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  “Don’t hold back. I won’t break.” Mary grasped his biceps, her breath a warm caress against his mouth. “I trust you. Let yourself go.”

  She was brave beyond her years or completely foolish. Either way, the wolf obliterated the final barrier Emory had resurrected, making him more beast than man. He thrust his full length into her, growling at the snug clasp of her pussy as he went balls-deep, at the way she surrounded him like fiery velvet. Her cry of pain rang in his ears. Despite the animal riding him and dictating his actions, he somehow managed to gain enough control to hold still, giving Mary time to become accustomed to his size. Her eyes were closed, her bottom lip drawn between her teeth.

  “It won’t hurt anymore,” he murmured and brushed kisses over her eyes. “Go soft for me, Mary. Let me take you back to where we started. I want to make you feel good.”

  He felt her muscles flex as she tried to relax beneath him. Lowering his head, he lavished affection on her breasts, sucking her nipples one at a time. Her ragged breathing told him she enjoyed breast play, as did the wetness that drenched his cock. Excellent, he loved playing with her breasts as much as she enjoyed having his mouth on them. He rotated soft bites with soothing licks, rotating his tongue around her areolas. When she started swaying her hips he rose above her. Watching her face, he slowly withdrew from her heat, the walls of her pussy as tight as a second skin. To Emory’s relief the wolf backed off, content that his long, lonely wait for his mate was over.

  Stopping with only the head inside her body, he murmured, “Look at me.”

  Her eyes opened, revealing dark pools of endless ochre.

  Then he moved, gliding slowly inside her—studying her face as her eyes fluttered and her lips parted—until he was sheathed to the hilt. Once he was buried within her he stayed there, extending the moment, making it last.

  “Damn, you feel good.” And she did, so tight and hot, wet and flexing. “Like fire and velvet, angel eyes. So fucking soft and sweet.”

  “This is really happening.” There was a hint of wonder in the words. Mary touched his chest, fingers skimming over his collarbone. She stopped when she came to the tattoo on his arm, a representation of his wolf. The black colors were carefully done, almost like a portrait that ran from his elbow to his shoulder.

  “Yes, it is.” He trapped her hand in his and brought it to his mouth. He ran his fingers along her knuckles, the touch feathersoft.

  Her brows knotted as she shifted her hips, lifting her pelvis upward. The motion took him deeper inside her, causing them both to moan. Releasing her hand, he grasped her ass. He held a cheek in each hand, guiding her into a rhythm as he started thrusting, slow and steady, strong and deep. Any pain she’d felt was long gone, replaced by pure sexual need. Her arousal burned his nose, mingling with the sweet scent that he would always associate with her.

  Mary.

  My mate.

  Their motions became harder—faster—as she fucked herself on his cock. Her fingernails pierced his skin, her moans becoming louder. Bringing his hand between their bodies, he applied steady pressure to her clit, eager to give her release, to solidify the first state of the bloodbond.

  “Come for me.” He quickened the motion, thrusting into her harshly, timing it perfectly and bringing them to the pinnacle together. When her cunt tightened around him, rippling and flexing, he allowed himself to follow. He roared as he came, keeping going until Mary stopped crying out in pleasure and started whimpering in pain.

  Shit.

  The worst part—the one he didn’t want to think about—was now upon them. The moment he pulsed into her womb, the mating process started. He felt the shift in his body, a tiny part of the wolf sliding from his flesh to merge into her. Although it felt right to him, it pained her, and that was something he’d sworn he’d never do.

  “I have you. I’m here.” He held her down as she thrashed, keeping her locked against him as the first stage of the bloodbond began.

  “It hurts. Why does it hurt?” There was so much confusion, so much misery in the question. “I can’t see. Oh God. I can’t see!”

  “I know, it’s all right. I’m here. I won’t let you go.”

  I’ll never let you go.

