An Everlasting Bite (11 page)

“Where are we going?” she stumbled, still trying to get a grasp on her emotions, let alone the ability to walk.

”To face reality, darlin’.”

On the front lawn, Briggs positioned Rynn in front of him. Without any warning, he launched himself around her, holding her tight.

“What are you doing?” she exclaimed.

“Prove it to me. Prove to me that fighting back would have freed you.” His voice was harsh and stern.

She wiggled in his arms, nearly laughed at the idea of what he suggested. “I’m not going to hit you.”

“If you are darlin’, get to it,” Briggs demanded, his grip tightened further. “Free yourself. You think you can, so show me how.”

She wiggled a bit harder this time but his hold was tight. “Briggs, this is ridiculous.”

He met her gaze now, no emotion showed on his face, except the truth he wasn’t going to let her go. “Time’s a wastin’, love.”

Just to get over this, she gave a hard push. He didn’t even budge. She couldn’t free herself from his hold. It took one heartbeat for the panic to rise. Fear made the world spin and sweat form along her skin.

Yes, she knew this was Briggs, but her fear wouldn’t hear it. It was as if she was back in that moment, helpless with no control. “This is scaring me.” Her voice shook. “I don’t like this. Let me go.”

He didn’t listen, just held on tighter. Fear took Rynn to a place where her mind was lost. Terror pounded in her heart and her only thought was to get out of his hold. She glanced up at him again, alarmed when the face of her attacker stared back at her.

Without thought, she kneed him as hard as she could in the groin. He backed away slightly with a groan, but within a second, his strong arms returned their hold around her.

Instantly, she lost it. Punched, kicked and slammed into him as he kept his arms around her tight. She screamed, cried out, begged him to let her go. It was useless. Before she knew it, he had her on her back, his weight heavy on her chest as his body rested between her thighs. She just couldn’t move under his hold, he was too strong. Didn’t matter how much she kicked or punched, his weight was just too heavy for her to overcome.

A loud, piercing scream tore from her throat and even to her, it sounded like the scream of a woman who had her soul taken and demanded she get it back. She deserved it. Recognizing that need, she softened in his arms and sobbed.

Briggs brushed a hand along her face, his expression filled of his love for her. “You see, there is nothing you could have done to stop what happened. He was stronger.”

Rynn cried hard and deep. Sobbed because he was right and that it took something of this magnitude for her to see this truth. She was angry that Briggs had to use his strength against her in order to prove it to her. Watching her lose it, scream as if he was hurting her, could not have been easy for him.

He raised himself off her and gathered her in his arms. As he did, she looked over his shoulder to see Valor watched them with a sad look, and Nera peered out the window.

She couldn’t even find it in herself to feel humiliated. Not now.

Briggs’ cupped her cheek, tilted her head up to meet his gaze. “You did nothing to deserve what happened to you. There was nothing you could have done to stop it. He wanted to take what he could from you and nothing could have stopped him.”

Was this the best way to prove this to her, probably not, but it she’d obviously left him with no other choice. Nothing on her part could have changed what had happened.

She hadn’t failed herself by being weak because the truth was, physically she just wasn’t strong enough. None of this was her fault. Finally, the knowledge of that eased the heavy weight from her chest that made every breath difficult.

She stared into Briggs’ soft sweet eyes, and felt free to admit the one thing she’d never told him before. “I love you.”

Love for him consumed her. She loved that he knew just what to do to help her through this and always made her feel safe. Without him, she doubted she would have ever let go of the guilt she carried within her.

His eyes widened in surprise. He leaned forward and kissed her lips softly. With his lips close to hers, he whispered, “That sounds so good, say it again.”

“I love you.” His lips tickled hers and she hummed the words along his mouth. He closed the minute distance between them and pressed his lips to hers as he stood with her in his arms.

Warm air breezed along her skin as he started walking. She vaguely heard Nera’s voice, “Third door on the left.”

Briggs kicked the bedroom door shut behind them, placed Rynn softly on the bed and continued with the soft kisses. He was being tender with her. It was sweet and all, but gentle was something of the past. She wanted him, needed him. She clasped his face in her hands and kissed him deeply. He groaned in response and grabbed the hem of her shirt to pull it over her head.

The second her face was clear, he was kissing her again. They ravaged, bit and licked their way out of their clothes. Briggs tongued his way down her body and when he nestled himself between her legs, she jumped at the contact. He anticipated the move and grabbed her hips to hold her still as he licked, sucked and swirled her toward climax.

Rynn could only whimper and squirm beneath him. He knew exactly how to take her arousal to unknown limits. He held her tightly as she moved about, but she didn’t mind feeling restrained. The only man on her mind was Briggs. The man who loved and cared for her as no other ever had. Her soul rejoiced to be his.

With a final deep lick between her folds and flick of his fingers on her little nub, Rynn’s orgasm exploded from deep inside. She could barely catch her breath and her scream came out jagged. He stayed on her until her breath returned to nothing more than deep pants and her body shook.

He kissed his way back up her body. When he reached her face, she gave him a devilish smile. The amber in his eyes burned deeper in color. She pushed him off her, sank to her knees in front of him, grabbed his erection and sank it deep into her throat.

His groan came deep as she was ruthless with his body. His deep moans, finger brushes against her face, and slow thrusts of his body stirred a wave of pure pleasure inside her. It made her work harder and tease him more.

His deep gaze smoldered as it stayed with hers. From the base of his penis, she used her tongue to lick up to the tip, then gave him a sexy smile. His breath sucked into his body, everything inside him tense, his jaw clenched in rapid movements. He grabbed her by the arms and placed her on the bed. He flipped her over on her knees, raised her hips, then pushed her chest down while he entered her.

