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"Immensely." Leaning down, his lips brush the hollow of my throat. "Patience, Rene." His breath washes over my skin.

"I intend to savor every single inch." His fingers finally find the clasp, the tiny click echoing in the quiet room. He pauses there, leaving the lace in place as he lingers. His mouth traces a burning path along my shoulder, his hands framing my waist and holding me beneath his leisurely exploration. My fingers twist in the duvet. Savoring is all well and good, but the slow burn is threatening to ignite me.

His mouth finds my collarbone, teeth grazing the sensitive skin there before his tongue soothes the sting. The black lace falls away, forgotten, and his hands map the newly exposed territory with reverent care. Each touch sends heat spiraling through me, pooling low in my belly.

"You're taking your sweet time," I arch under his ministrations as his mouth trails lower.

"Complaining?" His voice is muffled against my skin as he lavishes attention on my aching breast, his tongue circling but never quite reaching where I want him most.

My fingers thread through his dark hair, tugging impatiently. "More like observing. You're taking too long."

He lifts his head, eyes gleaming, clearly amused by the situation. "Trust the process, Rene."

Before I can form a retort, his mouth closes over my nipple, and coherent thought abandons me. The sensation sends a shiver straight down my spine, making me gasp his name as my knees go weak. He takes his time there too, alternating between gentle suction and the barest scrape of teeth until I'm writhing beneath him.

His hands explore lower, tracing the line of my ribs while his fingers map the flare of my hips. When he reaches the waistband of my jeans, he pauses, looking up at me with a question in his eyes.

"Yes," I whisper before he can ask.

The denim disappears with a few quick movements, taking my underwear with it. Cool air hits heated skin, making me shiver as his hungry gaze travels the length of my body.

"Perfect. I’m savoring every inch of you," he murmurs, pressing open-mouthed kisses to my stomach and the delicate flesh of my inner thigh.

His hands spread my legs wider, settling between them with unyielding intent. The first touch of his tongue makes me cry out, my back arching off the bed as pleasure crashes through me. He works me with single-minded intensity, alternating between broad strokes and targeted friction that has me gasping his name.

When his fingers join the assault, every movement precise, I'm lost. The dual sensation builds rapidly, coiling tighter and tighter until I shatter, his name torn from my lips as waves of pleasure roll through me.

Before I can fully recover, strong hands flip me over, positioning me flat on my stomach. The cool duvet against my heated skin makes me shiver as his palms smooth over my flesh, kneading appreciatively.

"Beautiful view," he murmurs behind me, and I can hear the rustle of fabric as he undresses.

The cool duvet welcomes my flushed cheek as Darius’s hands slide possessively down my spine. A low sound of approval vibrates through him when I arch back into his touch. Over my shoulder, my peripheral vision catches the movement—his fist stroking his length with taunting, agonizing slowness, eyes locked on where our bodies will join. Amber burns molten gold.

"Stop teasing," I gasp, fingers twisting in the sheets.

Ignoring my plea, his knees wedge my thighs wider. Calloused thumbs spread me open, the intimate exposure making me shudder. He guides himself against me, the slow, unwavering stretch stealing the breath from my lungs. He pauses, letting me feel the hot, heavy throb of his pulse.

"Christ, Rene. You’re soaking for me and begging without words." He breathes the words against my ear, a scorching heat on the tender expanse of my neck.

He drags out another fraction of an inch, stealing the air straight from my lungs, before driving it right back in. "This angle provides a perfect view of every ripple across your skin as you take me. The way you arch into me is incredible."

A heavy, reverent palm skates down the length of my spine, his calloused fingers mapping the dip of my lower back before anchoring hard on my hip. "You’re absolutely perfect. The moonlight on your neck is endlessly tempting." His teeth graze the tight tendon there, making my magic spike in response.

Propping myself up on my elbows and knees, I push back against his thighs, hungrily impaling myself further on his length and drawing a guttural groan from within his chest. "Get on with it, Morvane."

His chuckle is dark velvet, vibrating directly against my spine. "The soul-bond connected our spirits, but my wolf needs to claim you physically." He rocks deeper, bottoming out and stealing my gasp as he fills me so fully that the pressure borders on pain. "I need this claim to be permanent."

"Then claim. What’s stopping you?" Arching my spine, I tilt my pelvis to drive him deeper, allowing the friction to send a devastating wave of heat pooling heavy and warm in my lower belly.

"There are no take-backs in this arrangement," he warns as his thrusts instantly gain force. The sheer physical power of his wolf side snaps my hips forward with every driving plunge. "You’re completely mine forever." Each word is punctuated by an unyielding strike that leaves me breathless against the mattress.

"Already yours!" The declaration escapes in a choked, unsteady confession as he hits that devastating, sensitive spot inside me over and over again. "Back in that damn ritual chamber—ah!—when you chose me over vengeance. The deal was sealed."

A sharp, animalistic sound rips from his throat, the sound raw and wild. His palm flattens between my shoulder blades, pinning me flat against the sheets to alter the angle, making every stroke hit with agonizing depth. The pace turns relentless, heavy, and absolutely perfect. Friction builds into a tight coil of electricity wrapping around my lower stomach as my walls clench rhythmically around him. He feels it too, his breathing turning into ragged, desperate pants as he grips my hips so tightly his fingers leave marks.

His teeth find the junction of my neck and shoulder with a deliberate finality.

The bite is pure physical possession—a sharp, undeniable brand that echoes the spiritual bond we already share. As his wolf blasts through skin and bone, it layers a primal, tangible claim over our cosmic tether.