Page 28 of Winter Unleashed

No one strayed from their pack’s mark. We were the only two I’d ever heard of that broke that rule. The owl on his chest looked a lot like his guardian, Walter. And the hawk on his arm looked an awful lot like the one on my back, which was my guardian, Henry.

“The owl is my mark, and the hawk was Astrid’s way of protecting me from Cybil’s sleeping spells. Which we now know were really Celeste’s sleeping spells.” He rubbed his finger over the moon behind the owl. “This is the Vinur moon. It’s the moon we were both born under, over fifteen hundred years apart.”

He’d told me about the Vinur and Vinura but until my memories came back, they still seemed like myths to me.

“Hmm,” I grunted.

I didn’t know what to say, but I knew I wanted him. Not necessarily to have sex with him, but I needed to touch him, needed him to touch me. I’d never wanted or needed someone more in my life.

“Red…” His voice was breathless and strained, and I realized I was still running my fingers over his chest.

“Hmm? Do you always wear business suits?” I asked, remembering the times I’d seen him at my Council hearings. I always just assumed he was dressing for the occasion. Suits on men rarely struck me as sexy, but on him…Daaaamn.

His gaze dropped to my hands as they continued roaming over his chest. “Most of the time, yes.”

“Mmm… You look good in them. Kiss me,” I whispered, sliding my hands around to his back.

His lips crushed to mine and there was nothing sweet about the kiss. It was frantic and full of need. When his tongue slid in to meet mine, I lost all rational thought. Everything faded away except the two of us. All I knew was Liam. All I wanted was him.

The silky fabric of the lingerie enhanced the feeling of his hands moving over me. Something about it made his touch more sensual, more erotic. “Mmm, I’m starting to understand why she wears these things,” I murmured against his neck as I pressed into his touch.

When his hands slid up to cover my breasts, I bit his shoulder. “Red, wait.” He gripped my arms and pushed me back a little.

“Oh! I’m sorry. Did I hurt you? I thought you wanted me to bite,” I whispered with a breathy laugh. I licked the spot I’d bitten, trying to ease any pain I’d caused.

“No, not that. I liked that. Just look,” he said pointing to two small dots on his neck. “This is where you marked me. How could I forget about this?”

“Marked you?” I let my fingers run over the marks pulling a sigh from him.

“Yes. I marked you too. It’s in a more intimate spot. Can I show you where?” His voice was husky and rich with desire.

I nibbled my lip wondering where his mark could be. A yelp escaped me when his lips crashed into mine so hard, I tasted blood. I wasn’t sure if it was his or mine. Either way it spurred me on, making me want him even more. On a growl, he wrapped me in his arms, kissing me breathless. I held onto his shoulders as I kissed him back and then to steady myself when he abruptly tore his mouth from mine.

“Sorry. Sorry, I didn’t mean to do that. You were nibbling your lip again. They’re still swollen from our kiss. Your breasts are… I can smell your arous… Fuck. I’m sorry.”

I lifted my hand to his cheek. When I scratched at his beard, he nuzzled into my touch. “Don’t be sorry,” I said. “Show me your mark.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” I pressed a kiss to his chin, then his cheek, then his ear. Again, I couldn’t stop touching him, couldn’t pull myself away from him. “Where is it?” I whispered into his ear.

A low rumble sounded from his chest as he took my hand and ran it up my leg to the hollow of my inner thigh, so close to my center, my breath hitched.

“Here,” he whispered.

I gasped when he pressed my fingers against the two little bumps. “Oh, wow,” I breathed, rubbing my fingers over them again.

“You’re mine, Red.” He brushed his lips against mine. “You just don’t remember yet.”

“Help me remember… Mr. Fraser.” I slid my tongue out to lick his bottom lip then I lowered myself onto my back and held my arms out to him.

The look in his eyes squeezed at my heart as he covered me with his body. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he said as I moved my hands to his upper arms. “You’re strong and vulnerable. Sexy and sweet. Caring and fierce. You’re the perfect blend of contradictions.”

He looked at me with a longing that had nothing to do with sex, and while it warmed my heart it also scared the shit out of me. He didn’t just want to fuck me.ThatI was used to. That I knew how to handle.

This. This was much more than that. He wanted me. All of me. And as that realization hit, my hands tightened on his arms. My entire body stiffened, including my lungs and heart. I stopped breathing, stopped thinking as the panic coursed through me as subtly as a lightning bolt.

“Red?” His face tightened with concern. “Are you hurt?” Unable to speak, I shook my head. His features softened into a smile. “You’re freaking out about being mates. It’s okay. Breathe.” He waited until I took a few deep breaths. “Don’t worry, we can take this as slowly as you need.”