Wild Hearts (Blood & Judgment #1) (23 page)

“Stop! Just…just…get off me! I can’t do this. I can’t…be emotional. No…no connections!” I scream at him in a mess of tangled words. “Cahl! I mean it! Just—”

His cock enters me.

My entire body stills instantly as he slides in slowly, inch by inch. He takes his time as he sinks deeper and deeper inside me. He’s so thick that I can barely breathe from the burn of him stretching me.

“Ah…it’s too…I can’t.”

He smiles down at me kindly. “You are my chosen, Aria. We will fit together. It can be no other way.”

“But, I—”

He strokes my cheek gently. “You must relax. Your mind is telling me so, but you are not abiding by its warning. Please do.”

“Cahl—” I gasp.

“Then I must pull out. I cannot allow you to be hurt.”

Wow. He really is from another world. No guy I’ve ever known would
ever
even consider pulling out mid-fuck. “No. I…I can do this. But—”

“I know you do not like giving over control. But I am not like the others you have experienced. I will not abuse such a gift. I swear it to you.”

As with everything out of his mouth, it’s completely honest. Pure. I barely know him really, but I believe him. I believe what he’s saying. I
trust
what he’s telling me. It must be that magical
connection between us that he keeps talking about.

I nod. “I trust you.”

His gorgeous eyes shine happily.

I manage to make myself relax and he slides in the rest of the way, seating himself deep inside me.

His body covers mine and he holds me so tightly that, for once during sex, I can’t actually take control. I can’t move.

But he sure can.

Jesus fuck.

He starts to move, thrusting in and out of me with powerful, controlled strokes that have me throwing my head back in pleasure. The way he fills me is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. It’s total ecstasy.

He grunts each time he plunges in deep. I watch him gritting his teeth.

I expected him to come really quickly, because it’s his first time, but somehow he doesn’t. He just keeps going, driving me to the brink of insanity.

“Kiss me!” I find myself begging for the first time ever.

His mouth is smothering mine a second later. He kisses me deeply, tasting every part of me, taking complete possession. I feel his hands break their hold around me. They run up and down my body, touching me everywhere with that amazing tenderness of his.

The second they brush my pussy, I shatter into pieces, screaming his name over and over again.

He breaks away from our kiss and presses a gentle peck to my forehead. “Beautiful,” he breathes.

He doesn’t stop fucking me for a second. He picks up his pace and, shockingly, another orgasm starts to build inside me immediately.

“Oh fuck, Cahl!” I cry out. “Yes!”

He hisses as my pussy clenches around him and, this time, he lets his impressive control go. My name is on his lips as he comes inside me, jerking with each pulse as he fills me.

He collapses on top of me, knowing I’m strong enough to take his full weight easily.

I wrap my arms around his back and pull him closer to me.

His hands come up and stroke my hair.

“Did that satisfy your wolf?” he breathes. “Or do you require more?”

Those orgasms reached heights I’ve never experienced before. There’s no way I can take more right now and I can’t actually believe it. “More might actually kill me,” I say with a laugh.

He chuckles into my shoulder. “You feel exquisite,” he says, pumping his hips slowly.

“Oh God!” I cry. “I need a minute…or several before you start doing that again.”

He stops and lifts his head, pushing up on his hands to look down at me. “I feel your wolf is at peace.”

A huge girly grin spreads over my face. “She’s never felt like this before. Thank you.”

He kisses my lips chastely and tells me, “It is because we belong, my princess.” He looks down between us. “I do not wish to leave your warmth.”

I snake my arms around his neck and pull him back down so his head is on my left boob. “Then don’t.”

We lay together in comfortable silence for a long time, until alarm bells sounding in my head suddenly have me gasping and bolting upright. My strength has me taking Cahl with me, so we’re both sitting up on our knees eyeing one another.

“What is it?”

“I…we didn’t use protection.”

He does that searching thing again, looking into my thoughts, and then he nods. “Ah, I see. Do not worry. It is not an issue, sweet wolf.”

“You don’t understand.
You’re
not wolf. You could get me pregnant. Wolves only can if they do a claiming bite first. And, because I’m…
more
than wolf, I could—”

“If you were with
my
child everything would be perfectly fine.”

“What?”

“I told you, Aria. We belong.”

“So we could—”

“Bear a child? Yes, of course.
However
, you will not become pregnant from our lovemaking tonight.”

Lovemaking?
Wow. “How do you know?”

His hand slides into my hair, massaging my scalp. I turn into it, craving more of his touch. “We would have to complete the ritual first.”

A ritual? “Oh. Okay,” I say. “Well…good. Who needs all that hassle, right?”

He laughs. “You are adorable.”

I bat his hand away. “Hey! I am not. I’m a badass Alpha wolf.
The
Alpha wolf, actually.”

“Of course,” he says, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Forgive my error.”

He’s messing with me.

I lunge at him.

He catches me and we both collapse back down onto the bed in a fit of laughter.

Chapter 20

~Ember~

“Must you stand there and watch me dress?” I ask, irritated. Don’t get me wrong, I am not shy about my body, I rock it, but it’s very unnerving to have someone—anyone—watching your every move.

“I like to watch you,” Draven says, his eyes going dark with desire as I shed my borrowed black robe. “You have very deft movements, it’s interesting.”

“Humph,” I say with a frown. I move to the closet to pull out the black dress, this being the only clean item of clothing that I currently own, the rest being worn out on my adventures earlier. I get a shock when I spy a whole load of designer clothes hanging gorgeously from satin covered hangers. I turn to him with a shrewd look.

