by Stella Night
Gideon waved it away like it was no big deal. “We’d do anything for Dylan, and, of course, for Hunter’s sister.” His face grew serious. “Listen, I need to talk to you about your brother. I need to talk to both of you.”
Rory nodded. Dylan took her hand in his and they followed Gideon around the base of a large tree. Behind the tree stood a huge lion with jet black fur. It was unlike anything Rory had ever seen.
Dylan’s hand tightened around hers. “Holy shit, Dimitri? I thought I saw you during the fight, but I thought I was just seeing ghosts.”
The air shimmered like the air over a hot road. The black lion shifted into a tall, athletic man with hair as black as midnight.
Dylan eyed him warily. “I don’t understand. I thought you were dead. You and Hunter never came back from that last mission.”
The man nodded, his eyes looking haunted. “I almost was dead. They took me prisoner. Held me there for four years.”
Dylan’s eyes tightened. “I should have been there.”
“Better that you weren’t. It was a suicide mission. I don’t know how we survived.”
“We?” Rory asked.
“Your brother was captured with me. He’s still alive.”
“Is he here, too?” Rory asked, looking around as if her brother might pop out of a nearby bush.
“No, but we think we know where he is,” Dimitri said.
“Tell us everything,” Dylan commanded.
Chapter 15
Rory paced nervously back and forth through the halls of her father’s house. It felt weird to be back in the house she’d grown up in now that her father was gone. The place seemed so big and empty. Lonely even.
Despite how difficult it was to return here, Rory felt it was important to come back home to be around the Stone Bear Clan. Her name had been cleared of any wrongdoing. Bishop had confessed to everything he’d done.
It was one last act of decency from a terrible monster. She could never forgive him for what he’d done to her family, but at least she never had to worry about him again. He was in custody with the Society. Society justice was firm and swift. Bishop had already been sentenced to life in prison.
It had only been three weeks since that crazy night in the forest outside of Dylan’s house, but Rory was ready to put that crazy nightmare behind her. What she was thinking about now was the future.
Although, at that very moment, the future was uncertain. Dylan was gone. When Dimitri told him that Hunter was still alive, Dylan had been adamant that he be a part of the rescue mission.
Rory had been torn. On the one hand, there was no one in the world she trusted more to get her brother back. On the other, she never wanted to be apart from Dylan again. It was a sacrifice, but one she was willing to make.
Dylan had explained that regardless of what Bishop had done to instigate a fight between Dylan and Hunter, Dylan still felt responsible for not being there with his fire team the night Dimitri and Hunter had gone missing. Going back to save Hunter was something Dylan needed to do. It would be his final act of redemption.
So there had been no wild night of celebration after their victory over Bishop. No tumbling into each other’s arms like Rory had so desperately needed at that moment. Dylan had gone away that same night, off into a dark forbidding place to save Hunter.
If it would quiet the demons warring in Dylan’s heart, Rory had to accept the risk that Dylan might never come home again. It was all or nothing. Either the mission was a success, and she would have Dylan back along with her brother, or the mission would fail, and she would lose everything. She would be all alone in the world again.
And in this new world, Rory felt more lonely than she ever had in her life. It was something she hadn’t realized until her and Dylan were together again. She had been lonely for a very long time. She didn’t know if she could handle that type of solitude again.
All she could do was cross her fingers and say her prayers to whatever God would listen. Please, she begged. Please let Dylan and Hunter come home safely. It was the same prayer she had whispered all those years ago when they’d left for the military in the first place.
Her prayers had not been answered then. She desperately hoped that this time would be different.
She heard a solid knock on the front door and her heart jolted in her chest. She dashed through the house and yanked the front door open, banging it against the wall.
Standing there in front of her was a face she never thought she’d see again. It was Hunter. He was thinner and a little more haggard than she remembered him, but it was undoubtedly him. Hunter looked at her with an uncertain smile on his face.
But Rory had no reservations about what to do next. She threw her arms around her brother and squeezed him as hard as she could. It was like she needed that reassurance that this was really happening. She needed to feel him to know it wasn’t a dream.
“Hey, little sis,” Hunter said.
“Hey,” she said, barely able to speak from the sobs wracking her body.
“Please don’t cry,” he said.
“It’s not everyday my brother comes back from the dead. I’ll cry if I want to.”
“Fair enough. But there’s someone else here I think who is dying to say hello.”
She unburied her face from her brother’s chest and looked up to see Dylan standing there, his eyes rimmed with unshed tears. Rory flung herself into Dylan’s waiting arms. She inhaled the manly scent of him. It was a comforting smell. It made her feel like she was safe and loved.
