Zane doesn’t wait a moment. He grabs Evie’s hand and the keys. “Let’s go.” Quint even follows without a word. Suddenly, it’s silent. I stare up at my man, unsure what to do next.
“Come on.” I follow him as he walks to the back bedrooms. He opens the door to my room without asking which one is mine. I guess he must be able to smell that it’s mine. He closes the door behind him and faces me. I shiver at the intensity in his eyes and will myself not to look or act nervous. I know if I do, he’ll call the whole thing off. He steps close until we’re almost touching. “We’ll try, but if it’s too much for you, you have to tell me.” His eyes plead with me.
“I will, Slater. I promise.”
He continues to stare down at me, regret all over his face. “This is going to hurt. That’s not how it’s supposed to be. It’s not how I envisioned marking you.”
“You’ve envisioned it?” I ask.
“More times than you probably want to know.”
“What did you envision?” I nearly whisper. He stares down at me. “Tell me,” I push. “What would you do if you could freely touch me.”
His eyes flash, and I shudder at the look in his eyes. It’s downright predatory now. “I would start by kissing you until neither of us could breathe.”
I suck in a breath. “That’s a good start,” I whisper.
“Then I would kiss you down the side of your neck to the point that connects your neck and shoulder. I would pay special attention to that spot.” His voice is a rumble now. “I would kiss you there, over and over again until you arch your back and fully surrender to me and let me bite you.”
I suck in a shaky breath and meet his gaze. “I want that, all that.”
“I do too, Baby.”
“Then bite me so we can end the power of this bracelet, and then you can do all that to me in reverse.”
His eyes heat, and my stomach pitches at the look in his eyes. He steps even closer and drops his head, so that it’s almost touching my neck. He only breathes on my neck, and it’s seriously the most intimate thing I’ve ever been a part of. “Slater,” I whisper, trying to remember how to form words.
He makes a sound, and I take that as my cue to continue. “I love you.” He goes very still; I think he forgets to breathe. “I just wanted you to know before you,” I swallow. “Before you mark me.”
He pulls back the tiniest bit, so that his eyes meet mine. “I love you too, Shorty.”
I meet his gaze head-on. “Then bite me and make me yours. End this power that keeps us from each other.”
And then he strikes.
Chapter 45
Slater
Her words light a fire in me that’s all consuming; it burns me from the inside out. I lean forward and attach my mouth to her neck. Her body arches and then stiffens; I hear her cry out in pain. I don’t waste a second. I bite. It’s not the way I planned on doing this. Nothing about this is the way it was supposed to be, but I won’t let anything keep us away from each other any longer.
The instant my fangs break her skin, I feel a force come at me hard, trying to push me away. It’s invisible, but it’s strong. I can barely keep my fangs in her skin; I feel the power repelling me.Zane, I need your—I don’t get to finish the thought before alpha power floods my system. The power gives me renewed strength, and I push against the forces at play. I’m aware that Evie’s body is stiff in my arms and every muscle is locked in place. I hate that she’s in pain. I summon every ounce of my strength and combine it with Zane’s to force my bite to hold. When it still doesn’t work, I let loose all the emotion and feelings I’ve been holding back, trying not to flood Tessa. I release the tidal wave now, and the power of it combined with Zane and my strength pushes the bite deep. Tessa throws her head back and screams, but I don’t let go. I can feel the fight taking place, and I refuse to let evil win. Suddenly, the force I’ve been fighting against dissipates. I cut off the flow of Zane’s power and pull back my own emotions, but they don’t flow back into me anymore. They flow directly into Tessa. I finally release my bite and lick it, soothing it. I lift my head, anxious to check on Tessa. “Tess,” I say urgently. “Baby.”And then she opens those gorgeous eyes. She stares up at me and then smiles the biggest smile I’ve seen to date.
“It’s gone.”
I blink. “Are you sure?”
She looks down at where I’m still grasping her arms. “It doesn’t hurt?” I ask in wonder.
She pulls her arm from me and shows me an empty wrist. “It’s gone.”
I stare at her wrist and then look at the floor. I release her to bend down and pick up the broken bracelet. I show it to her and watch as her lips widen into a perfect smile. “I guess it worked.”
“You’re not in any pain?” I ask.
Her smile is blinding. “No, Hotshot. I’m not. So, can we do all that you said now?”
I’m not sure who moves first, but she’s suddenly in my arms, and my lips are on hers. I groan low in my chest at the feel of her finally in my arms and without pain. She sighs against my lips, and I kiss her deeper, loving the sounds she makes. I run my hands over her spine and then down her arms, her hips. I can’t stop touching her. She does the same to me. I know I will never tire of kissing this girl and touching her. I have no idea how much time passes, but eventually, Zane reaches out.
