Cameron groaned. “I’m gonna be late.”
I opened one eye in time to see her throwing the covers off. “Can I help with anything?” I asked, rubbing my eyes and missing the warmth of her against me.
“I’d love it if you’d make breakfast while I get ready.” She raised her eyebrows hopefully.
“I can come up with something,” I said, smiling and pulling on pajama bottoms.
In the months since everything had happened, Cameron and I had grown even closer. It helped that we shared an apartment now—another gift from JC and the pack. It was in a nice area of town, and only two streets down from the new apartment the alpha had secured for Cameron’s mother and brother. No broken elevator, the hot water always worked, easier access to amenities, and Gael could go to a better school. To be honest, I was bewildered by how much JC had done for us since joining the pack.
“You two have been screwed over enough,” he’d said. “The least I can do is help out a bit. Call it a long-overdue apology from my pack to you.”
That statement alone had sealed the deal for me. But it wasn’t only what he’d done for us, but for Rick Masters as well. He’d been true to his word and gotten Rick into rehab. As much as I despised Rick, I understood that his father had raised him to be that way. That, along with the drugs, had warped him into a monster. When Rick got out of rehab, he’d expressed his remorse. Ollie told us Rick had used the last of family money to buy a plane ticket to Britain, where he planned to start a new life. I hoped he was successful—and that we’d never have to see the douchebag again.
That kindness, even toward an enemy, showed me that JC was an alpha I would go to battle for in a heartbeat. As long as he ruled the pack, he’d have me at his side, fighting tooth and nail for anything he needed. It made me realize how much I’d longed for not just family and stability, but someone to follow. A person I could look up to and admire. Given how young JC was, I knew he’d only become an even better leader as he matured.
“Can you move the laundry over?” Cameron called as she finished her last bite of the scrambled eggs and toast.
“Already on it,” I said, opening the lid of the washer. “Give me a second to put my shoes on, then I’ll walk you to the subway.”
She rolled her eyes. “You know you don’t have to do that. I tell you every time.”
I shut the dryer, turned it on, then scooped her into my arms. “And every time you say that, I tell you that I’m doing it, anyway,” I said.
Laughing, she kissed me. “Fine. If youmust.”
The gentle, sweet kiss awakened something deep inside me. My wolf gave a low, commanding growl deep in my mind. It wastime. Past time. We were together, and I needed to seal this. To once and for all claim Cameron as mine and show her I was hers.
“Nate?” she asked. “Are you good?”
Breathing in short, slow breaths, I looked into her eyes, hunger and desire flooding through me.
“How late can you be?” I whispered.
Her eyes widened in surprise. “Oh!” She smiled coyly. “I suppose I could be fifteen or twenty minutes late.” She ran a finger down my jaw. “But only if you really make it worth my while.”
I didn’t smile or laugh. This was too serious. Too life-altering to make a joke of it.
“I want to bond with you,” I said, my mouth dry and my heart thundering.
Cameron’s mouth formed anO. In the months she’d been a shifter and part of the pack, she’d done her fair share of research. To bond was to bind oneself to the other person in a deep, emotional manner, usually sealed with a bite. A physical act that held both shifters together. It was not unbreakable, but it was the closest thing we had to a human marriage ceremony.
“Are you sure?” she asked, tilting her head and averting her eyes.
Putting my hand under her chin, I brought her gaze to mine. “I’ve never been more sure about anything. I want you, now and forever.”
My words did something to her. Hope, like a rainbow after a thunderstorm, glimmered in her eyes. She beamed at me.
“Yes. I want that, too,” she whispered. “I love you, Nate.”
“I love you, Cameron.”
Our lips met in urgent desire. Our breaths intermingled as we moved as one. Before I even realized what I was doing, my fingers fumbled with the buttons and zipper of her pants. Her tongue slid into my mouth as her pants fell down to her ankles.She grunted with frustration as she struggled to free her feet from her shoes.
Picking her up, I set her on the granite counter.
“Fuck, that’s cold,” she hissed.
“This isn’t,” I grunted as I pulled my cock free of my pants and thrust into her.
