"What happened to him?" She tried not to let tears choke her voice, but it was hard. They fell in fast rivulets down her face as she crawled closer. His scent was so familiar, so beautiful. It calmed her even as worry tugged at her with cruel arms.

"Conlin stabbed him with a silver blade to the thigh. It hit his femoral. Luckily, he'll heal from it. It'll just take awhile." Alison gasped and cupped his pale cheek in her hand. If he'd been human, he would have been dead in minutes. Leaning over him gently, she pressed tearful kisses over his lips, cheeks, everywhere. She didn't realize they were alone until she heard the soft snick of the door closing.

"Oh, Roman. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, beautiful."

She gasped and pulled back to see his eyes open, albeit hooded. His lips pulled back into a gentle grin. She wanted to slap him for coming after her and hold him close all at the same time. His eyes roamed all over her face as if memorizing every detail.

He cupped her cheek and she leaned into it. "Don't move, you need to rest." He shook his head at her words.

"You need to rest. I just have a cut. You have many cuts."

"Mine aren't deep." He looked pointedly at the large white bandage wrapped around her neck and she winced. "Okay, maybe just that one is. But honestly, Darien said I’m healing fine. I can feel it working."

"Ah, come here," he said gruffly and pulled her into his arms. "How is the rest of you?"

"Just feels like a sting right now." She relaxed into his hold and let his arms calm her. "What happened to Conlin?"

He exhaled heavily. "This is the first I've really been up. I haven't even thought to ask anyone, to be honest. Last I remember, I ripped his throat out and was saving the righteous kill for you."

Alison looked at him, her mouth gaping. "You ripped his throat out. Like with your bare hands?"

He flushed a little. Even in the darkened room she could see it. "No, not exactly. I, uh, used my teeth." He mumbled the last few words so she wasn’t sure if she heard him correctly.

His teeth? He tore his throat out with his teeth? Her eyes widened and her jaw wouldn’t close as she pondered—and imagined—the scene. Then she did something that shocked the hell out of him.

She kissed him. She kissed him with an overwhelming passion that had his possessive instincts roaring to life and his cock awakening with surprising force. He kissed her back with hungry lips, his tongue sweeping in to find hers. They were ravenous, greedy for each other.

Her hands found the cover around his chest and pushed it down.

"Stop." When had his voice grown so husky?

Alison lifted her mouth from his and noted that color was coming back to his cheeks. If she had any doubt before, it was gone. She needed this; he needed this.

Alison swept down the comforter, tossed her thigh across his hips, and climbed aboard. She felt like a doll trying to perch on the Jolly Green Giant. She was panting by time she situated herself.

"You're too big," she was saying.

"I've never heard you complain before."

She gave him a peeved glare and sat back until she felt the rock hard press against her core. Then her eyes rolled back into her head and she bit her lip to keep from moaning.

He was naked underneath that cover. She said a little prayer for the little things in life. Then she said a great big prayer for being alive.

"You really are beautiful."

Startled, Alison looked down at her sexy alpha. Beautiful didn't even begin to describe him. He was the picture of lykaen perfection. And he was all hers.

"I need to tell you something." She saw his eyes widen with apprehension.

No way could she face him when she asked so she looked away. She wasn't that strong. She had to clear her throat twice before any sound came out. "I was just wondering if you wanted to mate...with me. I know you haven't known me that long, but I feel like that would be a good thing."

Oh God, idiot! I'm so stupid. I can't even sound smooth while asking a man like Rome to mate with me. It's not like I'm asking him to go to the flipping movies. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Suddenly a hand was at the back of her head and she was brought down to Rome's kiss. Though kiss doesn't really cover what he did. He owned her mouth with his. He was an unrelenting warrior taking his long fought for reward. Lips pressed smoothly against each other while his tongue conquered her mouth. A smoldering heat built up inside her like a fire being stoked. Each hungry pass of his tongue had her pressing herself closer. She couldn't get enough. But she was dying to know the answer, to hear him say it.

She tore her mouth away, gasping. "Tell me. Answer me, please. I can't take it." She closed her eyes hard. It was unbearable not knowing; her heart was doing a crazy dance in her chest and her mind was shouting at her that she was stupid.

Hands cupped her cheeks. "Baby, you were mine the moment I set eyes on you. I'd be honored to be your mate, Alison Bennson. Will you be mine?"

Heart quickening, she couldn't stop the huge smile that crossed her face or the humiliating squeal she made before pressing at least a dozen kisses over his face. She settled down over his lips and kissed her new mate.

He growled, his hands moving down her body to cup her bottom. "I need to be inside you, lumara." The old lykaen word for mate triggered something deep inside her. Alison leaned forward, bracing herself on Rome's chest.

"Tear them off."

He looked startled for a moment, then his eyes went hooded and dark. He reached down, cupped her panty-clad ass, and squeezed the cheeks in his big hands before finding the sides. He curled his fingers into the soft material and pulled. They snapped, and then cool air found her wet pussy.

"Take me in baby. Take me all in, just like this."

Flinging off the offending material of her long shirt, Alison leaned back and spread her legs further until she found the hot round press of his cock.

"Rome!" She was panting. and he wasn't even inside her yet. His hands cupped her breasts, rolled the hard tips of her nipples between his hands.

"I need to suck on these." His voice deepened to a feral level. His lykaen was so close to the surface his eyes glowed. She obeyed his order and leaned forward. He captured her hard nipple with a growl.

She moaned as he sucked on her, teased her breast with his clever tongue. Her core was frustratingly empty. The need inside her like a burning inferno. She tried to lean back to slide down on his cock, but gave a frustrated growl.

"I'm too short, baby. I can't do both." He switched to the other breast and squeezed her ass cheek until she felt the burn of his palm on her skin. "Oooh!"

He was dominating her body with his touch, taking her over. His tongue flicked her nipple then latched onto the firm tip. Both hands went to her ass and cupped the flesh possessively. He opened his mouth wider and sucked more of her into his mouth.

Then her pussy flooded with cream. His hands curled inward, finding the roaring heat of her sex. His fingers pressed further and dipped into that wet heat. She turned her head away and closed her eyes. She was embarrassingly wet. He only growled as he found her creamy heat. The sound vibrated through her breast to her core. A thick, long finger found her entrance and pushed up to a knuckle.

Her mouth fell open in a pant. Her hips kicked back to slide the finger all the way in. It's not enough. It wasn't near big enough.