So deep. I filled her. Claimed her. Owned her.
Cassia’s rainbow hair fell to the side. I loved every one of her colors. She exposed that sweet spot at the base of her neck.
I hesitated, jerking my chin skyward. I let just enough of the beast out. Then, as Cassia froze, I plunged my fangs into her neck and marked her as my own.
I felt her intense flash of pain, then spreading warmth. My mark was deep. Permanent. I bound her to me for all time.
I poured myself into her. She was mine, and I was hers.
By the time I withdrew, the bite mark on her neck had already healed to a perfect crescent shape. I would bite her there again and again over the next few weeks, strengthening the bond.
As Cassia rolled beside me and retracted her wings, I gathered her in my arms.
“God,” I whispered. “You’re so beautiful. Cassia, you’re everything.”
As she met my eyes, I wanted to give her the world. But something else happened as the moon rose high.
She was in me as much as I was in her. I realized the words I’d spoken weren’t aloud. Cassia answered me telepathically.
“I love you,” she said.
I already needed her again. She blushed. Her own need rose just as strong. We were in perfect synchrony.
“The Rise,” she whispered.
“Yes, my love,” I said, kissing her forehead.
Cassia laughed. “How are we going to function for the next few weeks?”
I laced my fingers with hers. “Well, I have another surprise for you. My father built a house. It’s in a wooded area in the northwest corner of our pack lands. My mother said he started doing it a year after the attacks. She said they’ve always known I’d come back and that you’d be with me.”
Cassia’s jaw dropped. “It’s ours?”
“Yes,” I said. “If you want it.”
“Of course!” She rose up on her elbow. “Oh, Colm. Your parents. Granny Pat. They already feel like family.”
“They are,” I said. “I love you, baby. Thank you for bringing me home.”
She touched my face. “I’ll always be home if I’m with you.”
I kissed her palm. In the distance, the wolves of Wild Lake still hunted. Their howls rose, lifting my soul. They celebrated my homecoming and my union with Cassia.
Family. Belonging.
“Come on,” she said. “It’s time for me to show the wolves of Wild Lake what I really am. I mean, I told your mother, but…”
I smiled. “I suppose telling and seeing are two very different things. You are something to behold. Are you sure you’re ready?”
“Colm, I’ve had to hide what I am my entire life. I’ve never wanted anything more.”
I rose and offered her my hand. Cassia took it.
“Then come on,” I said. “It’s time for you to soar.”
She did. Cassia rose high. Her fire lit up the sky. The wolves came out to honor her. To honor me.
I had claimed this woman, but she had claimed me too and made me whole. Her fire arched across the lake.
I howled along with the packs. Cassia drifted down and stood beside me. I kissed her. Then, we turned together as the men and women of Wild Lake came out to greet her.
I knew in my heart that no matter what we faced, we would conquer it together. The fire making us both stronger.
Up Next for the Dragonborn Daughters
CLICK COVER FOR MORE INFO
Mia Brandhart shares the blood of a dragon and a wolf. A shocking betrayal finds her forced into an arranged marriage with her family's sworn enemy, a ruthless, powerful Alpha wolf. Mia will fight a war with both halves of herself while the pull of fate and passion draws her into the arms of a man she was born to hate.
Don’t miss Touched by Flame, the next smoldering book in the Dragonborn Daughters series. https://kimberwhite.com/dragonborn-daughters/touched-by-flame/
Books by Kimber White
Dragonborn Daughters Series Page
Bitten by Flame
Touched by Flame
Cursed by Flame
Called by Flame
Loved by Flame
Dragonkeepers Series Page
Kissed by Fire
Marked by Fire
Claimed by Fire
Freed by Fire
Wolfguard Protectors
Shift of Fate
Echo of Magic
Kiss of Midnight
Heart of the Wolf
Secret of the Fae
Mammoth Forest Wolves Series Page
Liam
Mac
Gunnar
Payne
Jagger
Wild Ridge Bears Series Page
Lord of the Bears
Outlaw of the Bears
Rebel of the Bears
Curse of the Bears
Last of the Bears
Wild Lake Wolves Series Page
Rogue Alpha
Dark Wolf
Primal Heat
Savage Moon
Hunter’s Heart
Wild Hearts
Stolen Mate
Claimed by the Pack Series Page
The Alpha’s Mark
Sweet Submission
Rising Heat
Pack Wars
Choosing an Alpha
The Complete Series Box Set
About the Author
Kimber White writes steamy paranormal romance with smoldering, alpha male shifters and kickass heroines (doormats need not apply). She lives on a lake in the Irish Hills of Michigan with one neurotic dog, her sweet, handsome son, her fire-breathing warrior-princess of a daughter, and the most supportive husband any writer could hope to have (seriously, he just took said son, daughter, and dog out for a boat ride so she could finish this book in peace!).
She loves connecting with readers. Sign up for her newsletter for the latest word on her new releases. You’ll get a free ebook as a welcome gift.
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