Stretched to the limits, Madie couldn’t take much more. “Damon, is this normal?”
The look of horror on his face told her that it wasn’t.
Madie stilled beneath him. “What’s happening? What’s wrong?” She had no idea what to do or how to help.
***
“Don’t move.” Damon’s mind screamed in agony and utter disbelief. The only time a werewolf experienced the melding was when he encountered his bondmate.
This couldn’t be happening—she was the enemy. She was human.
Werewolves didn’t bond with humans, but his body didn’t seem to care. He tried to pull out, but couldn’t. His cock felt like it was going to explode as it continued to grow.
Damon had heard tales of mating with ones bondmate, but he hadn’t believed the stories because they’d seemed like old wives’ tales concocted to scare the newly bonded. There was only one reason for a werewolf’s cock to swell—to guarantee the continuation of the species.
“Shit!” Damon’s world crashed around him. He tried to pull out again, but his shaft didn’t move. Panic hit as he realized he was locked inside Madie and would remain that way until the wolf decided it’d had enough. Damon thrust forward, hoping to ease some of the tension, but it had the opposite effect.
Damon groaned aloud as the intensity of the pleasure became nearly too much to bear.
He looked down into Madie’s face. She’d gone pale. He could smell the fear wafting from her pores. “Everything’s all right,” his voice took on as much of a comforting tone as he could manage under the circumstances. He had to admit that it wasn’t much.
Madie gasped. “It hurts.”
Damon stroked her hair. “I know and I’m sorry. It should stop hurting soon.” He prayed that was true.
She stared at him with eyes so trusting that something inside of him shattered. “I need you to move,” she said.
“Okay, but let me know if it hurts.” Damon made a short teasing stab forward and his cock pulsed. He moaned.
Madie’s sighed against his cheek. “Do that again.”
“Are you sure?” He wasn’t sure how much more he could take.
She nodded.
He did. It was her turn to moan.
“Harder this time,” Madie said.
Damon drove into her once more. His cock slid forward…right through the end of the condom. The sensation of skin on skin scalded him and was nearly his undoing. She felt amazing. So hot. So tight. So perfect. Damon cursed long and fluently inside his head. This could not be happening. But he knew that it was. The wolf would not be denied.
“Are you on any birth control?” he asked, already sure of the answer.
“No.” Her eyes widened. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s fine,” he said, but it wasn’t.
Unless he could figure out a way to pull out of her without injuring them both, Damon knew that there was a very good chance he’d impregnate Madie. It shouldn’t be possible since she was a human, but the bonding changed everything.
“Let me know if this hurts.” He slowly pulled his hips back. Pain shot through him. It felt like his dick was coming off.
Madie yelped.
He immediately pushed back in until he nudged her womb. “Better?”
She nodded.
He wasn’t going anywhere, anytime soon. Damon closed his eyes and waited for the revulsion to hit. It never came. Instead, a surge of unexpected happiness filled him. He reached between their bodies and stroked her clit.
Madie wiggled and her channel moistened even more. When the first flutters of her orgasm hit, Damon felt them all the way to his core. The powerful contractions took him over the edge with her. His body shuddered as he exploded inside her.
Damon moved as much as he could, as more and more of his essence filled her. Forty-five minutes later, his cock began to shrink back to normal size.
He took a long look at Madie’s dreamy expression and his heart began to pound as the ramifications of this moment registered once more. She was the Hunter. She would also always be from this day forward…
His bondmate.
He mentally berated himself. If he hadn’t been so bent on revenge, this would never have happened. He also would’ve never found his mate. The truth humbled Damon. There was no way he’d be able to kill her now, even if he couldn’t stop the initiation.
He’d sooner take his own life than destroy hers.
Madie snuggled closer, then smiled at him. “That was amazing.”
Damon kissed her hard, his mouth foraging for the sweetness hidden there. The urge to dominate was strong. “Let’s try it this way.” He withdrew from Madie and carefully flipped her over onto her stomach. Damon ripped away the shattered condom and tossed it onto the bedside table. It was useless now.
He pulled Madie to her hands and knees, then grasped her hips. Instinct took over, Damon positioned his shaft at her dripping entrance, then thrust as he bit down on the side of her neck just enough to draw blood. Her hands curled into the pillows and she cried out, but didn’t try to pull away.
Madie’s molten channel gripped him tight as he lapped at her neck, tasting her delicious blood. His hunger for her grew to ravenous as he took her in true Moonlight Kin fashion.
Damon’s hips pistoned in and out of her willing body with blinding speed. He felt tension rising inside Madie, as her inner muscles clenched around him and her knees quivered.
Suddenly, his wolf surfaced and Damon went wild. His hips slammed into Madie’s lush bottom, as he speared her deep, hard, and fast. She screamed out his name as her arms collapsed beneath her.
Damon held her hips, keeping her lower half in place as her channel milked his shaft. Pleasure exploded behind his eyelids at the delicious friction. He wasn’t going to last much longer. His sac drew up as he thrust forward and he felt his body tensed.
With a loud bellow, Damon came hard, exploding inside of her. His shaft pulsed as he pumped his rich seed deep into her channel, sealing their fates once and for all.
