“I can’t. I can’t,” she gasped. In the next breath, she convulsed, her body doing its best to milk him dry.
Nic kissed the side of her neck and felt a deep, primitive tug. His tongue swirled over the spot where her neck met her shoulder. While Mindy was coming apart in his arms, Nic was being pulled under by something far stronger.
He continued to surge into her as she thrashed beneath him. Nic nibbled on her neck, then sucked on her skin. Mindy’s entire body stiffened and she let out a keening cry as a second release hit close on the heels of the first.
Nic’s world narrowed. All he could see was her pulse fluttering in her neck. He rolled his hips and nudged her cervix. The second it kissed her center, he swelled. The change swept over his body. Nic couldn’t stop it. In truth, he didn’t want to.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t resist,” he murmured, then bit down on Mindy’s neck.
Blood poured into his mouth. Nic swallowed it, greedily lapping her up, taking her essence into him. He was careful not to lose a drop.
Mindy whimpered and tried to pull away.
His growl stopped her. It was far too late to escape. His wolf had her now. It was determined to mark her, inside and out. But first it demanded her submission.
Mindy’s body tensed.
Nic tightened his grip on her neck. A few seconds passed, then she stroked his head and relaxed beneath him. His wolf howled in triumph as Nic took more of her blood.
Instinct told him when he’d had enough. Nic stopped drinking and licked the tender bite until the blood quit flowing. Mindy was going to have one hell of a hickey, but it couldn’t be helped.
Nic wanted her to taste him—to complete the mating ritual—but he knew she wasn’t ready. His ragged breathing finally returned to normal, but his hips continued to flex as he spilled his seed inside her. Nic kissed her neck and nuzzled her cheek.
* * * * *
“Sorry, I lost control again. Being inside you makes me crazy with desire,” he said.
Mindy touched his shadowed cheek. “I feel the same way,” she whispered. “You make me want things I’ve never thought about. It’s like a part of you is inside of me.”
He glanced down and grinned.
Her heart flip-flopped. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I know.” He rubbed his nose against hers.
“I guess this means we’ll have to figure all this out together,” she said.
“It won’t be easy,” he said.
Nic was still hard and heavy inside of her. She’d never known a man could have such endurance. That hadn’t been her experience in the past. Of course Mindy only had her ex to compare him to, and it wasn’t a fair comparison.
“We seem to end up naked every time we get together,” she said.
He kissed her throat. “There are worse ways to end up. Take my word for it.”
Mindy shoved at his chest.
Nic laughed and sat up, taking her with him since their bodies were still connected.
“I think you’ve ruined me for other men,” Mindy joked, though it was the truth.
Something dark crossed Nic’s handsome features and his eyes glittered. “It might be best if you avoid other men for a while.”
Mindy arched a brow. “Is that so?”
His smile returned in a flash, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “We need time to get to know one another. Can’t really do that properly if you’re seeing other men.”
“Are you going to date other women?” she asked.
“No!” The certainty in his tone surprised her.
“So are you saying you want us to be exclusive?” Mindy couldn’t conceal the hopeful note in her voice. She’d never been one to date around, or sleep around for that matter.
“If that’s okay with you,” he said, suddenly sounding less confident.
Mindy kissed his chin. “We could always give it a try. If it doesn’t work out, at least we’ll know for sure.”
“Glad you see it my way.”
* * * * *
For Nic, there was no longer any other option. His wolf had marked her. Claimed her for its own. It was what every member of the Moonlight Kin waited for, but not all found. She was his mate. The only woman he’d ever desire.
His elation was tempered by the knowledge that she didn’t know what he was. How was he going to break the news to her without her wanting to get away from him?
He jerked one last time, then gradually deflated. He was still inside her. In a few more minutes, he’d be ready to go again. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“Hurt?” Mindy laughed. “Hurt isn’t the word I’d use to describe what we did, but I’ll admit you are an animal in the sack.”
He flinched at how close to the truth she was.
“It’s okay,” she said. “The bite just surprised me.” Mindy touched her neck. “I think you broke the skin.”
He swept her hand into his own and brought her knuckles to his lips. Nic ran his tongue over each groove and then sucked her finger into his mouth. Her eyes widened, but she didn’t pull away.
“Was the experience terrible?” he asked.
“Truth is, I kind of liked it,” Mindy said. “Does that make me kinky?”
Nic chuckled. “Don’t think so, but I’m glad you liked it,” he said. “I didn’t mean to bite so hard.” It was a lie and the truth. Nic might not have intended to mark her when they first climbed into bed, but he hadn’t exactly pushed his wolf down when it rose. “I’m afraid you’re going to have quite a hickey.”
Mindy’s gaze locked on him. “Really? I’ve never had one of those.”
“Never?” he asked, astonished.
She shook her head. “Never. My mom and dad would’ve killed me.”
Nic chuckled and kissed her on the chin. “It’s nice to know that I’m the only one who’s ever marked you.” He sighed. “I don’t want to ruin the moment, but I have an early morning tomorrow.” He needed to report to Aidan and tell him what had happened. Biting was serious business. It was never done casually because of the repercussions.