  There was nothing to do but hold her, to wait out the fire rushing through her veins, forming the first mark between them as the wolf enhanced her senses, changing her reflexes and perception. He’d heard how bad it was—how much pain was involved. It was the only way but he hated himself in that instant for putting her through the process. Little comfort came from the knowledge that the second mark wasn’t as intense, because he knew the third and final one would be.

  Would she be willing to face the agony a second time? Could he possibly ask her to?

  What only lasted for seconds felt like hours, the suffering of his mate more than he could take. The wolf—bastard that he was—had no such guilt as he returned to Emory. The beast was the same yet different, a portion of him now attuned solely to Mary. When she sagged beneath him, no longer fighting, he lifted away and looked at her, making sure there were no outward signs of harm. She opened her eyes—eyes that were dull with pain—and tried to talk.

  “Don’t.” He silenced her with a kiss. “Rest.”

  “I’m so tired,” she mumbled. “Why?”

  “We’ll talk soon. For now, I want you to sleep.”

  She didn’t argue when he rearranged the bed, slid her beneath the covers and joined her. Instead she turned toward him, resting her forehead against his chest as he drifted to sleep. He remained like that, holding her close, stroking her hair and sheltering her in his arms.

  It had to be done, but there was one thing he could do to make amends. Resting his chin on her head, he started thinking of all the ways he was going to please his mate. He’d make her breakfast in bed, profess his love and show her how much she meant to him.

  Starting tomorrow.

  Chapter Eight

  Ava Brisbane cursed under her breath as she examined the refrigerator, taking stock of the items inside. The night before she and Diskant had engaged in their first official fight. Not an argument or disagreement but an honest-to-god fight. The memory of his shutting her out of his head—barricading his thoughts to himself—infuriated her. He’d sworn they were supposed to share everything. No secrets were supposed to exist between them—ever. Thanks to the consummate asshole Craig Newlander, Diskant had attempted to keep something from her, and the knowledge pissed her off.

  Taking a deep, fortifying breath, she tried to calm down. At least she knew the truth now. Diskant might be an asshole but he knew when he was wrong. After he’d apologized he’d told her about the witch Craig contacted him about, as well as his plans to have Caden transport her to New Orleans. It was dangerous transporting the woman—a woman who was about to come into some monumental powers—therefore she could somewhat sympathize with Diskant’s aloofness on the matter.

  She frowned when she got to the middle shelf, opened the egg carton and found there were only two eggs nestled inside. Fabulous. Now she’d have to walk to the nearby convenience store. Making the trip the day before for an extra special purchase didn’t mean squat, not when a house full of shifters ate everything in sight. Thankfully Becker’s stocked fresh produce and dairy, so it was an easy fix. Although most of the houseguests had left the night before, she still needed to make something for those who had remained. Diskant, Mary, Emory and Trey would need more than a couple of pancakes to tide them over—especially Mary.

  “Poor girl,” she sighed, staring at the near empty shelves in the refrigerator.

  Having been through the bloodbonding process, Ava wanted to make sure the addition to the pack was comfortable in her new home. It would be nice to have the other woman around to talk to, comforting even. Hopefully Emory would take Diskant up on his offer and stay in their home for a while so that Mary could ease into her new life and Emory could reestablish himself in the pack.

  “Morning, Ava.”

 
She looked over the refrigerator door, surprised to see Trey sauntering into the kitchen. He looked like the man she once knew, not the crazed individual who’d taken off for retribution against the Shepherds who’d devastated his pack. His hair was smoothed back, he’d shaved and his clothing was shockingly free of wrinkles or stains.

  “It’s good afternoon, technically,” she replied before inspecting the contents of the fridge for a second time, creating a mental list of things she’d need. Thankfully her shopping trip would be short and sweet. Closing the door, she faced Trey, who’d taken a seat at the table.

  “Where’s D?” He reclined in his chair, a strange smile on his face.

