Page 63 of Plus-Size Bullied Mate

I cry out as that wicked sensation pushes me over the edge, nails raking down Hunter’s back while he stays latched to me. My vision whites out completely as I clamp around him, so lost in immediate euphoria that I can’t think about anything else.

In response, his hips falter as he follows suit, stilling against me with the rush of his own orgasm. It hits him hard, making him groan and squirm through the immediate shockwave before he withdraws his teeth and gently licks at the wound.

Hunter trembles faintly when his forehead presses against my neck again, holding me tightly like he can’t stand the thought of letting go. This kind of claim always takes a toll.

“Tessa…” he murmurs, almost breathlessly and worshipful all in one. His fingers slowly move along my side while he remains like this.

As my breathing gradually relaxes, I go to shift my hips, but his grip on me keeps me from doing it, and a soft grunt slips from his mouth.

“Stay… don’t move,” he says, breath fanning lightly against my skin. His palm slides idly along my stomach. “Stay like this.”

That’s when it fully registers, and my skin warms all over again.

Still inside me, he’s somehow almost double in size, swollen and nowhere near ready to come out. It keeps us locked together, like a physical manifestation of our bond.

The feeling keeps me keenly aware of him and every way we’ve connected ourselves, body and soul.

The daze consuming me doesn’t leave either, and I gravitate towards him, seeking his warmth and comfort through something so primal that I almost don’t recognize it.

Without hesitation, Hunter keeps me as close as possible without jostling us much, arms wrapped around me while his natural heat makes me melt further. He noses at my jawline, leaving light kisses all the while our bodies do what they need to.

“My mate in every way,” he murmurs against me, sounding beyond content now. “You have my mark to prove it now.”

He’s undeniably right, and that truth sinks in even deeper while he holds me against his chest like the most precious thing in his life.

I’m the alpha’s mate, unable to be contested.

And I like how it sounds more than I should.

Chapter 24 - Hunter

The two days that pass after the storm are surprisingly normal.

Even in its absence, the territory smells of wet earth and pine, and some downed branches are being actively cleaned up. The older buildings need proper assessments, and some trails need to be maintained again, but for the most part, Pine Ridge is otherwise still standing.

The morning after the storm, Brooke and the kids eventually made their way home after having breakfast with Dominic and us. They seemed even more receptive to Tessa, and wouldn’t even start eating until she sat with them.

Dominic left not long after them to do a better sweep of the island, likely doubling back to where he last saw the Wraith Peak wolves. He said a brief goodbye to Tessa first, then gave me a knowing look over her shoulder that seemed to say You’re welcome, and you owe me. Then he was gone, leaving just the two of us.

With the immediate threat of the storm gone, the thing in my chest that had been changing shape for days finally settled into something I could face without fearing what it might mean for me.

The ground between Tessa and me is different now. It isn’t fully resolved, given how there’s too much history for one conversation to fix it all. Still, it’s steadier, like a misalignment that had been ignored for far too long has finally been corrected.

Tessa knows the extent of what I felt from the bond all those years ago, and she knows why I did what I did instead of dealing with it. She’s still understandably annoyed with me for being avoidant, but now, she isn’t running from that information.

Instead, she’s still here with me in the house, willingly spending the night with me and not pretending that the other night didn’t happen.

Even if I had claimed her fully at the cabin during our retreat, I only deepened it during the storm. Ever since, the beast in me has been sated enough for me to keep my head on straight, even if I still want her every minute of every day.

“Heading out?” I ask her while I’m busy cleaning up the kitchen, catching as Tessa enters the room with a light jacket on.

She nods, looking far more relaxed than she has in a while. “I’m going for a walk before I get started on some work.”

Putting the dishtowel aside, I hum and approach her, letting my eyes sweep over her briefly. Silently appreciating how her leggings cling to her thighs, I reach for her waist and pull her closer.

“You don’t have to work anymore, you know. I can take care of things,” I tell her, leaning in close to keep the space between us as minimal as possible. The end of my nose brushes against her cheek before I press a small kiss to her jaw.

I catch the subtle lift of her pulse and the way Tessa’s breath hitches before she relaxes into it. “I know, but it keeps me busy.”