North Dakota

RHIANNON

He leans his head back against his headrest and pinches his eyes shut.

I look down at the bulge in his pants and turn away quickly. My cheeks heat, but so does my core.

He composes himself for a moment before honking and signaling to the other cars that we’re ready. The cars in front pull back onto the road, and we’re on our way.

“Can you tell me about how we met?” I ask him as soon as my head stops spinning from the kiss.

I blush through the whole story. I can’t believe we kissed like that before we ever spoke!

He laughs at my shock. “I smelled you from across the hall. I went insane. I wanted to rip your door off the hinges to find you.”

He then tells me all about his pack and my luna ceremony. He got me a ring and everything. I can’t believe I didn’t notice it on a chain around my neck.

I hate that I can’t remember the pack or his family. I’ll have to be reintroduced to everyone.

“Does it bother you that I’m a fairy?”

“No, does it bother you that I’m a wolf?”

“Not at all. But being a wolf and being a fairy are very different. We’re kind of the bottom of the totem pole. Fairies are weaker and more vulnerable.”

“Angel, you’re not weak. You’ve been through so much, and you’re still loving and kind. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”

My heart flutters.

“You might be uncomfortable telling me about this, but…when did we…when was the first time that we were…together?” I stutter out. I’m embarrassed to ask, but I want to know everything.

The corners of his lips pull up, and he shifts in his seat.

“It was right after we got back to my pack lands. I was so worried that you would reject me.

“Then you told me that you were ready, that you weren’t going to reject me. Then we…” He clears his throat and shifts in his seat again.

“Then we… I haven’t been able to stop since our first time. I crave you, I long for you. I would stay in bed with you all day. In fact, we have.”

His bulge presses up against his pants, and I squeeze my thighs together, trying to ease the throbbing ache between my legs.

“How much farther to the airport?” My voice sounds as desperate as I feel.

“Half an hour. The flight is nearly seven hours, then we’ll stay at a nearby pack for the night,” he grits through his teeth.

“Let’s talk about something else, anything else,” I beg.

For the rest of the drive, he tells me about his family and childhood.

I’m relieved when we arrive at the airfield. I need space—sitting so close to him in an enclosed space is becoming unbearable.

I can’t believe that just a few hours ago I was living as his mate, then I forgot everything, now I’m starving for a man that I can’t remember sleeping with.

The airplane is waiting for us on the runway.

Everyone quickly parks, pulls their bags from the cars, then begins to board. I know that everyone is anxious to leave.

Valera sits across the aisle from me. Isaac is ensuring that everything goes to plan.

“Is everything okay?” she asks me. “His gamma and I spoke on the ride over.”

“Yes, everything is fine. He’s my mate.”

She gives me a knowing smile.

“I can’t believe I have a mate. My whole life has changed in just one year.”

“We need to get rid of my brother or you won’t be able to enjoy your life with your mate. You don’t want to live looking over your shoulder.”

Isaac steps into the plane and I see his eyes search for me for a second before he sees me.

He makes his way over to me and sits, pulling me against him so that my head is resting back against his chest. So much for space, but I don’t mind it.

His strong muscles feel hard and smooth under his shirt.

My body relaxes against him as he leans back against his seat. I feel my eyes getting heavy.

“Try to sleep, little mate, you should rest because when we land, we’re going to be very busy.” His low, husky voice makes me shiver against him.

***

My eyes flutter open as I feel light kisses on my forehead and cheeks. I sit up slightly in Isaac’s strong arms.

“We’re about to land, we’re already descending,” he whispers to me.

I sit up, straightening my back so I can look out the window at the ground that is getting closer by the second.

The airport is very small. There are rows of large black SUVs parked to the side of the runway.

When the plane lands, we step out into the cold air. Isaac wraps his arms around me, pulling me into his radiant heat.

“Alpha Isaac, Alpha Hunter, Alpha Lucas, welcome to Grand Forks. I’m Morris, the pack beta. Alpha Warner sent me to pick you up,” he gestures to the cars.

“We will drive you back to our pack lands, where you are all welcome to stay as long as you need.”

“Thank you,” Isaac shakes his hand.

We load into the cars and begin driving. Isaac and I are seated together in the back seat while Beta Morris drives, with Rhodes in the passenger seat.

“Alpha Warner is in a conference call with the council or he would have been here himself.”

“Any news?” Isaac asks him.

“We don’t have any information on where the vampire king is. They sent in a team and cleared out the vampires that were left at his lair in Brazil.”

We arrive at the entrance to the pack lands and I feel like I’m going to jump out of my skin.

Outwardly, Isaac is hiding it well, but I can feel his excitement and arousal.

As we step out of the car, an older-looking man meets us.

“Welcome, I’m Alpha Warner. We’re glad to have you all. If you would like to go to your rooms and get settled, I have news and information. We can meet in my office in... one hour?”

Everyone nods in agreement.

A woman from the pack leads us up to our room.

As soon as the door closes, the air in the room changes. Isaac stalks toward me slowly, his eyes drilling into me, full of lust.

He pulls me into his arms, and I feel his hard length press against my stomach.

“Are you sure you want this? We can wait as long as you need to,” he says, deep and raspy against my ear.

“I’m sure, I want you now.”

His lips capture mine, kissing me so deeply it makes my knees wobble.

“Isaac, is this normal? I’ve heard about the mate bond, but this feels so... intense. We just kissed for the first time—kind of—and now…”

A deep, throaty laugh fills the room. When I quirk my brow at him, he runs his large hand through my hair.

“We’ve had this conversation before, the day we met,” he smiles down at me.

He lifts me into his arms and carries me to the large bed.