Moon Craving

“I already do.”

Soberness filtered through his happiness. “You were leaving me.”

“I was going to my sister for advice on how to keep you.”

Humbled that she would have been willing to fight for him though he had not proved himself worthy of the effort, he broke the kiss to meet her eyes. “Thank you.” Then he could not help himself adding, “But if you had talked to me, I would have told you I will always be yours.”

“I was angry. You had withheld your wolf from me and the intimacy of this kind of talking. That hurt so much, to know you could deliberately keep something from me that would be so welcome.”

“I am sorry.” He hoped she could feel his sincerity because there were no words that could express his profound regret at depriving her of their mindspeak. “I am ashamed to say I never thought how doing so would hurt you.”

“I did not consider how hurt you would be to find out I had hidden my deafness from you. Love does not always make us brilliant.”

“Or brave.”

She brushed her fingertip over his lips. “Knowing you love me gives me all the courage I need.”

“That is as it should be.”

“Kiss me.”

How could he deny her? He pressed his lips to hers, his body surging with renewed passion with that small caress of mouths. He cupped her breast, kneading it gently and brushing his thumb over her turgid nipple.

She moaned into the kiss as a whimper sounded in his head. How could he have held back from sharing in this intimate communication? He did not know, but he did know that he would never do so again.

Her small hands released their tight clasp behind his neck to rove over his body, and he reveled in every touch.

Needing to be inside her, he rolled them so she was on top. “Ride me, sweet wife. Please.”

She did not demur but slid down until her silky wet folds met the tip of his granite-hard cock and then engulfed it. Velvet fire enveloped his dick, and Talorc howled in ecstasy.

A feral grin worthy of any Chrechte femwolf creased Abigail’s lovely features. She rode him with unfettered passion, freer than she had ever been with him, and he realized that sharing his wolf with her had bridged that final gap between them.

His orgasm built faster than he was ready for, but Abigail was right there with him, screaming out her pleasure in his head while his wolf howled.

In that moment, they truly fulfilled the Chrechte mating promise of being one in body, mind and spirit.

The next morning, Talorc found a small stream for Abigail to bathe in before she dressed and they returned to the beach.

Guaire and Niall were locked in a kiss, their arms wrapped around each other. The beauty of their passion took her breath away. She said as much through mindspeak to Talorc.

“’Tis love.”

“Yes.”

“I can’t help noticing they are both dressed.”

“Aye.”

“Where did Niall get the plaid?”

“From the cave. We keep some with the boats.”

“I’m sure there is one in there for you as well, am I right?”

“Are you saying you do not want to hunt naked with me?”

“How astute of you to take my meaning.”

Talorc threw his head back and laughed. Abigail noticed that he sent every sound through mindspeak so she could share in it all with him.

She turned to him, “I love you so much, Talorc.”

“I love you, my precious angel.”

Guaire stepped back from Niall, only to be pulled against the big warrior’s side. Burnished streaks appeared across his cheekbones. “Good morning, my lady. Laird.”

“Good morning, dear friend. You look happy.”

Guaire looked up at Niall, the scarred warrior giving him a far sappier smile than she would have thought him capable of. “I am. Very.”

“I am so glad.”

“Thank you. You and the laird have worked out your differences?”

“We have. He won’t let even his king send me away.”

Guaire nodded in approval. “Of course not. You are our lady.”

“And you are mated,” Talorc said.

The brush of pink turned into a full blush that spread right down Guaire’s neck. “We are.”

“All this time, he has not been afraid of me,” Niall said, directing his words to Talorc.

Talorc’s brows drew together in confusion. “His actions . . .”

“He wanted me.” Oh, Niall looked proud. “So much so that he trembled in my presence. He always avoided being too near because he feared I would realize his secret desire.”

“Secrets keep mates apart,” Talorc said with certainty.

Niall nodded, something passing between the two of them that said their communication went deeper than the mere words.

Niall came to kneel in front of Abigail. “I owe you a sincere apology, my own dear lady and friend.”

“I am still your friend?”

“Yes. If you will have me.” He looked down as if ashamed and then lifted his head so she could read his lips again. “I was jealous.”

“Of the time Guaire spent with me,” she guessed, finally understanding.

“Yes. I thought he had fallen for you, and though I knew he would never betray his laird, I was furious with envy that he seemed to find in you what he could not see in me—the Chrechte ordained by God to be his mate.”

“His love for you never wavered.”

“Secrets,” Niall said with a poignant expression.

She leaned down and kissed the scarred cheek of her first friend among the Chrechte. “I forgive you and I hope you will forgive me for hiding my own secrets.”

“Always.”

“Friends?”

“Until death.”

They took two days to return to the fortress, Talorc and Niall insisting on hunting to provide food for their mates along the way. Abigail did not mind because it gave her time to talk to Guaire.

“What did Niall say about kissing Una?” she asked as soon as she thought the two warriors had gotten far enough away.

“He said she kissed him. He let her because he saw me coming out of the kitchen. He thought it might make me jealous. Then he realized how stupid that was, but only too late to stop it. He saw the hurt on my face and it gave him the first hope he’d had since realizing I was his mate.”

“When did he realize that?”

“Too long ago.” Guaire’s entire demeanor was one of frustration. “My fear of revealing myself and his of frightening or overwhelming me kept us apart.”

“Perfect love is supposed to cast out fear.”

“I suppose it does when you admit it.”