Tor and Leif were good at maintaining the boundaries. This had to be difficult for them too, but at least they got to jack off, and soon they’d be fucking loads of shifter females to sow their wild oats.
My throat grew tight at the thought. It shouldn’t bother me, but it did.
“Cora?” Tor came up behind me and his hands rested on my hips. “What’s wrong?”
I inhaled the forest scent that clung to his skin. Of course he could feel my disconcertion. “Nothing.”
He sighed. “We talked about this. No lies. Not between us.”
“Fine. I was just thinking you and Leif will be procreating soon.”
His fingers flexed on my hips. “If it makes any difference, the thought of lying with another female makes my stomach turn.”
I turned to face him, but he kept his hands on my hips, lifting them slightly to allow me to adjust position, then gripping me again.
“Look at me,” he demanded.
I locked my gaze on his hard jaw, afraid that if I looked into his eyes he’d see how much I wanted him. How much I cared and how fucking jealous I was at the thought of him with someone else.
“Cora.” One hand gripped my nape, firmly, thumb caressing the column of my neck. He hadn’t touched me like this in weeks and my hungry, greedy skin ached for more. My eyes fluttered closed as he forced me to tip my head up. “Look at me,” he demanded again.
I obeyed, drowning in his steel-gray eyes. Silver flecks bloomed in his irises, the wolf beneath his skin.
“I want you, Cora. With every fiber of my being. Never doubt that.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “That’s the mating bond. It makes you want m—”
His head dipped so his mouth was millimeters from mine, so fucking close there was merely a sliver of air between us. My mouth parted, desperate for the kiss of his lips, but he held back, breathing me in. This wasn’t a kiss, it was something more, something intimate and soft. His eyes fluttered closed and he tucked in his chin to brush the tip of his nose against mine.
He slipped his hand off my hip and gently grasped my wrist, bringing my palm to his chest. His heart beat hard and fast against my fingers, echoing the thunder in my pulse.
“This is more than the mating bond, Cora.” His voice was an aching throb. “And honestly, I have no idea what the fuck to do with it.”
My throat pinched. “Tor…”
“I know, baby. I know.” He kissed my forehead and released me. “I’ll keep the boundaries.” He ran his thumb across my bottom lip. “But this thing between us. It’s not going away, and if we don’t take it somewhere eventually, things are going to get uncomfortable for us all.”
He padded out of the room and I sagged back against the sink. Fuck. He was right. My boundaries weren’t working. My plan wasn’t working, but what was the alternative?
I reached up to touch my lip, still tingling from Tor’s touch. I’d worry about it later. Right now, I had a hunt to get ready for, and I had the perfect boots in mind.
Time to burn off some steam.
Chapter Sixteen Leif
Tor sits on the couch staring into the flames flickering in the hearth. He’s barely spoken a word to me since I got off patrol an hour ago. Cora’s upstairs getting ready for me to take her to Vita for the hunt with the female wolves, and Rune is baking himself by the fire, eyes half closed, but I can sense his attention is also on Tor.
I know better than to push Tor when he’s in a mood, but now that we’re bonded to Cora, his shitty mood affects us all. I look to Rune and take a deep breath.
I’m going in. “What’s wrong with you tonight?”
“Nothing.”
“Liar.”
“Nothing I want to talk about.”
It’s something to do with Cora, Rune says. I can feel it. Did you two argue?
Tor sighs and leans back against the sofa. “The opposite. We got close.”
What? “How close?”
He makes a sound of exasperation. “Nothing like that, fuck. I promised her I’d keep the boundaries and I have, but I don’t know how long I can do this.”
I get it. I feel it too.
What happened? Rune asks.
Tor sighs. “I almost kissed her. It took everything I had not to.”
I look away. No need for them to know I’ve already crossed that line. Not for the past two weeks, but the kisses we’ve shared are seared into my mind. I ache for her, but more than that I want to make her happy, I want to see her smile. I look forward to coming home to her every evening and spending time with her. She’s under my skin in ways no female has ever managed.
Tor’s right. It’s only a matter of time until one of us slips up, but… “This is what she wants. This is what she needs, and we have to give it to her no matter how difficult.”
“I know,” Tor says.
I suppose there’s a benefit to being me, Rune says.
Fuck, Tor and I have it easy in comparison. I hate this. “Rune, you need to tell her.”
And have her pity me? Worry about me? No. This is my life, and this is my choice.
There’s real anger in his tone.
“Okay.” I hold up my hands. “Whatever you want, Rune.”
He lowers his head and closes his eyes. His anger is always a flash in the pan, not like Tor, who can stew and simmer for days if he wants. Rune is the peacemaker, the sunshine, the glue. He didn’t deserve this.
We should be discussing the varga and their recent attacks. The wolves are
