Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted - Chapter 381

Chapter 381: Lucas: Marking
LUCAS

I need to temper my desire, because there’s an aggression behind it born of frustration and anger, mixed with relief that she’s alive.

But Ava, my sweet mate, meets my passion at every step.

My fingers trail over Ava’s skin, savoring each shiver, each gasp. Her pulse races beneath my touch, and the sweet scent of her arousal fills my senses. Aurum’s already lost to it, demanding me to claim, to mark, to possess—but I force that primal urge down. Ava deserves better than a rutting beast.

Even if the bond in my chest tells me to leave every inch of her marked for my pleasure.

“Lucas.” Her voice breaks on my name as I peel away her shirt.

A growl rumbles through my chest at the sight of her bare skin. The marks I left days earlier have already faded, and something dark and possessive inside me needs to replace them. “Mine.”

Her fingers tangle in my hair as I trail kisses down her neck. The taste of her skin, honey-sweet and addictive, makes my head spin. Each breath draws more of her scent into my lungs until I’m drunk on it.

“Please.” She arches against me as I unclasp her bra.

The fabric falls away, and another growl tears from my throat at the sight of her perfect breasts. My hands span her ribcage, thumbs brushing the undersides of those tempting curves. Her skin is so soft, so delicate compared to my callused palms.

“Beautiful.” I capture her mouth in a fierce kiss as I back her toward the bed. Her pants join the growing pile of discarded clothing, leaving her in nothing but simple cotton panties.

The sight of her nearly bare before me steals my breath. How did I get so lucky? This fierce, stunning woman is mine. My mate. My Luna.

My hands shake as I hook my fingers in the waistband of her underwear. The wolf claws at my control, desperate to claim what’s ours. But I won’t rush this. Won’t let the beast’s urgency override my need to worship every inch of her.

“Lucas.” Her voice carries a note of command that makes both man and wolf snap to attention. “Stop teasing.”

A wicked grin curves my lips as I slowly drag the cotton down her legs. “As my Luna commands.”

My fingers trail up her inner thigh, savoring each tremor of anticipation. Her breath catches as I press a kiss to her hip bone. The sweet scent of her need fills my lungs, making my head spin. But I pull back before giving her what she wants.

“Lucas.” Her voice carries a note of frustration.

“Patience, little witch.” I trace patterns on her skin, deliberately avoiding where she wants me most. “I want to savor this.”

Her fingers tangle in my hair, tugging sharply. “You’re being cruel.”

“Am I?” I press another kiss to her stomach, letting my stubble scrape against her sensitive skin. Her whole body arches at the sensation. “I just want to appreciate every inch of you.” And bite every inch while I’m at it.

“I swear—” Her words cut off in a gasp as I nip at her hip.

“You swear what?” I move up her body, letting my weight pin her to the mattress. The heat of her bare skin against mine nearly shatters my control. “Tell me what you want, Luna.”

Her nails dig into my shoulders. “You know exactly what I want.”

“Do I?” I capture her mouth in a slow, deep kiss that has her writhing beneath me. When I pull back, her eyes are dark with need. “Maybe I need you to be more specific.”

“You’re impossible.” She tries to pull me back down, but I resist.

“I prefer thorough.” My hands slide down her sides, mapping every curve and dip of her body. She’s perfect—soft where I’m hard, yielding where I’m unyielding. The bond between us pulses with shared desire.

But I won’t give in. Not yet. The wolf wants to claim, to possess, to mark—but the man wants to drive her mad with want first.

I trail kisses down her neck, careful not to leave marks despite Aurum’s demands. Her pulse races beneath my lips. The sweet scent of honey and vanilla mingles with her arousal until my head spins with it.

“Please.” She arches against me as I lavish attention on her breasts.

“Please what?” I blow cool air across her heated skin, watching goosebumps rise in its wake.

Her growl of frustration sends a shiver down my spine. “Stop teasing.”

“But you’re so beautiful when you beg.” I capture her wrists as she reaches for me, pinning them above her head. The position arches her back, presenting her body like an offering. “And I’m nowhere near done with you yet.”

The bond between us throbs with shared need as I continue my torturously slow exploration of her body. Every gasp, every whimper, every plea feeds the possessive beast inside me.

Ava tastes like my personal brand of addicting madness. She writhes under my touch, her body arching into me, begging for more.

Soft moans become sharp cries as I mark her, unable to resist biting at the delicate skin of her breasts.

She’s soft and vulnerable beneath me, her fingers digging into my shoulders with sharp nails as I nip and suckle, drawing out little cries of pleasure I can’t get enough of hearing.

She’s so responsive, each mark making her shiver and twist, pressing that perfect body into me as hard as she can.

Neither of us can get enough. Her pulse thrums under my lips, and the heady scent of her arousal makes me dizzy. Aurum is drunk on it, his possessiveness growing by the second. The wolf claws at my control, wanting to leave marks that will last, bruises that will brand her as mine, visible to all the world.

It’s a struggle to hold him back, to maintain some semblance of restraint when all I want is to claim and mark and mate. To show the world this woman is mine and no one else’s.

But she’s more than just a mate to mark and possess. She’s Ava. My brave, stubborn, beautiful mate who deserves more than rutting in the dark. So I force Aurum to settle for marking the pale globes of her breasts, where the marks won’t be visible in the light of day.