“Thank you, Dylan,” she said. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
“No need to thank me. This was something that was long overdue.”
Rory squeezed Dylan tighter. “You can play tough guy all you want, but this is the happiest day in my life. I don’t know how I can ever pay you back.”
Dylan extricated himself from Rory’s grip gently. She looked up at him, a little disappointed that he was pushing her away. Was it because Hunter was back? Had they argued again? Did Dylan feel some sort of obligation to distance himself from her again?
“I know exactly how you can pay me back,” Dylan said. He dropped to one knee and pulled a box from his pocket. “Aurora Hendrix, I love you more than anything in the world. I never want to be apart from you ever again. Would you do me the honor of being my mate and my wife?”
The tears really started flowing then. She hadn’t thought the day could get any better than having both her brother and Dylan come home safely from what she knew was a dangerous mission. But the day had gotten better. So much better than she ever could have imagined.
She looked over at her brother, a twinge of panic flaring within her. She didn’t need his approval, and if he didn’t give it, it wouldn’t change her decision. Still, she wanted to know his reaction.
Hunter smiled at her and nodded. “For what it’s worth, you have my blessing. A hundred percent.”
Joy blossomed inside her.
“Yes!” she shouted. “Of course, I’ll marry you and be your mate!”
Dylan placed the ring on her finger and got to his feet. He gathered her in his arms and lifted her up to kiss her.
***
Rory and her two favorite men in the whole world sat around and talked for a while. It was so good to see her brother again and to catch him up on things he’d missed during his time away.
They chatted like that for hours, avoiding the serious subjects like their father’s death and whatever horrors Hunter had faced over the last few years. Rory got a sense that they all knew there would be time enough for that later. Tonight was a night of celebration, not mourning.
As they talked, Rory’s eyes kept falling on Dylan. He wore a T-shirt that showed off his muscles. It lit a warmth inside her, filling her veins with liquid heat.
She wasn’t sure if her brother knew something was up, but eventually, he said he was tired and was going to bed. They said their good nights and Hunter retired to their father’s old bedroom, tucked
away at the far end of the house.
That just left Rory and Dylan all alone for the first time in three weeks.
She glanced at him, a shy smile curving her lips. She wasn’t sure why she was feeling so timid. She hadn’t felt this bashful a few weeks ago at Dylan’s home. But she felt like things were different now. This meant more. Before, if things hadn’t worked out, they could have walked away. But now she had agreed to be his mate. There was no walking away now.
To her surprise, Dylan smiled back. It was a light, radiant smile. It didn’t carry any of the old weight she’d seen on his face when they were first reunited three weeks ago. Something had changed in Dylan, and it was a change for the better.
Dylan was just staring at her with that wide smile on his face. Rory felt the heat rising in her cheeks.
“What?” she asked shyly.
“Nothing,” he said, his smile growing even bigger. “It’s just really good to see you.”
“Aww, did you miss me?” she asked, trying to make a joke.
Dylan nodded, his face turning serious again. “I really did. I don’t want us to ever be apart again. Never again.”
“Me neither.”
As if to illustrate the point, Dylan sat down next to her on the couch and pulled her close to him. She snuggled in against his chest, listening to the beat of his powerful heart. It was beating fast, in tempo with her own racing pulse.
Rory ran her fingers lightly over Dylan’s broad chest. “What do you say we find some privacy?”
He chuckled, low and deep. “I was just thinking the same thing.”
Dylan pulled her up into his arms, lifting her off the couch. She giggled, encircling his neck with her arms.
“Tell me where to go,” he said.
She led him to her old bedroom, on the other side of the house from the master bedroom. He closed the door behind them and placed Rory gently back on her feet.
“What now?” she asked, looking up at him.
He didn’t hesitate. “This is what now.”
He slanted a firm, intense kiss over her mouth. His strong hand curled against the small of her back, pulling her body close to his. She loved the way it felt to lean against his strong, masculine frame. There was no doubt in her mind that this was the man she was always meant to be with. Their bodies just seemed to fit perfectly together.
Electricity crackled through every nerve ending in her body. He lit a fire inside her that felt amazing.
She’d been dreaming of this moment for the last few weeks. The longing for him had built up into deep, hollow ache that only he could fill. But it wasn’t just their time apart that had her feeling this way.
What she felt at that moment went beyond the physical. It wasn’t just the way he kissed her or the way he touched her. There was an intimacy between them now. It was like she knew for sure now what it was like to be in love and what it was like to be loved.
It was the greatest feeling in the world.
All the obstacles they’d faced over the years felt like they’d been worth it. When two people were truly meant to be together, nothing in the world could keep them apart. Not war, not scheming jealous rivals, not even the passage of time itself.
