Page 48 of Bite the Power
"This is your home now, if you want it to be," Kaidan declared with royal authority. "I don't care what the political climate looks like right now or how long it takes for every last shifter to accept you. You belong here, with me, as my queen."
Instead of answering with words—because there were too many emotions tangled in her throat—Tessa leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. The kiss started tender, a soft brush of gratitude and love but quickly ignited into something hungry and passionate. Kaidan's arms pulled her against his chest as he claimed her mouth with the same intensity he brought to ruling his kingdom.
Beyond the chamber walls, the storm continued its relentless assault. But inside their private sanctuary, wrapped in Kaidan's powerful embrace before the crackling fire, Tessa finally understood what it meant to be exactly where she belonged.
TWENTY-TWO
KAIDAN
Kaidan's tongue swept against Tessa's with devastating thoroughness, as if he could claim every breath she'd ever take through this single kiss. The taste of her—sweet with hints of wine from dinner—drove his bear wild with possessive need. His large hands threaded through her dark waves, anchoring her against him as the storm outside battered his domain with unprecedented fury. The howling wind and rattling windows only emphasized their complete isolation, sealing them away from the world in this firelit sanctuary.
When they finally broke apart, both breathing hard, Kaidan's chest heaved as he struggled to find words for what burned in his soul. Tessa's lips were swollen from his kisses, her green eyes dark with desire, and the sight nearly shattered his resolve to speak first before claiming her completely.
This is it,his bear roared inside him.Mark her. Make her ours forever.
But the human part of him—the king who'd learned to consider consequences—knew this moment required more than primal instinct. This was the most important decision of his life, and despite his body screaming to complete their mate bond, he needed her conscious, willing choice.
"Tessa." Her name came out breathier than he'd intended, laced with need and vulnerability he'd never allowed himself to show another soul. "There's something I need to ask you."
She searched his face, her fingers tracing the line of his jaw. "What is it?"
Kaidan's throat went dry. In thirty-five years of life, through battles for his territory and decisions that affected hundreds of his people, he'd never felt fear like this. The terror that she might say no, that he might lose her before he'd truly had her, made his hands shake.
"I want to mark you," he said, the words falling between them like stones. "Tonight. I want to make you my mate officially, completely, for the rest of our lives." Kaidan pressed on before he could second guess himself. "I'll scratch your hip when we climax during sex, leaving a permanent mark that bonds us spiritually and physically. We'd be connected in ways that can never be undone."
The silence stretched between them, punctuated only by crackling flames and howling wind. Each second felt like an eternity while his bear paced frantically, terrified of rejection.
What if she's not ready? What if the permanence scares her away?
"Will it hurt?" she asked softly.
"Only for a moment," Kaidan promised, his thumb stroking her cheekbone. "Then it becomes pleasure. Pure, immense pleasure."
Tessa's gaze searched his face, and he could practically see her analytical mind working through the implications. The pause made his heart almost beat out of his chest.
Please,he thought desperately.Please don't leave me.
Then her lips curved into that smile that had been undoing him since the day they met. "Yes."
The single word hit him like lightning. "Yes?"
"Yes, I want to be yours forever," she whispered, her fingers fisting in his shirt.
Joy exploded through him so powerfully he nearly roared with it. Instead, he channeled that overwhelming emotion into action, laying her down on the thick fur rug. The firelight painted her skin golden as he braced himself above her, his eyes drinking in every perfect detail.
"You're sure?" he asked one last time, though his hands were already reaching for the hem of her thermal shirt.
"I've never been more sure of anything."
Kaidan's control snapped. His fingers found the edge of her shirt, peeling the soft fabric up and over her head with reverent care. Her skin emerged inch by tantalizing inch—the flat plane of her stomach, the curve of her ribs, the black lace of her bra that made his mouth go dry.
"Beautiful," he murmured, his voice thick with awe. "So damn beautiful."
Her pants came next, his hands skimming down her legs as he removed them completely. When he reached for her bra clasp, their eyes met and held. The trust he saw there—absolute and unwavering—nearly made him collapse.
The black lace fell away, revealing her full breasts to the firelight. Kaidan's breath stopped short for a moment at the sight of her, gloriously naked except for her tiny black panties that he removed last with worshipful hands.
Now she lay before him on his furs like a goddess, her dark hair spread around her face, her skin glowing golden in the flames, and Kaidan knew he'd never seen anything more perfect in his life.
