I arched against him, my body trembling with desire as he moved his fingers faster. “I want you,” he groaned against my ear. “God, I want you so much.”

He hooked his arm behind my knee, lifting it as I led him inside me. We both shuddered as he advanced. Aric was careful, pressing gently and taking his time not to hurt me. When he finished filling me, he withdrew, then pushed forward, gradually increasing his speed until the steady pump of his hips slapped against my back.

His hand clasped my jaw, turning it so my face angled to meet his. Lust glazed our stares as he moved faster. I worked not to cry out—not to thrash with my first and second orgasms—and I failed miserably.

Aric swore when I tightened around him and rocked my body harder. The fervor tensing his muscles spread along the tendons of his neck and shoulders, causing his head to snap backward when the brunt of release hit him hard. I took control, sliding him against me until he relaxed his hold and lowered his forehead to rest against my shoulder.

I watched as his fingertips grazed the spot between my breasts, slicking over the beads of sweat that had gathered. It took a moment for our breaths to slow, and when they did, it was Aric who spoke first. “Okay…that was one hell of a good morning,” he murmured.

I laughed and turned to meet his face, only to jump up and away from the bed when I sensed something on top of him. My claws extended and my tigress eyes replaced my own.

Aric jerked up and leapt to his feet, landing on the hardwood floor in a crouch. “What’s wrong?” he growled.

My eyes trailed over his massive bulging chest, then his powerful arms, expecting to see something more.

“Celia, what is it?”

My beast remained on high alert. She wanted to emerge, but I wouldn’t allow more than the presence of her eyes and claws just then. “I think something’s here.”

Koda banged on the door. He was growling, too. “You all right?”

Aric kept his focus on me. “Stay by the door, but don’t come in yet,” he told him. He approached me slowly. “What do you see?”

I searched his face, then his body once more.

“Celia,” he asked more cautiously. “Tell me what you see, love.”

“I thought something was on top of you.” As soon as I said it, I realized how stupid it sounded. My back had been pressed against his chest when we made love. Our close contact had allowed only minimal space between us, and certainly no room for anyone else.

Instead of easing Aric’s fears, my words only fueled them. “What did it look like?”

Another wolf growled behind the door. Gemini had arrived. I turned to glance at the closed door then used every one of my heightened senses to seek out the threat in our room.

I wasn’t sure what I expected to find. But we weren’t alone. Something else was here.

My eyes stopped dead center over Aric’s sternum. Smooth, unmarred golden skin met my gaze, but nothing more. My beast withdrew and my human eyes blinked back at Aric. My tigress pulled back, apparently confused, but assured that for the time being, we weren’t in danger.

I wasn’t so sure.

The anger straining Aric’s shoulders spread down his arms to clench his fists, yet his voice remained soft. “Celia. What did you see?”

My claws withdrew, except the action felt forced. I hadn’t been ready to lull my tigress back to sleep. My apprehension warned me that I still needed her there. Yet I could feel her curl inward and away from me.

I pushed my wild hair out of my face and tried to slow my rapid breaths, feeling foolish although I remained afraid. “I didn’t see or scent anything. I didn’t even feel it.”

Aric gently clasped my elbows. I didn’t realize I was trembling until I saw his arms shake beneath mine. “Shhh,” he said quietly. “Don’t be afraid. I won’t let anything hurt you.”

I took in his scent of water crashing over stones and allowed his presence to ease my fear. “I must have imagined it,” I reasoned although my instincts insisted I hadn’t.

My attention reverted back to Aric’s sternum, and I was reminded just how hard Tura had plowed into him. I skimmed the spot with my fingertips. “Are you all right. In here?” I asked.

Aric pulled me close and kissed my forehead. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, you’re the delicate one.”

He was trying to make a joke, but I wasn’t amused. “You could have died protecting me,” I added quietly.

He stroked the side of my cheek. “Celia, you are my love. I would do anything to keep you safe.”

I sighed and rested my cheek against his chest. There wasn’t much I could’ve said, after all, I would have done the same for him. “I love you.” I closed my eyes tightly. “Don’t leave me, okay?”

“I’m not going anywhere,” he said. “We’re forever, remember?”

“Forever,” I repeated quietly.

“Aric?” Gemini asked, his voice whip-sharp.

“Everything’s fine,” Aric said. “We’ll be down in a minute.”

They paused before retreating. “We sensed your anger,” Koda added. “And Celia’s fear.”

“We’re okay,” Aric assured them. “I’ll explain downstairs.”

I heard the wolves inch from the door until their bare feet padded against the thickly carpeted steps leading down to the kitchen. They were probably confused, but didn’t argue with their Alpha and trusted his judgment.

“They’re going to think I’m losing it when you tell them what I didn’t see and that it scared me.” Crap. It sounded ridiculous even to me.

“No,” Aric’s voice rumbled. “They’ll only care that you’re safe. Through our links as mates, and their connection to me as their Leader, they’re more in tune with your emotions and thoughts.”

“More than before?” Aric’s stiffening stance told me I was right. As his Warriors, Gemini, Koda, and Heidi were duty bound to protect Aric as their Leader and me as his mate, even at the expense of their lives. It had been that way since the night Aric had claimed me as his mate. Since then Bren and Danny had jumped on the “let’s save Celia” train. I’d rather everyone disembark. Enough people had died for me. I didn’t need any more blood on my hands.

“Their connection to you is stronger and their emotions more attuned since failing to save you,” Aric said.