The urge just kept on taunting him, pushing him, tempting him. Eating at his control. It didn’t help that his wolf was pressing him to do that very thing.

When Dominic paused, panting, Mila frowned. “What’s wrong?”

Letting his hand slip from her throat, he cupped her hips as he rested his forehead on the back of her own head. “Just give me a sec.”

Hearing the strain in those words, Mila clipped, “I don’t need you to be in control.”

“Yes, you do. Or I’m going to claim you.”

Her heart slammed against her ribs. She heard the truth in that statement. Heard how badly he craved to claim her. Felt that same longing to permanently brand him as hers—a longing that was shared by her cat. Mila shrugged. “So do it.”

He groaned. “Shit, Mila, don’t say that unless you mean it. It’d kill me if you later regretted it.”

“I won’t. I want this.”

“Be sure,” he said, his voice unintentionally harsh. “Because there’ll be no going back after this. I don’t care that imprinting bonds can fade—for me, this will be irrevocable.” He dug his fingers into her hips. “You hear me, Mila? If I claim you right now, it’s for good. I won’t let you go.”

“Just fucking bite me.”

He sank his teeth down hard, tasted blood, and growled in victory. Ignoring how she tried to buck and squirm on his cock, he held her in place as he sucked and licked at the mark, making sure the permanent brand would never be mistaken for anything but a claiming mark. His wolf rumbled a dark sound that vibrated with pure satisfaction.

Locking one arm tight around her waist, Dominic planted his free hand on the wall above the headboard and licked over the bite. “Mine. Always mine.” Then, control obliterated, he was ramming into her again. Possessing her body, asserting his claim on her, taking what was his to take.

As his balls drew up tight, he snarled into her ear, “Come all over my cock, Mila. Let me feel . . . Yeah, that’s it, baby.” Her head fell back onto his shoulder as she came with a choked groan, quaking and contracting around him. “Fuck.” He slammed harder, faster, and jammed his cock deep as he exploded inside his mate, his eyes going blind with the pleasure that whipped through his body.

Floating on sheer bliss, Mila slumped, her eyes closed. Only the arm around her waist kept her from collapsing onto the bed. Sated all the way to her soul, she didn’t stir as Dominic pulled out of her and tugged her down to the mattress. Then they were lying on their sides, facing each other as he traced the bumps of her spine.

“Look at me, Mila,” Dominic softly ordered, needing to stare into her eyes, needing to be sure there was no regret there. When her eyelids fluttered open, all he saw was peace. He drew in a contented breath and pressed a lingering kiss on her mouth. “I don’t think my wolf has ever felt so settled.”

Her lips curled lazily. “I was just thinking the same thing about my cat.”

He gave her a slow, languid smile. “Yeah? Good. Because she’s mine too. I want her happy.”

Her badass cat totally melted when he said stuff like that. “She is.”

Skimming his finger over the claiming bite on her neck, he asked, “You sure you’re good with this?”

“I’m sure.”

“No regrets?”

“None at all.” Mila sank her teeth down hard on his neck, sucking, licking, and leaving her own permanent brand.

Cursing, Dominic tangled a hand in her hair. A raw, primal need shuddered through him. His blood thickened, his cock hardened. And for the second time in the space of mere minutes, he lost all control.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Knuckles rapped on the door. “I got a bunch of people at the gate, wanting to see Mila,” Trey called out from the tunnel. “No, demanding to see her.”

Dominic paused in massaging her scalp. After flipping her over and possessing her once more, he’d rolled onto his back and sprawled her over his chest, silently relishing the knowledge that she’d claimed him as her own. They’d been lying there for a while now, relaxing, talking, and enjoying the time alone. Now it was apparently over. “Who?”

“Vinnie, his sons, her parents, and her brother.”

Lifting her head, Mila sighed. “Well, at least they showed enough respect not to sneak in.”

Dominic’s brows pinched together. “You really think they could bypass our security?”

“My mother and Alex could do it, no problem,” she said.

“Quick warning,” Taryn called out. “They’re not happy bunnies right now.”

Yeah, Dominic had figured they’d be annoyed with him for not returning Mila to her apartment. “Let them through the gates,” he told the Alphas as he and Mila rose from the bed and snatched their clothes from the floor. “Mila and I will meet them at the entrance to the caves.”

Mila dragged on her jeans, but since there was blood all over her top, she didn’t remove Dominic’s shirt. Hearing her cell ring, she fished it out of her jeans pocket. Joel. She instantly canceled the call.

“I’m guessing that was Joel by the face you pulled,” said Dominic.

“It was,” she confirmed. And then her phone was ringing again.

“He’s gonna keep calling until he hears your voice and knows for sure that you’re fine,” said Dominic, beating back the resentment he felt at that. “His instincts will hound him until he does.”

She shrugged. “That sounds like his problem, not mine. We both made our choices. Adele’s his choice.” And neither she nor her cat felt any bitterness about it. “And you’re mine.”

Fully dressed, Dominic lifted his brow. “If you hadn’t known that your true mate was spoken for, would you still have claimed me?”

Mila frowned at the idiotic question. But then, she supposed she’d wonder the same thing in his position. “My claiming you had nothing to do with him or anyone else. I claimed you because, well, I love you. Which is seriously annoying, by the way, because I don’t like mushy stuff. If I hadn’t known about Joel, I still would have loved you. In which case, yes, I still would have claimed you.”

His face all soft and warm, he gathered her close. “You love me?” he asked, his voice thick with emotion.

“Yeah. As I said, it’s annoying.”

He brushed his nose against hers. “Since you don’t like mushy stuff, I won’t tell you that I love you right back.”

Mila’s mouth curled, and warmth trickled through her and her cat. “You just did.”

“You can pretend I didn’t.” He took her mouth in a soft, slow, deep kiss that—

Knuckles rapped on the door again. “Um, hello,” called Taryn. “You guys ready or what?”

Sighing, Dominic reluctantly drew back. “We’ll continue this later,” he promised Mila. Crossing to the door, he opened it wide to find both his Alphas standing there.

Taryn smiled. “Thanks for finally joining . . .” She trailed off as her eyes dropped to Dominic’s claiming mark. Spotting the matching one on Mila’s neck, the she-wolf lifted her brows. “Well. I have to say, I was not expecting that so soon. I’m doing a happy dance in my head right now.”