It was late into the evening by the time Valen and I had gotten everything set up in our little camp. Thankfully, Von would be bringing his own tent tomorrow so we didn't have to set one up for him.
I sat down on a nearby fallen log and stretched my sore limbs. Who knew carrying all this stuff into the forest would be so exhausting?
On the plus side, we had a great viewpoint of the border line of Moonlight pack. We were up a little ways on a small hill covered by thick foliage.
We could watch from the ground or the trees and still be able to see everything for miles. What Valen didn't know, though, was that there was a secret meadow not far from here that I intended to take him to later tonight.
After he'd erected our tent, I'd secretly changed into the lingerie I'd packed before he could see. I felt exposed in it, even though I was still covered in at least three layers of clothing.
Valen emerged from the tent and I jumped. He raised an eyebrow at me.
"Something wrong?"
"No, of course not. Just a little tired is all," I lied.
I didn't want to ruin the surprise. He looked like he didn't believe me, but he let it go anyway.
"Alright then. What should we have for dinner?"
We had packed a lot of packaged and freeze-dried food because we couldn't risk starting a fire this close to their territory. I shrugged my shoulders.
"Sandwiches would be fine."
He grinned at me and began digging in our cooler to pull everything out.
"Um, Valen?" I cringed at how high pitched my voice sounded.
"Yeah?" he asked me without looking up.
"I was actually thinking we could have a little picnic tonight."
He finally stopped his rummaging around and looked at me. I lowered my eyes to my hands and twirled my ring on my finger.
"Snap out of it, or he'll know something is going on," Sienna scolded me.
I dropped my hands and met his gaze once again. He looked curious, not suspicious.
"Yeah, did you have somewhere in mind?"
I nodded my head. "Just pack the stuff in a small bag and we can walk there. It's not far."
He threw the sandwiches, some protein bars, and a couple of bottles of water into a backpack and slung it over his shoulders. I rose from the log and grabbed his hand to lead him to the destination I had in mind.
We trekked through the forest for a while before we finally came to the clearing. It was a small meadow surrounded by trees on all sides.
The grass was long at the edges, but toward the middle it gave way to a beautiful field of light blue asters.
I smiled at the sight and pulled Valen along with me until we were in the middle of it. I was glad this place was secluded. I didn't need an audience tonight.
We sat down on the soft grass and Valen pulled out our food. We ate in silence for a few moments before Valen finally spoke.
"What's really going on in that head of yours? You've been quiet all night. Is something wrong?"
There was genuine worry on his face and my heart swelled. I swallowed my bite of sandwich and took a swig of water before answering.
"No, nothing is wrong. I've just been thinking.."
"About?"
"You and I."
I saw panic flash across his eyes for a brief second but his voice came out strong.
"What about us?"
He had put his food to the side so I knew I had his full attention now.
"I.." I trailed off as butterflies flooded my stomach and blocked up my throat. My nerves were beginning to get to me.
"Say something!" Sienna shouted at me.
I tried to speak, but again I was lost for words. Suddenly, an idea popped into my head. I began to get up from the ground.
"What are you doing?" Valen asked, confusion lacing his tone.
"Shh. Just watch."
I looked over to him and he clamped his mouth shut. I shut my eyes and took a deep breath before I began removing my jacket. Then my sweater. Then my shirt.
Finally, I was down to just the tiny white tank top I had put on in a hurry earlier. I opened my eyes and looked at Valen.
His mouth was hanging open and his eyes were dark and dilated. I slowly lifted the tank top over my head, exposing the red piece of lace underneath.
Valen's breathing hitched as I discarded the clothing and began unlacing my boots. I pulled them off and threw them to the side before beginning to unbutton my jeans.
I glanced back at Valen and saw that his fists were clenched tightly in his lap, but his eyes gave him away.
He was enjoying the show.
Filled with a new found confidence, I shimmied my pants down around my ankles and stepped out of them, shivering from the cool breeze that touched my bare skin.
I walked toward Valen and moved his hands out of his lap, before putting my legs on either side of his waist and straddling him. He still hadn't said anything, he just watched me with hungry eyes.
I put my arms around his neck and pecked his lips.
"I want to be mated to you fully," I whispered into his ear.
I could hear his pulse quicken and he licked his lips.
"Are you sure?" he asked me while watching my expression.
Any fear I had felt melted away when he asked me that question.
Here I was, basically naked on top of him, and he was still trying to make sure I was okay.
I answered him by connecting his mouth to mine in a heated kiss. My tongue ran across the seam of his lips, begging for the entrance that he quickly granted.
He sat stunned for a moment, but, when the shock wore off he wrapped his arms tightly around my waist and surrendered to my touch.
He kissed me passionately, our tongues dancing together at a fevered rhythm. My hands curled into his hair and I tugged, eliciting a low growl from him.
He ran his hands down my hips and planted them on my ass before breaking apart from my lips. He snapped the strap of my underwear against my skin.
"I like these," he growled as his eyes flashed red.
He looked down and drank in the sight of me before latching his lips onto my neck. He kissed hungrily down to my collar bone and back up, before gently nipping my earlobe. I made a squeak of surprise and I felt him smile against me.
He pulled back quickly and began to undress. I watched him, my eyes never leaving his Adonis-like form.
Soon, he was bare before me. I reveled in the sight of him, my eyes tracing every curve of his body before locking my gaze onto his once more.
"Mark me," I breathed out.
His eyes flashed once again as he adjusted and laid me onto the soft grass on my back.
He kissed my neck again, gently this time, with feathered touches until he came to the hollow where my neck and collar bone met. He glanced up at me one last time.
"I love you," he told me before he extended his fangs and drove them into my skin.
I gasped as the pain quickly gave way to pleasure and I wrapped my arms around his back to pull his body closer to mine.
The electricity from his touch doubled and I couldn't get him close enough. I could vaguely feel the wind picking up around us, but I didn't care. I was too enraptured by him.
He kissed the mark gently before showing me his neck, imploring me to make him mine as well.
I quickly obliged and sat up, sinking my canines into his soft flesh. He groaned and his grasp around me tightened.
I kissed his mark, just as he had kissed mine, before pulling his lips to mine once more and melting away with him.
Author's Note:
Okay, I'm sure you know what happens next. I'm not going to go into detail, because I want to keep this book out of the mature genre. But a little bit of spice is always okay! Anyway, what do think tomorrow will bring for them once Von joins the stakeout?
Comment and Vote so I can hear your thoughts!
Xoxo,
CrimsynIris