Coveted (32 page)

Shayla blinked at his
growly reply, and could’ve sworn that his gaze dropped to the very body part
he’d mentioned. A flash of heat rippled in the air between them, hot enough to
tempt her closer.

Then all animation
drained from Aiden, all but the fresh wounds that she’d put in his eyes.

“Hate me all you
want, but I meant what I said. We either go back together, or I don’t go back
at all.” Raw power swelled, filling up the very room with his presence.

It made her forget
her own name for a heartbeat.

The alpha was back.

Panic corroded her
insides away like acid. He was trapped with her as the frost steadily stole
closer. She couldn’t let it touch Aiden. Unless she could figure a way to free him,
they’d both die. “Explain this connection.”

A muscle ticked in
his jaw, his reluctance more than obvious, and Shayla narrowed her eyes in
suspicion.

“It binds us on a
basic level.”

“Like mind reading?” She
went cold, then hot that he would be able to see her every thought…all her
secret fantasies.

“No.” Aiden rubbed
the back of his head, looking anywhere but at her. “Well, not exactly.”

The last part was a
mumble that she barely heard. Shayla crossed her arms defensively. “Then what
exactly?”

“We can’t read minds.”
He fidgeted with the first signs of awkwardness. “More like sense emotions.”

Her heart hiccupped
in her chest. “So you know what I’m feeling?”

“No. I mean, not precisely.”
He huffed in frustration and then proceeded to stalk back and forth across the
room like a caged animal. “The connection ties us together on a basic level,
allows us to communicate with each other without words.”

Shayla remained
quiet. Frankly, she didn’t know what to feel. Everything he said reminded her
of an old married couple so comfortable together that they didn’t need words to
know what the other one was thinking. It sounded sweet and terrifying and she
wanted it so badly she couldn’t speak.

At her silence,
Aiden’s pacing picked up speed. He kept flicking glances up at her from the
corner of his eyes, as if unable to resist watching.

“You have my promise
that I won’t be a bother. The connection can be blocked on both ends.” He
clenched and unclenched his fists as if battling himself. “I don’t regret what
I had to do to save you.”

He said the last
defiantly.

His discomfort would
be adorable if it didn’t break her heart. Shayla had to clear her throat twice before
she could speak. “Answer me truthfully. Did you make this connection only to save
me?”

How was it possible
to want something so much that your entire world hinged on a single word?

Aiden hunched his
shoulders. “I did it for me.”

He straightened
abruptly, his eyes practically glowing. “Be mad at me, hate me if you want, but
I would do it again just to spend one more minute near you.”

A flood of emotions cascaded
through her, so intense that it was hard to breathe at his confession. “And
when we kissed…”

“Touch makes our
connection stronger. In that kiss, you felt…me. What I feel every time I’m near
you.” Aiden’s lips tightened, studying her every nuance. “It’s a bond between
mates.”

Shayla’s heart
tripped over and landed with a heavy thump. He was everything she’d ever
wanted, more than she could’ve ever dreamed, and she would be damned if she
would give him up now that everything was within her reach.

She’d opened her
mouth to reply, when an idea struck her. “That’s it! I woke when you broke the
connection. By strengthening it, we should be able to open the door between the
worlds.”

Shayla rubbed her
hands where they still tingled from touching him. Images of being in his arms again
sent her pulse ricocheting with such potent need that she could barely string
together two words. She licked her lips, straightened her shoulders, ignoring
the way her insides trembled, and met his intense stare. “Kiss me.”

It was a demand.

Aiden didn’t move for
a second, just studied her with those green eyes of his. Anticipation burned
through her when he came forward, moving with a lethal grace no human could
duplicate.

Stalked.

Her breathing picked
up speed as his gaze raked over every inch of her body, lingering in places
that left fiendishly wicked heat in its wake that made her forget everything
but the man in front of her. The bed slammed into the back of her knees, and
she tumbled backwards with a startled squeak.

Sprawled across the
mattress, Shayla gazed up at Aiden. The smile he gave her was anything but
friendly.

Predatory.

