Shaya whined. “I can’t.”

“But you will.”

Before Shaya knew it, he’d jerked her away from the wall, withdrawn from her, lowered her to her feet, and then spun her around. Suddenly she found herself facing the small table of the dinette.

Nick sucked on her earlobe. “Bend over.”

If anyone else had spoken to her with that amount of authority, with such expectation of her total and utter submission, she would have scoffed at their order and slapped them. But not with Nick. Never with Nick. He’d earned her submission on every level. She knew she could never have given up this depth of control to anyone but him, could never have been this comfortable with anyone else, or felt this safe with anyone else.

“Don’t make me repeat myself, Shay.”

Shivering at the dominant growl, she obediently bent over and gripped the table. The cool of the wood against her br**sts made her gasp. When a hand abruptly came down hard on her ass, she jumped.

“That was for ignoring me when I told you to fight your orgasm, trying to escape your punishment.” Again he spanked her ass. “That was for almost taking my head off with a baseball bat—oh no, baby, I haven’t forgotten about that.” He made the third spank extra hard. “And that was for going on a date with the web designer and almost tearing my heart out of my f**king chest.” He lightly massaged the prints he’d left on her ass, blowing on them. Then he drove one finger inside her and swirled it around, loving the look of her bent over, submitting to him and finally fully accepting that she was his. “Christ, you’re so wet.”

Withdrawing his finger, he ran it to her puckered hole and circled it teasingly. “This is another place I’ll be claiming soon, baby.” They had been slowly getting her ready for it. “Very, very soon. But right now, I have other plans.” He knotted a hand in her hair, snatched her head back, and buried himself inside her in one long, smooth stroke. They both groaned. Her pu**y clamped down on him, tight as a fist and so f**king hot and wet. Folding over her, he spoke into her ear. “Remember: Don’t come yet.”

As he suddenly began pounding into her, bliss tinged with relief rocketed through Shaya. Finally he was taking her. It was wilder than the other times he’d been inside her—more intense, more uninhibited, more everything. His pace was literally feverish as he f**ked in and out of her. With him blanketing her body and pinning her in place, all she could do was take it. The feel of the denim of his jeans rubbing against the sensitive skin of her ass heightened the other sensations. The tension inside her kept building and building, making it more and more difficult to hold back her orgasm.

“Are you ready for me to claim you?” She nodded, releasing a broken moan of assent. Nick’s voice was almost harsh as he continued. “You know what it’ll mean, Shay, don’t you? I won’t let you go. Not ever. Not for anything or anyone. There’ll be no more holding back from me—I won’t stand for that. I want everything that you are, everything you can give. Can you handle that?”

Shaya gave him a sideways glance. “Only if I get the same.”

Nick grinned. There was that sassiness he loved. “That’s my girl.”

As he licked the crook of her neck, Shaya’s entire body tingled in anticipation. Her claws shot out, making deep grooves in the cherry wood table.

“Shall I let you come now?” When she began to sob, Nick frantically slammed in and out of her, wrenching loud cries from her. “That’s it, baby, let me hear you. You know how much I love hearing those noises you make.” He slid his free hand around her body, finding her cl*t and circling it with his finger. “Come. Now.” She did; her pu**y clutched and rippled around him as she screamed his name, making him explode inside her. It was right then that he bit down hard and deep at the crook of her neck, sucking hard and licking so that there was no mistaking what that mark was to her or to anyone else: the ultimate irrevocable brand, a claiming.

A zing bowed Shaya’s back as a sharp pain lanced through her head, but it was quickly gone and replaced with warmth, and calm, and a sense of “home.” She’d never felt so safe, so sheltered, so utterly complete—and maybe that meant so much more to her because she had felt so broken her entire life. Not now. The cold loneliness was gone—she could feel him inside her and surrounding her. There was only her bond with Nick, and it was much stronger than she would have expected. Not totally complete, but it was by no means weak. Maybe it was because they had both wanted this for so long, or maybe it was because the claiming had been a total surrender on both parts. She didn’t know, and she was too content and at peace to ponder much over it. She wondered if this was what it felt like to be high.

Drawn to the mark on her neck like it was all that existed, Nick licked it again and again, filled with self-satisfaction and elatedness and a sense of completeness. He could feel what Shaya was feeling—it was the same things that he himself was feeling. His wolf felt at peace for the first time. Oh, he’d always be moody and remote in many ways, but he no longer found the world so bleak. How could he when Shaya’s warmth was filling the empty spaces inside him?

