Chapter 70 Chapter 70
Tiana
Zane’s shirt hit the floor, then his belt followed.
His hands moved to his pants, pushing them down the same way he had pulled mine.
I watched, unable to look away even though every instinct screamed that I should.
Seeing his bare body again, I realized it was exactly what I had imagined all those years.
“Second thoughts?”
Zane’s voice cut through my spiraling thoughts. I looked up to find him watching me with that same dark intensity.
“No.”
He moved back to the bed, settling his weight over me. His hands braced on either side of my head, caging me in.
“Tell me if you need me to stop,” he said quietly.
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
His hand moved between us, positioning himself.
“It might be painful,” he mentioned, and somehow that made me stiffen.
He was large and I feared how he would feel inside of me.
My throat bobbed staring at him, and it was only when he murmured “breathe” that I realized how visible my anxiety had been.
I did breathe, pulling air into my lungs just as he pushed inside.
The stretch was immediate and overwhelming. My body fought the intrusion even as I tried to relax.
A sound escaped my throat, experiencing this deep ache of being filled beyond what I ever thought I could take.
Zane stilled immediately. “Is it too much?”
“No. I—” I couldn’t finish the sentence. No way I planned to tell him that it hurt but I didn’t want him to stop.
He pushed deeper, inch by inch, until I felt impossibly full.
“Fuck.” The word came out rough from Zane’s lips and his eyes were tight shut.
He dropped his forehead against mine, his breathing harsh against my lips.
With a smile on my lips, I wrapped my legs around his hips, pulling him in a fraction deeper. The movement made us both groan.
“Don’t stop,” I whispered. “Please.”
He listened.
Moving slowly at first. With rhythms that seemed like he was pulling almost all the way out before sliding back in with steady pressure that made my toes curl.
Each thrust hit something inside me that sent sparks of pleasure racing up my spine.
My hands found his shoulders, my nails digging into the muscle there as I tried to ground myself.
I knew this was just a biological obligation to produce an heir.
But my body didn’t care about any of that.
It just knew that this, in the way of the hot breath against my neck and filling me that I became warm, was exactly what it needed.
“Harder,” I heard myself say. “Please, I need—”
Zane understood before I could finish.
His grip tightened, pulling my hips up to meet his thrusts. The angle changed and suddenly he was hitting that spot with every movement. The one that made stars burst behind my eyelids and my breath come in desperate gasps.
I clung to him, meeting each thrust with my own movement, chasing the pressure building inside me.
“That’s it.” His voice was almost unrecognizable. “Take what you need.”
Suddenly, the permission gave me access I did not realize I needed.
I let go of whatever control I’d been clinging to and allowed myself to feel every sensation without trying to analyze or understand it.
My wolf surged forward with approval, the mate bond alive with a familiar satisfaction.
Zane’s rhythm faltered, becoming less controlled and desperate. His hand slid between us, finding that bundle of nerves and pressing in tight circles.
“Come now,” he growled against my ear. “I want to feel it.”
The combination of his words and his touch combined with the relentless pressure inside me pushed me over the edge.
I shuddered, my entire body tensing as pleasure crashed through me in waves. I might have screamed his name and said something I would regret, I was too unfocused to remember.
All I felt was the perfect, terrible tightness of being claimed.
Zane thrust into me one last time, burying himself as deep as possible. I felt him pulse inside me then the heat of his release, and the intimacy of it sent another aftershock through my body.
For several long moments, neither of us moved.
We just stayed locked together, breathing hard against each other.
Then slowly he pulled out, a bit of his release spilling between my thighs.
Only then did I realize fully what we had just done and that this way I was going to carry Zane’s child.
Then not play a part in the child’s life after two years?
Waking up to the rays of life landing on my face, I felt lightness.
For a long while, I could not place why. Was it having to experience Zane in that way?
My body ached in unfamiliar places, a pleasant soreness that reminded me of everything we’d done.
I forced myself out of bed, bathing quickly and dressing in a simple day gown. I had duties to attend to. Things that had nothing to do with what had happened last night.
The omega quarters needed my attention regarding a housing dispute assignment that Zane had given me. I made my way there mid-morning, my steps lighter than they had been in a moment.
The housing coordinator was waiting with the files when I arrived. We spent an hour going through allocation requests, discussing solutions to the overcrowding issue.
I was so focused on the work that I didn’t notice Margaret until she was standing right beside me.
“Luna Tiana.” Her smile was bright and warm. “I was hoping to find you. Do you have a moment?”
The coordinator glanced between us.
“We can finish this later,” I told him with a smile then he gathered his papers and left quickly.
Margaret moved closer, her voice dropping to a more intimate tone. “I wanted to check on you. After seeing that woman with the Alpha.”
The lightness I felt in my chest deflated slightly.
“It’s fine,” I replied. “Actually, I spoke with the Alpha about it.”
Margaret’s eyebrows rose. “Did you?”
“Yes. He explained the situation. Elara’s husband was a warrior who died protecting the pack. He’s just fulfilling a promise to look after the widow and her son. That’s all.”
I watched Margaret’s face as I spoke and I’m definitely not insane to note that I saw the way her smile stayed fixed in place but there was a shift in her eyes.
“How naive,” she said softly.
I blinked. “What?”
“Nothing.” She let out a very light, musical laugh. “I just mean—of course, he would deny it. What else would he say?”
The words felt really wrong on me and for a moment, I stayed quiet.
“I’m sorry.” Margaret pulled back immediately, her smile widening. “I’m just worried about you, that’s all. You’re so trusting, and I would hate to see you get hurt.”
“I appreciate your worry, but I’m fine. Thank you!”
“Of course you are.” Margaret squeezed my arm gently. “I’m probably just being paranoid. Seeing problems where there aren’t any.” She laughed again, that same light sound.
“It’s just—being new here, I notice things. The way people look at each other and I listen to pack whispers.”
My stomach tightened. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing specific.” She waved a hand dismissively. “Just pack gossip. You know how it is. People love to talk about the Alpha and his… connections.”
“There are no connections to worry about.”
“And I believe you believe him.” Margaret’s smile never wavered. “That’s what matters, right? Your faith in your mate.”
The emphasis on your mate felt pointed.
“I should go,” I said, gathering the files I had been reviewing. “I have other matters to attend to.”
“Of course.” Margaret stepped back, giving me space. “I didn’t mean to keep you. I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”
I nodded, moving toward the door.
“Luna Tiana?”
I turned back.
“You’re lucky, you know,” she said quietly. “Having a mate who cares enough to lie to protect your feelings. Some of us aren’t that fortunate.”