  “He had to visit Kinsley.” She didn’t reveal the real reason that Diskant wanted to see the head Alpha of the cat prides. If Diskant didn’t want her to know about the witch Craig wanted transported to New Orleans, he might not want Trey to know either.

  “Hmm.” Trey hummed. “Anything I should know about?”

  “I’d think if Diskant wanted you to know he’d tell you.”

  Another shock—Trey actually grinned. “The more time you spend with D, the more you become like him.”

  “That’s not a bad thing.” At least she hoped it wasn’t. Her mate wasn’t known for being easygoing or friendly.

  “Not at all.”

  Something is definitely strange, she thought, watching Trey closely. He looked like his old self, was amiable like his old self and appeared to be in control of his wolf like his old self. The question was, why?

  What had happened to bring him back from the brink of madness?

  Pushing the questions aside, she walked to the drawer beside the sink to get some cash. After she pocketed the money she started to walk to the phone by the back door. Every trip required an escort, even if she was only venturing to a store a few blocks down the street. Despite her arguments that she wanted to live a normal life, Diskant refused to budge when it came to her safety. If she wanted freedom, she had to accept she would never go anywhere alone, even if it was to the mom-and-pop shop down the road.

  “Going somewhere?” Trey asked.

  “I need to make a trip to Becker’s,” she answered, lifting the phone from the receiver.

  “I’ll take you.” Trey rose, rotating his shoulders, causing the tight cotton T-shirt he was wearing to stretch across his chest.

  “Seriously?” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. The pack was lucky if they could get Trey to venture anywhere unless killing a Shepherd was involved. His smile confused her more than comforted her, creating more questions she was forced to put on the backburner until she could deal with them.

  “Why not?”

  “Okay then,” she responded, feeling as though she were in The Twilight Zone. “I’ve got everything I need. It shouldn’t take long.”

  After they slid into their coats, he escorted her to the garage, held the door open and waited for her to cross. They walked through the empty area in silence, approaching the door that would take them to the street. One of the guards posted in front of the house started toward them. Normally she would have kept going, knowing whoever was on duty could either follow her or face Diskant’s wrath. Only this time, she recognized the pack member.

  Dear God. Zach.

  His mate, Katie, had been killed in the explosion a couple of months before. Ava had tried to help him using her ability, reaching out with her newfound pack connection to soothe his hurt. Although he looked better physically, there was a coldness in him that would never thaw, an empty space left unfilled.

  When had he come back? Where had he gone when Diskant permitted him to leave New York?

  Although she was tempted to slip inside Zach’s head to find out the answers, she didn’t. The man had suffered enough without her invading his privacy. Seeing him now, pulled together far more than he’d been in the past, was enough to stem her curiosity. When Diskant came home she’d ask questions, but not now.

  “I’m taking her to the store.” Trey hesitated when he spoke, knowing about Zach’s history as well as she did. “We’ll be back in ten.”

  Zach looked her, his dark blue eyes revealing nothing, and retrieved his cell phone. “I’ll inform our eyes in the sky.”

  The need to reach out to the heartbroken man—to see if he was truly doing well or if it was a carefully constructed illusion—was too much. Ava hurried down the street without bothering to make sure Trey was following, knowing she could potentially cause Zach more harm than good if she caved in to her need to invade his mind. She knew the pack guards on the rooftops of the surrounding buildings were watching as they strolled down the street, keeping an eye on them as they traveled. The thought made her angry. Ever since the religious extremists who hunted shifters had made their mark on the city, she couldn’t even go to the store without someone watching. Knowing eyes were always on her made her uneasy, conscious of her every move.

  “Wait up,” Trey yelled and ran to her side. “You’re not supposed to be alone, remember?”

  “How could I possibly forget?” She glanced over at him and rolled her eyes. “I can’t take out the trash without someone watching. It’s like Big Brother, only not as entertaining.” She considered asking about Zach but decided against it. “So why did you decide to tag along? I know it’s not because you want chocolate milk or bonbons.”