“You don’t want to stay?” she asked.
“I’d love to, but if I do neither one of us will get any sleep tonight.” He gave her a wolfish grin.
Mindy smiled back him. “I can’t be mad when you look at me like that.”
“Like what?” He slipped out of her.
“Like a naughty little boy who uses his cuteness to get out of trouble.”
He leaned over and helped her up. “You think I’m cute?”
Mindy rolled her eyes. “You’re gorgeous and you know it.”
Nic knew he wasn’t gorgeous, but it was nice that she thought so. He pulled on his clothes and saw a pink robe hanging on the back of the door. He grabbed it and held it open for Mindy. She slipped it on and secured it at her waist.
“Walk me to the door,” he said.
When they stepped out into the hall, Nic caught the elusive odor again. It was stronger here. Stronger than it had been before. He didn’t like it. The scent made his hackles rise.
“Do you have any other pets?” he asked.
“No, why?” she asked.
“I just...” He couldn’t exactly tell her that he’d smelled something. “Just curious.”
“Nope,” she said. “You’ve met everyone.”
They walked to the door. “Thank you for dinner and”—he grinned—“everything else.”
“Thank you for everything else.” She looked at him. The emotion he saw swimming in her brown eyes laid him low.
“When can I see you again?” Nic didn’t want to wait. Now that his wolf had marked her, he wanted to be around her as much as possible. She wasn’t officially his bondmate until he completed the ritual and had her take his blood, but as far as he and his beast were concerned, Mindy was theirs.
“How about tomorrow night?”
“Sounds good.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her swollen lips, tasting her one last time before releasing her. “I real
ly have to go or you’re going to end up on your back again. Though I’m not against using the wall.”
Mindy pressed her lips together.
“Sleep well,” he said.
“You too.”
Nic stepped out onto her front porch. “See you tomorrow.”
“Bye.” Mindy slowly shut the front door.
Nic didn’t move until he heard her throw the lock. The second she did, he covered the ground between her house and his truck. He refused to look back. Didn’t dare.
It was taking every ounce of his strength to walk away. He inhaled to clear his head, and caught the strange scent on the wind. What was it? And why was it at Mindy’s home?
He glanced at the house. Mindy had turned the lights off and there was no movement near the curtains. Nic decided to investigate.
He climbed into his truck and started the engine. Nic backed out of her driveway. He didn’t plan to go far. Just down the road, so he could park his truck out of sight. He wanted to scout the area around Mindy’s house without her knowing about it. It was the only way he’d be able to sleep tonight.
Nic found a place to pull over and stepped out of his truck. He lifted his head, allowing his wolf to surface.
It didn’t take long to find the unfamiliar odor. He tracked it to the edge of the woods, where it simply disappeared. It wasn’t possible. Scents faded, but they didn’t disappear. Before he could figure out the puzzle, a new odor replaced the old one. This was one Nic was beginning to hate. He swore under his breath. Some pups never learn.
First her job and now back to her home. It shouldn’t have surprised him given Weres’ competitive natures, but Nic was astonished. Mindy had asked them to leave, and so had he. The brazen one knew he’d slept with her. He’d smelled Mindy on his skin. There was only one way her scent could’ve gotten there.
Nic let out a loud growl, warning the Weres to stay away, telling them without words that Mindy was off limits. Now that his wolf had claimed her, Nic was done playing with them.
If they jumped him or if either showed up at Mindy’s house again, he’d consider it a direct challenge to his position in the pack. If that happened, they wouldn’t be walking away.
* * * * *
Chapter Fourteen
Celina came home around ten o’clock and saw that she’d missed a call. She retrieved the message and heard Mindy’s voice.
Her fingers tightened on the phone as Celina listened to the recording that confirmed her worst fears. Slade had been at Mindy’s house. The message ended and she hung up.
Celina needed to call Mindy back and tell her the truth about what was going on. She’d chickened out of telling her earlier at work because Mindy had been so happy about her date with Nic. But now...
She punched in the number.
Slade walked into the apartment and slammed the door behind him. “Hang up the phone.” The quiet intensity of his voice warned her not to argue.
Celina put the phone down. “Mindy called. She said that the hybrid was over at her house. She knows that I lied. It’s only a matter of time before she finds out the truth,” she said. “What were you doing over there?”
“Nothing,” he snarled.
“Slade, don’t lie to me,” she said. “I’ve seen how you look at her. I’m not blind and I’m not stupid.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” He moved deeper into the tattered apartment.
Celina hadn’t imagined the attraction. She was hyper-aware of things like that. “Two Weres showed up at the clinic today after you left. They were sniffing after Mindy. She needs to know the truth,” she said.
Hopefully it would scare her enough to make her want to have nothing to do with any of them. Maybe it would scare Mindy so much she’d leave town to join Izzy in New Orleans.
“Who were they?” he asked softly.
“Marco Faretti and some guy named Nic,” she said. “It doesn’t really matter. All that’s important is that I warn her and that you stay away from her. I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“The Moonlight Kin are interfering with my plans,” Slade said. “They have to be stopped.”
Plans? “What do you mean?” she asked.