“You know the way to a girl’s heart,” I say with a pointed look. “Such a low blow.”

“You misunderstand,” he says with a laugh. “If you are to stand by my side, I need you looking your best. Your own collection is quite limited.”

“Fuck you,” I say to him, my delight turning sour. I slam the doors closed and stand there at a loss as to what I am supposed to do now. I won’t wear bribes no matter how perfectly cut they are.

“Don’t be so stubborn, woman,” he growls at me and opens the doors again. “Just accept the gifts.”

“No gifts. I will pay you for them,” I say shortly.

“Christ, fine, whatever,” he says, throwing his hands up.

“Good,” I say, pleased with our arrangement and turn back to the closet to pull out a finely tailored black pants suit and a white, silk blouse. “Underwear?” I ask archly.

“Sorry, no. I’d rather you didn’t,” he says.

I throw him a bitter look. “These tits are not meant to go bra-less.” I point to my fairly large breasts.

“Oh yes, they are,” he breathes and I throw a shoe at him.

“Get out,” I snap. “I have had enough of you ogling me.”

“If you didn’t like me ogling you, then you wouldn’t be standing here naked, would you?” he asks slyly.

“Asshole,” I mutter and turn my back on him. I forage through my bag for clean underwear and proceed to cover up.

“You are annoyed,” he says after a few minutes.

“Pissed off, more like, but how astute of you,” I say sarcastically.

“Not at me,” he says blandly. “You and Aria clash. You are both difficult women, stubborn and aggressive. You need to take the high road, Ember and try to accommodate.”

“
Accommodate
?” I ask him with a frown so fierce I give myself a headache.

“You aren’t used to being around other people, especially people who challenge you,” he explains.

“I have my reasons,” I say coldly.

“We need to be together on this, Ember, or it’s not going to work. Can you see that?” he asks gently.

“I guess so,” I say, looking away. “But someone needs to have a word with Aria as well. I am not the only fucking one who is going to make an effort,” I say, just a stubborn as ever.

“I will have a word with Cahl,” Draven says with a smile.

“No!” I roar at him. “Not him. I don’t trust him.”

“Do you trust me?” he asks.

“I—I—uh,” I stammer. He has completely caught me off guard.

“Do you trust me, Ember?” he asks again, coming closer to me. “It’s a simple question.”

“No, it isn’t,” I say, wringing my hands in an unfamiliar show of vulnerability. “For starters, you let me die!”

His expression turns to one of shock. “Excuse me?” he explodes at volume.

“You let me run straight into the wards, you didn’t drop them,” I say defensively.

He visibly calms himself, tugging on the cuffs of his suit jacket. “I didn’t
let
you run into them, Ember. You moved too damn quickly for me to react. When I saw you flung back, I—I—you scared the shit out of me,” he finishes.

“Oh,” I say, a bit flustered at the emotion in his voice. “Well, we aren’t talking about you anyway, we are talking about Cahl.”

“Do you just dislike him because he knows more about your prophecy than you do?” he asks with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh, please,” I scoff. “I dislike him because he just barged in here and took over. Everything. And you let him.” I point an accusatory finger at him.

“He did no such thing,” he says stiffly.

“Oh, no,” I snort unattractively. “He just kicked your brother’s ass and then proceeded to dominate the conversation.”

“
Half
-brother,” Draven says fiercely intent on making the distinction. “He is no kin of my mother. And he shouldn’t have made a move on Aria.”

“Whatever, who cares?” I say, intrigued by his forceful reaction. “You keep defending the wrong person.”

He gives me an inquisitive stare. “Aria?”

“Cahl, you idiot!” I scream at him and his denseness. “How do we know we can trust him? Besides, why you care about Jacob and Aria is another mystery altogether.”

I flex my shoulders and turn away from him. I am getting agitated and he is pushing all of my buttons in totally the wrong order.

“Do you need to feed?” he asks quietly.

“No, I’m good,” I say steadily.

“You can use me….” he states and I turn around with a look of surprise. He has gone bright red and it is adorable.

“That’s sweet,” I say with a soft smile. “But no thanks.”

“Not good enough for you?” he asks sharply, but then softens. “You think I am sweet?”

“It is sweet of you to offer without expecting any promises in return,” I say. “And it’s not you, it’s me.”

“Who said I didn’t expect any promises in return?” he asks wickedly. “And don’t give me that bullshit line. It’s insulting.”

I glare at him and he glares back momentarily, a fierce look suddenly crossing his face. “Did you bite him?” he growls at me.

“Eurgh, no,” I say forcefully, knowing he means Jacob. “Men are all the same,” I add sadly. “None of you can give something without wanting to take something back. I won’t give you sex in return for your blood.
That
is insulting.”

Draven’s relief is evident, which annoys me. “Who said anything about sex?” he asks. “I want you to bite me, Ems. I want to have that connection with you. I want my blood to sustain you. What is so insulting about that?”

I glare at him for shortening my name. That’s not his right. He doesn’t know me well enough. “Don’t call me that,” I growl at him.

“Why not? That vampire prick did,” he remarks.

“Because I have known him for years. You, I have known for a couple of days,” I answer.

“You haven’t responded to my statement,” he points out.

“Ugh!” I make a noise of frustration and clench my fists at him.

“It’s a good thing I like a challenge,” he drawls. “Cuz, goddammit, woman, you work my last nerve.”

“What is it about me, huh?” I ask him. “I annoy you, I am apparently difficult to get along with, you find me insulting…” I tick off the list on my fingers. “I don’t get this infatuation.”