Nolan had been right. No one tried to detain us as we left the lavish celebration, although Dylan had caught us slipping away and raised his glass, eyebrows waving as if to say, "It took you long enough." In any other circumstance, the Delta's roguish grin would have made me want to punch him in the shoulder. But now, there was only one thing occupying my thoughts: my mate.

Thank the Moon Goddess, his thoughts seemed to be equally as... fervent.

As soon as we'd escaped the prying eyes and ears of the Black Lupis pack and began our descent to the cottage, Nolan swept me into his arms. At first, he had me cradled against his chest with my legs hooked over one of his arms, bridal style. But, sometime between when I'd loosened the top five buttons of his shirt and he'd unbound my hair from its updo, our touches became more eager. By the time we walked through the cottage doorway, my legs were wrapped around his waist, all thoughts of modesty forgotten.

Nolan slammed the cottage door behind us before repositioning his hands to cup my rear, only thin sheets of tulle separating our skin. "I want you out of this dress," he growled against my mouth, fingers tightening and digging into my glute muscle.

I'd felt him harden against my abdomen long ago, so I was surprised he'd managed to wait this long to make the demand. Still, the liquid heat coursing through my veins seemed to have given me courage, for I pulled my lips away from his, barely an inch, and allowed a feline smirk to grace my features. I traced the manicured nail of my index finger against his jawline.

"Ask nicely," I whispered, even as my thighs tightened around his waist, increasing the friction between my core and the solid mass hidden in his dress pants.

He sucked in a hiss of air at the contact and released a low, rumbling groan. "I want you out of this dress, now."

Urgency coated Nolan's every word. His pupils had expanded until only a rim of blue remained in his gaze, and I knew that now wasn't the time for teasing, especially as one of his hands traveled up my spine until it reached the top button at the back of my dress. With expert fingers, he unhooked one and the fabric slackened.

"So eager?" My words were breathy as his lips started exploring my neck. I closed my eyes but felt his legs moving beneath me, carrying us away from the living space and toward his bedroom.

A low chuckle vibrated through his chest. "You're not?"

Before I could formulate words, he ran his tongue up the column of my neck and blew cool air on the dampened skin. My lips parted, emitting some semblance of a whimper as everything in me grew taut. Goosebumps freckled every inch of my skin, and I knew that the thin white fabric of my dress did nothing to hide the peaks of my nipples. My thighs gripped his hips impossibly tighter, as if that could somehow alleviate the throbbing between my legs.

"That's what I thought." Nolan's voice held no shortage of male satisfaction. He undid more buttons at my back until the fabric was loose enough that I knew it would fall when we parted. He seemed aware of that as well, for he came to a stop and started lowering me. I opened my eyes in time to see that we'd reached the bed.

I didn't try to keep my strapless dress upright as it slid down my front. By the time my back hit the comforter, the white lace and tulle pooled below my waist, where a jagged scar had plagued my skin only days before. Nolan's eyes were near feral as he reached a calloused hand down to cup the entirety of one of my breasts. Heat soared to my cheeks as he palmed me, lowering his head to kiss me while his fingers explored the hardened peaks.

Suddenly, his mouth was on me, lips latched atop one of the round mounds. I gasped. "Nolan!"

He groaned, settling on top of me as if he prepared to be there for some time. "I have to take my time with you now, Charlotte. I'm not sure how long I'll be able to last once I'm inside of you."

Heat rushed my center at the very thought of our bodies united, so poignant that I was certain Nolan would feel it through our clothes. So demanding that I was certain my body might erupt if it didn't receive some semblance of reprieve soon. My hips thrust upward against the solid plane of his body between me, searching for any hint of pressure that might fulfill the ache that now pulsed at the apex of my legs.

"Nolan," I groaned again, seemingly incapable of producing words beyond his name. This time, his name was a plea.

"Tell me what you want," he murmured, teeth grazing my breast. "Tell me, Charlotte."

My back arched against the mattress as I gasped the order between breaths, "T-touch me. Please... please."