His claws slipped out as he waved off her question. “You’re not going to tell your friend anything. And you’re definitely not going to run her out of town,” he said. “I’d be very unhappy with you, Celina, if you did that.”
Celina ran a hand through her long brown hair. “I don’t understand what makes Mindy so special. Why are the wolves circling her?”
“I wouldn’t expect you to understand. You’re human,” Slade said.
“So is Mindy,” Celina hissed.
“True, for now,” he said. “Not all humans are created equal.”
What was that supposed to mean? Didn’t she give him everything that he needed? Didn’t she cater to his every whim? What more did he want?
“What I desire you cannot give me,” Slade said, his amber eyes glistening.
Panic struck swift and deep, sweeping aside her fear of him invading her mind. “How do you know unless you tell me what you need? Mindy is inexperienced. She doesn’t even know your kind exists. She can’t give you what you want, but I can.”
He focused his fierce attention on her and stalked forward. “Can you? That’s quite a boast, since you don’t know what I want,” he said.
“Yes, I do,” she murmured.
“Are you absolutely certain?” Slade asked.
Celina nodded. “Yes,” she said, backing up until she hit the wall.
Slade tilted his head and sniffed her neck.
She whimpered. Would this finally be the moment he claimed her? Marked her as his own? Celina trembled in anticipation.
A secretive smile canted his lips, then disappeared. “You know nothing about our kind,” he said.
“I know everything important,” Celina responded.
Slade laughed and grabbed her by the waist. He turned her away from him until Celina faced the wall. Claws scraped against her bare skin.
“Careful,” she said. “You almost scratched me.”
He ran his thumbs over the faded scars that marred her hips and lower back. “It’s quite a collection of scratch marks you have here. I doubt one more set would be noticed.”
Celina sobbed. “They meant nothing to me.” It was a lie. “You know I love only you.” She waited, hoping he’d return the sentiment, but silence met her. Crushed, Celina tried to move his hands away from the evidence of her other dalliances.
Slade’s fingers tightened, almost to the point of pain. “Don’t,” he said, then stripped her jeans away.
Dressed only in her shirt and panties, Celina quivered in anticipation.
Slade pressed a kiss on her nape, then tore her underwear off.
She heard the hiss of a zipper. His jeans brushed against the back of her legs as they dropped to his knees.
Slade placed his hand between her shoulder blades and pressed down until she bent at the waist. He dipped a thick finger inside her. Celina whimpered and drove her hips back to push him deeper.
He smacked her bottom and tsked. “Behave or I won’t give you what you want.”
Celina swallowed hard and concentrated on slowing her breathing. She wanted him. Wanted this. Wanted to be one of them. She’d put up with his heavy-handed ways to achieve her dream.
The thick bulbous head slid between her thighs and parted her. Celina bit her lip. She’d been with a lot of wolves over the years, but never one as dominant as Slade.
Sure, he scared her sometimes, but that was to be expected given his feral nature. It didn’t change how she felt about him or what she wanted from him.
“Please, Slade.” Celina wiggled her bottom.
He laughed, the sound mirthless. “I had no idea humans could be so easily controlled.”
“They aren’t.” Celina tried to keep from groaning as he slipped an inch inside her. Slade was so big, so thick, so incredi
bly hard. Her body craved him, while her thoughts bordered on mania.
The first time he’d taken her, she’d blacked out from the pleasure. In that moment, an addiction had formed. An addiction so powerful that she couldn’t imagine ever breaking the habit.
“You won’t get over me, unless I want you to,” he murmured against her ear, then latched on to her lobe.
“You’re pretty sure of yourself,” she said.
Slade chuckled. “No, Celina, I’m sure of you,” he whispered.
What did that mean? Before she could give it anymore thought, he thrust hard, burying himself inside her.
There was no gentleness in his taking. Slade slammed into her, rocking Celina onto her toes as he worked her body into a frenzy.
“Yes!” she screamed as he pounded her, his strong hands holding her tight and guiding her back to meet every thrust.
“I don’t appreciate having my actions questioned, Celina,” he said, spearing her deep. “Do you understand?”
She groaned. “Yes.”
He reached around her body and found her hidden bundle of nerves. Instead of stroking it, Slade pinched her hard.
Celina sucked in a startled breath, then mewed. Her knees wobbled, then buckled beneath her. Slade caught her before she hit the floor, and held her up. He didn’t break rhythm once as he continued to ride her.
“I want your word that you won’t reveal the truth to Mindy. Do you hear me?” He shook her lightly. “You have no idea what’s happening here.”
Celina’s mind was in meltdown. She couldn’t focus on anything but the pleasure-filled pain of their coupling.
“Your word, Celina. I’ll have it now!” He pressed down and his thumb twitched at such a speed that the breath left her lungs. He was thrusting so fast that she couldn’t track his movements. It was a not-so- subtle reminder that he wasn’t human.
“Say it!” Slade demanded.
He was asking her to choose between him and her friendship with Mindy. She couldn’t do it.
Slade snarled and pumped harder.
Celina came apart in his arms. In the end, the decision was far too easy. “I’ll do whatever you want,” she gasped.
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