Chapter 171
“Thanks,” I said, trying not to let my jealousy shine through. I didn’t like the thought of another man gaining the attention of my wife. But I also knew that I could trust Silver and I had to believe nothing was going on between the two of them. I pulled her along with me, keeping my arm protectively around her body as we made our way inside. I wasn’t surprised that the first person to greet us was Mariah.
She rushed towards us, her eyes wide and never leaving Silver.
“Is it really you?” Mariah asked, hesitantly.
Silver grinned and held her arms open for Mariah who ran into them.
“Thank the Goddess,” she breathed. “I was so worried about you p>
“I’m okay now,” she assured her. “I’m home p>
Home.
I loved the sound of that word on her lips; I knew she wasn’t just talking about the palace. She was talking about me as well. I was her home. The crown pack was her home. The friends she’d made were now her home. “She’s had a long day. She needs to recover. I’m going to bring her to our room,” I told Mariah, who stepped back upon hearing my words.
“Of course. I’ll make your favorite soup and have a maid bring it up to you later,” Mariah told Silver.
“Thank you,” Silver said politely.
The girls hugged before Silver went with me up the stairs and into our bedroom. As soon as the door was shut, Silver rested her body against mine and I could see the utter exhaustion in her eyes.
I wrapped my arms around her, needing to ensure myself that she was truly okay. I hadn’t meant to rush her away from everyone, but I needed to be alone with her. I needed to feel her warmth and touch. I needed to see for myself that she was truly unharmed. “Did he hurt you?” I asked, keeping my tone low and my lips against her ear.
She trembled from my nearness, and I couldn’t help but smile at the effect I had on her body.
“No,” she whispered. “Not physically. Some of the guards did though. He was angry with them for it. He told them specifically not to hurt me, but they didn’t listen p>
“I will kill every last one of them,” I promised. “You won’t have to worry about a thing p>
“I’m not worried,” she said softly. “They tried to break my spirit and make me not trust you. But it didn’t work. I would never let them break me and turn against you. I would never betray you, Elliot p>
“I know,” I whispered as I ran my fingers up and down her spine. She relaxed into me as she gazed into my eyes.
“He wants me to join him,” she told me. “But I told him no. I won’t do anything to hurt you, physically or mentally p>
“You don’t have to reassure me, Silver,” I told her, pressing my lips to her cheekbone gently. “I trust you,” I added in a whisper as I trailed my lips down the nape of her neck. She sucked in a sharp breath as I reached that sweet spot my mark should be.
Why hadn’t I marked her yet?
I let my tongue glide across that
spot, and she shivered from the sensations provoked across her body. I could see goosebumps forming on her flesh and it made me grin as held her tighter. I peppered soft kisses along her collarbone and rose my lips up her chin and across her cheeks once more before I found her juicy and plump lips.
She moaned as I made contact with her mouth and that gave me the access I needed to slide my tongue between her lips. Our tongues danced with one another and her breathing grew heavy as she fought to keep up the pace of my kisses. She turned her body, so she was facing me, and her arms instinctively wrapped around my neck as she pulled herself closer to my broad body.
She moaned again, melting in the embrace and deepening the kiss as lifted her into my arms. Her legs were wrapped around my waist, and I brought her to the bed. I wanted to make this woman mine if it was the last thing I did. She was mine in
every sense of the way, except for one.
I wanted my mark on the nape of her neck. I wanted the world to know that she belonged to me. I let my wolf push himself forward as I broke my kiss from her lips and trailed down the nape of her neck again. He was ready to claim what was his; mate or not, she belonged to us. “Mine,” my wolf growled out loud just as our canines sunk deep into the nape of her neck, marking and claiming Silver as ours.
“Forever mine,” I whispered as I licked the mark, sealing it closed.