Page 33 of Runt's Haunted Ride
"Kai, are you sure?"
"I've never been more certain of anything in my life." I kissed him. "If tonight goes bad, I want to be mated."
"Me too," Jack smiled. Then lifted me again, only to allow me to drop onto his cock.
I threw my head back. The instantly full feeling was almost enough to bring me to the edge. Jack lifted me again, his speed picking up. Up and down, I bounced while he helped me.
"I'm so close," I said, tightening my inner muscles around him.
While thrusting in and out, Jack moved his thumb, parting my lips. He slid it in, and after a few side-to-side motions, he found my clit.
"Let go," he commanded, his movements becoming more urgent, more desperate. "Come for me, Kai. Let me feel it." He applied pressure to my clit while he thrust me down hard.
The orgasm hit me like lightning, pleasure exploding through every nerve ending. My back arched, my inner walls clenching around him, and I heard him curse as his own release followed—his body going rigid as he buried himself deep. For a moment, we sat there, breathing hard, hearts pounding in sync. Still inside me, Jack took his thumb out and brought it to our faces.
"Stay still," he commanded in a deeper voice than I'd ever heard. My heartbeat quickened. His eyes turned the same color as his gorilla—a bright silver color outlined with a black ring. His thumb glowed the same silver color. He took his thumb and placed it on the inside of my right wrist. He held it there, and my breath caught in my throat. A tingling sensation spread through my body. His eyes returned to normal as he removed his thumb.
I looked down at my wrist. There, in a glistening silver outline, was a thumbprint. Jack's thumbprint. I touched it, and the silver brightened. A tear escaped and rolled down my cheek.
"I love it." I touched it again, watching the glow. "My turn. Ready? Mine might hurt."
Jack nodded.
I brought my face to where his heart was and carefully transformed my mouth into my beak. I spoke inward to my phoenix, asking it to accept and mark this man as our mate. Immediately, my temperature rose. I allowed my phoenix to guide me, bringing the tip of my beak to the spot. I applied it to Jack's chest. I heard him suck in air, but I didn't break the bond until I felt my phoenix transform my beak back into my human face. Looking down at Jack's chest, there, burned into his skin, was a perfect orange and red feather.
Jack looked down, taking it in. Slowly, carefully, he lifted his head to look at me. His eyes were soft now, full of wonder and something that looked like awe.
"My mate," he said, brushing damp hair back from my face.
"My mate," I whispered, unable to stop smiling even though tears were leaking from the corners of my eyes.
Jack brought our foreheads together. The mate bond had settled into something warm and content in my chest, but underneath it was steel. We were bound now. Truly bound. This was something no one could take from me. Even in death, I would wear my mate's mark.
"Kai," Jack said. "I better go, and you better get ready."
"Alright, I suppose we better. But first, I have to know—did you have to use that thumb to mark me, or was that some male thing?"
Jack laughed. "I had to use it. In order to bring forth the gorilla marking, I have to have your essence." He smiled a mischievous-looking grin. "It was either that or your blood."
"Good choice." I kissed him.
"Alright, time for the shitty part." Jack carefully lifted me, pulling himself out. The act made me wince slightly, and immediately his expression became concerned. "Did I hurt you?"
"No," I assured him quickly. "You're pretty wide, I had to stretch. It's just a new sensation. I'm fine. Better than fine."
He grabbed the towel from where it had fallen and gently cleaned us both, his touch reverent. When he was done, he pulled me against his chest, his arms wrapped securely around me.
"I promise I'll keep you safe. And as soon as you're back, we're taking off. Just us," Jack promised.
Reality crashed back in. The performance. Tonight. Mortis.
I pulled back to look at him, and he must have seen the fear in my eyes because he immediately cupped my face in his hands.
"Hey," he said firmly. "We've got this. You and me. Together."
"Together," I repeated, letting the word settle into my bones.
He kissed me once more, soft and sweet and full of promise, then stood. Putting his t-shirt back on and zipping up his pants, he tightened his belt. "Hey, will you know me in your chick form?"
