Chapter 172 172

Chapter 172 172

Arielle's POV

I grabbed his face, pulled him back to me, and kissed him again. I shocked myself with the boldness, but I couldn't stop. He deepened the kiss, his hands pulling me close, sliding down my back, gripping my waist. His touch was fire, burning through the fabric of his shirt.

His hands slid down my thighs, gripping them, squeezing. The kiss was too hot, too consuming, and I felt like I was drowning in him. I gasped against his lips, my hands tangling in his hair, pulling him closer.

I didn't want to stop. I couldn't.

He deepened the kiss, his hand sliding up my side, his fingers tracing the curve of my waist through the thin fabric of his shirt. The warmth of his palm seeped through, spreading like fire across my skin, igniting every nerve ending. I gasped against his lips, the sensation overwhelming and intoxicating.

His other hand gripped my thigh, stroking and caressing, his thumb tracing circles that sent shivers up my spine. I felt like I was melting into him, my body responding to his touch in ways I couldn't control. My hands tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, needing more.

"Aeson," I moaned, the name falling from my lips like a prayer. I couldn't believe it was me, couldn't believe I was the one making that sound. But I couldn't stop. I didn't want to.

His lips left mine, trailing down my jaw, my neck. He found the spot where my pulse beat frantically, and he sucked, hard. A sharper moan tore from my throat, the sensation intense, overwhelming. I felt the sting, the pressure, the pull of his mouth on my skin.

Then the pain hit. It was immense, sharp, like a blade cutting through me. I jerked back, my hand flying to my neck, my fingers brushing against the mark he had left.

"What did you do?" My voice was breathless, trembling.

He looked at me, his eyes dark, his chest heaving. "Sorry, I—" He trailed off, his gaze fixed on the spot where he had marked me.

I stretched my hand, feeling the indentation on my skin. My fingers traced the mark, and I looked at him, disbelief flooding through me. "You... marked me?"

"I... sorry, I—" He started, but a ripping scream escaped my throat, cutting him off.

I dropped from the bed to my knees, my hands gripping the worn floorboards as my bones began to reform. The pain was unbearable, blinding, just like earlier. I felt my body shifting, changing, the familiar agony of transformation ripping through me.

"No. What—" I gasped, my vision blurring. I looked at a bottle lying nearby, catching a glimpse of my reflection. My eyes were changing color, shifting to a bright, unfamiliar gold.

Then I turned. I felt the shift complete, felt my body settle into a new form—powerful, wild, free. I was a wolf. I had turned into my wolf.

Finally!

I crashed through the window, the glass shattering around me, and landed on the soft earth outside. The night air filled my lungs, the scents of the forest overwhelming, exhilarating. I ran, my paws pounding against the ground, the wind rushing through my fur. I was free. I was fast. I was alive.

I explored the woods, weaving between trees, leaping over fallen logs. The joy was indescribable, a feeling I had never known. For the first time in my life, I had a wolf.

I stopped, turning back. The shirt I had been wearing was now covered in dirt, clinging to my human form. I shifted back, my body aching, my breath ragged. The shirt barely covered me.

Then I smelled it. A strong, familiar scent. My wolf stirred inside me, her voice clear and certain. Our mate.

My eyes widened. What? Is he... here?

Yes. He's close.

I looked around, my heart pounding. Then I turned, and I saw him—Aeson, running toward me, coming to a stop just a few feet away.

My wolf screamed in my mind. Mate!

I stared at him, my mouth falling open. Alpha Aeson... was my mate.

He walked up to me, his steps slow and intentional, his eyes never leaving mine. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips—rare, genuine, almost soft. "You've gotten your wolf."

I stared at him, my chest heaving, my body still trembling from the shift. The words tumbled out before I could stop them. "You... you're my mate."

His lips parted, a flicker of something—recognition, relief—passing across his face. But he didn't seem shocked. He looked at me, his gaze steady, and nodded. "Yes."

I took a step closer, my heart pounding. "You knew all along, right? You knew."

He held my gaze, unflinching. "I knew."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You didn't have your wolf." He stepped closer, his voice low, rough. "You wouldn't have believed me. And I wasn't intending to mark you." He paused, his eyes dropping to the mark on my neck. "It just... happened."

I reached up, my fingers brushing the spot where he'd claimed me. "Your mark was the key," I said, the realization dawning. "I think I got my wolf because you claimed me."

He smiled, a slow, warm curve of his lips that made my heart stutter. "So... what now, mate?"

I looked at him, the word settling deep in my chest. "I don't know. I just—" I paused, my voice dropping to a whisper. "I just want to be in your arms. In this special moment, Aeson."

He looked at me, his eyes darkening. "And I want to grant your wish."

He pulled me to him, his hands cupping my face, and kissed me. It wasn't like before—urgent, frantic. This was slow, sensual, a deep exploration of lips and breath and taste. I melted into him, my hands sliding up his chest, curling around his neck.

We moved, backing up against a tree, the rough bark pressing into my shoulders. My legs wrapped around his waist, and he lifted me, the impact of his body against mine making the tree shudder. His kiss traveled down my throat, hot and open-mouthed, and I gasped, my head falling back.

He was quick, attentive, like he had mastered every inch of my body. His hands roamed, his touch leaving trails of fire. I fumbled with the buttons of the shirt I was wearing—his shirt—and he took over, pulling it off me, letting it fall to the ground.

His lips traveled down my cleavage, his other hand rubbing my breast, his thumb circling my nipple. Waves of pleasure crashed through me, and I moaned, my fingers tangling in his hair.

He pinned me against the tree, his hips pressing into mine, and I felt the heat of him, the hardness, the urgency. His pants and briefs were gone in moments, and then our hips were clashing, the rhythm wild and desperate.

I gasped, my head falling back. "Goddess, this is too much."

Making out in the middle of the woods with the very man I had once found unlikeable—who had turned out to be my mate—wasn't something I had ever dreamed of. But here I was, lost in him, consumed by him, and I couldn't imagine being anywhere else.