Rory and Dylan’s love had overcome all of those things to bring them together here in this moment, and Rory intended to make the most of it.
Her fingers hooked into the waistband of his jeans and she pulled him back towards the bed. It was the only urging he needed. They tumbled into bed together, his body pressed over hers.
He trailed kisses down her neck, sending shivers through her. His sure hands pulled her robe open, revealing her breasts to his hungry gaze.
He kneaded her breast gently and took her nipple in his mouth, swirling his tongue around it until it hardened to a sensitive point.
Dylan was gentle and attentive. It was like he was taking his time to savor her body and milk as much pleasure from her as possible. Apparently, she hadn’t been the only one looking forward to this moment for the last couple of weeks.
“That feels so good, Dylan,” she moaned. “Please don’t ever stop.”
Her body writhed on the bed beneath him, overwhelmed by the sensations Dylan awoke within her. His mouth teased and nipped at her breasts, first one, then the other. And his hands stroked over her skin, caressing all of her most sensitive places.
He spread Rory’s thighs and gazed down at her center. Then he brushed his lips over her thighs, kissing her and licking her and working her up into a frenzy.
She pushed her hips forward, begging him for more. He took her cue and lapped at her greedily. His tongue slid between her lips, and she threw back her head and moaned. Dylan licked and sucked at her sensitive mound, trailing his tongue up her slit until it found her swollen clit.
His tongue swirled around her hard bud, stroking it with just the right amount of pressure to get her hips squirming and her pulse racing. He slid a finger into her soaking depths as his tongue tortured her clit, driving her wild.
His stroking finger worked inside her, sending waves of pleasure through her aching body. She could already feel the orgasm building inside her. She was panting and moaning as he pleasured her with his skilled mouth until finally she couldn’t hold back any longer.
A wave of pleasure crashed over her, washing her away in its current. Her whole body tightened up and trembled with the force of her release.
Her body collapsed back onto the bed, breathless and quivering.
When Rory could breathe and think again, she looked into his eyes.
Dylan trembled with anticipation, and she loved him for that. It made her feel sexy and desirable, the way every woman should feel.
He positioned himself over her. She could feel his cock nestle between her legs, right at her throbbing entrance. He grabbed the base of his shaft and stroked her folds with his head, soaking it in her juices and teasing her lips apart.
Then Dylan thrust inside Rory. She gasped at the feeling and her face twisted up with pleasure. He slowly started pumping his hips against hers, stroking his cock inside of her. Rory moaned at the feeling. He picked up the pace of his thrusts, moving deeper and faster.
The feeling of him was intense. Dylan seemed to find parts of Rory she never knew existed. He was a master at coaxing pleasure from her body, confirming her feelings that they were a perfect match for each other. This was more than attraction. This was fate.
“Dylan,” she moaned. “I want you to mark me. Make me yours forever.”
Dylan looked down into her eyes, and she shivered at the look of desire and love in his emerald depths. “Are you sure you’re ready?”
“I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.”
“Don’t you want to wait for the wedding night?”
She shook her head and smiled. “No way. You’ve already brought me the best wedding gift in the world. My brother. So why wait? I don’t want to spend another moment not being yours completely.”
Dylan leaned down to kiss her. At the same time their lips met, he thrust himself deeply inside her. She moaned into his mouth, savoring the feeling. He planted kissed down her cheek and her neck until he reached her shoulder.
She readied herself for the bite, closing her eyes and trembling with anticipation. “Do it,” she whispered.
Dylan’s teeth sunk into Rory’s skin. There was some pain, but not as much as she’d expected. Her shoulder felt tingly and warm, kind of the way the rest of her body was feeling but a little different.
She could feel something change between her and Dylan, like they were connected not just physically but spiritually. She could feel him inside her mind, almost like a sixth sense had been awoken inside her.
It was like a vague impression of his emotions and feelings. She could feel the love he felt for her, along with the desire and arousal coursing through his body. It was like his pleasure gave her pleasure now, spiraling together to make her feel the most intense thrill of her entire life.
“Oh my god,” she breathed. “Do you feel that?”
She could tell by the look on his face that he did. “Yes. I had no idea it would be like this.”
“It’s incredible,” she said. “I’ve never felt so…”
“Connected,” Dylan said, finishing the thought.
She nodded. “Exactly.” An impish grin spread across her face. “Well now that we’re so connected, let’s see what making love is like now.”
Dylan grinned back at her and plunged into her depths. The feeling was almost too intense to handle now. Rory threw her head back and moaned wildly.