Her body tingled
under that look, the intensity making her gulp for air. A smidge of doubt at
the wisdom of her plan rose when he placed his knee on the bed and slowly
crawled up her body.

She’d never been so
turned on in her life.

“Kiss me.”

Shayla nearly melted
at the demand, shaking with the need to devour him. That he left her in charge
instead of taking what she willingly offered left her feeling both powerful and
exposed.

She lifted her chin, offering
up her lips, but he didn’t move.

He’d always been the
pursuer until now, the one with the power. Shayla had never understood that it also
left him so terribly vulnerable. There was something sexy about having this
indomitable man so willing to do anything for her.

With trembling hand,
Shayla lightly brushed her fingertips over that stubborn chin and met his lips
with her own. The delicious taste of him exploded through her, and she groaned
with the need to feel every inch of him pressed against her. She hooked her leg
over his hip, and her wish became reality.

It was his turn to
groan, a tortured sound that vibrated against her, and her breath caught at the
back of her throat to know she could bring him such pleasure.

“Ahhemm. I guess you
don’t need me around anymore.”

Shayla was so shocked
to hear another voice that she jerked away from the seduction of Aiden’s kiss.

Only to pull up short
when Aiden refused to release her. Instead, he buried his head in her neck,
those sinful lips of his nibbling on her throat in a way that threatened to
distract her.

“James!”

“It’s good to see
you’re back. You had me worried for a second.” James appeared worn around the
edges, but his crooked smile revealed his pleasure at being in the thick of
things. “It looks like you don’t need me anymore.”

“Thank you. For
everything.” Shayla scrunched up her neck, trying to deny Aiden access, but he
was having none of it.

James made his way to
the door, giving her a two-finger salute over his shoulder on the way out.

Aiden growled when
she didn’t immediately go back to kissing him. She glanced down to see him
glaring at the door, his body strung tight…was he jealous?  

Then she processed
exactly where they were.

Home.

“It worked!” Shayla
pulled away, groaning when the aches all over her body protested. Aiden shifted
to lean against the headboard, hauling her close and settling her against his chest.
He ran his hand down her back as if unable to resist touching her.

But she had to know
that he was safe. Shayla fiddled with Aiden’s shirt, uncertain how to broach
the subject of the man who’d tried to kill him.

“What happened to my
stalker?”

Aiden’s smile was all
teeth. “He was dead the moment he touched that trigger.”

“I can’t say that I’m
sorry.” She rubbed her newly healed shoulder. “Were you able to rescue the
wolves?”

“As many as we could.
James has been assisting, enjoying himself maybe a little too much.”

Shayla rolled her
eyes. “You’ll never be able to get him to leave now, not until he has you all figured
out. He can’t let go of a mystery.”

“He saved lives. For
that, he’s earned my respect and an invitation to stay as long as he wants.”

“So my job is done.” Shayla
murmured, more to herself, and chewed on her lips, scrambling to think of a way
to tell him that she wasn’t leaving.

Aiden’s hold tightened,
and the connection between them slammed shut like a slap. The loss of him cut
through her like a fist to the gut. All the warmth, the light amusement and
underlying lust, vanished so completely that her heart stopped for one painful second.

Then Aiden
straightened. “When do we leave.”

It wasn’t a question.

“Leave?” Then her heart
jumped up into her throat as she processed exactly what he said. “We?”

Shayla couldn’t
believe that he would give up everything for her. Before she could protest that
she wasn’t going anywhere, he spoke again. 

“We’ve both went
through to too much trouble saving each other to lose one another now, don’t
you think?”

Shayla blinked, then smirked
at her Scottish warrior. “You need me to stick around to save you?”

All humor dropped
from his face. “You already did.”

The kiss he gave her
curled her toes. When Aiden grudgingly lifted his head, Shayla crawled up in
his lap to finish what he started.

“Stay with me.” His
lips brushed against hers as he spoke.

Shayla automatically
nodded, but then stopped herself. “It doesn’t bother you that I’m human?”

