Page 36 of Rebel for Claws
Her climax was his undoing. With a growl, he thrust into her one final time, his own release crashing over him in a tidal wave of ecstasy. He spilled himself deep inside her, claiming her in the most intimate way possible, their bodies trembling together in the aftermath.
For several long moments, they stayed like that, their foreheads pressing together and their breaths mingling as they came down from the high. Slowly, he lowered her to the ground, his arms still wrapped around her as they sank to the floor by the fire.
She looked at him, her violet eyes glowing with contentment and something deeper—trust, affection, and a connection that went beyond the physical.
"You're amazing," she whispered, her voice soft but filled with awe.
He brushed a strand of her pale hair from her face, his thumb tracing the curve of her cheek. "And you're my everything," he replied, his voice thick with emotion.
They dressed in silence, the firelight casting warm shadows across the cave. When they were both clothed again, he guided her to sit by the fire, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as she leaned against him.
"Rest," he murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I'll keep watch."
She nodded, her eyes drifting closed as exhaustion finally claimed her. Alaric watched her for a long moment, his heart swelling with a protectiveness he hadn't felt in years.
As the fire crackled and the night deepened, his thoughts turned to the future—to the battles ahead, to the man he wanted to become, not just for his pack, but for her.
For the first time in decades, he felt hope. And he knew, without a doubt, that he would do anything to protect the woman who had reignited that spark within him.
The mate bond hummed softly between them, a quiet promise of what was to come. And for now, that was enough.
FIFTEEN
VIVIAN
The morning air bit through Vivian's tactical gear as she and Alaric made their way across the snow-covered terrain, their breath forming crystalline clouds in the frigid atmosphere. Twenty miles stretched between the cave where they'd taken shelter and the sanctuary of Alaric's estate. Her boots crunched rhythmically against the frozen ground, each step a steady metronome that matched the quickened pace of her heart.
Beside her, Alaric cut an imposing figure despite his disheveled state. His torn white formal shirt hung open, revealing glimpses of the muscled chest she'd explored so thoroughly the night before. The fabric fluttered in the winter wind, and his black dress pants bore tears from their hasty escape through the forest yesterday. Even battered and travel-worn, he radiated the unmistakable powerful authority of an Alpha—commanding, protective, and utterly male.
They walked in comfortable silence, but Vivian's mind churned with memories of their intimate encounter in the cave. Heat pooled low in her belly as she recalled the way his hands had claimed every inch of her skin, and the reverent hunger inhis storm-grey eyes as he'd worshipped her body with his mouth and tongue.
She'd been fantasizing about him since their challenge four days ago, when the mate bond had first sparked to life between them. But the reality had been so much more intense than her imagination could have conjured. The way he'd taken control and the possessive growl in his voice when he'd called her his—it had shattered every defense she'd built around her heart.
Why had I resisted him for so long?The question whispered through her mind as they navigated around a fallen log. Fear, she supposed. Fear of vulnerability and of letting someone else hold that kind of power over her. But last night had shown her the futility of fighting what was inevitable. Alaric wasn't just her mate—he was her equal, her match in every way that mattered.
"You're quiet," Alaric observed, his voice cutting through her reverie. Steam rose from his lips as he spoke, and she found herself staring at his mouth, remembering how those lips had felt against her skin.
"Just thinking," she replied, adjusting the leather harness that held her twin swords across her back. The familiar weight was comforting, grounding her in the present even as her thoughts drifted to heated memories.
His eyes, sharp and perceptive even in his exhausted state, studied her profile. "About last night?"
The directness of the question shouldn't have surprised her—Alaric wasn't a man who shied away from difficult conversations. But it still sent a flush of heat across her cheeks.
"Among other things," she admitted, meeting his gaze steadily. "I was thinking about how right it felt."
Something shifted in his expression—a softening around the edges that made her chest tight with emotion. "No regrets then?"
"None," she said firmly, the word carrying weight. It was a declaration, an acceptance of everything that lay between them. "I'm done fighting this, Alaric. Done fighting us."
He stopped walking, his hand reaching out to catch her arm gently. When she turned to face him fully, the intensity in his storm-grey eyes nearly stole her breath.
"What are you saying?" His voice was rough and carefully controlled, but she could hear the hope threaded through it.
"I'm saying I trust you. Completely." She stepped closer, close enough to feel the heat radiating from his body despite the winter chill. "I'm saying that when this madness is over, I want to explore what we could be together. All of it."
His jaw clenched, and she watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed hard. "Vivian?—"
"I can picture it," she interrupted, her voice taking on a dreamy quality as the vision crystallized in her mind. "Our future. Sunshine and peace. A world where hybrids, humans, and shifters coexist without fear. Where we don't have to hide what we are or who we love." She reached up, her fingers tracing the sharp line of his jaw. "I can see us building that world together."
