CHAPTER 37: CHAPTER 37 TAKING THE NEXT STEP

Caroline’s POV

I woke up to Draven kissing and licking his way down my neck and chest. His violet eyes met mine as he moved on top of me, his golden-brown hair still messed up from fucking all night. The morning light showed through the curtains, making his gorgeous face glow.

"Good morning, beautiful," he whispered, his voice husky with desire. The scent of cedarwood and musk enveloped me as he lowered his body to mine.

"Morning," I moaned softly, gripping his hair while his hot mouth worked its way down my body. I was already wet and needy for him.

Alaric, Draven’s wolf, was clearly in control as he growled possessively while nibbling at my neck.

"Mine," he whispered against my skin, sending shivers down my spine.

I arched up as his hands grabbed my breasts, thumbs teasing my hard nipples while he kissed and bit my neck. His hard cock pressed against my thigh, already thick and ready for me. I spread my legs wider, moaning when he slid two fingers into my wet pussy.

"Still so tight and wet for me," he growled, pumping his fingers deeper while his thumb circled my clit. I rocked against his hand, desperate for more.

"Please," I begged, pulling him closer. "I need you inside me."

He replaced his fingers with his thick length, sliding in deep and making me gasp. We moved together, his cock hitting all the right spots as he fucked me slow and deep, building up the pleasure until we were both panting and moaning.

He thrust faster and harder, his cock pulsing inside me as I got closer to the edge. My walls clenched around him as I came hard, screaming his name. He growled, slamming in deep one last time before filling me with his hot cum.

Afterward, we lay tangled together, my head resting on his chest as he traced patterns on my bare shoulder.

"We should get up," I said reluctantly, though I made no move to leave his embrace.

His lips curved into a mischievous smile. "Or we could stay right here a little longer." Before I could respond, he rolled me beneath him once more, capturing my lips in a kiss that made it impossible to think of anything else.

By the time we finally made it to the shower, the sun was fully up. But even then, Draven pinned me against the shower wall, his hands groping my wet breasts while hot water poured over us. He reached for the body wash, squeezing some onto his hands before sliding them all over my body, paying special attention to my nipples and between my legs.

"Turn around," he growled, and I obeyed. He pressed his hard cock against my ass while his soapy fingers teased my clit. I moaned as he slipped two fingers inside me, my hands bracing against the wet tiles.

He grabbed the detachable shower head, adjusting the water pressure before directing the spray between my legs. The combination of the pulsing water and his fingers had me crying out his name.

"You’re so fucking sexy when you’re wet," he groaned, replacing the shower head to lift me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he pushed his thick length inside me, the water making everything slick and sensitive.

Steam filled the bathroom as our passion ignited once more, our moans echoing off the walls.

Eventually, we made our way downstairs for breakfast, both of us glowing from our morning activities. I called home, and Elle assured me everything was fine with Liam.

"He’s perfectly happy drawing monsters," she said with a laugh. "Take your time, Carrie. You deserve this."

After breakfast, we returned to the documents, going through each one until mid-afternoon.

"Caroline," Draven said seriously, capturing my full attention. "We need to talk."

I set down the paper I was reviewing and looked at him expectantly.

"I just want to make sure we’re on the same page," he continued, his violet eyes intense. "What happened between us is serious. Very serious. You’re different from any woman I’ve ever met."

He took my hands in his, and I could feel the bond between us strengthening. "I want you for myself, in my bed and in my life, and I want to be in your life and Liam’s life. I want you to consider joining my pack, becoming part of my world completely."

My breath caught in my throat. This was more than just dating—in wolf terms, he was suggesting a path toward becoming mates.

"So I want to make sure you understand that we’re dating," he finished, his thumbs caressing my wrists where my pulse was racing.

I smiled at his words, warmth spreading through my chest. He was so handsome and commanding, yet there was a vulnerability in his eyes that touched something deep within me.

I got up and went to him, saying, "Well, since we’re dating, I can do this."

I sat on his lap, straddling him with one leg on each side of his hips.

"And I can do this." I leaned in and kissed his mouth with a slow, passionate kiss.

When our lips parted, his eyes were sparkling with desire and something deeper, and he broke into a rare, genuine smile. He pulled me in for another kiss and wrapped his arms around me.

"My wolf wants to mark you," he whispered against my lips. "Alaric has never reacted this way to anyone before."

My heart raced at his words. For a wolf to mark their mate was the ultimate commitment, a bond that couldn’t be broken.

We talked about how things would be. Draven didn’t want to keep our relationship secret at work. He understood my concerns about my son and assured me everything would work out.

"I want to meet him," he said firmly. "He’s part of you, so he’s important to me too."

For starters, he would take me home and spend some time with me, my son, and my friend. And so we went.

When we arrived at my house, I opened the door and saw Liam and Elle sitting on the floor drawing.

"Did nobody miss me in this house?" I said, closing the door.

My son came running, shouting, "Mommy." I picked him up and covered him with kisses. I said to him,

"Look, Mommy wants to introduce you to someone. This is Draven."

Liam looked at him and broke into a huge smile. Draven stood there, frozen, as if in shock. I had to nudge him. He looked at me, somewhat confused.

"But his eyes..." he said, amazed.

"I know, they’re identical to yours, violet. Rare and beautiful," I said, smiling at him.

Liam stretched out his little arms toward Draven and went into his arms. They quickly bonded and went to play on the rug.

Elle got up, came to me, and whispered in my ear, "Now I understand why the doctor thought he was the father. They look strangely alike."

That’s when I paid attention, and my friend was right—they had an uncanny resemblance. But it was common to see strangers who looked alike, right? We all had doppelgangers, right? So I quickly pushed that thought aside and joined their play on the floor.

We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening like that, talking and playing with Liam. After dinner, my little one’s eyes were heavy with sleep, so I picked him up and went to put him to bed.

When I returned to the living room, my friend and my boyfriend were engaged in a lively conversation. I joined them, and we spent some time there laughing and talking. When Elle said goodbye and left us alone, Draven pulled me onto his lap, kissing me.

"Did you see? Your son liked me," he said confidently.

"He likes everyone. He’s a very outgoing child," I teased.

"Oh, but he really liked me," he insisted, and I had to agree—the two of them had gotten along incredibly well. "I’d love to spend the night with you, but I think it might be weird for Liam, and I don’t want to keep you away from him again today."

"Thank you for understanding. We’ll have many nights," I said, touched by his concern for my son.

"So I’ll get going, my love. You’re tired, we worked a lot, and you barely slept. You need to rest. I’ll pick you up tomorrow," he said while kissing my neck, his wolf clearly wanting to leave his scent on me.

"You don’t have to, Draven," I sighed in his arms.

"Please don’t take away my pleasure of being with you as much as I can," he said, placing a kiss on the corner of my mouth. "Alaric is already restless when you’re not near."

"Alright. I’ll wait for you tomorrow."

We said goodbye and he went home. When I turned around, Eleanor was standing behind me.

"You can sit on this couch and tell me all the sordid details," she said laughing and pointing to the sofa.

We sat down and talked for a long time. I told her everything that happened and how amazing he was. My friend hugged me and said she was very happy for me, that I deserved to be happy and have someone incredible. I went to bed feeling like I was already dreaming, Rory purring contentedly within me.