Wild Heat (Wilding Pack Wolves 3) - New Adult Paranormal Romance (21 page)

“God, I hope we can do that every fucking day,” he breathed out. “Every day, Terra. You understand? We’re doing that every day.”

She couldn’t smile any harder as she curled up against his still-heaving chest.

“I might have to start exercising or something to build up endurance.”

“Do what you like, babe,” he said, still breathless, but now his hands were roaming her. “But I plan to work that sweet little body of yours hard
every damn day.
The bite included because
Jesus Fucking Christ
that was good.”

She crawled up to face him. His magic was singing through her body, binding her to him in a way so complete, she wasn’t even sure where she ended and he began. It was stronger than any submission bond. Stronger than anything she’d ever felt. And with Kaden’s magic wrapping her in a warm blanket of his love, she knew that she would always be safe.

The darkness of her life had been permanently banished.

She lightly kissed him on the lips. He grabbed hold of her and kissed her thoroughly.

“You’re lucky a man needs a certain amount of time to recover,” he said, a gleam in his eye. “Or I’d be making you scream all over again right this moment.”

“I’m ready anytime you are, my sexy beast.” She grinned at him.

His eyes flashed. “Just one of the many things I love about you.”

Her heart stuttered for a moment. It could have been the magic that was coursing through every vein of her body… or it could have been
that word.

He grinned and quickly rolled her to reverse their positions on the couch. His massively muscled body was now on top of her—not crushing her, but definitely dominating her tiny-by-comparison form. And there was an unmistakable growing hardness prodding her leg.

Her eyes went wide. “Already?”

“With you… always.” He reached a strong hand between her legs, making her jump when he pressed on her nub, still swollen and sensitive with the mind-blowing sex and the magical rush of his bite. Then he spread her legs, bringing one up around his back. His already-stiff cock was pressing again at her entrance. He pulled back and then entered her with one swift stroke.

She arched up and gasped. She hadn’t thought she could want more, or that her body could even take any more pleasure, but apparently it could.

With Kaden, it always would.

He took her with slow, long strokes, and she could tell this time would be different. Longer, slower, more intense… and just the beginning of everything they would share.

He pulled in a breath with each thrust and then said, “Always,” on each release, over and over again. Her heart soared higher with each one.

She would never have enough.

It had taken Terra three weeks, but the
People of Seattle
exhibit was finally ready.

“It’s absolutely stunning!” Sally proclaimed.

Terra was proud of her work—she wouldn’t show it, if she weren’t—but she was pretty sure Sally’s exuberance was related at least partially to the massive influx of people into her gallery to see the first exhibit of shifter art. The pictures she had taken of the wolves in her cousin Marco’s gang filled Sally’s walls and spoke to Terra’s heart. That so many people wanted to see the images first-hand was filling Terra with light—
this
was the heart of her city. This was the part that was open and caring and wanted to embrace the wolves in their midst, not cower in fear from them.

Riverwise security was thick amongst the crowd—Kaden had insisted on twice the number as at her last exhibit—but Terra felt in her heart that, on this day at least, the light was winning.

Her mate never let her out of his sight, which felt like a warm blanket holding her secure, but he must have finished checking in with his crew, because he was cruising over to her, grabbing a flute of champagne off a passing platter to bring to her.

Sally saw him coming and decided to make her exit gracefully. “I think I see the mayor!” she squealed and ran off.

Terra chuckled, then squinted at the Sally and the mayor, wondering if she had talked him into her bed. He had been newly widowed just a few years ago, and Terra would be surprised if Sally hadn’t at least tried.

Kaden arrived at her side, kissed her, and handed her the drink. Given she was standing in a room surrounded by her art as well, Terra figured this was as close to heaven as she would get… outside their bedroom at the Riverwise estate.

Which was something she wanted to discuss with Kaden as well.

“You’re a hit,” Kaden said softly, the pride in his voice making her heart swell.

“They’re the stars,” she said, gesturing with her glass to the images of the wolves, young and old, that she had framed on the wall. “I just captured their light.”

Kaden smiled wide. She had taken dozens of pictures of him, trying to capture his light, but the real thing would always outshine them.

She ducked her head. “I want to build us a home,” she said softly, not sure why she just blurted these things out at the least opportune times.

“A home?” he asked, his eyebrows lifting. “As in a house with four walls?”

She nodded, then peered up at him. “I want to build it next to the River estate. I want a sunroom and a darkroom… and a nursery.” She bit her lip. This was only part of her plan, but it was the key part. They were mated but not married. Kaden still kept his apartment in the city, even though they’d been effectively living a honeymoon life at the River estate at Mama River’s insistence.

Kaden seemed to struggle for a moment to speak. Then he cleared his throat. “Well, it’s a good thing I picked up this ring today.”

Her eyes flew wide as he dropped to one knee and fished a small box out of the pocket of his Riverwise jacket. A whisper went around the room, and heads turned, but all she could see was the glittering sapphire-and-gold band Kaden was holding up to her.

“Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” Kaden asked, voice deep and booming in the sudden silence of the gallery.

Tears sprung to her eyes. “Yes,” she whispered, but it must have carried because a round of applause went up around the room. She threw her arms around Kaden, and he rose to hold her, which was good because her legs were suddenly unsteady. He slipped the ring on her finger while her mouth was still trying to find words to say how happy he had just made her.

She gave up and just kissed him instead.

