The bear in him started to force his way out, to take control and end all this, but no way in hell was he going to shift in front of Kenzie, not when she was opening herself up to him like she was.
“With each passing day, he started showing me how sadistic he was.” The pain in her eyes as she stared at him was tangible, and he wanted to go to her, pull her into his arms, and kiss her until she never thought of that motherfucker again. “I tried to escape once, but that didn’t end well, so I never tried it again until last night. I was a coward, still am.”
Bram gripped the edge of the table, leaned forward, and let the growl that was poised in his throat out with all the ferocity he felt. The wood beneath his hands cracked and crumbled, but the discomfort wasn’t enough.
A lone tear slipped down her cheek, and he rose to go to her, but she lifted her hand to stop him. “Please, just let me finish.” Wiping away the tear, she held his stare and continued. “I can’t believe I’m telling you all this. I’ve never uttered any of this to a living soul, but then again, he made sure to keep me away from anyone else.” She closed her eyes.
She stood and gripped the edge of her shirt. He wasn’t sure what she was doing, but when she revealed her belly and the jagged scar that ran beside her belly button, sickness took him over.
“This was my punishment for trying to get away.” She lowered her eyes and let her shirt drop back in place. “My other wounds have healed, and the bruises have disappeared. I wanted you to know the truth, because we are—”
“Mates.”
Kenzie lifted her eyes to his, and he said it more slowly, so she knew he meant that one word more than anything else. And that she knew exactly how important she was to him.
“You’re my mate, and nothing you can say about your past will make me want you any less.” He smelled the subtle scent of one of the reasons she told him all that was because she thought he wouldn’t want her anymore. Another shifter might not have been able to pick up on the slight change in smell, but he was more animal than man, and because of that, he sensed it powerfully.
Bram let go of the table, and a piece of wood fell onto the floor.
“You’re mine, Kenzie, and I’ll say it over and over again until you realize it is the truth.” He moved closer to her until only a foot separated them. “I’ll keep saying it until every fucking person on this planet knows it.” He was on edge again, itching for a fight, and wished he could hold her and make her pain go away. “I can’t really make myself any clearer, Kenzie. All I can tell you is that being my mate is not something I take lightly, and certainly not something I am willing to ignore.” He lifted his hand and cupped her cheek, a guttural groan leaving him when she closed her eyes and leaned into his embrace. “I’m not going to let you go, because I want you too fucking bad, baby, and because you’re mine to protect and cherish.”
If he sensed for one moment that his words were too much for her, that his alphaness was going over the line, he would have backed the fuck off, but all he sensed was her inner animal growing soft and giving. She wanted this, and no matter how bad her life had been, she trusted him in the way mates did with each other.
Knowing how she felt toward him, Bram didn’t want to deny himself any longer. He leaned in close and stopped just an inch from her mouth. Their eyes were locked, and he waited until he saw her acceptance in her gaze and the slight nod before he pressed his mouth against hers.
He took her lips in a kiss, softly at first, waiting to gauge her reaction. He wanted to show her how gentle he could be. At first, he just caressed her lips with his, but the desire to take more from her was too strong.
When she didn’t push him away, he went a bit further. Sliding his tongue along the seam of her lips was a sensory overload as he tasted the flavor of her flesh. She was sweet and addictive, and he couldn’t stop, wouldn’t even if his life depended on it. Kenzie was hesitant at first but soon opened her mouth and allowed him entry, and Bram took it all.
Slipping into the warm, wet cavern of her mouth had a grunt of pleasure leaving him, and when she moved her tongue along his, he hardened even further. The lounge pants offered little obstruction as he moved closer to her and pressed his cock into the soft swell of her belly.
The scent of her arousal coated him and brought him to new heights, so Bram didn’t stop his bear from rising to the surface and experiencing this right along with him.
“I want this so bad, Kenzie.” He broke the kiss and trailed his lips over her cheek and down her neck. “I want you so bad, more than I’ve ever wanted anything or anyone before. I just don’t want to go too fast, push you too far, and have you running from me.”
Her answering moan and the way she gripped his biceps, as if she thought he would leave, told him she wanted this too.
“All you have to do is tell me that this is okay.” Nipping and licking at her throat had Bram’s pulse beating frantically at the tip of his dick. “That I can go further, and I promise I’ll be gentle.” He ran his tongue up the length
