(Just a little warning for you readers who like to keep it PG)

After finishing up in the bathroom, I swipe my hair from my face and walk into the bedroom. Eric comes in, and I promptly turn to him. "Are you going out tomorrow to search for Lucas?"

   "Yes, everything is ready."

   "Caroline wants to go really bad, but I told her that I would stay with her like you said. I feel for her. I can't even imagine what she must be thinking."

Eric disappears into the bathroom while I close the windows, knowing that it will get too cold to leave them open. Caroline has retired to her temporary bedroom down the hall, though I doubt she will be doing much sleeping.

"She told me that you are getting along with Alpha Kenn," Eric calls to me. "Calling him James?" His tone changes to something accusing, as if I had done something wrong.

"He asked me to. I don't see the big deal; it's just his name. He hasn't found his mate yet. Maybe she is here. Wouldn't that be nice for him to find his mate and for Lucas to come home safe?" I spurt random words, all to get Eric off of the idea that I am cozying up to James. He is a good man, and to think such things is utterly ridiculous.

Eric comes out of the bathroom and stalks towards me. Unexpectedly he pushes me up against a near wall and cages me in with his arms. "What are you—"

"You're my mate, you understand?" He looks me directly in the eyes and my chest rises and falls dramatically. "Mine."

I have to admit, hearing Eric call me his has my stomach in knots. "You're being—"

"Tell me that you understand."

"Alright. I understand," I tell him while continuously glancing down at his lips. His sudden, riled up actions has my heart beating heavily. I want his lips against mine, his hands roaming my body like times before. I want to feel it all again, but more.

"Do I have to show you that you're mine, Isabella?"

"Yes," I breathe out while squirming in my spot. I want him to show me everything. My body wants him.

Eric picks me up abruptly and tosses me onto the bed. The sheets pulse around me, flying up in result of my impact. Eric climbs over me, his lips hovering over mine until they come crashing down. I have missed the sensation of his lips against mine, the burning feeling it gives me in my core. Unlike before, this kiss is full of hunger and impatience, the unspoken desires between us have broken free. The pressure increases, but no matter how roughly we kiss it is not enough anymore, my mind and body have grown to need something greater, something more intimate.

His lips leave mine as he kisses down my jaw and neck. Eric's arm snakes underneath me and boosts me closer to him. My feet point like a ballerina as he continues his hot assault. Shaky breaths slip from my lips, and fingertips dance on his strapping back, drawing intricate designs against his skin. My nerves are at his mercy.

Eric stops and looks into my eyes. "Isabella—"

"Don't stop," I beg him and he kisses me again briefly before lifting me up and setting me down on his lap. My legs branch out on either side of him as my hands slide up his shirt, revealing the body I love so much. I feel his harsh gaze on me, and I tug the fabric completely off of him. I run my hands over his shoulders and down his chest, feeling every muscle underneath them.

Eric grips onto my hips, making an intense feeling rush through my body. His hands glide up the sides of my torso, leaving a blazing trail behind, and I know once my top is off that I will be bare in front of him. I do not stop him as he fists the fabric and slips it off of me. My face flushes as he seems to study my body, his eyes roaming over every dip and curve. He ravishes me with his hands, caressing, massaging, and kissing. My head tilts back, exposing myself to him as I close my eyes and take in these new sensations. A soft moan sounds from my throat, and I feel him getting worked up beneath me, which only excites me even more. His hands latch onto my arching back once I feel myself sliding off of his lap.

I clutch Eric's jaw, bringing his gaze up to meet mine. His scent floods my nose, clouding my mind with an unquenchable need for him.

"You're breathtaking," he murmurs in my ear, making my underwear a mess.

He pulls me forward as he falls onto his back, rendering me on top of him. One of the pillows scattered on the bed keeps him somewhat upright as I lean down and connect our lips once again. I feel him underneath me, making a fierce feeling pull at my core. Another moan escapes me. The undeniable need I have for Eric in this moment will not rest until it is conquered. Nothing else is on my mind but my mate and the pleasure he is giving me.

Eric switches our positions and backs off of me. My eyes stay gazing up at the ceiling as I prepare myself for what is about to happen. My heart jolts when I feel his hands dragging down my shorts then lastly my underwear. I have never been completely bare in front of anyone before.

I look up at his handsome face when I notice that he is climbing back above me, as he gently spreads apart my legs, giving him room. Eric's fingertips teasingly stroke the inside of my thighs. My hands reach out for him, enticing him to come closer. This is it; I am going to be as close with Eric as I can be. My body is screaming for him, wanting to feel everything he has to offer.

   His fingers are inches away from me, and I find myself wanting to shout in impatience. When he does finally touch me, my hips jolt in reaction, and I take a quick breath of air. My bottom lip is between my teeth as he continues to play with me while his lips kiss on my neck. My head spins from pleasure, and I fist the sheets beneath me. When he slips them inside a whine escapes me, something mixed with a moan, but I do not care. My body is taken by the sensation. When he looks into my eyes, my entire body seems to jerk forward, not being able to handle all that is happening. I throw my head back and squeeze my eyes shut as another moan-like cry escapes me.

   His fingers continue to move back and forth, and I do not think I can take any more of it. My toes curl, my back arches, and my body seems to clench as a wave of satisfaction and pleasure takes over me. His name is on my lips, and I cannot help but cry it out. A split second later his hand latches over my mouth, and he pulls me up.

   "The Alpha and Caroline, they are sleeping down the hall," he reminds me softly and my cheeks flood with color.

   "I can't help it," I breathe out.

   Eric's face hardens before he switches our places again, setting me back on top. He easily throws me around, and the idea of being at his mercy makes my heart beat heavily. He adjusts our position, and I feel his stiff length against me, making my core tense up. The moment that he enters me his hand covers my mouth again, stopping a deafening cry before it causes Caroline to rush down the hall and make sure that I am still alive.

   Eric's hand over my mouth excites me, making my hands grip onto his shoulders. He slowly begins to thrust in and out, and my loud, throaty moans are muffled. The feelings in my core are driving me to near madness; I cannot get enough. Eric groans as I begin to move up and down myself, taking over. His hands grip my waist, uncovering my mouth and I bite my lip to try to keep quiet. It makes me feel like we are doing something wrong, and I love it.

   My heart beats rapidly in my chest as the build up commences. Eric suddenly grabs onto me and sets me on my back. He enters me again, but this time the thrusts are steady and deep, starting a deadly rhythm that may just be the end of me. Eric's arms trap me in, and he watches me squirm beneath him until he has to hold me still with one and cover my mouth with the other. I reach my peak with one more thrust, and my body grasps onto him, my hands gripping onto whatever they can muster. Eric lets out heavy breaths as he holds me against him. Moments later he collapses down on me, and my arms wrap around his body.

   My skin is hot and slick against his.

   "Eric," I hardly whisper to him, and he pushes off of me, now laying at my side. "That was... I don't know; I don't know how to describe it."

My chests rises and falls as I close my eyes and breathe in the moment. I feel temporarily weak, as if every muscle in my body contracted and tensed. Never have I felt more protected, more secure in my life. Eric rests his hand on my thigh, as if he is holding onto me, stopping me from floating away. I gaze up at him, only to see his eyes already on me.