it?” He lifted his pinkie finger, waggling it in front of Wim’s face. “On a pack swear then, I hope?”
Wim couldn’t contain his groan, the sound echoing off the grotto walls. Tobias was going to go absolutely nuts when he returned home with Red. “Come here, you menace.”
Their pinkies linked together, water droplets sliding down their joined hands.
“I, Wilhelm Hoffmann, swear to dedicate my life to making you happy.” Wim swallowed around a thick lump. “To protect you, cherish you, and love you with everything I have.”
Red’s cheeks flushed delightfully pink. “And I swear to be yours, always. To trust you, support you, and…” He paused, a smile tugging at his lips. “To stop being quite so dramatic about everything.”
Wim snorted. “Now that might be a promise you can’t keep.”
