CHAPTER 12

A low, guttural noise rumbles from Buchi, and Sommy jerks from the hazy edge of sleep. Her heart racing, she snaps her gaze to him, but his great wolf form doesn't move, shallowly breathing but steady. She feels a mixture of relief and unease as she watches Stephen, still in wolf form, approach, nails clicking softly against the RV floor. He lowers his snout, sniffing at his alpha, his golden eyes shining with concern.

Tim guards the door while Oga watches from the driver's seat. On the pull-out bed, Jessica, Zain, and Elena huddle in sleep, tension from the hours before still contorting their faces. Sommy knows that their world will never be the same again, thrown into danger they had never imagined.

"He's healing," she whispers to herself rather than to Stephen.

Stephen steps back, lowering himself onto the floor with a heavy thud. The floodlights of the RV park cast an acetylene beam through the rooftop window above them. Sommy tugs the flannel shirt tighter around Jessica's shoulders. A distant cough of a security guard. There are armed men patrolling the grounds, peering around every nook and cranny for any threat. The jamboree is over; most of the clans have vanished into the woods, escaping human scrutiny.

Sommy strokes Buchi's fur, soft and warm beneath her fingers. The attack replays in her mind, each detail a blade of guilt cutting deeper. He had ordered her to get inside, knowing the wolves were after her. She hadn't listened. Instead, she'd stood her ground, stubborn, defiant. A leader in her own right. And Buchi had paid the price.

She swallows hard, remembering the moment Ama struck. He had already been wounded, the deep gash along his side poisoned. Yet he still threw himself in front of her, protecting her at the cost of his own safety.

Her throat tightens. "Buchi, I'm so sorry," she whispers, pressing her forehead against his.

Memories of an old encounter resurface—a werewolf she met once, his back marred by an ugly, raw scar. A permanent wound. Werewolves healed from nearly anything, but poison left marks. And now, because of her, Buchi would bear scars he never should have.

Tears slip silently down her face as exhaustion pulls her under.

Heat. A solid, hard warmth against her back. A slow caress through her hair.

Sommy stirs, her body instinctively arching into the touch before reality slams into her. She gasps, trying to sit up, but a firm arm locks around her waist.

"Don't leave me," a deep voice rasps.

Her breath catches. She twists to face him, and relief crashes over her like a tidal wave. "You're awake."

Buchi's lips curl in a slow, knowing smile. "Very."

His hips press against her, his arousal unmistakable. Heat blooms in her cheeks, but she pushes up on her elbows, scanning the RV. Sunlight streams through the top window.

"What time is it?"

"Late." He tugs her back down, a smirk playing on his lips. "And you're not going anywhere."

"But—"

He presses his lips against hers in a deep, consuming, possessive kiss. The weight of it all lingers, and easily, she'd get lost in him. She pulls away. "Where is everyone?"

"I told them to clear out for a while." His fingers slid between her thighs, teasing, insistent. "There's something I need to do."

Shame coiled inside, her cheeks on fire. "Buchi, I was reckless. If only I had-

"You were," he interrupts, his tone laced both with reproach and understanding. "But I know why you did it."

His fingers move with precision and she lets out a soft sound. "If only we could talk telepathically-then things would have turned out differently."

Her mind runs over the sensations, unable to catch up. "Your wounds-is the pain still there?"

He grasps her hand, pressing it downward onto his hard-on. "Does it feel like I'm hurting?"

 Devilish smile etched on her face, her fingers wrap around him. "Not exactly."

 A rumble of a growl vibrates against her throat as he nips the skin. "We'll talk later." His hands become demanding. "Right now, I need to claim you once and for all."

 "Yes." A whispered wish with her voice.

Buchi shifts, hovering over her, his dark eyes with an intensity stealing her breath. Tears prick her eyes as the weight of almost losing him crashes over her. "I love you, Buchi."

His body aligns with hers, pressing deep, stealing all coherent thought. "And I, you, Sommy."

The edges of their dance blur, their thrusts promise and promise wordlessly. She holds on to his shoulders, trying not to jar his wounds, but he makes no move like anything had ever touched him. As the build rises, she throws her head back, exposing her neck.

His teeth sink in. Pain and pleasure collide in that perfect storm, and her orgasm tears through her, her cry echoing in the small space.

Buchi tightens his grip on her, his body shaking against hers. But just before he comes, she falters. Now would be the time she should take over, should return the bite. A sign of equality, of shared power. But for the first time, she realizes how her need for control is not always serving her.

She leans in and whispers, "Buchi, I can't bite you."

His body stills. "Why not?"

She cups his face, her thumb tracing along his cheek. "When I've proven I'm worthy of being your mate, I will."

His gaze gentles. "Sommy, you've always been worthy."

She smiles, presses a lingering kiss to his lips. "Let me trust you. Let me learn to follow." A playful smirk tugs at her lips. "Who knows? I might like it.

A slow grin spreads across his face. "Oh, this is going to be fun."

She digs her nails into his back. "Were not you doing something?"

He chuckles, rolling his hips, sending another wave of pleasure through her. "Ah, yes. I believe I was making my mate scream my name."

She gasps, arching against her, letting him do just that.