Chapter Seventeen
Madie lay stretched across the bed. Damon’s warmth seeped into her, capturing her heart, imprisoning it, even though she’d been determined to keep it safe. His even breaths tickled her ear, brushing her hair away from her face with their gentle cadence. She was boneless.
At least that’s what if felt like, since her body refused to move. She twisted her head until she could see more of Damon’s handsome face. As she stared, she relived every moment of their love-making. At times, the intensity of it had frightened her. The pain and pleasure had blurred into an endless spiral of release.
In all her years of reading about sex and imagining it, nothing had prepared her for the real thing. She’d entered his bed as a scared girl and came out a woman.
She continued to stare at Damon. Sweat still dampened his forehead and neck, making his hair curl up at the ends. He smelled of musk and man, a heady combination that nearly took her breath away.
Sleep brought out his true beauty, making him look younger, almost innocent—though Madie knew after last night he was anything but. His soft snores lent credence to his level of satisfaction.
It made Madie’s heart flip to know that she was the reason for his peaceful slumber. Whether she’d planned to be or not, she felt connected to Damon and knew she would always be joined to him in some fashion, even if they parted ways.
Though she didn’t care to think about them no longer being together, Madie had no regrets. How could she regret the best night of her life?
She rose from the bed and tiptoed to the bathroom. Madie closed the door and looked in the mirror. Her hair was a mass of blonde tangles and her body felt tender to the touch, especially the massive hickey on her neck.
Damon had been so carried away by their love-making that he’d actually bit her. It had been shocking at the time, but the stinging pain had faded so quickly that she hadn’t given it another thought until now.
It looked like she w
as going to have to wear a turtleneck today at graduation.
Madie turned on the tap and splashed cold water on her face. The chill brought with it a fresh pink glow. She could still smell Damon’s lingering scent on her skin and wasn’t in a hurry to wash it off.
She used the facilities, then crept back into the bedroom. The sheets were in disarray and Damon was nowhere to be found. Madie walked around the bed and picked up her scattered clothing. Damon’s shirt lay on the floor next to her lace panties, but his pants were gone.
Madie lifted his shirt to her face and inhaled. Her eyes closed as she took his distinctive scent into her lungs. The door banged opened, startling her. Madie dropped his shirt and clutched her clothing to her chest to cover her nakedness. The bright morning light illuminated Damon’s grim face.
Dread squeezed her stomach. “What’s wrong?”
His solemn gaze slowly faded as he took in her exposed skin. Hunger crept into the gold flecks, lightening them with desire. Madie’s breathing hitched, then accelerated. The muscles in his bare chest bunched and flexed as if he fought the urge to move.
All it took was one look from Damon, and Madie was ready to throw herself back on the bed. She’d gone from virgin to nymph overnight.
When he finally spoke, the deep timber of his voice sent delicious shivers through her. “Something’s come up,” he said. “I have leave town for a while.”
“I thought maybe you’d come to graduation.” Madie could feel him pulling away and there was nothing she could do about it.
“No, I’ll be leaving shortly after you do,” he said.
The statement smacked her back into reality. This wasn’t a romance novel or a fairytale. This was real life. There would be no happy ending. Last night might have been perfect for her—okay, was perfect to her, but in the harsh morning glare it was plain to see that Damon viewed it as a one-night-stand. Madie felt heat rise in her cheeks. She’d been so stupid.
Madie’s chin lifted and pulled her shoulders back. She might’ve been naïve about their future, but she still had no regrets. She wasn’t going to give Damon the satisfaction of knowing that he’d hurt her. “Just let me get dressed and I’ll get out of here.” Out of your life. “I don’t want to keep you.” Her words dripped with sarcasm.
“You don’t have to hurry.” Damon ran his hand through his hair, sending it spiking in all directions.
Madie snorted. “I wouldn’t dream of delaying your trip.” She clutched her clothing and walked into the bathroom. She’d just started to dress, when the bathroom door flew open.
Damon crossed the room in two long strides. His hand clasped her arms, halting her movements. She looked down at his hands, and then up into his face. His eyes were practically glowing.
“You don’t understand,” he said, his voice low and guttural as if he were in pain.
“Actually, I understand perfectly.” She shrugged out of his hold. “Last night was fun. I had a blast. Maybe we can do it again sometime…once you get back in town.”
“Madie?”
She tossed her clothes onto the counter by the sink. “What do you want me to say, Damon?”
He took a step back and ran a hand over his shadowed jaw.
“Do you want me to beg you not to go? If so, I’m afraid you’ve got the wrong girl.” She pulled on her sweater. “I may have been a naïve virgin last night, but I’m not stupid. I can take a hint. Now if you don’t mind, I’d like a bit of privacy while I finish getting dressed.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped short. Instead, Damon shook his head and left the room.
Madie fought back tears. It was just sex. She knew that going in, but sometime during the night something had changed—at least for her. She swiped her hand across her eyes, wiping away any telltale moisture. She finished dressing, then took a deep breath and exited the bathroom.
