Slowly, he rubbed my shoulders in circles, kissing each of them gently as he lowered the spaghetti strap of my blouse.

Something thumped in my stomach as the blouse fell to my waist leaving me exposed in my bra. I saw the admiration and desire in his eyes as he fixed his eyes on my chest. I suddenly began to feel uncomfortable.

But I didn't want to pull my blouse back up.

I wanted him to... touch me.

He expertly unhooked my bra, sucking in a sharp breath when my breasts fell free. "Fuck... you're so beautiful."

I looked away shyly shaking as he stared at my breasts as though he had never seen anything like it. I wasn't sure how to tell him they were aching.

They were aching so much. As my nipples hardened under his stare, he moaned, pulling me forward. Lowering his head, he cupped one of my breasts and began to suck gently.

I felt my core tighten as I gasped in pleasure. I had never felt like this before.

His wet mouth, warm breath, sucking tenderly on my nipples. I reached out to the back of his neck and lowered his head, intertwining my fingers in his hair, urging him to suck harder... faster. When he reached out to play with my other nipple, a delicious shiver ran through me as my core moistened.

Without warning he slid his hand down to my waist, lifting up easily and carrying me into the bedroom.

As he placed me gently on the bed and claimed my mouth once more, his other hand slowly but expertly peeled my clothes off until I was completely naked in front of him.

I shivered, not sure if it was from the cold or the fact that I was nude in front of him. It was after I saw how rigid he was under his briefs that I realized it was fear.

I was scared.

He had taken off his shirt already and as he noticed my hesitation, he paused.

"We don't have to if you're not ready," He whispered, taking my hands in his and gently kissing my fingertips. "I'll never hurt you again. Never. So take your time, it's fine. Okay?" He placed a soft kiss to my lips as he finished.

I tried to calm my beating heart. He wasn't the same person. He wouldn't hurt me. I knew he wouldn't.

As he began to pull away, I stopped him. "I... I want you. Not tomorrow or next time. I want you here and now..."

He observed me with a worried expression for a while. And though his eyes were glassy with desire, he asked, "Are you sure?"

I was sure. I wanted him.

In response, I shyly reached out to place my palm on the fly of his crotch. When I had him in my grasp, I squeezed, making him moan in surprise.

He slowly eased down on me, planting light kisses from my lips down to my chest. When he got to my breasts, he kissed the flesh around it, dutifully avoiding my nipples. Every time he got close to them he would lightly graze them, then proceed to kiss every other part of my body except my nipples.

They stood so erect that they almost began to hurt. "P-please..." I begged, unable to take it anymore.

But he wouldn't budge. Instead he trailed his lips down my neck, pausing to nibble on my earlobe which was effective enough to drive me crazy.

I squirmed when his fingers neared my core. For a brief second, a familiar surge of fear filled me, but as soon as he inserted two fingers into me it was gone. I gasped in pleasure, pushing my hips up as he began to stroke, slowly at first but then increasing the tempo.

I screamed in pleasure, whimpering when he replaced his fingers with his hard, throbbing cock. My eyes widened at how huge he was.

But I didn't care.

I wanted him.

I needed him.

Spreading my legs wider apart, he gently eased into me, pausing at intervals to check if I was okay.

Frustrated, I bucked my hips only stopping when he was fully inside me. As he began to pump, my legs shook.

His thrusts went from slow and careful to fast and wanting, gripping my butt as he pounded. I went crazy when his fingers reached down to tug on my nipples. Soon both our moans melded into each other as we climaxed at the same time.

As he released, I heard him let out a loud growl, almost like he was shifting, but before I could react he had brought his mouth to my neck, biting down on it for a few seconds.

I gasped from the slight pain feeling blood trickle down my neck as a strange sensation pumped through me.

'Mate.'

I turned around in surprise. Nikolai smiled back at me.

I shut my eyes. I thought I had heard someone speak.

I faced Nikolai when he placed a light kiss to the spot where he had bitten. I couldn't help but feel shy as he admired my nude form.

He had marked me as his mate. I was his now. I lowered my eyes when he kissed my forehead, placing my head on his chest as he ran his fingertips down my back.

And as he cradled me in his arms, I decided there and then that this had to be the best feeling in the world.

###Chapter 63 - Owe you a song

Nikolai's POV

"Go, Liyah!"

I threw Drew a dirty look as he cheered her on, but he was too busy watching her shoot down the eight empty beer cans placed on the fence. She did it so quickly it had my jaw falling open in shock. I couldn't say I wasn't impressed. It was simply amazing to watch.

