Eyes on the Pride (Awakening Pride Book 8) by Lacey Thorn Read Free Book Online

smile, responding to words he hadn’t even voiced, to emotions he’d only felt. “I think some part of me has loved you since the day I first saw you. Four years, Calloway. You’ve made me wait four years. I won’t wait a moment longer. Tell me. Say what I need to hear.”
    He pulled her to him, not stopping until she straddled his thighs, her chest pressed to his. “My heart beats for you. My lungs breathe for you. There is no part of me that isn’t yours to command.”
    “Joined in hearts,” Darby began, saying words she must have learned through her training as a watcher. He knew they kept track of shifter ceremonies when they could.
    “Bound in spirits,” Calloway continued then began his sacred vows. “In the name of the Great Creator who has blessed us, by the life that flows within my veins and the love that flows within my heart, I take you as mine for now and always. To my heart, of my spirit, as my life’s mate unto death and beyond. I shall possess you and be possessed by you, so that none may come between us. I am yours.”
    Tears spilled down Darby’s cheeks. “In the name of the Great Creator who has blessed us, by the life that flows within my veins and the love that flows within my heart, I take you as mine for now and always. To my heart, of my spirit, as my life’s mate unto death and beyond. I shall cleave to you and be cleaved by you, so that none may come between us. I am yours.”
    “You know the words,” he whispered with awe.
    “From the moment I first read them, I’ve never forgotten them. Maybe, some part of me knew I was simply waiting for you to find me,” she told him. “Now, finish it.” Calloway used his thumbs to wipe away her tears then placed a soft, fleeting kiss on her lips. He leaned back until their gazes met and held. “In the name of the Great Creator, I proclaim us mates. One heart. One soul. One life.”
    Time spun away from them. One moment, she was in his arms; the next, they were both naked, his body surging deep within hers, a physical confirmation of the vows they’d just taken. They’d say them again in a public ceremony when her father was back and could be a witness to them. Today was just for them.
    He watched her face as satisfaction washed through her. He felt each of her sensations and knew she was getting a taste of what he experienced, as well. The tight heat of her channel. The way his shaft rubbed her walls, eliciting tiny spears of delight that coursed through her, making her wetter. Her tight nipples caressing his chest. Her ankles wrapped just under his ass, pressing and urging him to the speed she desired. The flex of his hips, the strength of his arms, the power of each thrust was met by the rising tide of her hips.
    They both grew damp with perspiration, slick skin sliding and adding another layer of friction to the love play. Her nails dug deep, piercing his skin as he bent to lap at the mark he’d left to mar her perfect skin. She sighed with each stroke of his tongue, her channel clenching around his shaft with each plunge and retreat.
    He felt the orgasm building within her, relished every breathy moan and undulation she gave. He cupped her hip and held tight as he pounded them both over the edge, sinking his teeth into her as she screamed out his name. They rode the crest, wave after wave of pleasure rocking through them as they clung together. Long moments later, he rolled to his back, taking her with him so their connection remained unbroken. He licked lazily at the skin where his teeth had pierced her. One palm roamed the length of her spine, the curve of her lush ass. Perfection. Darby was everything he’d desired and so much more.
    “We’ll leave tonight,” Calloway said into the quiet that cocooned them. As much as he wanted to keep her in the room indefinitely, he knew they needed to go. “I want to make a few calls first. I…know one of the shifters who lives with the pride. We’ve kept in touch.”
    “Which one?”