They drove onto the grand courtyard, which had once served to allow horse-drawn carriages to easily maneuver and now served as driveway in front of the stunning main house.

“Marco?” she pleaded softly.

“No. I am hopeful that a small dose of humbling will cause the lesson you should have learned this day to be retained.”

“I may never forgive you.”

He chuckled. “Ah, my sweet mate, when I have mounted you and brought you to orgasm several times, you will remember it is you who needed to be forgiven and will beg me to do so.”

They drew up in front of the villa and were greeted by what Catherine assumed to be the majority of their pack as well as those who worked in the large house. She would have given anything to be able to sink down into the roadster and not have to endure the embarrassment she knew she was going to feel. As Marco walked around the car and helped her out, her eyes pleaded with him to allow her a little dignity.

“No, my Catherine. You will accept your punishment.”

Catherine knew that shoeless, any kick she tried to deliver would do nothing to deter him, but she refused to simply be made to submit in front of her new family without at least showing them some of her spirit. She meant to let them know that while their alpha may be all powerful, that he had a mate who was his equal. She stood on her tiptoes to offer her mouth to him for a kiss, which he was happy to accept. She drew back her foot and kicked him soundly in the shin.

She was rewarded by his quick intake of breath, indicating that her blow had at least inflicted as much pain to him as it had caused her foot to deliver it.

Marco growled and Catherine felt the sound surround and envelop her, causing wildfire to race through her veins and her pussy to become wet and needy. She heard those who were watching gasp at her outrageous, at least by their standards, behavior. She took small comfort in knowing that she had made her intended point.

Catherine saw him bend into her hips and hoist her over his shoulder. He had barely settled her over his broad frame when he landed two sharp swats to her still stinging backside.

“Catherine, these are your people. I had thought to introduce you to them before taking you to our room, but apparently you continue to choose to indulge your temper. My people, this beautiful creature draped over my shoulder is your mistress, Catherine. She is spirited and fills my heart with joy. I know you will make her welcome when she is allowed to rejoin you.”

Catherine closed her eyes and considered all the ways she might kill him. She shook her head. Even as angry as she was, she knew she didn’t want him dead. She didn’t even want him hurt. What she wanted was to become one with him. There it was, the truth she’d been avoiding. She wanted to be a wolf. She wanted to share his life, to give him children, to watch them grow up in this magnificent palace.

Even from her vantage point she could see their home was incredible. She smiled; it amused her that she was finding the use of the plural possessive pronoun to come easily to mind.

Marco went up the stairs and headed down a long hall filled with beautiful frescos and artwork. He paused only long enough to open a door and close it behind him. He set her down on her feet. She could feel him controlling his anger. She tried to move past him and he blocked her way.

“What did I tell you about striking me?”

“That I wasn’t to do it and you’d spank me if I did,” she said with growing agitation.

“Then you admit that you knew that if you kicked me, you would be due a spanking?”

“Marco, I was angry. You provoked me. I want these people to at least like me and you humiliated me.”

“I thought to bring the lesson home both to you and our pack that you are mistress here now, mate to me and that you will mind me.”

“And for those women brought up in this way of life, I’m sure it must be somewhat easier. But I’ve been on my own most of my life. I’ve answered to no authority other than my own for a long time. Even you said that you understood it was difficult for me and it is.”

“But you understand that your former way of life has come to an end for you. Regardless of whether you choose to transition to a wolf, you are my mate and must learn to function effectively within the parameters of our society.”

“I know that. I even accept that, but I’m not always going to get it right. My first reaction is to fight for what I want or know to be right, not to listen to my mate and accept his word as law.”

“But my word is law,” he said sternly. “For you and for the rest of our pack. I cannot be seen allowing my mate to run roughshod over my authority. You have done nothing all day but defy me. I thought you were starting at least to reconcile with the idea that you will submit to me.”

“And you promised you wouldn’t let my willful nature make you doubt my love for you,” she accused.

Realizing she was on the verge of tears, he kissed her and smiled. “I do not doubt what you feel for me. But I will not allow you to continue to defy me and endanger yourself.”

“The only danger I’ve been in is not being able to sit down for the rest of my life and having eternally tender feminine parts, although that’s not the worst thing that can happen to a girl,” she said, trying to lighten the mood. “But I am trying. You have to admit, bringing me home wrapped in a bedsheet and then tossing me over your shoulder and swatting me was a bit over the top even for you.”

“And you must admit that you knew I would spank you for kicking me. You are mine, Catherine. Do you agree?”

“Yes, but...” she said, her irritation increasing as he refused to see her point of view.

