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My wolf shoves forward and drags me toward him with an ache low in my belly that won’t quit. This time I listen to her instead of fighting.
I go to him with my feet filthy and my hair wild. My face is probably puffy from crying, and I don’t care. When I’m close enough, he cups my cheek and wipes the tear track away. His touch is dragon-hot on my skin. My wolf rises up to meet it.
“Feel better?” he asks.
I close my eyes and lean into his hand. “A little.”
He runs his thumb under my lashes until my breathing evens out and my nose quits running. I blink up at him. “I want to see my future home. Get to know my people.”
“There’s plenty of time for that, baby.” He steps closer with his hand on my hip. “Let’s just relax right now. You officially left your pack today. That’s a lot to carry.”
He’s right and I hate it. I try to pull away to get some room to think, but he hooks my waist and yanks me back against him.
He shakes his head. His scent sours with fear, and I quit squirming.
“Don’t do that, baby,” he growls. “Don’t run from me.”
I part my lips to answer, and he cuts me off with a kiss. His mouth is hot and greedy on mine. I fist the front of his shirt and give him everything. I walked away from the only home I’ve ever known today. Ezra is all I’m sure of anymore.
He grabs my ass and squeezes until I gasp against his tongue. He swallows it and deepens the kiss with his fingers sliding up my neck. My knees go loose. I just know he’s about to strip me bare in broad daylight.
I push him back even though everything in me wants to wrap my legs around his waist and say yes to anything he asks for. He breaks away only to drag his mouth down to my mark. I clench between my thighs every time his lips touch the raised skin.
“You don’t really want me to stop.” His breath puffs warm against my throat. I shiver down to my toes.
My wolf urges me to bare more of my neck for him, but I’m not done arguing. “I want to meet the clan. Speak with Valek and Lauren.”
“Let’s come back tomorrow.” He keeps his lips on the spot where he claimed me. “Let me take care of you for a couple of days.”
“Ezra.” I catch his wrist.
“I’m going to pamper you for a couple of days.” He nips me there and grabs my ass again. I yelp and swat his shoulder. The grin he gives me should be illegal in every territory on Wintermoon.
“Ezra, please.” I’m not above begging.
He nibbles the skin he bit and drags his teeth across it until I sway into him. “All right, Aya.”
He pulls back but keeps his hands on my arms and tilts his chin at me. “I give you what you want,” he says, “and you give me what I want.”
I meet his eyes with the slow, sultry look I stole from my mother. “You can have whatever you want when we get back to the cabin.”
I slip out of his hands and brush past him toward the tree line that borders Ash Clan territory without turning around. His scent behind me is pure smug male.
“I’m going to hold you to that, Aya. Tonight,” he calls after me.
I bite my tongue and keep walking. My face burns, and my wolf is way too pleased with herself. Mother Fate, give me strength with this dragon.
The forest opens into a wide path. I’m about to cross the border when Ezra catches up and threads his fingers through mine.
“You’re technically welcome without an invitation,” he says as he falls into step at my side, “but I’m raising caution here. Stay with me.”
I side-eye him. “Do you always have to be so protective?”
“Yes.” He squeezes my hand. “And I will always be protective over you.”
The Ash Clan village hits me differently today. Ezra brought me to plenty of gatherings and dinners here during his courtship. His people were always welcoming, but I was a guest then. Now his mark is raised on my neck, and I’ve officially left my pack. Everything seems bigger and more permanent than I remember.
Cabins line the paths in neat rows, nothing like the sprawl of House of Zorah. Every structure is evenly spaced and built to match, with smoke rising from a chimney on each roof. I scent dragon on everything here. There isn’t a trace of wolf anywhere but me.
