“If I piss you off, you can punish me.”
Why did the thought of that send a shiver through me?
“I’m more interested in standing beside you, making our way toward a goal. The way I see it, being a Dominant doesn’t mean I get to bully you. It doesn’t mean I get to be a dick. I amnotJerome. Ineverwant to be him. I want us to talk about things and make decisions, not rule over you with an iron fist.”
I hoped he was hearing what I was saying. I didn’t mind him needing me to dominate him, but I drew the line at him being a slave. Mom’s words came back to me, and I wanted to talk to him, because there were things he needed to know. Kinda urgent things. But right then we were trying to figure out what we were, and I didn’t want to add a helping of WTF to everything else we were dealing with.
That would come, probably sooner than either of us was expecting.
I just hoped when the time rolled around, Mase would understand why I hadn’t told him until now.
He thinkshehad a secret. He has no fucking idea.
Chapter Nine
Mason
I woke up an hour later,and found I was still wrapped in Kip’s arms. I wanted to cry, to let out all the feelings I’d been holding in since I blew him. The main emotion that plagued me?
Fear.
Even though he’d done his best to settle my nerves, I was still terrified I’d screwed up, that he’d walk away from me. A close second, however, was the elation that I’d had him in my mouth in the first place. It had been everything I’d hoped for and more. The texture, the smell, the taste—oh god, the musky-sweet taste, which still lingered on my tongue.
It was heaven.
Underlying that was the horror of what I hadn’t told him, what Iwouldn’ttell him.
He isn’t a wolf. He doesn’t know.
As an Omega, I was now bound to him as my Dominant. This had been what the Alpha had been talking about. Wolves mated for life. Kip was under no obligation to stay with meand could leave whenever someone or something better caught his eye.
And it would, I was under no illusions about that. Granted, it might take some time, but I knew it would happen eventually. I tried to tell myself it would be okay, that I’d survive it, but after feeling myself being bound to Kip, to realize I was now his submissive, I knew it would break me. Part of me wished he’d never said he’d be my Dominant.
It would’ve been preferable to have Jerome. At least he’d always be there.
That thought made me feel even worse, because it signified I wasn’t trusting my Dominant.
Kip pulled me closer and tightened his grip. “How did I not know that you think way too much?” he asked, his voice heavy with sleep.
“I’m sorry, Kip,” I whispered, my voice raw and broken.
“Tell me what’s going on in your head.”
What on earth do I say to him? ‘I should be trusting you in all things, but that isn’t happening right now’?
“It’s nothing. I’m fine.”
A deep sigh rolled out of him. “Tell me what’s going on in that head of yours.”
This time it wasn’t a request but an order, and still I struggled to not obey.
Another sigh. “Right. Okay, I don’t know much about being a Dominant. I don’t really understand what it means to have someone depend on you to guide them. For me, this is alearn as I gokinda thing. Idoknow your refusal to talk to me requires me to do something about it.”
“How about let it go?”
He patted my head. “Cute, Elsa. No.” He got up, then grabbed my arm and pulled me out of bed. “I’ve been thinking about this ever since it was decided that I was now responsible for you. I’ll tell you the truth, this is real heady shit, knowing you have someone’s life in your hands.”
“Is that why you said you don’t want to be my Dominant?” I asked, feeling out of sorts.
