Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 43 Ava: Virgin Heat (III)

I don't want to think. I nuzzle my nose into Clayton's neck and breathe him in, hearing Selene growling in the back of my head. "For what?"

"For all of it. But for claiming you when you told me no." I can feel his hands brushing against my neck, and pleasure and pain course through me. I can still feel him in my head, but the presence is fading. He sounds puzzled. "It didn't take, though. Why didn't it take?"

I shake my head. "I don't know." But I can guess it has something to do with me.

Clayton continues to caress my neck. "This looks terrible. Like a wolf tore your neck apart. It looks like I tried to kill you."

"Mmm." I'm tired, and trying to ignore the little flares of heat in my abdomen that are trying to come back.

My body can't take another round of this. But I want one.

"You were a virgin," Clayton continues. He's very talkative after sex, I guess.

He sounds grim. I finally open one eye to look at him, and he looks furious. "I'm sorry?"

"No, I'm sorry. Your first time should have never been like that."

His fingers trail through the tangled strands, gently working out the knots. I can't help but lean into his touch, savoring the tenderness, the gentle affection.

"I'm so sorry, Ava," he murmurs, his breath warm against my temple. "I never wanted to hurt you like this. I tried so hard to stay away and keep you safe."

A pang of guilt twists in my chest at the remorse in his voice. I already know he never meant to hurt me. He did everything he could.

"It's okay," I whisper through the roughness in my throat. "I understand."

his fingers continuing their soothing motions. "No, it's not okay. Your first time should have been special, not a frenzied mess driven by instinct and heat." He presses a tender kiss to my forehead. "I promise, when this is all over,

flicker of hope ignites within me at his words. The idea of experiencing true intimacy with Clayton, without the haze of heat

hoped to find with

his fingers trailing down my spine in a featherlight

feel my heat creeping back into me, desperate for more. His tender affections feed

down a

You need

rubbing harder. I

couldn't take another round? Because it disagrees. It wants another. A lot of

his neck and breathing in his

away in horror. I've cheated on my fated mate. Another part of me doesn't care. Isn't okay to have this one as my mate? He's gentle and kind. And even if the mating bond didn't take, we can

not cheating, Selene interjects. He rejected you. Your mate

didn't

silent again. I think she's giving me my privacy. Normally, I'd be frustrated and demand more answers, but—I have other concerns on on my

yellow. His wolf is there. His wolf must be the one that kept brutalizing

though. The pain had pushed

"Ava."

nibble where his neck meets his shoulder, as his hands grow a

came inside

I was there, after

my ass, lifting me a little and then slamming me back down, over and over, in an agonizingly slow rhythm. Just

This isn't enough.

breed you," he says,

say, as Selene groans

don't want pups,