She found Damon downstairs in the living room perched on the edge of the couch, his arms crossed over his chest. He stared at two cups of steaming coffee that had been placed on the end table.
“You never saw my collection,” he said softly. “I have it in a fireproof vault.”
“Maybe some other time.” Madie had been so caught up last night that she’d forgotten all about the real reason she’d come over in the first place.
“Do you at least have time for a cup of coffee?” His brow furrowed and his lips firmed into a straight line.
Why did he want her to stay now? He’d all but asked her to leave only moments ago. “I didn’t think you had time. You said you needed to leave after I did, right?” Madie hadn’t called him a liar directly, but she’d certainly implied as much.
Damon didn’t dispute her nor did he answer. Instead, he picked up the coffee mug and silently held it out in front of him.
Madie sighed. “Fine.” She lifted the mug from his hands. Damon’s fingertips brushed hers before releasing the cup, sending a jolt of electricity through her. She fumbled with the cup and almost dropped the coffee onto the floor.
Damon watched her, his gaze unreadable.
Madie brought the steaming mug to her lips and blew on the pungent liquid. She took a tentative sip. The bitter coffee held a hint of vanilla. Before she could ask for cream, Damon produced a small pitcher.
“Thanks.” She took it from him and added some to her cup. “I don’t suppose you have sugar hiding somewhere?”
He pushed off the couch and walked into the kitchen to retrieve the sugar.
***
Damon picked up the sugar bowl and strode back into the living room. Madie was hurt. He could see it in the tension around her mouth and smell it on her skin. And it was all because he couldn’t keep it in his pants. He’d messed up big time and there were no easy fixes.
To make matters worse, he’d handled this morning all wrong. He should have prepared breakfast for Madie and brought it to her in bed. Instead, he’d freaked out and burst through the door to tell her that he was leaving town.
It sounded like a lame excuse to his ears, even though it was the truth.
He had to speak with the Lycanian Elders. They needed to know these latest developments, before he explained a word to Madie. Given her background, Damon knew there was no way she’d believe him.
Hell, he wouldn’t believe him, if he were on the receiving end. The whole thing might be funny, if it was happening to someone else, but it wasn’t.
Damon handed her the sugar. She placed two cubes in her cup and took another drink. Who would have thought that an encounter with the Hunter would lead to the discovery of his bondmate? Certainly not him. Damon shook his head at the irony. Of all the women on this planet, why did it have to be her?
Just one of many things that he needed to discuss with the Elders.
He picked up his cup and stared at Madie over the rim. She was beautiful, even with anger and hurt coloring her soft cheeks. Her full lips were still swollen from his kisses. Damon had no doubt other places were, too.
When he’d walked in on her holding his shirt to her face, his heart had skipped a beat and something inside of him had shattered. The burgeoning tenderness had scared him. He’d had no choice, but to mask it with anger.
The lush skin he’d explored at length last night was now hidden beneath her sweater and long skirt. Damon longed to touch her again. Taste her wetness. Bury himself so deep inside her that she’d feel his shaft nudging her heart.
Damon’s cock hardened at the thought of Madie’s wet sheath closing around him. He cleared his throat and shifted casually to ease the tension in his jeans. He had to tamp down the need for her, at least until he could get things cleared up with the Elders.
Of course none of that would matter, if Madie stopped speaking to him. He had to smooth her hurt feelings. So Damon said the first thing that came to mind, “I’d like to see you, when I get back in town.”
Her surprise showed for a second, but a cynical expression quickly masked it. “Sure, I’ll wait for your call.” Madie tipped h
er cup back and finished her coffee. “I’d appreciate it, if you’d call me a taxi.”
Damon frowned. “I can take you home.”
“No, I wouldn’t want to be a bother. Besides, I’ve delayed you long enough.”
Damon’s voice came out on a growl. “I’ll get the car.” He bounded up the stairs to retrieve a clean shirt and get his keys. When he strode back into the living room, Madie was gone.
Every instinct told him to go after her, but Damon couldn’t. Not now. She would be fine until he got back. She’d have to be.
Too much was riding on his meeting with the Lycanian Elders. Their decision could mean the difference between life and death.
Chapter Eighteen
Madie phoned Sarah the second she got home. Her best friend hadn’t been able to come over, but she had commiserated with her and cursed Damon sideways for being such a fool.
Sarah had told her the only way to get over the pain was to get right back in there and go out with someone else. She’d said sleeping with a new man would wipe Damon’s memory from her mind.
Madie had her doubts. She didn’t think anything would take away the memory of making love to Damon, but she promised to give it some thought.
Commencement turned out to be a mixture of joy and sadness. Graduation meant saying goodbye to long time friends and moving out of the area. Sarah and Madie sat a row apart, their faces glum.
Madie looked over her shoulder into the crowd, but there was no sign of Damon. She knew he wasn’t going to be there, but part of her had hoped that he’d show. She refused to admit that she was disappointed with the way things had ended. After all the wining and dining, she thought he was different.
The truth hurt.
Sarah’s name was called and she rose to receive her diploma. Her parents rushed forward to take a few pictures, then she returned to her seat. The next few names were a blur to Madie.
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