She stiffened in his arms. He could read her guiltyconscience by the guarded expression that spread over her face.
“The attraction you’re experiencing is automatic when you meet your mate.”
“Mate? I don’t understand this,” she said, clinging to him.
“Let me explain.” Titus forced himself to stroll to the couch. He sat with her seated on his lap. “First, what hurts?”
“The ache isn’t important,” she said as her eyes roamed over his face, trying to make sense of the urgency he guessed she felt inside.
Ignoring that answer, Titus searched for himself. He whisked his hand down her back and then over her legs. When he reached her heels, Alessia inhaled sharply. He eased the stilettos off and noted the raw spots dotting her skin. “What happened?”
“My ride made me walk to the club. The combination of too high shoes and rain equals….” She waved a hand over her feet.
“That driver is a dead man or woman. What’s their name?” Titus demanded.
She laughed and then instantly sobered as she caught his angry expression. He wasn’t joking. “Titus, don’t worry about that. What’s happening here?”
“You’re mine.”
Alessia shook her head. “I don’t understand. Yours? You said mate before. We’re not animals.”
“At least one of us isn’t,” Titus said, delighted by her confused look.
“What? You’re a werewolf or something?”
His hand cupped her jaw, and he leaned forward to brush his lips over hers. He had to keep her from panicking. “Let’s go with the ‘or something’ option.” Before she could fret aboutthat piece of information, Titus pressed his mouth firmly against hers.
Instant heat flared between them. Titus had enjoyed kisses during his long life, but nothing compared to this. She tasted of honey and desire. He couldn’t get enough, loving how she eagerly responded to him. Her hands tightened around fistfuls of his Nightfall polo as if she’d never let him go.
Titus wanted to shred her clothes from her gorgeous form and show her how good he could make her feel. He struggled to remember that while he’d locked the door, this room, like most others, had security cameras, thanks to Marcus. A growl rumbled in his chest. He’d kill one of his clan if they saw her naked.
That warning noise interrupted the magic brewing between them. She released his shirt and pushed away from his chest. Staring at him with a combination of desire and confusion on her face, Alessia asked, “Was that you?”
Titus called upon his ability to amuse people around him. As the youngest son of a nobleman, entertaining others had given him a role and a seat at the table. He might not have had a title, but others valued him for his ability to disrupt the boredom plaguing events and estates.
“Sorry, my pet. I am housebroken. Most of the time,” he said. To Marcus, he sent,Kill the cameras in this room. Now!Marcus’s answering chuckle assured him the video feed had ended.
“I don’t understand what’s happening here.” Alessia straightened her arms, distancing herself from him.
Titus sent her a mental message, hoping the psychic vibrations would register on her brain to reassure her.You are safe with me, Little girl.He didn’t dare to imagine she’d actually understand him.
Alessia scrambled off his lap and limped as she backedtoward the door, keeping her gaze fixed on him. “How did you do that?”
“Do what?” he asked, smiling up at her.
“You spoke in my head. I understood you just as if you’d used your mouth. But you didn’t.”
You can hear me?
“Stop it! You’re freaking me out.”
Think a message to me, my pet.
She squeezed her eyes shut before opening those beautiful deep brown orbs to glare at him. “Like I can talk to your mind,” she said aloud.
“But you can, Alessia. Try.”
He’s going to kill me.Enzo will make me suffer for being holed up in a room away from everything. I need to get out of here.
