Chapter 45

****This chapter contains Explicit Sexual Content. Readers discretion is advised****

The drive back was painfully quiet. We both were seething and refused to say anything. I looked out the window and stared into the darkness that surrounded us. At some point, Nicholas had caved in to the pull and reached over to grab my hand. The skin contact was electrifying, but it helped us both calm down. All the anxiety and anger just melted away.
 Unlike me, Nicholas lived at the Western territory HQ. He had moved out of the Green Stone Packhouse when he was 21. After moving into HQ, Nicholas made a cottage for himself behind the main HQ building. He said it was so he could have parties and a little more privacy. He was all about keeping his business life and personal life separate.
 We drove for an hour before Nicholas finally turned off the highway, and the HQ building came into view. It sat on a hill surrounded by beautiful green forestry. He drove up the driveway and towards the back of the building where his cottage was.
 He stopped the car in front of a small whitewashed cottage. It was two-floored, but because of the design, you couldn’t really tell. I remembered back to when he was getting the cottage built. He would send me pictures of paint color schemes, lighting, interior designs, and interior decoration. I pretty much helped him design and decorate this place. How much of my suggestions he used, I wasn’t sure. It was the first time I had seen this place in person.
 Nicholas got out and grabbed our bags from the trunk. He started to walk towards the cottage. I folded my arms and stayed in the car. I wanted to go home. I had a family to save, and this guy was casually walking into his cottage.
 “You can either walk yourself into the house, or I’ll carry you. Keep in mind if I carry you, we’re going straight to bed,” Nicholas growled over his shoulder.
 I locked the car doors and huffed. He couldn’t push me around. I was an Alpha too. I didn’t have to abide by his orders. Besides, I knew I was strong enough to fight him if needed.
 ~*Sorry darling, but you’re on your own. I want you to mate*; *therefore*, *I will not be helping you escape our mate. I suggest you stop being childish and do what needs to happen~* Kona barked at me.
 Traitor! I thought, and she laughed at me. Kona was dying to be reunited with her mate.
 Nicholas stood on the porch waiting for me to get out of the car. When I didn’t move, he started to walk towards the car, and I quickly unlocked the door and got out. If Kona wasn’t going to help, then I was pretty screwed.
 Nicholas stopped and stepped aside, motioning me to go in. I took a deep breath in and walked into the cottage.
 The inside of the cottage was beautiful. It was elegant and tidy. The living and kitchen area was open to each other and flowed into a massive dining area at the back. I looked around to the familiar setup. I remembered talking to Nicholas about this layout. The lights, the couches, the dining table, the curtains. Everything was exactly as I had suggested. It was all my choice.
 Nicholas closed the door behind me, making me jump.
 “You designed it exactly the way I had suggested. Even the deco” I looked up at him.
 “Yeah, well, I liked your choices. It was meant to be a surprise when you got back from Tribeca. I was secretly hoping it would become our home instead of just mine. Guess better late than never” he gave me a tight smile and walked past me.
 My heart sunk. Nicholas had known all along that he and I had a connection. It was me that didn’t know. And now, when I finally did know, I had been selfish. Nicholas was right. All I had to do was confide in him, and I fucked up.
 I felt horrible.
 “You want something to eat? We can order in. I’m sorry I don’t have anything at home. I didn’t know how long I’d be gone, so I asked the housekeeper to clear the fridge.” Nicholas walked into the kitchen while pulling his jacket off and slung it over the barstool. He opened a drawer and pulled out takeaway menus.
 He put them on the counter and disappeared into what looked like a walk-in pantry. When he came back, he had two beer bottles in his hand.
 “You just going to stand there?”
 “I thought we were going to.....” I walked towards Nicholas.
 “The moon isn’t at its highest for another hour. We have to wait.” He handed me a beer and pressed the other bottle to his lips, and gulped down his beer.
 I could tell he was still mad at me. He was cold and distant.
 I took a few sips of the beer and nodded.
 “Okay, well, here, pick whatever you’d like to eat. I’m going to go shower. My rooms on the left as you go up the stairs. Make yourself at home” he picked up his jacket and started to walk away.
 Since it was now confirmed we were mates; we could share a room.
 My heart ached. He went from happy caring Nicholas to distant don’t give a damn. I didn’t want to move forward without a relationship like this.
 “Nicholas, stop. Look, I’m sorry, okay. I know I’ve hurt you, and I honestly didn’t mean to. My intention wasn’t to hurt you. I was protecting myself.”