“You’re perfect.”
Aiden picked up her hand and nipped at her fingertips for daring to think
otherwise. Heat kindled under her skin at the lover’s nip. Made her crave more.
Then he grabbed her hips and flipped her on her back. “But let’s be perfectly
clear, you are never to enter the Frost World again without me by your side.”

“Huh?”

He smiled down at
her, his mouth lowering, but stopping short of giving her the promised kiss.
“I’ll have your word, or…”

Those big hands of
his skimmed down her sides, settling them threateningly over her backside, and
her breathing hitched.

“…when I come after
you, you might not like the consequences.”

Shayla wiggled,
trying to get closer, but he held her still. She quickly answered—anything to
get him to kiss her again. “Yes, of course.”

He smiled in triumph.
“Then it’s settled. You will stay here.”

Shayla winced. “My
family wasn’t very happy about me leaving. When they learn that I don’t plan to
return—”

“Bring them here for
a visit.”

“All of them?” Shayla
was completely flummoxed. “My parents are old fashioned. They’re going to hound
you every second to make an honest woman out of me.”

“You’re my mate.” He
said it like it was the answer.

“Is that like
marriage?”

“It’s deeper.” Aiden’s
eyes narrowed as if to judge her reaction, his whole body tensed to catch her
if she ran. “We’ll love. We’ll fight. We mate for life and only once.”

He seemed blissfully
happy about it. Shayla fiddled with her fingers. “And this is what you want?”

“I’ve been waiting
for you since I drew my first breath. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted.”
Aiden sank his fingers into her hair and tipped her head back. “My place is at
your side. I’m not going anywhere.”

Shayla’s heart turned
over at his confession, and the vulnerability written on his face. She ran a
finger over his lips. “I gave up hope of ever finding you. You’re my
one
.
Now that I’ve met you, it would destroy me to let you go.” Shayla made a face.
“My family will demand a formal wedding.”

“You’ll have to ask
me.”

He wasn’t being coy.

“What?”

“I took away your
choice with the bond. I won’t do it again. I need to know we’re in this
together. I’ve made my commitment to you. When you’re ready, you’ll ask me.
I’ve waited my whole life you. I can wait a bit longer.” He ran her hands
possessively along her hip, relishing being able to touch her any time he
wanted.

“About my family…”
Shayla bit her lip, and Aiden growled. A flood of his emotions rushed through
her, a mixture of affection and lust so potent she felt cherished.

Shayla swatted him.
“What are you trying to do? Give me a heart attack?”

Aiden smiled
dangerously. “No, just trying to get into your pants.”

Shayla snorted, caught
off guard by the blunt confession. “My family is a bit odd. Like me.”

“No one is like you.”
Aiden was completely serious. “Invite them.”

Her heart lurched and
flipped-flopped in her chest. “You say that now, but once you get them all together,
they can be a bit much.”

Aiden raised a brow.
“Mine are a pack of werewolves.”

Shayla pursed her
lips, silently conceding his point. “They’ll turn your castle upside out and
inside out.”

Aiden wasn’t sure if
she realized how true her words would be. She came from sacred bloodlines.
Beloved. Aiden felt a bit gobsmacked to discover that her family had survived
for so long without the pack being aware.

And they were coming
here.

If even a hint of
their heritage got out, wolves from around the world would flood Avamoore. He
felt a little green just thinking about the added security that would be needed.

Rules would need to
be implemented immediately.

For the first time in
decades his pack had hope.

All because of the
beautiful woman beneath him.

She was his heart,
the core of the pack.

Shayla cupped his
face, and Aiden’s attention snapped toward her. “Marry me.”

It took a full minute
for him to remember how to breathe. He’d planned to ease her into pack life
gently. Instead, she jumped in with both feet and captured his heart. He bit
the inside of his cheek to keep from answering. He had to know first…

Aiden slowly
unblocked the connection and allowed himself to feel her emotions for the first
time. He was prepared to be bombarded with fear and uncertainty. Braced himself
to face her doubt. He would conquer and slay whatever dragons that stood
between them. The last thing he expected to feel was an all-consuming love…for
him.