The move was so quick, it surprised her, earning a squeal to escape. She was ready for him. The sensation of him filling her was perfectly right. He was just what she needed to relieve the pressure within her.

He slid inside her, moved in gently and withdrew with the same deliberate slowness.

He meant to be gentle with her, but she didn’t need that from him anymore. She reached back, grabbed his hips. “No…harder.” Her voice came out needy.

“Harder, love?” he teased with a low husky tone.

She may regret the begging, certain he would remind her of it, but all she cared about was her climax. She wanted to soar and wanted him to forcefully send her flying. “Yes, please…”

With a low growl, he gripped her hips with his hands, and then he slammed into her.

One hard, deep thrust.

Her head fell back, her hair tickling down her skin as pleasure rocketed in every part of her. “Yes…more,” she begged again.

His hands at her hips and his fingers pinching into her skin, he slammed against her again and again—hard, deep, amazing.

“Is this what you want, darlin’?” he growled.

Her moans wouldn’t allow her to speak, her eyes forced closed by his intent for her to release herself to his body. She sucked in a deep breath, and before he thrust again, she sputtered, “Yes, oh yes, more…more.”

He gave it, slammed it, harder and faster, until she was screaming. She had no control over herself as she prayed for her climax to hit and begged him for the release she needed.

It hung there, so close, but hard to reach. “More,” she screamed, louder this time. “I need more.”

“You want it, love,” Briggs roared behind her. “You got it.”

He pumped hard and fast. Her knees rubbed against the bed as he slammed gratification into every nerve of her body. She gasped, screamed and shouted words that made no sense at all as his body moved roughly against hers.

Her entire body was enthralled, her fingers knotted within the bed sheets. Her eyes filled with tears as her body reeled in sensations. Briggs angled her hips slightly, which pushed him in deeper, and it was just what she needed. With one last hard thrust, her release hit. Her eyes closed tight as her body tingled and danced with delight.

Briggs followed right behind her. After his loud shout of fulfillment, his body dropped on top of hers. She could only laugh. “That was soooo good.”

He pulled out of her and flipped her over, a proud smile on his face. “Aye.” She squirmed up the bed and he joined her, pulled her close to him. He glanced down at her in his arms, and gave her his delicious grin. “My heart is yours and yours alone.”

She smiled softly. “I know.”

His brow arched up, a challenging look on his face. “Do you know?”

She nodded, curiously. What was that look for? Even if she hadn’t felt his love for her through their bond, which always was steady and strong, his actions spoke loud and clear of how much he cared for her. “Of course, I do.”

“Aye, but I do not think you truly know.”

She rose up a bit, holding her weight on her arms. He ran his fingers along her arm.

“I can feel that you do through our bond. So, what are you going on about?”

He brushed her hair across her shoulder, his eyes followed the move, then returned his gaze to her. “When wolves meet their destined mate, it is not always who they might want or the situation in which they discover them. Sometimes, wolves are not pleased with who they have been destined to, did you know that?”

“No I didn’t. The way I understood it, once you found it, your soul rejoiced and found peace.” She’d experienced that for herself and was surprised to hear that others hadn’t.

“It is true. But you,” He put his hand over her heart, “You are everything I could have dreamed of in a mate.”

She looked down at his hand on her and could swear she could feel the warmth building in her heart. Giddy with happiness, she snuggled into him, nuzzled her face into his neck. “I feel the same.”

He gently moved her away, brought her gaze up to his. “No, I want you to look at me while I tell you this.”

She settled her head on his arm to focus on him better, his voice and expression so serious. Whatever was on his mind was important.

“Your life has been tragic, this is true, but seeing all you have been through is what captures me. You’re entirely unselfish. Never and I mean,
never,
have I seen that in a wolf before. Your only want is to see that everyone else is okay. It’s a trait in you that floors me. You’ve been thrown into this world and you are dealin’ with it with such grace. You’ve never once complained, once thought of yourself, when at a time, you’re entirely right too. You just push on. Trudge through. You’re here, standing beside me with only weeks to accept this new world.”

Tears welled up in her eyes as he continued. “Your kind nature makes me better, makes me want to do better—be the man who deserves you.” He grabbed her chin, held it firmly in his grip. “Now, I know you’re tough, never wanted help or needed anyone, but you can let that go, love.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but he put a finger over it to hush her. “I know the situation with the money upsets you because you don’t need assistance or need me to help you along, but it’s my way of giving you something back.”

“But…” she started.

He stopped her, sealed her mouth closed with two fingers. “I have been alone for a very long time. My only family has been Valor, which is more than I could have asked for. But with you, for the first time in so long, I truly felt loved again—a love that can only come from true family. With you, I have a family again—a family of my own. Do you understand that?”

She nodded, had wanted the same thing for so long. “So, love. Let’s move past this strength inside you. It’s time for you to let go and need someone, lean on them because that’s why I’m here. Life should be easier now. It shouldn’t be so hard.”

The hardness he was talking about, she knew well. It was what lived in her—a defensive mechanism—to never be hurt again. If she didn’t let anyone in, if she didn’t trust or depend on anyone, she could never be let down. Letting that go would be hard—

very hard.

Briggs sighed softly, probably in reaction to her apprehension. “Trust is never an easy thing. If it was, it wouldn’t mean so much when you give it. But I need you to see, darlin’, just all that you’ve given to me—all that I have now that you’re in my life. If I can make your life a little easier, not such a battle, am I really asking much?”

She let out a long deep breath, hating the thought of being taken care of. At the same time, he was right too. She’d created a barrier and to truly be loved by him, she had to let the wall crumble. If she didn’t it would always be wrong between them. She didn’t need to be tough, prove herself strong because he already knew she was. He only wanted to make things easier for her by sharing his wealth. He wasn’t making a statement with it.