Her wolf loved the scent and wanted another taste, but she could not stop touching him long enough to indulge herself.
And suddenly with a shout, his erection throbbed in her hand and hot ejaculate hit her body. Her head dropped back and she let out a howl in triumph, her human throat emulating her wolf more closely than it had ever done before.
He yanked her into his body and slammed his mouth down on hers in a kiss so hot, she melted under it. Even after his release, his shaft was still hard against her and his hands were busy rubbing his seed into her body.
Her wolf understood what he was doing and approved. Eirik marked her with his scent in a way that unmistakably said she was his.
“Thank you,” he whispered against her lips. “Now I can take you without losing control this first time.”
His concern for her warmed that place deep in her heart further.
“My wolf liked it.”
“I could tell,” he said with a smile in his voice.
“She wants to scent you,” Ciara admitted.
“After.”
Her wolf purred its approval as Ciara’s thighs tightened, that place between them throbbing as she agreed with a nod. “After.”
He spread her bedding fur on the ground and the blanket on top of it. Then, without warning, he swept her up and laid her on their makeshift bed on the forest floor.
“This is where you belong.”
“In your bed?” she asked.
“Aye.”
“The plaid and fur are mine though.”
“Then ’tis our bed.”
And why did that sound so good? So perfect to both her wolf and her heart?
He leaned down and nuzzled against her stomach, her breasts, a pleased rumble sounding from his chest. “You smell like me.”
“That was the intent, was it not?”
“Aye. My dragon likes it. My raven is cawing in triumph inside me.”
His openness and honesty amazed her. “You sound kind of awed. I don’t believe you are a virgin.”
He was too knowing, and besides he’d implied as much earlier.
“I am not, but my beasts have never craved the same lover.”
She realized two things at once. The first, that she had two Chrechte spirits wanting to claim her. Her wolf preened in triumph at the thought.
Ciara’s second insight was not so pleasant—she did not like hearing about his other women. When her wolf snarled her displeasure at the secondary import of his words, she didn’t even try to keep it inside.
“You don’t like knowing I have had sex with others.” He sounded much too satisfied by that observation for her liking.
But she could not deny it. “No.”
It would do no good the way he could scent her deceptions.
“The Éan are not so limiting about acts of sex between Chrechte as your father’s pack,” Eirik reminded her.
The words did nothing to soothe her. The Donegal pack had not been, either, but Ciara’s own views were exactly that. Her own. She did not expect others to share them, but nor could he expect the difference between their viewpoints to bring her no pain, either.
“My mother taught me that sex is a sacred act.” And Abigail’s teachings had supported that belief.
“It can be,” Eirik said in surprisingly easy agreement. “It will be between us.”
“I…” She tried to roll away from him, a hollow pit opening up inside her she wished she could ignore. “Maybe we should—”
But he held her fast and nuzzled into her neck. “We should engage in this sacred act. It has never been thus for me before. I have never marked another with my scent.”
“You marked her when you came inside her.” And she still had no idea how many hers they were talking about, was not sure she ever wanted to know.
“I have never allowed my seed to spill inside another woman.” He leaned above her, his eyes demanding she believe him.
She had never heard of such a thing, but then her actual knowledge of sex was rather more limited than she had implied earlier in their conversation. “How did you have sex then?”
“With hands and mouths.”
Like they had just done? The thought made her ill. She tried to move away from him again.
But he held fast, forcing their gazes to lock with the sheer force of his will. “Do not reject me as your mate because I cannot come to you as untouched as you come to me. I have never marked any other with my scent. None but you will ever be allowed that part of me.”
His words were a vow, but still she ached inside. “You did not let your essence