 “Protecting yourself from what? Me? Do you have any idea what you’ve done? Do you understand how much it’s hurt me?! You’ve basically said you don’t trust me, Alex. You don’t trust that I truly do care for you. You don’t trust that I’d support you. You knew from the moment I turned up that there was definitely a pull between us. But you decided to block it all out. You decided to be selfish and think only about yourself. What have I done that made you feel like you couldn’t trust me?! Tell me, Alex? Where have I gone wrong?” I could hear the pain in his voice.
 “Nothing. You’ve done nothing at all, Nick. It was all me. I’m so sorry. I do trust you. I trust you with my life. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have called you for help. You wouldn’t have been the only one to know I had turned my emotions back on. I know I fucked up. I should have told you that I, too, felt something. I really don’t have a justification.”
 “I’m going to shower. Both Aries and I need to cool down before the moon reaches its highest. Otherwise, this mating will be done out of pity rather than love. And right now, I’m not even sure I want even have pity sex with you” Nicholas grabbed his bag off the floor and strided up the stairs, leaving me in silence to regret my decisions.
 Why was I so stupid?! I needed Nicholas. Why did I think I needed confirmation to make sure he, too, wasn’t fake like the other 2? He was always there for me. Always helping me. Even after I had abandoned our friendship.
 I looked around the cottage. Here he was making our home, and all I was doing was tearing it down. This is not how I had imagined this day would go. I didn’t think I’d lose my mate the moment I found him.
 I picked up my bag from the floor and headed up the stairs. I had to do something to make this better.
 I needed my mate. Without him, I was incomplete. It wasn’t just about the legend or our union ruining Duke's plans. It was about the rest of our lives. We couldn’t start our relationship with pity.
 As I got to the top of the stairs, I thought about all the times Nicholas and I had spoken about this cottage. He had always talked about making his room facing the South. He said from his room; he should be able to see the land his Queen ruled.
 Tears started to form in the corner of my eyes, making my eyes sting. I turned my head in the direction Nicholas had gone. Without thinking, I started to walk down the corridor. Nicholas had left his bedroom door open. As I walked in, I could hear the shower going. I placed my bag on the floor by the door and looked around his room.
 He was true to his word. His room faced the South, and there was a massive glass wall with a ranch slider showing the entire forest. The forest that spread through the West and hugged the South. His room was exactly how I had suggested he make it. Was there anything this boy hadn’t done keeping me in mind? Keeping our future in mind.
 As Kona said, it was time I did what had to be done.
 I pulled off my jacket and shut the bedroom door. The clock on the wall read 11:30 pm. Half an hour before, the moon will be at its highest. I unbuttoned my jeans and opened Nicholas’s bathroom door. The whole bathroom was filled with steam and Nicholas’s lavender and pine scent. The glass shower door was fogged up. I could see Nicholas’s blurry figure moving under the water.
 I pulled off my clothes and slowly opened the shower door. Nicholas had his hands pressed up against the wall with his head fully submerged in the water. His naked back was towards the door, and he was lost in his thoughts. I had only seen Nicholas naked once when I was 10. Since then, we had never shifted in front of each other.
 Nicholas had a big tattoo on his left shoulder blade that went all the way over his shoulder and down his arm. There were multiple roses on his tattoo accompanied by leaves and other foliage. My eyes scanned his back, and I couldn’t help but admire his toned butt.
 I got in and shut the door behind me. I didn’t know how he would feel about this, but there was only one way to find out. I stood behind him and put my hands on his hips, gently rubbing his skin. Nicholas let out a growl but didn’t turn around.
 “What are you doing in here?” He growled. His voice was husky.
 “I’m sorry. I know I’ve hurt you. I was selfish and very wrong. But our mating isn’t going to be out of pity. It’s going to be because we want to be together. Because we both know without each other, we’re incomplete. No matter how hard Duke tried, he still couldn’t keep us away. I’m not going to let my foolishness be the reason we stay apart.”
 Nicholas sighed and turned around. His eyes were pitch black. His face looked like he was in a lot of pain.
 “Hey, Nick. What’s wrong?” I cupped his face with both my hands.
 Nicholas wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me flush against his naked body. When our skins connected, it felt like fireworks were erupting on our skin.
  “You’ve really hurt me. Eight years I’ve waited for the moment I would find out you, and I could be together. Today, when it’s arrived, you broke my heart. All you had to do was say to me that you felt something. I would have patiently waited for you to see Gideon. Why’d you block me out?” He leaned his forehead onto mine.
