Chapter 16: The Structural Integrity Test**

Inside, the cabin was dim, with only the fading glow of the fire pit Ren had made in the center of the room. The air was thick with the scents of pine, woodsmoke, and the unmistakable presence of an aroused Alpha male.

He set her down on the bedding, moving slowly and deliberately. Then he leaned over her, his large frame surrounding her, his forearms on either side of her head.

“Finally,” Kael growled, the sound vibrating through the floorboards and straight into Ren’s spine. “Quiet.”

Ren looked up at him. In the shadows, his golden eyes actually glowed with a hunger that had nothing to do with food.

“Kael,” Ren breathed, her heart hammering against her ribs. “The wolves…”

“Gone,” Kael murmured. He lowered his head, dragging his nose along the line of her jaw, inhaling deeply. “Everyone is gone. It is just the Tiger and his Mate.”

He sat back on his heels, his hands reaching for the knot of his loincloth.

“No more interruptions,” he promised.

With a single tug, the leather fell away.

Ren caught her breath. She had seen him naked before, but only for a moment during the chaos of shifting. This time was different. In the firelight, he looked powerful and almost unreal, every muscle tense, marked by scars, and striking.

He seemed more than just a man, and he was completely, almost frighteningly aroused.

“You are staring,” Kael rumbled, a smug smirk touching his lips as he leaned back over her.

“It’s… hard to miss,” Ren squeaked, her face heating up.

Kael lowered himself over her, his weight heavy and grounding. Still, he was careful, holding himself up on his elbows so he wouldn’t hurt her.

He reached out, his calloused fingers tracing the hem of her tank top.

“This shell,” Kael whispered, his voice thick. “Take it off. I need skin against skin. Fur blocks the heat.”

Ren’s hands shook slightly as she reached for the hem of her shirt. She pulled it over her head, discarding it into the darkness. Her bra followed a moment later.

Kael stopped breathing.

He looked down at her bare chest, his eyes going wide. To him, she seemed unusual—pale, soft, hairless, and delicate.

“So soft,” he groaned.

He lowered his head, burying his face in her chest instead of kissing her lips. He nuzzled her, rubbing his cheeks against her skin and breathing in her scent deeply. The rough stubble on his jaw brushed her sensitive skin, making Ren shiver.

“Kael…” Ren gasped, arching her back instinctively.

He licked a stripe up her sternum, his tongue hot and rasping. “You smell like mine.”

He moved lower, his hands gripping her waist, his thumbs digging into her hips. He shoved her cargo pants down, impatient, his claws briefly extending in his haste before he forced them back.

When they were finally skin to skin, the feeling was intense. Kael let out a low moan, his hips moving forward on their own to press against hers. “I am close to the edge. The Beast is… loud tonight.”

“Then don’t hold back,” Ren whispered, reaching up to wrap her arms around his broad, sweat-slicked shoulders. She ran her nails down his back, over the ridges of his spine.

That was the trigger.

Kael growled—a true, animalistic sound—and captured her lips.

It wasn’t a sweet kiss. It was a claiming. He devoured her mouth, his tongue sweeping in, tasting her, demanding everything. Ren matched him, her own hunger rising to meet his.

He shifted, positioning himself between her legs, spreading them wide with his knees.

“Look at me,” Kael commanded, pulling back slightly.

Ren opened her haze-filled eyes to look at him.

“I am going to mark you,” Kael said, his voice raw. “Inside and out. After this, every male in the forest will know you belong to the White Tiger.”

He pushed into her.

Ren cried out, her nails digging into his shoulders. He was huge, stretching and filling her completely. The feeling was overwhelming, all heat and fullness.

Kael paused, his jaw tight and veins standing out on his neck as he tried to stay in control. He stayed still, giving her time to adjust, his breath coming hard and uneven.

“I will not break you,” he gritted out through clenched teeth, sweat dripping from his brow onto her chest. “I will be… gentle.”

“I don’t need gentle,” Ren gasped, lifting her hips to meet him. “I need you.”

Kael’s control snapped.

He started to move, slow at first, with heavy, steady thrusts that left Ren breathless. As the pleasure grew, his rhythm changed. The man faded, and the tiger side of him took over.

His movements grew harder, faster, and more primal. He wasn’t making love—he was mating. He pressed his face into her neck, his teeth brushing her pulse, hinting at the bite that would mark her as his.

“Mine,” he growled with every thrust. “Mine. Mine.”

Ren was lost in the heat and the feeling of his rough hands on her skin, his weight pressing down, and the sound of their bodies moving together in the quiet cabin. It was raw and overwhelming.

“Kael!” Ren cried out as the tension coiled tight in her belly.

Hearing his name shattered the last of his restraint. Kael drove into her hard, one hand tangling in her red hair to tilt her head back, exposing her throat.

He bit her—not enough to draw blood, but enough to bruise, a sharp, possessive nip on her shoulder.

Simultaneously, Ren fell over the edge. Her vision went white as pleasure exploded through her, her body clamping down around him.

Kael roared, a muffled sound against her skin, and followed her over, driving deep and holding there, his massive body shuddering violently as he poured himself into her.

[System Notification: Mating Ritual Complete.][Bond Level: 100%.][Status Updated: ’Mate of the Alpha’.][Hidden Stat Unlocked: ’Tiger’s Stamina’ transferred to Host (Passive).]

They lay there for a long time, the only sound the heavy panting of their breath and the settling of the new timber logs.

Kael collapsed on top of her, his weight heavy but comforting. He stayed inside her, his face pressed into her hair as he purred. The deep sound vibrated through Ren’s whole body.

Ren lay still, staring up at the thatched roof, her body buzzing with the aftershocks.

“Okay,” Ren whispered, her voice hoarse. “Structural integrity… passed.”

Kael chuckled, the sound rumbling against her chest. He lifted his head, kissing the sweat off her forehead. He looked smug, satisfied, and incredibly happy.

“I told you,” Kael murmured, his golden eyes soft. “I am a fast finisher? No. The Fox is a liar.”

Ren laughed weakly. “Yeah. You made your point.”

Kael shifted, rolling to his side but pulling her with him so they remained entangled, skin to skin. He ran a hand down the curve of her spine, marveling at the texture.

“You are my mate now,” Kael said softly. “The bond is formed. You feel it?”

Ren paused. She did feel something. A warm, golden hum in the back of her mind. A sense of safety. A sense of home.

“I feel it,” Ren whispered.

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