In all his naked glory, sporting an erection that should have alarmed her, the heathen carried her all the way back to the room where he’d nursed her the previous night, and dropped her on his bed.

“Didn’t we clarify that I’m not some goddamned prize, Coveney Walker?”

“Did we?” he replied, and she had a perfect answer that would have indeed shown him his place, but, as he happened to capture her lips just then, she was too busy panting and melting under him to formulate a sound.

Okay, so she moaned, but that didn’t count.

The man was completely naked and hovering over her on a large bed that smelled like him; Ava’s insides melted, and her hips curved upward, needing to touch him.

“So beautiful,” he whispered, his knuckles tracing her face, pushing her hair away. He opened his fist and let his hands slide over her bare arms. That was supposed to be innocent, right? So why did it feel like her clit was on fire?

Coveney chuckled. “You really don’t believe it.”

“Aria, my sister, she was the…”

“I didn’t know Aria. I just know hundreds of women, and none of them have captivated me nearly as much as you.”

Bedroom talk was always sweet, she told herself. This was normal. Her heart had no reason to beat at five thousand miles an hour, yet it went and did just that anyway.

“You know why, Ava? No, I expect you don’t.”

She didn’t know anything at all right now, given the fact that his hand had reached her waist and he was pushing her borrowed tank top up, one excruciatingly slow second at a time.

For Christ’s sake, she’d had guys go down on her, she shouldn’t be panting like a crazy person because he was touching her damn tummy.

Impatient, needing him to give more, she reached between them, grabbed his cock, and started pumping it.

Coveney groaned, before chuckling. “You want this over with. You want me to shut up and fuck you so we don’t have to talk about this. Funny, Ava. I didn’t take you for a coward.”

“I’ve had the birds and bees conversation with my momma, handsome. I need you.”

“And I you. I just was going to make it clear that when I stop holding myself back in a minute, I’m going to bite or scratch you.” His head dropped to her neck. He licked it before dropping feather-light kisses on it, as his frame dropped onto hers, his heavy cock grinding against her pants, and she threw her head back. Shit. Her clothes needed to go.

Wait, had he just said bite?

“Where do eagles mark each other, mate?” he whispered against her ear, and everything around them ceased to exist.

Mate.

Mate.

Mate.

Her animal, who’d remained watchful and careful until now, who hadn’t known what to make of him, cried out inside her. Mate, she said. The eagle felt as stupid as Ava, because they both should have seen it. Now, they did.

She wasn’t in charge of her change this time; the eagle acted all on her own, morphing her hand, and running her talon from the small of his back to his shoulders, hard, deep, and slow.

Coveney winced, but stayed still until she was done. Then, he chuckled.

“I guess that answers that question.”

“Sorry, I don’t know what came over her, she just…”

“Don’t you dare apologize.” Then, he said it again. “Mate.”

Fuck. He was hers.

If she hadn’t marked him quite as brutally, brusquely, and without warning, they might have been more civilized about it. But, as things were, Ava opened her jeans and glided them down her legs. She lifted her knees to get them past her thighs, but, without giving her a second to do it, Coveney grabbed her arms, pinned them above her head, and plunged balls deep inside her in one hard thrust.

She yelled out in pleasure and surprise. Sitting up, Coveney angled himself to hit the deepest point inside her and thrust in again, and again, and again, so fast it was all a blur of sensations. Every single muscle inside her was tenser than ever when he clawed at her top, ripping it to shreds, before descending on her breast.

He bit her hard, drawing blood as she yelled out, her pussy contracting around him as he exploded inside her.

They were entirely still and silent for an instant. Her bird cooed happily, and Coveney’s eyes flashed light blue, like his tiger’s.

Mate.

She felt it in her heart, beating alongside his. In her blood and her bones. He was hers, and she was his.

Laughing softly, he finally finished helping her out of her pants, before kissing her ankles, and placing each of them on one of his shoulders, spreading her legs.

“I sincerely hope you’re well-rested, Ava mine,” he purred as his thumb pressed on her clit, the shallow movement of his hips reawakening every part of her. “This may just last a little while.”