Page 90 of Moonlight and Mischief
I open my mouth to argue.
“Sunshine, you would do the same for me. Trust me to not be reckless.” The affection in his voice smoothers my spark of outrage. He further soothes me by kissing across my jaw and licking the skin below my ear.
“I trust you,” I breathe.
His gaze flicks up to me, halting his progress for a moment. The emotion through our bond is a tangle of gratitude and relief. Didn’t he already know I trusted him completely? But after his upbringing and then joining our pack where some wolves still view him with suspicion, I should have realized how much it would mean to him.
His mouth over my breast empties all thoughts from my mind. Nails scoring down his back, I urge his hips against my thighs.
The brilliant smile on his face makes my stomach flip. “Impatient?” he murmurs.
“For you? Yes,” I flirt. My hand closes around his length, drawing him against me.
“Whatever my mate desires,” he half-teases, half-swears, pushing forward to sink into me. Ecstasy buzzes under my skin.
The softness burns away as a frenzy builds between us. The night before, he was careful andcontrolled. That’s not what I want now. The hard planes of his body press into my curves as we set a brutal pace.
Soft breathy noises escape me, and he answers by lifting my knee against his chest to tilt my hips. My eyes squeeze shut, my body trembling. The feel of his skin against mine is almost too much.
Beautiful tension builds in every fiber of my being until I’m crying out curses. He slows, grinding into me. His release hits me through our shared bond, enough to break me a second time.
Jasper barely separates from me, his arms banding around me like he can’t tolerate the thought of not touching me. I listen to his heartbeat as we regain our composure.
I wipe my eyes, surprised to find wetness there.
“Are you okay, Sunshine?” he says, tightening his hold on me.
I nod, sniffling. “More than okay. I’m deliriously happy.”
He kisses my hair. “Me too.”
As the birds chirp outside our window in the morning light, I sleep deeply, safeat my mate’s side.
19. Epilogue
JASPER
Spring has finally warmed and the morning air has lost its bite. The river’s water flow increases as the snow at higher elevations melts. It’s my favorite time of year, as the deer bear their calves and the deciduous trees sprout millions of new leaves.
Marigold stands beside me, her hair gleaming and her eyes bright. I smooth my fingers through my mate’s hair, happy she left it loose today. Around us, star-shaped yellow wildflowers bloom - marsh marigolds. Their leaves are glossy green and heart-shaped.
Ahead of us, Hazel and Slate step toward the water’s edge, hand in hand. Confidence ripples off them, reassuring the pack members gathered behind them.
Sienna stands on the opposite side of the creek, within her own territory. Beside her stands a towering wolf I recognize as Orion. His clenched jaw shows a measure of anger, but he stays silent. He was a Zeta when I left the pack, but the way he stands beside my mother gives me pause. Sienna prefers to surround herself with the most vicious wolves, but after losing Ferris, maybe she went for brute strength.
Behind Sienna, my sister Ember stands with her hands clasped behind her. Her smile is a poor imitation of our mothers, sly but also full of violent promises that Sienna hides better.
Ember’s future mate, Hawk, has his arm around her waist, though there is space between their bodies. She’s only six months away from becoming an adult and his claim still stands. I glare at his freckled face. My sister may be unpredictable and dangerous, but saddling her with a mate the moment she becomes an adult won’t help anything.
“So what did you want to discuss?” Hazel demands, raising her chin. Slate’s hands rest on her hips as he stands slightly behind her, a smug look on his face.
“Peace, of course,” Sienna replies.
“That would be at odds with your prior actions, Alpha,” Hazel says.
Slate dips his head and places a kiss on the stretch of her exposed shoulder, right over his claim mark. It’s a reminder and a challenge.
“I hope you will believe me when I say that Ferris was the driving force behind our grievous assault onyour territory,” she says. We all know that’s bullshit. “I would appreciate it if we could sit down and outline what restitution we can make. I want to move forward as allies.”
