She rose, a goddess in the moonlight, a vision of defiant strength and soft curves. With a gentle pressure on his shoulders, she pushed him until he was sitting on the rough canvas of the drop cloth, his back solid against a stack of unused lumber. The scents of their lovemaking, fresh paint, and raw wood mingled in the air, creating a perfume that was uniquely theirs, the scent of a new beginning.
She straddled his lap, the weight of her settling against him, still dressed in her simple green dress. The friction of the fabric against his bare skin was a sweet torment. Her movements were fluid and sure as she reached behind her to unzip the dress, her eyes never leaving his. She shrugged it from her shoulders, letting it pool around her waist. The moonlight cascaded over her bare shoulders and the swell of her breasts, and Rowan’s breath hitched. He had never seen anything so beautiful. She leaned forward, kissing him deeply as her hands worked the clasp of her bra, letting it fall away.
“All of me,” she whispered against his lips, her voice a promise. “All of you.”
She took his thick, straining cock in her hand, her touch both reverent and sure, sending fire through his veins. He watched her face, transfixed, as she guided him to her entrance. With a slow, deliberate grace that spoke of absolute trust, she lowered herself onto him, impaling herself on his length. A sharp, shuddering gasp was torn from her lips, her head falling back as her body accepted all of him.
Her pussy was so tight, so wet, so impossibly hot around him, a silken sheath of pure welcome. He could feel every exquisite ripple of her muscles as she adjusted to his size, her body clenching around him not in resistance, but in a deep, primal greeting. A guttural groan escaped him, and his hands came up to grip her hips, not to control, but to anchor himself in the reality of the moment.
“You feel that?” she whispered, her voice shaky with pleasure as she leaned forward, her forehead resting against his.
“I feel everything,” he rasped, his own voice so thick with an emotion that it felt bigger than his body could contain. “You. Us. Home.”
She began to move, a sinuous rocking that was pure, exquisite torture. She rode him with an innate rhythm, her eyes closed, a soft smile gracing her lips. He could feel her pleasure through their bond as if it were his own, a blooming, radiant warmth that spread from their joining to fill every dark, empty corner of his soul. He could feel her love, a steady, unwavering light that chased away the last of the shadows from his past, healing wounds he didn’t even know were still bleeding.
“Look at me,” he commanded softly, needing to see her, to confirm this wasn’t some fever dream.
Her eyes fluttered open, locking with his. The raw, unfiltered honesty in her gaze was his undoing. He saw his own desperate, hopeful love reflected there. He saw a future he had never dared to imagine, a life of quiet mornings and shared work andpeaceful nights. He saw a man he didn’t recognize, a man worthy of this incredible, brave woman.
“I love you,” he said, the words torn from the deepest part of him, raw and absolute.
“I know,” she answered, her voice breaking with tears he could feel were born of joy. “I can feel it.” And he felt it too—he felt her receiving his love, a wave of warmth and light that washed over her and then reflected back to him, creating a perfect, unbreakable circuit of emotion between them.
Her rhythm quickened, her hips rocking against his with a building, frantic urgency. The slow dance became a desperate, joyous claiming. He met her thrusts, his own control unraveling as he watched her, completely lost in the sight of her pleasure. He saw the exact moment her orgasm began to build, the flush that crept up her chest, the way her breath hitched in her throat. He drove up into her, hitting that perfect spot deep inside, and her climax ripped through her, a beautiful, shattering cry that was his name. Her pussy pulsed around his cock, milking him, and it was too much. With a final, desperate thrust and a guttural roar that was more wolf than man, he poured himself into her, his release a white-hot flood not of relief, but of pure, unadulterated peace.
He slumped forward, his face buried in the curve of her neck, his body trembling with the aftershocks. The night was quiet. The war was over. Not only with his pack, for his mate or for his town. But with himself.
39
DIANA
The second Council meeting felt different from the first. Diana arrived with Rowan beside her, his presence steady and reassuring after their night of revelations. Miriam met them at the glade's edge, her sharp eyes taking in Rowan's healing bruises without comment.
"Ready for this?" Miriam asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be."
"Good. Because Gerald Finch is already here, looking like he swallowed something unpleasant."
The Council had arranged themselves in their usual semicircle, but the atmosphere was less formal than the previous night. Varric looked almost amused, while Elder Bram appeared distinctly uncomfortable. Gerald Finch sat off to one side, his normally pristine appearance disheveled.
"Diana Merrick," Varric began. "Thank you for returning. And Rowan Baneville, thank you for joining us."
"Council." Rowan's voice was respectful but not deferential.
"Tonight we address the resolution of false charges filed against Ms. Merrick, and the prosecution of the individual responsible." Varric's gaze fixed on Finch. "Mr. Finch, you'veconfessed to accepting bribes to file fraudulent complaints. Do you have anything to add before we proceed with sentencing?"
Finch lifted his head, his face haggard. "I want to apologize. To Ms. Merrick, to this Council, to the community I betrayed."
"Apologize for what specifically?" Elder Bram's voice was cold.
"For taking money from Backwoods Consulting to manufacture evidence against the inn. For filing false reports about financial irregularities, supplier complaints, and operational violations." Finch's voice cracked. "For attempting to destroy an honest business because I needed money."
"How much were you paid?" Emmett asked.
"Two thousand initially. They promised eight thousand more if the Council revoked her license." Finch looked directly at Diana. "I'm sorry. You didn't deserve any of this."
Varric stood, his presence commanding the glade. "Gerald Finch, you're permanently banned from any position involving Council business. You'll make full restitution to Ms. Merrick for legal costs and lost business. Criminal charges will be filed through human authorities."
