Page 96 of Brandon’s Mate

He stared at her. “Are you serious? This is private.”

She shrugged. “I’m bad to the bone. I have a shirt that says so. And you were never going to read it.”

“I might have.”

“You would not. You’re stubborn as a fucking rock. You should read it.”

“Why?”

“Because you think Flynn doesn’t respect you.”

He turned the envelope over in his hands. No matter what she said, he didn’t want to read it. At least, not with anyone watching.

Brandon put the envelope down on the nightstand. “Babe, it’s been a hard fucking night, and right now I don’t give a rat’s ass what Flynn thinks. I’m alpha of this crew, and all I can think about is claiming my mate.”

Her lips parted in surprise, and a flush ran up her cheeks. “Really?”

Claiming was a big deal to wolves—a way of cementing their bond. They had sex with the intention of bonding, and then one of them bit the other, usually right where the neck met the shoulder. Hard enough to leave a scar, so everyone could see that they were mated for life.

Brandon knew Kitty wanted a claiming mark. He also knew she wouldn’t ask him.

Brandon reached into the drawer of the nightstand and pulled out the two halves of the necklace Kitty had given him so long ago. Days ago he’d put his half on a chain as well.

He said, “I don’t have anything to give you that symbolizes our bond, except for this. But I think it fits.”

He took the half she’d given him, and put it around her neck. “I carried this with me for six years,” he said. “Even when I thought I’d never see you again, I always knew I’d left the best half of myself with you.”

Kitty took the other half of the necklace and put it around his neck. “You were my other half, from the day I was born. There was never anyone else for me but you.”

She leaned forward and kissed him softly. “You ruined me for everyone else a long time ago,” she whispered.

He replied with a long, slow kiss. Then he removed the unicorn pajamas, very slowly the way he had the first time, stroking her skin, kissing the hollow of her shoulder and the inside of her thigh, the place on the side of her neck that made her shiver, the inside of her elbow.

She caught fire under his hands, touching him everywhere, kissing all his favorite places, igniting him with the same fire.

He loved her with a fierce intensity, knowing how close they’d come to losing each other tonight, and how lucky they were to have found each other again after all these years.

Because of her. Because she’d never given up. That was his Kitty.

When she was drunk with desire, making sexy growls in her throat, he pulled her onto all fours and entered her from behind. He could feel her wolf respond, hear the half-moan, half-howl as he sheathed himself inside her and thrust deep.

He wrapped his hands around her hips, driving into her again and again, feeling his cat rise, wanting to claim her as his. She had her hands on the headboard, head thrown back, meeting each thrust to drive him deeper inside her.

He reached around to her clit, stroking and teasing until she was moaning with each thrust, begging him for more.

“I love you,” he murmured in her ear. “I want you now and always. Forever.” He poured his whole heart into the words, everything he was and wanted to be—for the crew, and for her. Always her.

She grabbed onto his arms and he felt the wave of desire and love wash through her, her complete acceptance of everything they both were, separately and together.

She shuddered as her climax took her, and his heart shattered into a thousand sparkling pieces. He bit into her shoulder, deep, deep, so his cat could taste her blood.

Blood. Life.

Energy crackled through him, an echo of the blue fire that had bound the crew together. He was powerful, unstoppable, king of the world. And she was his queen.

Brandon pulled away from her just long enough to change their position, lifting her up and around so they were facing each other. There was one more thing he needed—one more thing they both needed.

He laid her down and entered her again, slowing his strokes to stoke the fire in her once more. He loved the feel of her beneath him, soft and strong all at once.