Chapter 65 065

Chapter 65 065
Mikhail

"I'm pleased to announce that Irina has formally accepted Mikhail's courtship."

Dimitri's voice rang out over the assembled pack, and my stomach dropped to the floor.

"The official mating ceremony will take place in three weeks' time. I expect everyone to—"

The rest of his speech faded to white noise. He was giving me three weeks before I was bound to Irina forever.

Around me, pack members applauded and congratulated me. Irina stood beside Dimitri, smiling like she had won a prize.

I forced myself to nod, accept the well-wishes and play the part of the honored future mate. Inside, I was screaming.

When I could finally escape, I found myself walking toward the forest without conscious thought. I walked away from the house and the pack, the trap closing around my throat.

Natasha was already there when I arrived at the clearing we had claimed as ours, deep enough in the woods that no one would stumble across us, but close enough we could reach it quickly when we were desperate.

Like now.

"Three weeks," She said without preamble. "He gave you three weeks."

"I know."

"What are we going to do?" Her voice cracked. "Mikhail, what are we going to do?"

"I don't know," I dragged my hands through my hair, pacing. "I've been trying to figure it out, trying to find some way—"

"We have to tell him," The words came out in a rush. "We have to tell Dimitri about us. It's the only way."

I stopped. "Natasha—"

"I know it's dangerous. I know it's insane, but what's the alternative? You mate Irina? We keep sneaking around, breaking both our hearts every day while you share a bed with her?" She was crying now.

"I can't do it. I can't watch you marry her."

"You think I want that?" I crossed to her, gripping her shoulders. "You think I want any of this?"

"Then we tell him!"

"And he exiles us. Or worse." I shook her gently. "Do you understand what 'or worse' means? He could have us killed for this. For sleeping with each other, for betraying the pack hierarchy."

"I don't care!" She shoved at my chest. "I don't care if he kills me. It's better than watching you belong to someone else."

"Well I fucking care!" My voice rose. "I care if you die. I care if you're exiled, cast out with nothing, vulnerable to every rogue and rival pack out there. I can't—"

My throat closed. "I can't lose you."

"Then what?" She was shaking. "What's your brilliant plan? Because we're lost either way."

"I'm working on it—"

"You've been working on it for weeks! And now we're out of time," She pulled away from me. "Face it, Mikhail. There is no way out. There's no happy ending here. We're fucked."

"Don't say that."

"Why not? It's true," She wrapped her arms around herself. "In three weeks you'll be mated to Irina. You'll have to consummate it, to—" Her voice broke completely. "I can't. I can't think about you touching her, fucking her, giving her everything that's supposed to be mine."

"Stop." I reached for her but she backed away.

"No. You need to hear this. You need to understand what you're asking me to endure," Tears streamed down her face. "Every night knowing you're with her. Every time I see her touching you. Watching her get pregnant with your child while I…while I…"

I grabbed her, pulling her against me despite her struggles. "I'm not mating her. I won't."

"You don't have a choice—"

"I always have a choice," I cupped her face, making her look at me. "Even if it means losing everything. Losing my position, my standing, my place in this pack. I won't lose you."

"They'll exile us."

"Then we leave together."

"Mikhail."

"I mean it," I kissed her desperately. "We run tonight. Right now. We go somewhere Dimitri can't find us. We start over, just the two of us."

"That's insane."

"So is living without you," I kissed her again, harder. "So is letting them force me into a mating I don't want. So is pretending I'm not completely in love with you."

She made a broken sound against my mouth, and then she was kissing me back just as desperately. Her hands fisted in my shirt, pulling me closer, and I backed her against a tree.

"We can't run," She gasped between kisses. "They will hunt us and find us and then—"

"I don't care," My hands were under her shirt, needing to feel her skin. "I don't care what happens as long as I'm with you."

"You're not thinking clearly."

"I'm thinking perfectly clearly for the first time in weeks," I yanked her shirt over her head, tossed it aside. "I'm thinking that I would rather die free with you than live in a cage without you."

"Mikhail—" But her protest died as I unhooked her bra and my mouth found her breast.

"Tell me you don't want this," I said against her skin. "Tell me you'd rather I mate Irina and let you go."

"I can't," She arched into me, her fingers in my hair. "I can't let you go. Even though I should, even though it's the right thing, I can't."

"Then don't," I dropped to my knees, pulling her pants and underwear down. "Don't let me go. Don't give up on us."

I buried my face between her thighs, and she cried out, her back arching against the tree. I devoured her like I was starving, like this was the last time I would ever taste her, my hands gripping her ass to hold her steady.

"Oh fuck—Mikhail—" Her legs were shaking.

I pulled back before she could come, standing and unbuckling my belt. "Not yet. I need to be inside you."

I lifted her and she wrapped her legs around my waist. The tree scraped against her back as I thrust into her, both of us groaning at the feeling of connection.

"I love you," I said, my forehead pressed to hers. "Whatever happens. However this ends. I love you."

"I love you," She was crying again, her tears mixing with mine. "I love you so much it's destroying me."

"I know," I started moving slowly, savoring every second. "I know, baby. I know."

Soon, desperation took over, the fear and anger and helplessness all channeling into how I fucked her. Hard and desperate. Like I could somehow keep her if I just held on tight enough.

The tree wasn't enough. I needed more of her, all of her. I pulled out and lowered us to the forest floor, spreading her beneath me on the moss and fallen leaves.

"I've got you," I breathed, entering her again. "I've got you."

She wrapped herself around me, clinging like I was her lifeline. Maybe I was. Maybe we were each other's lifeline in a situation that was drowning us both.

I fucked her with everything I had, every thrust saying what words couldn't. That I was hers. That she was mine.

That nothing, not Dimitri, not Irina, not pack law or tradition or the threat of exile could change that.

"Don't leave me," She sobbed. "Please don't leave me."

"Never," I kissed her tear-stained face. "I swear to you. Whatever happens, we're in this together."

"Promise me."

"I promise," I reached between us, finding her swollen clit. "Now come for me. Let me feel you."

She shattered beneath me, her whole body convulsing. I followed her over, emptying myself inside her, marking her as mine in the only way I could.

We lay there after, tangled together on the forest floor, both of us shaking and crying and holding on for dear life.

"We have three weeks." She finally whispered.

"I know."

"That's not enough time."

"I know."

"What are we going to do?"

I tightened my arms around her, breathing in her scent, memorizing the feel of her against me.

"I don't know," I admitted. "But I meant what I said. I'm not mating Irina. Even if it means running. Even if it means losing everything else."

She lifted her head to look at me, hope and terror warring in her eyes. "You really mean that."

"I really mean that." I kissed her softly. "You're my mate, Natasha. My wolf knows it. My heart knows it. My body sure as hell knows it," I traced her face with my fingers. "I can't fight that, and I won't."

"They'll come after us."

"Let them."

"Dimitri will never forgive us."

"I'll learn to live with it."

"You'll lose everything."

"Not everything," I pulled her closer. "I'll have you, and that's the only thing I actually need."

She started crying again and it was filled with relief or grief for what we were about to lose. Probably both.

"Three weeks." She repeated.

"Three weeks to figure out our next move," I kissed her forehead. "Three weeks to plan. To prepare. To get ready to burn down everything I've ever known for the chance to be with you."

"That's insane."

"Yeah," I smiled against her hair. "It really is."

I meant every word. We stayed on the forest floor until the sun started to set, holding each other, not talking about the future we didn't have or the disaster we were hurtling toward.

Just being together while we still could. While we still had time.