 “I’m sorry, Nick. I can not explain how sorry I am. I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought I was protecting myself from another heartbreak. Little did I realize I would break your heart. I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. I promise it will never happen again.” I felt tears slid down my cheeks and mixed with the water that was bouncing off Nicholas’s shoulder onto my face.
 “You know I can’t stay mad at you, gorgeous. Especially now that I know you really are mine.” I felt his hands move up my back and slide into my hair. He grabbed a fist full and pulled, tilting my head up.
 “We don’t have to do this today. I will fight with you. We are still stronger than Duke, regardless. I don’t want us to mate under the pressure of the circumstance.” The steam in the shower had started to make me sweaty. I turned us around a little so the water could wash my sticky skin.
 I wrapped my arms around his neck. He loosened his grip on my now wet hair but kept his fingers tangled through it.
 Kona growled and snapped at his words.
 I pressed myself against Nicholas’s wet body. A hard bulge poked my waistline. I moved my hips and gently rubbed the bulge. Nicholas growled and tightened his arm around my waist. His growl vibrated through my body, making me press my thighs together. We were both wet and hot from the steam. The sexual tension was rising as fast as the steam.
 “I don’t think we can go back now. Both our wolves are restless, just like we are. The moon awaits us.” My voice had gone husky too.
 Nicholas lowered his head and bumped my nose with his. I licked my lips and brushed my lips teasingly against his.
 He growled louder this time and smashed his lips into mine. There was nothing gentle about our kiss. We were both hungry for each other. Nicholas lifted me off the ground, and I quickly wrapped my legs around him tightly. He pressed me against the glass and continued to ravish my lips.
 I pulled away from the kiss to breathe, and Nicholas started kissing down my jaws.
 “The moon. We need to be under the moon.” I was breathless. His kisses were burning my skin. I tilted my head back, giving Nicholas access to my neck. His hands were on my butt, holding me in place while squeezing them hard.
 The shower turned off, and Nicholas suddenly started to move. He opened the shower door and grabbed a towel. He walked us out of the bathroom, stopping at the door and flicking the switches next to the door frame.
 The bright lights in the room turned off, leaving the single floor lamp on to illuminate the room with a faint glow. There was a loud creak, and the wooden panels on the roof started to move. Nicholas walked us over to the bed leaving behind a water trail that was dripping from our bodies.
 He tossed the towel on the bed and lowered us onto the towel. As I lay on my back, I watched the wooden panels open up like window shades, and the moonlight poured in. I could clearly see the full moon shimmering down on us, filling the room with its radiance. Kona howled at the moon, absorbing its rays and channeling its power through my body.
 Nicholas and his wolf were doing the same thing. The full moon filled us with more vitality.
 Nicholas leaned over me and hovered. Water dripping from his hair onto my face. He ran his fingers through his hair to push the water away.
 “Wow, now that’s a neat party trick. Girls must have loved having sex under the stars,” I laughed completing ignoring how naked we both were.
 A small smile played on Nicholas’s lips. He bent his head and placed a kiss on my forehead.
 “You’re the first girl to lay on this bed and watch the stars with me. So, you tell me, do you like my party trick?” He snickered.
 “Wait, what?” I was shocked.
 “I’ve never brought another girl into this bed. It’s always been my personal space. I wanted to keep one space for just my mate and me.” He cupped my face and gently stroked my cheek with his thumb.
 I wrapped my arms around Nicholas’s neck, pulling him down to capture his lips. Nicholas pressed me against the bed and started moving his lips with mine. I felt him move his body. Nicholas spread my legs with his knees and settled between my legs. I pulled one leg up and wrapped it around his waist, pulling his body closer to me.
 Nicholas growled, and I growled back at him. Two Alpha’s fighting for dominance.
 Nicholas’s hand traveled down the side of my body and grabbed my butt, squeezing it hard.
  His hand then glided over my thighs and squeezed my inner thigh. I slid my hands into his hair and grabbed a fist full. Nicholas’s hand moved lower, and I felt his fingers gently stroke my pussy lips. I gasped at the sparks his touch was creating. I let go of Nicholas’s lips to breathe.
 Nicholas’s lips didn’t leave my skin. He continued to kiss down my jawline and my neck. I gripped his hair tightly and tugged on it a little. Nicholas’s fingers parted my puśsy lips, and I felt him slid his fingers into my slit, gently brushing against my clit.