My mate obeyed, shifting his weight onto an elbow braced by my head as his other hand reached between us. He'd abandoned his work on my breasts to envelop my lips with his again, and, soon, I understood why. As soon as his index and middle finger brushed against the sensitive flesh between my legs, I cried out at the sensation that rocketed through me. His mouth swallowed my cry, muffling it from the hyper-sensative hearing of our celebrating packmates across the field.

Even through the fabric of my dress and underwear, another sweep of his fingers over the bundle of nerves had my hips bucking to deepen the feeling. My fingers tugged relentlessly at the roots of his dark hair, but Nolan didn't complain. Not as he circled my center again, faster, until he developed a rhythm.

It happened quickly after that. Weeks worth of built up tension and want brought to the forefront of my very being, a relentless pressure between my quivering thighs that only Nolan could satiate.

"Keep going," I rasped, fingernails moving from the nape of Nolan's hair to the muscles of his back.

"That's right..." He groaned this time as his fingers picked up the pace. "Come for me, sweetheart."

As if on command, every muscle in my body tightened and I threw my head back as release barreled through me, and not even my mate could dull the cry that escaped my lips. Nolan's fingers continued circling, slower now, as I regained my sense of self. Stars danced in my vision, and my legs felt like they'd been made out of gelatin.

Eventually, I picked up my head from the mattress, aware of Nolan's near-black eyes watching me. My chest heaved as I regained my breath, and finally, I could speak again. "That was..."

"You're exquisite," Nolan breathed. His eyes were glossy, filled with awe. Heat filled my veins again at the evidence of love and lust in that gaze.

"Will it...?" I trailed off, suddenly unable to meet Nolan's gaze as my curiosity rose. I stared at the ceiling as I continued, "I mean, does it feel that way for everyone? Will it feel that way for you?"

He huffed a chuckle, air brushing my bare breasts and causing my nipples to tighten again. "Yes. Although, I imagine it might hurt for both of us, just a bit, when we first join."

I nodded, my stomach flipping at the thought of joining with my mate. He could no doubt hear the fluttering in my chest, and I still couldn't meet his gaze. "I've never done this before."

The words slipped out before I could stop them, and I felt stupid as soon as they left my lips. Not only was it a statement of an obvious fact, but it also revealed my underlying embarrassment. My uncertainty.

"I know." Nolan leaned down, brushing his lips against my neck and inhaling, no doubt taking a deep breath of my scent. He nipped the sensitive skin at the base of my throat. "I think it's sexy."

I chuckled, even as my cheeks flamed. "I only mean that I might not be as experienced... as your past lovers."

Nolan sat up. Some of the lust clouding his vision had faded, but a lupine grin was plastered on his red, swollen lips. "How many lovers do you think I've had, Charlie?"

I propped myself up on my elbow so I could properly meet his gaze, and the fabric of my dress spilled further down my front at the movement. Now, it rested just beneath my hip bones. "Uh... a lot?"

He laughed, the sound unrestrained from his broad chest. As his laugh faded, he shook his head. "Believe it or not, Sarah was my first, and there has been no one else since she passed. Until now. Until you, Charlie. I'm not thinking of anyone or anything else right now, my love."

Surprise rattled through me. With the top buttons of his shirt undone, revealing a fine layer of dark hair atop his tanned skin, and his hair tousled atop his head, Nolan looked like a damned god of pleasure. He certainly looked like he would be the type to take lovers, even though my heart leapt at the truth that he'd revealed. And, Moon Goddess, I wanted nothing more than to forget about anyone and anything else and get lost in him. But he'd said her name: Sarah, and I knew that I couldn't continue. Not without telling him the truth.

"Nolan, there's something I need to tell you," I whispered, draping a hand over my bare chest as I sat up a bit straighter.

