He froze like I’d slapped him. Did he not want me to say that? Did that freak him out? He was my mate, right? Like, he was stuck with me? He would fall in love with me. He had to. That was what I was promised by Warden Egara. A man, alien, perfect for me.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“It is not possible. Not yet.” The denial broke his trance, and his lips found mine with long, exploratory kisses that made my heart ache. Yep, I was in trouble here.

Why did he say that? Did he think his own mate wouldn’t love him? I could relate, but he was freaking amazing. Why would he think that? Why had he gone silent and stone-faced when I said the “L” word?

Stupid. I never learned to keep my mouth shut. I always just said what I was feeling. That habit had always gotten me into trouble. Apparently, I hadn’t learned my lesson.

His kisses were like a drug. I locked my legs around his thighs and tugged at him to move his cock where I knew we both ached for him to go.

We were both silent as he slid deep. He took his time, slowly increasing the rhythm of his thrusts until I couldn’t take anymore. I cried out as another release blasted through me, amplified by the essence of his bite still circulating in my body, in my blood. By him. His heat. His strength. The smell of his skin. I was addicted, and I would never get enough.

He covered me, his heavy weight like a blanket as he filled me with his seed. I’d told Warden Egara I wasn’t ready for kids—and taken suitable precautions. That didn’t stop me from imagining my big, scary teddy bear with toddlers crawling all over him like he was a jungle gym. He wouldn’t forget about our children, ignore them or leave them behind. He wouldn’t treat them like they were invisible.

He wouldn’t ever treat me like I was invisible, either. Even now, he held himself up with his elbows on either side of my head so I could breathe. He shuddered as the aftereffects of his own orgasm continued to ride him. I ran my fingernails gently up and down his sides, everywhere I could reach, petting him, letting him know he mattered to me.

He kissed me one more time before lifting his head to glare down at me. Which was a bit humorous with his cock still buried deep. That, and he couldn’t stop looking at my lips.

“Abby, what were you doing crawling around in the ventilation system? That was not a good idea.”

“I thought it was an excellent idea.”