 A moan escaped my lips and sunk further into the bed. Nicholas kissed down my neck, nibbling on my skin. He stopped and sucked the spot between my neck and shoulder. With the way his neck was tilted, I bent my head and grazed my teeth across the same spot on his neck. Nicholas growled and looked up at me.
 “I’m sorry, Angel. This isn’t going to be gentle. Aries is getting very impatient.” Nicholas’s pitch-black eyes glowed under the moonlight. I knew my eyes were exactly the same. Even Kona was getting restless, trying to claw her way out.
 Before I could reply to him, Nicholas slipped fingers into me, and I let out a loud moan, gripping tightly onto Nicholas’s arms.
 “Oh god..... Nicckk,” I moaned as his fingers slowly moved in and out of me.
  “Hmm, moan my name, Angel. I’ve waited eight years to hear you moan my name.” Nicholas kissed further down my neck and headed south towards my boobs. He didn’t stop pumping his fingers into me. He used his thumb to rub my clit, making me quiver under him.
 “Nicholas, fuck, that feels good!” I moaned. My nails dug into his skin.
 Loud howls erupted from the forest surrounding us. It was a sign that the moon was at its highest now. All the couples mating tonight knew to start the process.
 Nicholas carried on pleasuring me with his fingers. He kissed my boobs and covered my nipple with his mouth, sucking and nibbling on it.
 I couldn’t stop moaning from all the pleasure coursing through me.
 “Nick, baby, I’m going to cum” I couldn’t hold it in anymore.
 Nicholas brought his face up to mine and removed his fingers, making me growl. He brought his fingers up to his lips and licked them, cleaning off all my juices still on his fingers.
 “What are you doing?” I complained.
 “Teasing. Anticipation will make your orgasms so much more intense.” He leaned down and captured my lips. He kissed me roughly, grabbing my hands and pinning them above my head. I could taste the saltiness of my juices on his lips.
 I groaned and wriggled under his weight.
 Nicholas’s free hand went down and pinched my nipples, twisting it between his fingers. I arched my back and groaned at the pleasurable pain. He used his index finger to make a trail down my body down to my throbbing pusśy. My body was begging for him. I shivered under his touch and tried to move my hands so I could touch him. He tightened his hands on my wrists. I could tell he was using his wolf strength to hold me down while I wasn’t.
 Nicholas pushed my legs further apart with his knees, and I felt him rub his dick through my slit. I moaned against his lips, arching my back.
 He pulled away from the kiss and looked down at me.
 “You ready?” He was panting, and so was I. He gave the moon a quick look, letting Aries take control. I watched as his canines extended.
 I nodded and looked up at the moon. Kona growled and immediately took over, letting my canines extend. She was definitely ready.
 “Come on, mate, why are you waiting?!” Kona barked at Nicholas.
 “You’ve made me wait this long. I will take as long as I damn please.” Aries snapped back.
 Kona growled and let me share control. Our wolves had to be part of the mating. They could communicate during the transition.
 Without warning, Nicholas slammed his diçk into me, making me groan loudly. His girth stretched me out, making me feel whole.
 “I told you it wasn’t going to be gentle.” Nicholas groaned and started thrusting roughly into me.
 He let go of my hands and grabbed my butt, lifting me a little. He held me in place as he slammed into me hard.
 I grabbed the sheets with one hand and his arm with the other. His rough thrusts were shaking the bed. Nicholas grabbed both my legs and placed them on his shoulders. He leaned forward a bit, and I felt his diçk go deeper than before. 
 “Fuccckk..... Nicholas, yes, fuck me like that.” I moaned at the top of my voice. His roughness felt so good.
 Nicholas leaned down and slammed his lips into mine. My ankles were touching my ears, and his thrusts got deeper than before. I felt my eyes roll back a little from the intensity.
 My legs started trembling, and I let go of the pressure, cumming hard on his diçk. I pulled away from the kiss to moan out loud.
 “Holy shiiiittt! fuck!”
 Nicholas planted tiny kisses on the side of my face, trailing them down my neck. He didn’t stop his thrusts but slowed down a little to let me recover. Once my legs stopped trembling, he picked up speed, and I knew it was Aries’s animalistic speed that was powering his thrusts. His thrusts were rough, hard, and deep, just like before. My pusśy started to throb, and pressure began to build inside me again. It felt like I would explode at any second.