  Trey looked insulted. “Do I have to have a reason to protect my Alpha’s mate?”

  Her curiosity shifted from Zach to the shifter next to her. A reason to protect his Alpha’s mate? Total and utter bullshit. He wanted something, and he wanted it bad enough to swallow his pride and come to her for it.

  What is he up to?

  “Oh yeah,” she said slowly. “You’d definitely have to have a reason.”

  “Is that so?”

  “That’s so.”

  Trey didn’t look at her as he spoke, keeping his eyes ahead, remaining on alert. “I have something I want to ask you.”

  She bit back a smirk when she found out she was right. No wonder he wanted to escort her to the store. “Okay?” She glanced at Trey, paying attention to his face, which had suddenly become serious.

  “Do you remember the night before we left? When the pack met at Club Liminality?”

  Not the way she wanted the conversation to go. Her face heated. She certainly remembered that night. Diskant had taken her into the bathroom after she’d pissed him off, bent her over the sink, spanked her soundly and fucked her so hard she couldn’t walk straight afterward.

  “Yeah.” She cringed at how husky her voice was and quickly cleared her throat. “I remember.”

  “The woman you spoke to—the vampire.” Trey’s eyes darted away from her. “How do you know her?”

  The question caught Ava off guard. She didn’t really know the vampire at all, only that the beautiful blonde woman had rescued her when Shepherds tried to kill her. The memory of the night Trey was referring to was hazy but she could vividly recall their brief conversation at Club Liminality—when the vampire had shared memories with her. The woman had shown Ava where she came from. Descended from mages, the mysterious vampire had said, something she still found difficult to wrap her head around.

  “I don’t.” At his frown she clarified, “Know her that is. She’s the woman who saved me the night of the bombing. When I saw her at the club I wanted to thank her. Diskant didn’t give us a lot of time to talk, if you remember. I only had the chance to say thank you and goodbye.” She tried to capture Trey’s eyes but he wouldn’t allow it. “Why do you ask?”

  “Just curious,” he replied.

  He’s lying.

  Time with Diskant and the pack allowed her to read lies easily. Trey’s body language and evasive answer screamed deception. She caught herself before she sought the information from his mind to discover what he was hiding. This morning was a step in the right direction for the former Alpha and invading his thoughts might cause a setback. If Trey wanted her to know what he was up to, he
’d tell her. Respect was earned when it was given.

  “Can you tell me anything about her?” Trey continued evading eye contact, looking at the ground, the sky, the buildings—anything but her. “I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

  “She’s special,” Ava answered, going with her gut instinct about the vampire.

  “How so?”

  “I can’t really explain it. I just got the impression there’s something more to her.”

  “That’s all you know?” He glanced in her direction.

  “I’m afraid so.”

  He didn’t ask any more questions, meaning the rest of their walk was done in silence. When they arrived at Becker’s, Trey once again opened the door like a gentleman. Ava stepped inside and hesitated when Trey took a place at the front of the store. She collected a small rectangular shopping basket and peered over at him.

  “Are you coming with me or are you going to stay here?”

  The tension in his shoulders eased and he cracked a smile. “I’ll wait for you. I only shop when I have to.”

  Typical man. She studied the checkout line and the few people inspecting the shelves near the counter. “I’ll be right back. I only need a couple of things.”

  He leaned against the wall, sliding his hands into the pockets of his leather pants. “Take your time.”

  She shouldered past a bulky man in her path, walking fast in order to get what she needed. Diskant had said he wouldn’t be gone long, and he didn’t like it when she left home without him. Since they’d argued the night before, she didn’t want to cause a repeat. With one final look at Trey, she vanished around the corner in search of a carton of eggs and some freshly squeezed OJ.

  Trey kept an eye on Ava until she disappeared, then he relied on his nose to follow the little hellion through the store. Although she was small as a mouse, she had the heart and temperament of a lioness. She didn’t back down from anyone or anything. The female was a perfect match for D.