She smiled widely as she jogged over to where the three of us stood. Drew and Anna must have sworn to pick on me today, because as soon as she came, they continued to cheer, pouring praises on her head.

"That was amazing!"

"Oh my god! She did it faster than Nikolai! Come see," Annalise announced, raising the stopwatch for all of us to see.

My head whipped up. "That's not possible."

Liyah snickered. "Whatever helps you sleep."

Still in disbelief, I grabbed the stopwatch from Anna. "By 0.2 seconds?"

"Still, she beat you," Drew responded.

I narrowed my eyes at my supposed best friends. "If I didn't know better, I would think the both of you were trying to pick on me today. No one cheered me this much when I did mine."

"Nikolai, darling, you're old meat. Liyah is learning so fast, doing so well. There's no need to be jealous now," Anna smirked at me.

"Thanks the for the moral support. You're both assholes, by the way."

I tried to keep my eyes off Liyah as we all burst into laughter. How did she manage to look so effortlessly beautiful even when she was sweaty? I quickly turned away before they could catch me staring at her.

"So..." Drew started to say, looking from me to Liyah. "Annie and I were thinking about something. Liyah has been working so hard lately, her progress is amazing. And you've been working hard as well. So, Annie and I thought it'd be a nice idea to get away for the weekend. Just the four of us. We could go up to the old cabin outside town. What do you think?"

Liyah looked to me as if wanting my opinion on the suggestion. It was clear to see that she would appreciate the weekend off. And I couldn't deny her that, especially with those eyes seeing into my soul.

So I nodded.

But I couldn't help but look over suspiciously at Drew and Anna. I wasn't sure why I had a feeling that those two were up to something. A weekend getaway? It didn't sound like something they would come up with out of the blue. I'd know those two my whole life and if there was one thing they weren't, it was impulsive. They liked to take time to think things through, and whenever they made plans they took their time.

The suspicious smirk on their faces wasn't helping either, but I didn't say anything. After all, they were right. Liyah did deserve a break. She had earned it.

***

"Wait while I get my luggage. Drew and I will come in his car. Just give me a few seconds," Anna pleaded, racing back into the house.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I nodded. Motioning for Drew to come closer, I said, "We'll start ahead, there's a long way to go. You guys hurry up."

He looked way too excited by this development but he tried too late to mask it. "Sure. We're right behind you." Staring suspiciously at his retreating figure, I started the ignition and drove out of the gates. I settled in when I saw Drew's car right behind us.

"What's the cabin like?" Liyah asked after I had driven for a while.

We hadn't been alone together like this since the kiss.

"It's nice. We have some cleaning up to do though," I laughed. "We used to go there all the time when we needed a break."

"Why'd you stop?"

"Well..."

The sound of my ringtone cut me off. The first thing I did when I saw the caller ID was look into the rearview mirror. And of course, Drew's car was nowhere to be seen. I picked up.

"Hey, you!" Anna's voice filled the car. My phone was connected to the car speaker so Liyah could hear as well. Liyah also looked back in surprise, frowning when she didn't see the car.

Of course.

"Uhh, we had to go get something we forgot at home. But don't worry about us. You guys go on. Maybe next time we'll make it. You guys have fun!" And without waiting for a response, she hung up.

I physically cringed at the terrible lie. Seriously? I thought they could do better. I knew those two were up to something. And it definitely made things awkward now it was obvious they had wanted Liyah and I to have the cabin all to ourselves.

I looked sideways to Liyah, who now sat facing the window, her ears reddening. So I did the most logical thing. I ignored the elephant in the room.

"Like I was saying, going up to the cabin didn't feel the same without... you know."

Liyah looked grateful for the change in subject. "Oh, I see. That changed a lot of things for you, didn't it?" She asked.

"Yeah," I admitted. "It changed everything."

She nodded in understanding. "What else did you quit?" She asked all of a sudden.

"Hmm," I tried to remember. "So you might not believe this, but I used to play the piano. And quite well, I must add." Her eyes widened as she suddenly began to giggle.

"Really?"

"Yep," I confirmed. "There's one at the cabin, even," I laughed, the memories of playing songs and loving the way my fingers moved over the keys came to mind and I suddenly felt a rush of nostalgia.

"I think you should start playing again." She nodded when I frowned. "I know there are painful memories associated with all the things you loved. But it doesn't have to be that way."

She reached out to squeeze my thigh when my grip on the steering wheel tightened. How had she even noticed?