 Nicholas must have felt it and growled. He must be getting close too. He pressed a quick kiss on my lips before kissing down my neck while keeping his neck exposed for me. His thrusts got faster, and I could feel a growl vibrate through him.
 “Nick, fuck, I’m going to cum, baby. Please, please!” I begged, praying he wouldn’t stop.
 Nicholas’s body started to stiffen, and he nibbled on my skin, ready to mark me.
 I leaned forward and kissed his neck, licking the spot. I felt him shiver.
 I couldn’t hold on to the pressure anymore. The tension exploded inside me, and I sunk my canines into Nicholas’s neck. My mouth filled with the metallic tang of blood. I clenched onto Nicholas tightly, riding my second intense orgasm. At the same time, Nicholas growled loudly, sinking his canines into my neck and emptying himself into me.
 Both our wolves howling as they finally became one. The Moon Goddess flashed before my closed eyes, smiling and blowing me a kiss. My body heated up, and I was suddenly very aware of Nicholas. His breathing, his heart rate, his emotions, everything.
 I pulled my canines out of Nicholas’s skin and pricked my tongue on them before they retracted. The blood from my tongue added more tanginess into my mouth. I spread my blood over the puncture wounds on Nicholas’s neck and let his wound heal.
 I could feel Nicholas doing the same thing. He continued to lick my mark, making pleasure shoot through me.
 I moaned and arched my back. Nicholas chuckled at my reaction. He knew precisely how sensitive my mark was to him. A wave of emotions passed through me as Nicholas pulled himself out. I felt a little empty and sad. He lifted his head and pressed his forehead to mine. We were both still breathing heavily. Our sweaty body’s still tangled together.
 “You’re finally mine. All mine” he smiled. He looked very pleased with himself. He cupped my face and pulled me in for a long passionate kiss. The kiss felt ten times more electrifying than before.
 I wrapped my arms around Nicholas’s neck and pulled him closer.
 Once we pulled away, I looked up at the boy that had loved me even before I knew what love was. The Moon Goddess really had blessed me with the best.
 “And you’re mine.” I kissed the tip of his nose. A big smile spread across Nicholas’s face, melting my heart. I would do anything for this man. Anything.
 “Dad would probably like to see you before we head back to Angel Falls. Are you up for that? He had mind linked earlier to say he had an idea to help take Duke down.”
 “As much as I would like to go back and kill Duke, we should see your dad. We should see your dad and hear his idea. Might be helpful.”
 “Hmm, okay. I’ll mindlink him later” he rubbed his nose against my ear.
 Speaking of mind link.
 *Does our mind link work now?* I smiled up at Nicholas.
 *It sure does, Angel.* he grinned at me.
 “Yeah, stay out of my head when I’m around the boys. Those are thoughts you don’t want to see or hear” Nicholas laughed. His laugh vibrated through me. I bit my lip, holding back a moan.
 “Trust me. I’ve heard and seen it all. I’m surrounded by teenage boys 90% of the time.”
 “Hmm, true. You’re my mate, and I trust you more than life. Always will” he kissed me tenderly and pulled away to look into my eyes. Nicholas’s eyes were so sincere and full of love I could help but tear up.
 I pulled his face down to mine and kissed him hungrily. Nicholas responded by flipping us over. I straddled him and moved my hips down to hover over his dick. He was hard again.
 Nicholas grabbed my arms and pinned them behind my back. He sat on up a little and pressed his chest against mine. One of his hands slid into my hair. Nicholas grabbed a fist full and yanked my head back. He skimmed his nose down my neck, stopping just above my mark.
 “I’ll never get enough of you” his husky voice made me shudder. His hot breath fanned against my skin, raising goosebumps across my body.
 Nicholas lifted me a little, and I could feel his diçk poking my pusśy. I moaned and moved my hips to grind on the tip of Nicholas’s dick.
 Nicholas growled, slamming his dick into me hard while licking my mark. Pleasure shot through me, making me cum instantly.
 I groaned, trembling from the intensity of my climax. I tried to wriggle out of Nicholas’s tight hold.
 “Oh god! Nicholas, fuck! How many times will you make me cum so hard?!” I groaned.
 He chuckled and slammed into me again.
 “As many times as I can, Angel. I want you to remember all the ways I’ve fucked you every time you move tomorrow.”
 He let go of my hair and pulled my face down to capture my lips, kissing me roughly before slamming into me faster.
 For him, I’d be happily sore any time....
 Duke would not have seen this coming.....