“There is no but—only yes or no. If you choose not to obey me to stay safe, I will take other measures to ensure it is known that you belong to a powerful alpha who would kill anyone who tries to harm you.”

“What measures?” she asked, her own anger now rearing its ugly head.

Marco pinned her to the wall and quickly stripped the bedsheet away from her. He opened the fly of his trousers. She felt him lift her off the floor. He used the wall for leverage and without ever releasing her, he slowly lowered her back down and onto his engorged and hardened staff.

“Oh, God,” she managed to moan as she clung desperately to him.

“Wrap your legs around my back.”

He growled with satisfaction as she did so. He grasped her bottom and began to raise and lower her on his cock.

“Yes,” she moaned as she began to forget that she had ever been angry with him.

Marco continued to move her body up and down as he thrust into her, causing her to cling to him as she climaxed. In the back of her head Catherine knew that she should be more concerned about what he would do when he had spilled himself in her. She knew he was angry. It even briefly crossed her mind that she was most likely going to be spanked again, and her passion lagged for a moment.

Catherine could feel him sense her loss of focus on their lovemaking as he drove harder into her now, holding her steady so that his cock jackhammered her pussy. She was no longer capable of coherent thought. All she could do was glory in the power he had over her body and the way her entire being seemed to sing in harmony with his.

She felt him ratchet up the intensity yet again as she climaxed and then felt another one immediately start to form. He had the ability to make her come repeatedly in rapid succession. Her pussy spasmed around him, trying desperately to keep him inside and force his cum to fill her.

Finally, she felt him begin the tempo and speed she had come to expect before he took his own release. She nuzzled his neck and threw her head back, reveling in his embrace. She was not prepared for the sharp nip he gave the base of her neck between the hollow and the beginning of her collarbone. It was brief but somewhat painful. She started to protest as he began to release her.

Instinctively Catherine realized he had not bitten her hard enough to break the skin or start the change process. But it did bring into sharp relief what it was she wanted. She didn’t know all of the details of how the transition worked or what all it entailed, but she knew enough about her own feelings to know she wanted to be one with him. She brought her hands up to his head, kissed him with same kind of possessive passion with which he always kissed her, and then pressed his mouth to the same location he had nipped.

“Harder,” she whispered.

He raised his head and looked into her eyes. She knew that he could see everything—her understanding, her acceptance, and her love.

“Are you sure?”

The constant rhythm with which he fucked her never ceased and had rendered her speechless. She could only nod. Once again, he drove into her, urging her body to give him more. As she reached the height of her climax again, Catherine felt him take hold of the place on her neck he had nipped before. Only this time, it was no nip he inflicted but a deep and savage bite. He began to thrust even harder into her, making her scream not from pain but from the unrivaled ecstasy he was giving her as she began to feel his cock pump his essence into the depths of her sheath. Her pussy clutched at his cock, urging every drop of his cum to spill.

When they were both finally still, he lifted her off his cock and set her on her feet but kept her pinned to the wall. He reached between them and righted his trousers, closing the fly. He removed his silk handkerchief and dabbed at the bleeding wound before kissing it reverently.

“My beloved Catherine, I have no words for the gift you have given me this day. I am glad that we are already home so that when the change starts to come over you, we will be able to take care of you. I will send for the doctor in Milan so he can be here from the very beginning of your transition. And while I will entrust your physical care to him, I will be by your side until you are safely delivered from the change.”

“Is it that bad?” she asked, the first small inkling of fear creeping into her voice. She had been sure of her choice, but now realized the consequences of that choice were far greater than she may have actually considered.

“To watch it is a terrible thing to behold until the virus gets the upper hand and starts to take over. On the other hand, those who have been through it say they felt as though they had a long nap from which they awoke with a tremendous hangover.”

“And you wonder why people don’t sign up to be changed? Will I be able to shift like you did?”

“Yes. It takes time to learn and practice. But once the hangover goes away you will feel better and more in touch with your body than you ever have. And your libido should increase,” he said, chuckling.

“I haven’t heard you complain about the state of my libido.”

“I haven’t. I have yet to find you anything other than wet and willing.”

She giggled. “Well, you’ll just have to try to keep me satisfied.”

He laughed. “I have yet to knot and tie you, my Catherine. I will have no trouble keeping your naughty libido in line.”

She touched the mark on her neck. “This sucker is going to leave a nasty scar, isn’t it?”

“I would not call it nasty, but yes, the scar will be prominent. It will let any wolf know that you are mate to an alpha and that harming you in any way will result in grievous bodily harm to the one who does.”