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He doesn't say a word. He just crashes his mouth down onto mine, kissing me with enough raw, desperate intensity to steal the breath from my lungs. The kiss is a claiming, a physical manifestation of his victory and his relief. I melt into him, wrapping my legs around his waist and kissing him back with every ounce of love I have inside me.

When he finally pulls back, we are both breathless, our foreheads resting against each other.

Slowly, gently, he sets me back down on my feet, though he doesn't let me go. He laces his large, calloused fingers tightly through mine and turns, pulling me securely against his side as he faces the room.

The low chatter in the hall tapers off. Stryker, Wolf, and Phoenix all turn to look at him, their women tucked securely under their arms.

Onyx stands tall, his massive chest expanding as he looks his brothers dead in the eye, one by one.

"The syndicate cell is dismantled, and the feds have the handlers in custody," Onyx's deep voice rumbles, echoing off the high ceiling. Then, he tightens his grip on my hand, pulling me a fraction of an inch closer to his heart. "But I need something on the record right now. The threat to Eden is permanently erased. She is no longer running. She is no longer hiding."

He pauses, the heavy weight of his gaze demanding respect from every man in the room.

"She is mine," he declares, his voice vibrating with unshakeable authority. "Eden is my old lady. My woman. Under my protection, and under the protection of this club. From this second forward, anyone who looks at her wrong deals directly with me."

A collective murmur of approval ripples through the brothers. Wolf gives a slow, respectful nod, while Stryker grins, clapping his hand proudly against Onyx’s shoulder. Beside them, Corinne lets out a soft, delighted squeal, and Hadley presses a hand to her heart, the women exchanging warm, knowing looks as they ooh and aww over the fierce declaration.

But Onyx isn't finished.

He turns away from his brothers and looks down at me. The harsh, lethal biker vanishes, leaving only the raw, devoted man beneath the cuts and scars. He reaches up, gently brushing a stray tear from my cheek with his thumb.

"I told you I'd prove it to you, one day at a time," he whispers, though the silence in the room makes his words ring clear. "But I'm giving you my word right now, in front of my family. I am yours, Eden. Entirely. My loyalty, my heart, my life—they belong to you. I will burn the world down before I ever let anyone make you feel small again. You never have to ask for permission to take up space in my life, because you are my home."

Fresh tears spill over my lashes. The weight and sincerity of his words settle over me like a warm, heavy blanket. They don't just feel like a promise; they feel like wedding vows, binding my soul permanently to his.

"I love you," I whisper, my voice thick with emotion. "I love you so much."

A devastatingly beautiful smile breaks across his rugged face. "Let's go home, Raindrop."

Before I can even nod, he scoops me up again, this time bridal style. A chorus of cheers and whistles erupts from the club members as he carries me right back out the double doors and into the crisp night air.

He sets me down gently, then we both mount the bike with practiced ease. I wrap my arms securely around his solid waist, pressing my chest flat against his back as he revs the engine. The ride back to the cabin is a blur of starlight, cold wind, and the intoxicating, rhythmic hum of the machine beneath us. Every mile we cover strips away the last lingering shadows of my past, leaving only the bright, undeniable certainty of our future.

When we pull into the driveway of the cabin, the storm clouds have cleared, leaving the sky blanketed in a million shining stars. Onyx cuts the engine, steps off the bike, and gathers me into his arms one last time, carrying me across the threshold and into the safety of his home.

Onyx doesn’t stop at the doorway, the living room, or even the hallway. Instead, he carries me straight to the bathroom and turns on the shower. He finally sets me down and strips me down before removing his own clothes.

He helps me into the shower once we’re both naked. It’s intimate in a way we haven’t experienced yet. I can’t wait. He positions me right underneath the hot water, his fingertips following the streams of water as they pour over my shoulders, breasts, torso, and finally my throbbing pussy. I moan as his knuckles barely graze my mound before continuing down my inner thighs.

Onyx’s other hand wraps around the back of my neck, pulling me in for a punishing kiss. I open up for him, needing to taste and touch and feel him everywhere. He tugs my hair, pulling my head back so he can deepen the kiss. I feel two fingers dip into my slit and start circling my little bundle of nerves in slow, steady strokes.

I grip his biceps, digging my nails in as one finger pushes into my entrance, then two. Onyx thrusts his large digits in and out of me, slowly at first, and then faster, faster, faster, grinding his heel down on my clit all while devouring my lips.

Breaking the kiss, I bury my face in between his neck and shoulders as I cry out. I’m right there, so close to my much-needed release. He keeps pumping his fingers, twisting and curling them up to rub against my g-spot. Again, again, one more time…

Suddenly, his hand is gone. I nearly fall over at the loss of him, but I regain my composure and glare right at his stupidly handsome face. Onyx just grins, which makes my pussy clench. God, this man. Frustrating, sweet, and sexy as hell.

“Not yet, Raindrop. Patience.”

With that, he spins me around, my back to his front, and starts massaging me everywhere. I feel his large, calloused hands squeezing my breasts, my hips, my soft, round belly that I’ve always been a little self-conscious of. Onyx has made it clear that he loves every inch of me.

His hands trail lower, once again teasing my pussy lips. My clit throbs in time with my heartbeat, begging him to do something about the unbearable ache he’s created.

“Onyx…” I moan, wiggling my hips in an attempt to get him to touch me where I need him most.

“Not yet,” he murmurs again, licking the shell of my ear before trailing kisses down my neck and shoulder.

I feel his hard cock dig into my ass, so I wiggle a bit more, until I feel his length nestle in between my cheeks. Onyx groans and rotates his hips, grinding his thick shaft against my ass.