“I disagree. You are absolute perfection, especially your sexy—” His arm swiped out again, but I jumped back, my newly enhanced speed coming in handy for that.

“Missed me,” I said teasingly. “Now get your nice ass outta bed. We’re leaving.”

“I have a nice ass?” He cocked an eyebrow.

I snorted, and rolled my eyes as I picked up my clothes, but was dismayed to see that they were shredded beyond repair. “You know you have a nice ass.”

“You’re right. I do,” he agreed when he stood.

I couldn’t stop my smile at his absolute cockiness, but all amusement fled when he towered over me. He was naked, completely naked, and that predatory look had crept into his eyes again.

It took everything in me not to drink up the sight of him and say to hell with Jakub and the fae lands. My mate was pure masculine perfection. His body was so cut and hard, perfectly sculpted and tantalizingly broad. Already, my fingers itched to skate over those muscular ridges and smooth planes.

His nostrils flared. “If that motherfucker wasn’t out to abduct you, I’d have you bent over this bed right now and be pumping into you.”

“Don’t tempt me,” I breathed, my voice coming out raspy and low. I took a step back and held up my ruined clothes. “Looks like these will need to go in the garbage.”

He nodded toward my bag, the one I hadn’t opened since Oak Trembler. “There are more clothes in there. I’m particularly fond of the number on top.”

Frowning, I went to my bag and opened it. My hand flew to my mouth when I saw the black lacy nightie that Tessa had packed for me. Kaillen must have seen it when he collected my things from Ontario and brought them to Montana. I’d completely forgotten about that garment. I held it up. “Do you think I should wear this to the fae lands?”

His eyes darkened. “No, if any other man sees you in that, I’ll kill him.”

I held the silky number up and over my skin, desire pooling between my thighs when I saw the reaction it elicited in him. Already, his pupils were dilating, his rod thickening.

He stalked toward me, but I grabbed a handful of clothes and ducked into the bathroom before either of us could succumb to our mutual lust. And it was only as I stood before the mirror, my hair mussed and my lips plump from so much kissing, that I saw the full extent of what our mating meant.

A faint crescent moon mark now shadowed the base of my neck. My breath sucked in as I angled my head. Oh gods. I’d done it. Really done it. I’d fully and completely given myself over to my wolf side.

Yet . . . my sister’s words came back to me. It’s real to all of them.

Some of my panic eased, even though our wolves had overrun our senses. Kaillen wanted me, perhaps would one day even grow to love me, and even though it would always be because of the bond and would never be because it was truly real, I was willing to accept that.

My wolf’s tail thumped and wagged inside me at light speed. I shook my head but couldn’t stop my smile. Yes, yes, I know. You won.

Her only response was to whine in happiness.

At least Kaillen had been right about the claiming calming her. Now that we’d given into our wolf sides, she felt even more subdued and content. I no longer felt her trying to control and dominate me. Instead, a languid feeling now ruffled through her. She was with her mate, bonded to him, and all was right in the world.

They truly were creatures that ran purely on instinct.

I sighed and finished in the bathroom, then pulled on sensible clothing—stretchy skinny jeans that were easy to move in, boots I could run in, and a black long-sleeved crop top that didn’t restrict my arms. If we were going to the fae lands to hunt Jakub, I wanted to be ready for anything.

Once done, I joined the hunter.

Kaillen was also dressed in his combat gear and decked out in a new harness with his weapons and potions strapped to him again. My mouth grew dry at the sight, and that telltale arousal again licked my insides.

I knew the same had been born in him, not only from the heat growing in his gaze, but from the bond that was threaded between us. I scented his arousal but also felt it too. Fucking hell, the man gave hornball a whole new meaning.

His nostrils flared, and he winked. “You should eat before we go.”

I eyed the high-calorie food that he’d put out on the kitchen table, not even realizing till that moment that I was starving. So, I did as he suggested and pretty much ate everything, but such was my new metabolism.

The entire time I was stuffing my face, he watched me, his gaze constantly dipping when my shirt clung to my chest or my pants snagged at my waist.

“If we don’t leave now, I’m going to have you against that wall in about two seconds flat.” Tenseness lined his shoulders, and his length was clearly evident through his pants.

Despite not wanting to, I sprang into action, knowing this was going to be a constant battle to fight our mutual lust, but we had a job to do at the moment, so going on a mating honeymoon wasn’t in the cards just yet.

“Let’s go.”

His gaze ran up and down my frame when he assessed me in a new harness that was strapped with weapons. “Damn, woman. Just damn.”

I smirked. “Like what you see?”

He took a deep breath. “Fuck yes.”

With that, we gripped one another’s hand and jumped through his wards.

OceanofPDF.com

Chapter 16

“I can’t conjure portals to the fae lands, so we’ll have to use a natural one,” he said once we were in the alleyway, the brick wall of his man cave behind us.

“Where’s the nearest portal?”

“On the other side of town.” He strapped his pack, then whipped out his yellow crystal and created a portal to transport us there. I also secured my backpack since we’d each carried a small bag with a few changes of clothes. I had no idea how long it would take to find Jakub, but we both agreed that traveling light was the best option.

Once we arrived across town, I took in the billowing green portal that would whisk us to the fae lands.

“Do you know where Culasberee is?” I asked.

“North of the capital, but before we go there, I want to make a stop. I have a feeling we’ll need more than the two of us if we’re going to take on Jakub.”

“So you don’t always work alone?”

He smirked at my teasing tone. “Usually, yes, but on the rare occasion, no.”

“So where are we going?”

“To a bar in the fae lands. My friends are there.”

My eyes widened with interest. “You have friends?”

“Don’t look so shocked.”

I snorted. “Does this mean I’m going to meet them?”

He glowered. “Unfortunately, yes.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Are you worried I’ll embarrass you?”

“Not at all. I’m more worried what they’ll do to you, particularly Barnabas.”

“Meaning what?”

“Meaning that as soon as he knows I’m mated to you, he’s going to do everything he can to rile me.”

I gave him a perplexed look. “What would rile you?”

“Let’s just say that you have my full permission to dismember him if he gets a bit too friendly.”

My jaw dropped, which got a grin from him.

“He won’t actually do anything too unsavory,” he added, “but he will enjoy provoking my mating instincts.”

“Ah, so he’ll flirt with me and whatnot?”

“Yes. I just hope it stops there. With how I’m feeling right now, I’m not sure whether I’ll be able to control my reactions even if all he does is flirt.”

I made a noncommittal noise, not entirely sure how to decipher that. I’d gotten the impression on multiple occasions that the hunter was possessive, but I had a feeling I hadn’t seen the half of it yet.