Chapter 436

I groan a little, resting my forehead against Jackson’s shoulder as he slowly begins to move within me again. “Jacks,” I whisper, shaking my head a bit. “I don’t know if I can.”

“I’ll stop if you want me to,” he murmurs, his big hands stroking long and slow over my sensitive skin, rocking me lightly as he begins to barely, gently, press himself more deeply into me again and again. His hand cups my cheek, turning my face to him, and I stare at him with hazy, half-lidded eyes. “But I don’t think you want me to stop. And I think you can do it again.”

I stare at him for a moment as my body slowly starts to respond, that pleasure starting to coil again, even through the loose and languid set of my muscles from the first orgasm – even through my exhaustion –

I nod, meaning it – wanting it –

God, but I could fuck him every moment for the rest of my life and not miss anything else, anything at all. I reach up and wrap my arms around his neck, ceding him complete control. Whatever he wants, I’ll do – after all, it’s only ever been a good decision when I just let Jackson take charge.

“Good girl,” Jackson murmurs, pressing a warm kiss to my mouth before wrapping his arms tighter around me, pressing me close to his body as he first turns and then lays me out with my back flat against our little sleeping mat.

And then, Jackson proceeds to take his time.

It starts with slow movements, the roll of his hips as he presses that seriously amazing cock into me again and again, kissing me deeply as he does, the slow, loving movements letting me adjust to the size of him, to this new angle. It takes a few minutes for me to return to where I was at the start of all of this, for my body to wake up, to want him with the same fervency that I had before I broke the first time.

But Jackson is patient, his hands and his mouth moving over me slow and rich, waking me up, reminding me of how much I want him and why.

Jackson licks that special spot on my neck – his spot – as I again loop my leg up over his hip, whispering his name, begging him for more. And my Jacks responds, pressing himself into me harder now that I’ve shown him I’m ready. His movements are steadily rougher and faster until his hips slam hard against me, until Jackson loses himself to the rhythm, to the need.

My body raises itself against his to accept every pounding inch of him as Jackson fucks me down hard into the thin mat – and a little part of me is surprised to discover that I fucking love it. I never thought I’d want a lover to pound himself into me like this, to fuck me silly, to wrap my hair in his fist and tug it hard, baring my neck –

But here I am, begging for more, whispering for him to fuck me harder, raising my hips so that my Alpha can slam himself into me just the way I want him to –

Just the way he wants to –

My Alpha, completely mine –

Jackson snarls, his thrusts rough and harsh, bringing me as close to release as I know he is. I turn my head to the side, baring my neck to him, and I feel the coarse growl of his desire resonate throughout his chest as much as I hear it. He lowers his mouth to that spot on my neck even as he continues to thrust again and again.

But even as I feel the sharp press of his canines against my skin, even as I can feel how much he wants to, he hesitates.

Please, I beg, mind-to-mind, because my mouth can’t do anything right now except pant, my breath wild and fast as I raise myself again and again to meet him. Please, Jacks.

No words come back, just emotions – the way we used to communicate at the start of all of this. Hesitation, and the worried wonder if I’m too tired, if my body can handle it after such a complicated day –

But I snarl roughly too, shoving all of those hesitations away, my hand flying to the back of his neck and pressing his mouth closer against my throat.

Because I want it. Right fucking now.

I want my true mate’s mark, finally and forever.

Jackson snarls again but stops asking questions, giving that favorite point on my neck one last loving lick before he bares his fangs and sinks them deep into my flesh.

My head rolls back as my mate marks me and I cry out as I shudder, breaking again and again for him as I feel an insane rush of emotions, of change.

My wolf howls with happiness and pride even as pain arcs through me – but I don’t experience it as pain – I don’t know how to explain the delicious, sharp rush of sensation as my skin breaks, as Jackson claims me, as his magic floods my body and makes me feel rich and vivid and real.

His teeth press once, deeper, and I feel Jackson’s body tense and shudder as he breaks for me in turn. I mew a little, my hips pressing up against him, wanting him deeper as I feel the warm rush of him coming inside of me, the thick hot press of it as his body goes still, every single one of his muscles tense. Something feral and possessive comes over me then and I, too, snarl, my canines extending as I lean forward and sink them deep into the skin and muscle of Jackson’s chest, just over his heart, marking him in turn.

Because he is mine – absolutely mine. And even if I carry two other marks that are not his, Jackson will be the only man to ever carry mine.

I pant as Jackson pulls back, his tongue moving once steadily – lovingly – over his mark on my neck before he wraps his arms around me as he falls to his side, taking me with him.

I cuddle close, still panting, my body exhausted and my heart full as I press my body tight against my mate.

It takes me a minute to come back to myself, to catch my breath fully, to smile when I realize that my wolf and Jackson’s are likewise curled together in my soul, happy and content and dedicated. That she, too, has a new mark on her neck to match my own.

When I lift my head to peer into my mate’s face, I find his eyes already on me, sweet and happy and concerned.

“Are you all right?” he murmurs, stroking a hand down over my cheek.

I laugh a little, completely blissful. “Jackson,” I murmur, swatting at his arm. “You know I’m fine.”

He whines a little, deep in his throat, his eyes moving to my neck. “It’s gotta hurt.”

“You have one too,” I murmur, my hand moving up to lovingly cover the mark I gave him.

“Yeah, but I’m tough,” he murmurs, cuddling me close.

I laugh, snarling playfully and pretending to be mad. “I’m tough! Don’t try to pretend you don’t know that I’m tough.”

“No, you’re precious,” he murmurs, wrapping me up in his arms and cradling me to his chest. “And delicate and tender. You just think you’re super tough, which makes you very dangerous to love. Brave little delicate gorgeous girl.”

“Say I’m tough,” I snarl, feeling very ferocious.

“All right,” he murmurs, petting my hair and smirking at me. “You’re tough, tiny little mate. Very tough.”

“Are you happy?” I whisper, unable to stop smiling, beaming up into his face.

“Yup,” he says, letting his eyes drift shut, a tiny smile on his lips.

I burst out laughing, wiggling discontentedly in his arms, wanting a little more than that.

But my mate – he’s never been one for big speeches, has he?

So instead he simply opens his heart to me, letting me feel everything down the bond. How incredibly much he loves me, how content and steady it makes him feel to know that I carry his mark, how touched and proud he is to carry mine. How he can’t wait for every day of the rest of our lives, and how he pretty much has no intention of letting me leave his side ever again. And, of course, of getting us our own room at school. So we can do this a hundred thousand more times.

“Nooo,” I moan, cuddling closer to him. “I want the nook!”

“Then we’ll kick those other two out,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my hair.

“Okay,” I say, cheerful, sufficiently mollified. Jackson hums his agreement and I press my cheek to his chest, perfectly happy and – quite frankly – incredibly tired.

“I love you, Ariel,” Jackson whispers a few minutes later, just as both of us are drifting off to a very peaceful sleep. “I’m very in love with you. And I’m going to be for a long time. Probably forever.”

I murmur something that barely pretends to be words as I drift off to sleep myself, passing every single ounce of my love down the bond to my sweet forever mate.

Just so he knows that I feel precisely, every inch, the same.