When they broke apart, the crowd seemed to have gone back to the art… except her brother and sister were staring at her from a dozen feet away. Cassie’s face was lit up with the widest smile Terra had ever seen on her, but Trent looked like he’d just been hit by a bus but hadn’t figured it out yet—dazed and confused.

Terra held an arm out to Cassie, and she skittered across the gallery floor to hug her tight.

Then she peered up at Terra. “I want to be the flower girl!” she said.

“Flower girl?” Terra pretended to be aghast. “You’re my maid of honor. Of course.”

“And
the flower girl,” Cassie insisted with an impish look.

“We can make that work, short stuff,” Kaden said, a smirk on his face as he ruffled her hair.

Cassie looked like
she
wanted to be the one marrying Kaden, and Terra couldn’t blame her a bit.

Trent finally arrived at their little circle. He awkwardly held his hand out to Kaden. “Well, I guess congratulations are in order.”

Kaden shook his hand but didn’t say anything.

Trent turned to her. “And… I guess this means you’ll be moving out of the River estate?” There wasn’t quite disapproval in his voice, but there wasn’t approval, either. It was the kind of vague thing her father would say, and it made Terra’s stomach twist.

She held in her sigh. “Actually, that’s something I wanted to discuss with you.” And by
discuss,
she meant
inform,
because Trent wasn’t going to have a vote on this, either. “I’m going to use my trust fund to build a home next to the River family estate. There’s some property for sale there. But I’m also going to help Mama River out with some modifications to the River estate itself. I want to expand it. Reinforce it. Make it secure. I’m really just building upon her vision—I want there to always be a safe refuge for shifters there.”

Trent’s eyebrows raised up and stayed up. “That’s… an interesting idea.”

“The location of the estate is already known to the public,” Terra went on, ignoring the disapproval in his voice. “It’s
out…
just like our family. But there are still hard times ahead for every shifter in the city.” She swept her hand out to include all the wolves in her exhibit as well as beyond the walls. “I want them to know there’s a place they can come and be accepted.”

Trent was struggling for something to say.

“It’s an amazing idea, Terra.” Kaden gave her a kiss on the cheek and draped his arm protectively over her shoulder. It meant the world to her, especially since she hadn’t given him any notice whatsoever about this. She’d only pulled the idea together with Mama River this morning, and she had planned to tell Kaden after the show.

“Can I come live with Mama River again?” Cassie asked brightly.

Terra grinned. “She would love that. But you have school now, right?”

Her face scrunched up. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“We’ll talk about it later,” Terra said, but either way was fine with her. Wherever Cassie wanted to be, that’s where she should go. Terra was building her own life now, but her family would always be part of it. “However, you can visit me and Kaden in our new home whenever you like.”

That brightened her smile again.

“Is this really safe?” Trent finally managed to ask. He seemed to direct the question as much to Kaden as to Terra.

“We’ll make it safe,” Kaden said, and Terra had no doubt that would be true.

“We have to take a stand somewhere, Trent,” Terra added. “I’m not letting someone like the Wolf Hunter decide how I’m going to live my life. Not anymore.” She was echoing Mama River in that, but the woman was a pillar of strength, and it was an honor to follow in her footsteps.

Trent’s eyes widened a little. Then he gave just the barest of nods. But it was approval, and it made Terra’s heart sing.

A murmur went up through the crowd at the gallery. Kaden frowned and checked in with his earpiece—then he frowned even more.

“Is something wrong?” Terra asked. Was her newfound bravery in the face of the Wolf Hunter threat going to be tested so soon? People around the gallery were pulling out their phones and huddling together in groups.

“The gallery is secure,” Kaden said, still listening to his earpiece. “But you might want to check the news.”

Trent had his phone out first, and his frown turned quickly into a scowl. “There’s a new Wolf Hunter video.” He held the small screen out for everyone to see.

As it started, all Terra could think was,
Of course he did
—the Wolf Hunter ran right out and made another video, just so she would know he had survived. Her determination to carry out her plans only strengthened as she watched him spew his hatred on the video.

“We have to rid the city of this scourge!” he was saying, back in his mask, but she knew that body. She knew those cold, blue eyes.

“That’s him,” she said softly.

Kaden looked to her. “Julius?”

She nodded. Although that wasn’t his name, of course.

Then an image on the video caught her attention again—
it was hers.
One of the photos she had taken while at Marco’s headquarters. The grandmotherly wolf stared out from the video as the Wolf Hunter’s voice boomed hate over it.

“This isn’t just about a certain high-profile wolf,” the voice said. “This isn’t just about one or two packs. This menace breeds in the underground of our city! And the only way to stamp it out is to take the fight to the streets, where they live!”

Terra’s throat tightened.
The streets.
He’s talking about the shifter gangs. Marco’s gang. And her photographs led the Wolf Hunter right to them.

“Join me, crusaders!” the Wolf Hunter shouted from the phone. “Join our militia! Join the war to bring humanity back to the top of the food chain! And help me eliminate this shifter threat before they spread their demon seeds any deeper into the DNA of our city!”

The video ended, and Terra shuddered.

She turned to her brother. “I want to get started building reinforcements for the River estate right away.”

He nodded his agreement, and after a slight hesitation, he came over to give her a hug. “You’re a stronger wolf than I’ll ever be, sis,” he whispered, low enough for only her to hear.

“We’re all stronger when we stand together,” she said.

The days ahead would surely put that idea to the test.