"Charlotte?" Nolan seemed to sense the shift in our conversation, for he moved off of me and toward the side. His throat bobbed, and his brows pulled together in stark concern as he helped me sit up. As soon as I was upright, his eyes drifted toward my chest, and he began to unbutton the rest of his shirt, shrugging the button-down off and draping it over my shoulders. "Here," he murmured. "Now what's on your mind?"

I took a deep breath, pulling the front of Nolan's shirt closed around me before taking one of his massive hands in both of mine. "I should have told you sooner. Should have told you as soon as it happened..."

"Told me what?" A muscle in his jaw feathered, and my stomach twisted. Would he be angry? Blame me for not telling him what had happened in the afterlife sooner? Had I just ruined our entire evening by bringing it up...

I stared at our joined hands for one long moment, mustering my courage. "I saw Sarah... in the afterlife. She was there, and we talked."

Nolan blinked, like he'd been expecting something else, but then his lips parted, as if the full weight of my words descended upon him. His voice was barely a whisper when he finally spoke. "Sarah?"

I nodded, tracing my thumb over his hand that had gone startlingly still and taking a deep breath. One final breath before revealing the truth-- the entire truth-- of my experience in the underworld. Waking up to find Sarah and baby Lyra, the extent of our conversations, and the roots of the curse that had torn Nolan and Dominic apart. The curse that had denied Dominic of his true mate and forced Nolan to take her instead. The cruel tactic woven by the first witches to ensure that the Black Lupis Alpha could have two mates, just in case the first should fail to end the hybrids...

Nolan was silent throughout the conversation, and he remained silent long after. I squeezed his fingers, crawling closer on the bed while still holding his shirt tightly closed on my chest. "Nolan, I am so sorry I kept this from you..."

His bottom lip trembled, but he quickly clamped his lips into a thin line to hide the emotion. Tears still glossed the surface of his eyes as he stared ahead. "Don't apologize. I don't blame you."

"Then, why won't you look at me?" My own voice became thick with emotion, and I kicked the cumbersome white dress off of my legs to make it easier to curl my legs beneath me. I tugged on his hand, half-afraid that Nolan might never look at me again.

"I want to ask you something, but I'm terrified of the answer..." Nolan trailed off, his voice hoarse. He shook his head, lips still pressed tight together as he finally turned to meet my gaze.

I forgot my hold on the front of Nolan's shirt, allowing the two planes to drift open as I reached out to wrap my arms around his neck. "What is it?" I whispered, stroking curls of black hair.

He was quiet for a long moment, so I pulled back from our embrace to look in his eyes once more. Tears spilled over his cheeks as his lips cracked open, finally. "Am I... Before the curse, was I always meant to be y-yours? Or was Dominic?"

Emotion threatened to suffocate me as I realized the source of Nolan's fear. The idea that the witches' curse might have tarnished the most precious gift that fate and the Moon Goddess could offer somebody. The idea that our entire connection was false...

Before I could stop myself, I crawled entirely onto Nolan's lap, placing both of my hands on his chest. I held his stare, admiring the devastating beauty of his blue orbs for one long moment, before I finally closed my eyes and kissed away a salty tear on his cheek. "You're mine, Nolan."

I pulled back again, lips damp from his tears, before pressing my lips to his. "You're mine, and you always have been. From the time that the Moon Goddess wove our fates together, to now. You're mine, and I am yours."

Nolan shuddered beneath me, releasing a ragged breath that I hadn't realized he'd been holding in. And then he was kissing me back. His lips captured mine, tasting strongly of salt, and his arms wrapped around my back, holding me to him. "You promise? You're mine?"

I nodded, rising up against him so that he tilted his head back to continue the kiss. "I'm yours, Nolan. I am yours, and I love you."

"Say it again," he groaned, fingers weaving through my chestnut locks as he gently tugged my head to the side, revealing the slope of my neck. One of his hands pulled his wrinkled dress-shirt off of my shoulders, and the fabric slid down my back until I was reduced to only a pair of white, lacey underthings.

The now-familiar heat began building in my center again, and a quick rock forward with my hips revealed that Nolan felt the same way. Felt the same, urgent need to truly become one flesh.