"Maybe...if you start doing all those things again, you'll learn to see those things as good memories, and stop trying so hard to push them away or erase them. It's okay to have them. But one day they'll come to mind and you wouldn't feel so sad. I know you're struggling to heal, and I see all that you do. But you don't have to lose yourself in the middle of all of that as well."

I marveled at how she always knew the right things to say. And somehow it managed to make me feel better. So I smiled back at her.

"I owe you a song then."

###Chapter 64 - Mated

Liyah's POV

I couldn't control my laughter as I watched Nikolai blink in pain as the spaghetti sauce got into his eye. He had been slurping each strand of pasta all through the meal. He should have known that it would eventually get into his eyes.

"Help me," He pleaded, groaning in pain as he rushed to the tap and began to splash cold water into his eyes.

After I had had enough fun watching him struggle, I stood. Walking to the kitchen cabinet, I took out the salt container, putting some in my hand and walking over to him. "Water won't help. Lick this."

He eyed me with his good eye looking down at the salt in my hand suspiciously. "How's that supposed to help?"

Rolling my eyes, I went on my tiptoes and tilted my palm to let the salt fill his mouth. His grimaced from the taste and I chuckled. He was like a different person, weird and goofy. I found it extremely adorable and I began to suspect that behind his tough exterior he might really just be a teddy bear.

"Wow, it really works," He said, blinking his eye open. "Where did you learn that?" I couldn't remember so I shrugged. I think I might've read it somewhere in a book. But I wasn't sure.

As I dumped the plates we had just used in the sink, I whipped around suddenly remembering something. "You owe me a song. I'd like it now, thank you."

"Right now?" He asked, scratching the back of his neck.

I glared at him. "You're not about to back away now."

Laughing, he sighed. "Fine." I watched in anticipation as he walked to the other end of the room and took the large piece of cloth off the piano. When we arrived here earlier the cabin had already been cleaned. A blush creeped up my face as I remembered that Annalise and Drew had really planned all of this through. The cabin was literally spotless. It was one of those places that was medium sized and comfy, yet luxurious all the same.

"You do know I haven't played in years right? So excuse me if I'm a little rusty."

I nodded absentmindedly, too busy noticing how cute he looked sitting in the bench that was too small for him. My mouth fell open when he began to play. My lips widened into a smile as I watched his fingers flow through the keys as he played a piece I wasn't familiar with.

"Wow," I breathed. "You're really good."

"Would you like to try?"

"M-me?" I blushed. I wasn't really familiar with the piano. "I used to play a little when I was younger. I think I can only play one song."

"Come on..." He prodded, beckoning me to the bench. I stared down at the keys trying to remember how I was supposed to play. Still unsure, I tried and surprisingly I was right. As I continued to play, he joined in.

We both began to laugh when we finished and no matter how hard I tried I could seem to wipe the smile off my face. I didn't remember the last time I was this happy.

He was staring at me when I looked back in his direction for some reason my heartbeat quickened. I didn't know how to act whenever he placed those piercing silver eyes on me.

He was the most gorgeous man I had ever laid my eyes on. And the effect he had on me was evident in the way my knees suddenly weakened each time he looked at me like that. After the kiss the other time, I hadn't been able to get it off my mind. Sometimes when he came very close during training, I would completely forget to concentrate on what was at hand and begin to stare at his lips.

And now I couldn't stop staring. The laughter in his eyes from earlier was now clouded by desire and as he reached out to take my hand in his, I felt goosebumps of anticipation spread all over me.

"Liyah..." He breathed.

The way he said my name had me reeling. He placed a hand on the small of my back, pulling me closer to him until our lips were inches apart.

"Yes.." I whimpered, just before he covered my lips with his in a slow kiss, tenderly as first but as the kiss intensified, he pressed harder, making me moan in the back of my throat. The taste of his hot kisses trailing from my bottom lip to my neck and down to my chest ran me wild with pleasure.

Slowly, he rubbed my shoulders in circles, kissing each of them gently as he lowered the spaghetti strap of my blouse.

Something thumped in my stomach as the blouse fell to my waist leaving me exposed in my bra. I saw the admiration and desire in his eyes as he fixed his eyes on my chest. I suddenly began to feel uncomfortable.

But I didn't want to pull my blouse back up.

I wanted him to... touch me.

He expertly unhooked my bra, sucking in a sharp breath when my breasts fell free. "Fuck... you're so beautiful."

I looked away shyly shaking as he stared at my breasts as though he had never seen anything like it. I wasn't sure how to tell him they were aching.

They were aching so much. As my nipples hardened under his stare, he moaned, pulling me forward. Lowering his head, he cupped one of my breasts and began to suck gently.