Vance parked the black suburban under the drive-up area at the front of the Montague mansion after retrieving the Demakis royal’s bag from her room—his mate. He rubbed his hands together, huffed warm air across his fingers, and looked up at his reflection in the rearview mirror. “She is our mate. She’s changed her mind. She’s choosing us,” his wolf howled with nearly uncontainable glee.

“You don’t know that,” he hissed. “Settle down.”

“She knows. She felt the magick.”

He knew she’d felt it, but she’d made it quite clear she was in charge. But if she was rejecting Montague, this would be his chance to try again. Still, his heart sank remembering the first rejection in the room upstairs. She’d told him to leave. Told him she couldn’t choose him. What would’ve changed this quickly? If she was holding herself to werewolf council law…nothing had changed. Nothing except that she’d rejected Montague as well.

He sprung out of the vehicle into the swirling snowstorm that’d blown in over the last hour. If she was leaving, now was the time. Soon they’d be snowed in until the roads could be plowed. He circled the SUV and opened the rear passenger door as she stomped through the enormous entrance and down the front steps. Dante was right behind her, glaring daggers at her back, shouting about how this wasn’t over and she had nowhere to go. The hell she didn’t. He’d make sure she felt safe. Even if she rejected him again. Even if he had to fight Montague to do it.

She climbed in and he shut the door behind her, doing his best not to drool over the round perfection of her ass.

“Mine.” His wolf growled.

I’m working on it. He didn’t dare a glance at Montague, instead rounding the hood of the suburban and quickly climbing into the drivers seat and out of the swirling snow and biting gusts. He was a shifter and the cold didn’t bother him as much as humans, but the sting of the wind still bit the same.

He drove slowly through the wintry mix, bumping and jostling down the long drive until the weather hid the mansion from view.

“Where’s the closest hotel?” She asked, her voice thready and weaker than it’d been earlier in the day. He nearly curled his lip in a growl, hating that something or someone had upset her so much.

He glanced up to meet her gaze in the rearview mirror, sucking in a quick breath at the obvious heated interest in her eyes. “About fifteen miles, Miss Demakis.”

She frowned. A cute pouty that’s-not-good-enough frown. A frown he wanted to climb out of his seat, into the back, and kiss off her pretty little red lips.

“Or I could take you to my home.”

They met gazes again and this time the lust in her bright blue eyes stilled his heart.

“I made a mistake sending you away.” Some of the tension was slipping away and her voice was dropping into that familiar husky quality from earlier in the day. The one that made all the blood in his body rush south.

“What made you change your mind?” Part of him didn’t want to ask, but part of him needed to know she’d thought this through. That she knew once they went this far, he wouldn’t let her go.

“I couldn’t stop thinking…what I was missing out on because I insisted on following the council’s rules. It was different before I met you. I just kept looking. Hoping. Dante was the last man on the list. I had to make a choice…but then you were there and my wolf—” She looked out the side window as a small sigh slipped between her lips. “I could’ve stayed, but I didn’t want a business partner. I wanted a mate.”

“You are mine now,” he said, refusing to leave any room for a misunderstanding.

He parked in front of his small home then jumped out to open the door for her. When he rounded the back of the vehicle she was already standing in the snow—waiting. Her arms circled his neck and he scooped her from the ground, hurrying through the wind up to his front door.

Once out of the bite of the wind, he closed his mouth upon hers and moaned. She was just as he remembered from the moment earlier. Just as sweet and like nothing he’d ever experienced. Kissing her pulled more strands of their mate bond together, lacing them tighter. Soon they would be able to sense each other. Feel each other’s every emotion. Locked in a symbiotic bond that would remain until they both died.

He nipped at her bottom lip. Then sucked the bottom one ever so slowly. Deliberately. Her breath was warm and sweet and held just a hint of alcohol. Just touching her roused his wolf, roused everything inside him to a point that couldn’t be ignored. He had to have her. All of her. Now.

Vance carried her through his small living area, down the short hallway to his bedroom and set her gently on the edge of the mattress, hardly breaking their kiss for more than a few seconds at a time. He couldn’t get enough of her and the little moans rumbling from her throat made him harder than steel.

“Make her ours.”

Shut it and let me.

His wolf grumbled, but stopped pushing and complaining.

Between the both of them they were both naked in minutes.

“I need you to—” Her voice mumbled against his hungry lips.

He pulled away and met her gaze. “What, love? Anything.”

“Just need a moment. A little slower.” Her creamy cheeks flushed bright pink. “This is a little overwhelming. I feel so much.”

Vance climbed to the center of the bed and looped an arm around her waist, lifting her and depositing her on top of him. The warmth of her thighs against his hips and her wet core against his stomach nearly sent him over the edge and he hadn’t even had her yet. She branded him with a desire so strong it would send him to his knees if he ever lost her again.

“You are in control, love.”

She leaned forward, a small smile played across her lips and she rubbed herself against his needy body, eliciting a groan from deep within. Exquisite torture. Her hardened nipples dragged across his chest as she leaned forward, covering his mouth with hers. Hallie cupped his head and their kiss intensified. Their tongues danced against each other and the bond that had been lacing itself together was so close to snapping into place. He needed to be with her. Joined to her.

She slipped a hand down along his chest, skimming it over his hip and behind her to where his throbbing shaft nudged her backside. Her chest arched, presenting her beautiful breasts. He wanted to reach up and knead them. Roll her nipples. But this was her time to be in control.

“Touch me, please,” she asked, her voice ragged.

He obliged, immediately sliding his hands up her torso until he held both of her breasts. It was his turn to pant as her hand alternately stroked his length then cupped him gently at the base. Then she stroked again, nearly sending his iron will out the window.

Vance lifted his head and latched to the closest breast, nuzzling, then nipping, then biting just a little harder. Her nipples tightened even more, leaving no question to the fact that she was enjoying every well-placed pinch.

He slid a hand between the cleft of her legs, parting her, reveling in her wetness. “Mine,” he said, more a growl than a spoken word. Her smell undid him. Everything he’d ever dreamed of was within reach.