looped her arms around his neck and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.
Softly, so as not to wake the girls, she said, “I love how tall you are.”
He raised his chin. “I enjoy how small you are.”
“I’m not small,” she protested.
Cain flashed his teeth at Sarah before lifting her up by the hips. Easily, he threw her over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. Sarah got once last glimpse of Snow, winking at the girl before the alpha hauled her away.
She pretended to fight him as carried her to his room, both because it was fun and because she knew he liked it when she put up a little bit of resistance.
Cain’s room was nothing like Meadow’s. Utilitarian to the core, the room was empty, save for a large fur pallet and a handful of squat candles, which he had only brought in after Sarah had begun sleeping with him. He would blow them out before they went to sleep and would light them again when he woke up. He was always awake before her, and lighting them was purely for her benefit.
The breath left her body as he tossed her onto the pallet. Making quick work of his pants, he was on top of her, naked and impressively hard before she had a chance to sit up. She laughed, pushing against his chest as he bent to draw his canines over the delicate skin of her neck.
Absently, she asked, “Do you ever think about me while you’re off hunting or defending your lands?”
He scoffed into her neck. “I am an alpha. I do not have time for such distractions.”
“I think about you all night,” she said, before she could talk herself out of it. Cain didn’t reply, but he slowed in his ministrations to her neck. Confident that she had his attention, she continued, “You know, I can’t even remember the things I used to think about before I met you. I can’t remember the things I used to want.”
Cain pulled his head back, watching her warily, as if he thought she might blow up in his face. Part of her wanted to chicken out, but there was just too much between them. Whether he had feelings for her or not, she couldn’t hide her own any longer, no matter how much it scared her.
“I’m pretty sure that I’m in love with you,” she said as evenly as she could. “And I’d like to stay here with you and your pack.”
The only sound in the room was the slamming of her heartbeat, and she knew it must sound like a drum to his keen ears. She felt as though she had ripped it from her chest and offered it up to the alpha, who seemed only to be able to stare at it in bewilderment.
Taking a deep breath, she said, “I’ve been really emotional today, and if you don’t answer soon, I might start crying. Not trying to rush you or anything, it’s—”
Sarah yelped as Cain crushed his lips against hers, claiming them in a brutally possessive kiss. Relief made her go boneless beneath him. Hands trembling, she reached up to cup his face, and he allowed her to push him back.
“Sorry if I sound needy, but this is my whole future on the line here. Tell me I can stay?”
With a familiar predatory gleam in his eyes, he replied, “I am never letting you go.”
As Sarah floated in her elation, Cain resumed his exploration of her body. Gorgeous lips traced her jaw and then trailed downwards to her collarbone, kissing and sucking. His tongue felt rougher than a human man’s, and it added to the pleasure of the experience.
Cain thrived on having control, and she always accommodated him. Secretly, the prospect of taking control from such a dominant male intrigued her, but she had yet to figure out how to accomplish such a feat.
Making his way down to her breasts, Cain sucked a nipple into his mouth. True to his words, he was never all that gentle, and tonight he was making good use of his canines. He tugged at her with his sharp teeth, pulling at the tender flesh around her nipples. She held her breath, afraid that the rise and fall of her chest would cause him to break the skin. He moved from breast to breast, teasing
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