"I'm yours," I gasped, as his mouth moved to the sensitive strap of skin just above my collarbone. Unable to stop myself, I rolled my hips again, savoring the friction of his pants against my core.

"Charlotte," he rasped, bringing one of his hands to my hips to steady my movement. His grip on my hip bone was strong. A warning that my actions might have wonderful consequences...

I pulled away from his neck, where I'd been enjoying the taste of him on my own lips and held his gaze. "I'm ready."

It was the only confirmation that Nolan needed. Within seconds, he had our positions flipped, and I was pressed against the pillows by the headboard. He rid himself of his dress pants before rejoining me on the bed moments later. I'd seen him naked before, in the moment after he'd shifted in front of me. But now. Here...

I pressed my thighs together as an insufferable want pulsated at my center. The white lace of my underwear was unmistakably wet, evidence of my desire for every gods-given inch of him. I resisted the urge to reach out to touch his shaft, trace my fingers over the ridge of its tip and grasp the rod, stroke until I reached the very hilt. But, later. I could explore later.

For now, there was one thing that Nolan and I both needed. He nudged my legs apart, creating room for him to kneel between them, and leaned on top of me until our bodies were aligned. My eyes widened as he nudged against my entrance, not moving any further as his fingers stroked my hair. "I'm yours, Charlie. Now and always."

I twined my fingers in his hair, my chest heaving with every deep breath I took to fuel my racing heart. "I love you," I whispered, pressing my lips to his as a promise and confirmation.

My grip on him tightened as he thrust in, barely an inch, and there was a startling pressure. I hissed, blinking rapidly to rid any tears that threatened to spill over my eyelids and he paused as I adjusted to the discomfort.

"I know," he whispered, his breath a feather against my cheek. He peppered kisses against my lip, my cheek, my nose. "I know, I'm sorry."

I inhaled deeply and forced my body to relax, willing the tightness in my core to release with every deep breath. And soon, the discomfort began to fade and my grip on his shoulders lightened. A silent cue for Nolan to continue.

Another slow movement, and he stretched me further. But, this time, my body was already relaxed. Prepared. I groaned, wriggling beneath him to explore the strange mingling of pain and pleasure. "More," I prompted, angling my hips upward to facilitate the movement.

Nolan remained still above me. "We can go slowly, sweetheart."

Tentatively, I lifted my hips against his again. We both gasped in unison as he slid deeper. There was pain, but the sharpness faded quickly, and, as soon as the stinging subsided, I tried it again. Nolan shuddered, and the first rippling of pleasure skittered through me. My muscles tightened in my lower abdomen, and thrust my hips upward with confidence, taking more of him.

Finally, my alpha started moving. He did it carefully, but each movement crescendoed until he filled me entirely, and I'd never felt so complete. My legs lifted instinctively, curling around his hips to draw him even deeper, if that was possible.

The same insatiable heat began to churn deep in my stomach, outweighing any remaining discomfort as he moved, stronger and faster now. I clutched onto his shoulders, my mouth blindly moving against his, as he put all of his weight on one elbow and brought his other hand between us, to the bundle of nerves that was still sensitive at the height of my legs. His thumb circled as his hips churned against me.

Nolan cursed low, then said my name like a prayer. "You're mine, Charlotte."

It was the last thing I heard as a second release shattered me, and Nolan's mouth found my neck again as he, too, shuddered. But this time, his canines penetrated the sensitive flesh, and I thought my body might not survive the array of sensations that swept through me. Satiating pleasure, sharp pain, a sense of utter wholeness... A mark. He'd marked me.

The roll of Nolan's hips slowed, just as he pulled away from my neck, only to begin kissing the spots where he'd broken my skin. We might have stayed like that for an hour. Joined, our hot, damp flesh tangled together as we revelled in what we'd done. Finally.

"I love you," I whispered, threading my fingers through his dark hair.

I love you, he replied, and his precious words echoed in my mind.