A dark voice whispered in Nick’s mind, reminding him of why he’d been fighting this, but Nick wouldn’t let fear creep in and f**k with this. He’d do what Shaya said, he’d battle this with everything he had. And now he had the biggest incentive possible—his mate’s happiness depended on him winning that battle.

“I’ll be right there with you the entire time,” said Shaya.

Yeah…this sensing his feelings thing would take a little getting used to. “I know.” He kissed her mark, licking over it one last time before standing upright. Surprised to find that he was steady on his feet considering that it felt like his whole world had tipped on its axis, he slowly withdrew from her and stepped back. When she, too, was standing, she turned to face him and smiled up at him—a free, easy smile he’d never seen before. “I hope you meant it when you said you could handle this, Shay, because I’ll never let you leave.”

“Same here, Beavis.”

“For the millionth time, I’m not stupid.” Before she could tease him further, he loosely collared her neck with both hands and shook her playfully. She laughed—a sound as free as her smile. And he knew right then that he’d do whatever it took to keep hearing that sound and seeing that smile.

Half an hour later, Nick and Shaya returned to the house, where she quickly dressed in fresh clothes…clothes that were then removed so he could be inside her again. They then made their way downstairs to find that everyone had gathered in the backyard. Nick could only gape at the sight. Many of the shifters were swimming in the pool while music was playing and lots of food was being passed around. Nick turned to Shaya. “They think this is a summer camp or something, don’t they?”

Shaya could only smile at the consternation on Nick’s face. He’d apparently had enough of their constant company and was on the verge of snapping. “Guys? Guys?” Finally they all turned to look at them both, smiling. Then eyes zoomed in on the claiming marks, and everyone was talking at once.

“Finally,” drawled Derren, grinning, from his sun lounger.

Simultaneously, Roni, Kathy, and Amber hopped out of the pool and all hurried over to hug Shaya and Nick. Not liking even the thought of another female with her hands on Nick—particularly when said female coveted him and was only dressed in a skimpy bikini—both Shaya and her wolf wanted to slash Amber’s face. But Shaya pasted on a smile, settling slightly when Nick stepped away from Amber and curled an arm tightly around Shaya before kissing her temple.

Trey, Tao, Bracken, Jesse, and Zander came over to pass on their congratulations, shaking Nick’s hand and merely nodding at Shaya—they weren’t dumb enough to hug her right now. From her spot on a lounger, Greta raised her teacup and smiled. Shaya tensed the second Dominic came over, knowing he had no sense of self-preservation. But he wasn’t wearing his usual flirty smile.

When Nick growled warningly at the blond pervert, Dominic raised his hands in a gesture of peace. “I only want to pass on my congratulations like everyone else. I won’t lie—I had my reservations about you, Nick, but Shaya’s a good friend of mine, and I want her to be happy. If you make her happy…well, that’s good enough for me.” He offered his hand to Nick, who slowly shook it. Dominic then gave Shaya a nod, just as the others had.

“So just like that, you’re fine with this?” asked Nick, skeptical.

Dominic shrugged. “I learned a lot about you today. Not really personal stuff. But your mom talked about you a lot, told me how you pulled through for your old pack at a time when they needed you, even though you’d only just got out of juvie. I can respect that.” He tilted his head. “Your mom told me you had some Portuguese in you. I never would have guessed. I have some Irish in me, like Shaya.”

Frowning, Shaya shook her head. “I don’t have Irish in me.”

“You don’t? Really?” That flirty smile crept onto his face. “Would you like some in you?” Anticipating that Nick would make a grab for him, Dominic quickly jerked out of the way. But Nick was too fast; he grabbed him and launched him into the pool. When Dominic burst to the surface of the water, he shouted in exhilaration and went into a fit of laughter.

Trey growled at his enforcer. “Could you try being normal for just a little while? I’d rather not have to take you home in a f**king casket.”

Shaya moved her attention to the person whose support she needed most. Taryn was sitting at the patio table beside Trey, her expression slightly sulky. “You’re uncharacteristically quiet.”

“If you’re going to tell her she rushed into this or some shit like that,” began Nick, “you should—”

Taryn snorted. “Easy there, Axton. I’m actually happy for you guys. I’m not saying I think you’re good enough for Shaya—no one will be good enough for her, in my eyes.” A huge sigh. “But it just occurred to me that this means Shaya will never be part of my pack again. Face it, Nick, you can’t obey Trey—or any other wolf, for that matter—and we all know it. But that means I can’t have Shaya back, and I hate that. Yeah, that’s selfish, but I never claimed I was unselfish.”

Nick stifled a smile at her petulant expression. “It’s not like you’re losing her. She’ll still be visiting you and stuff.”

“Will you be coming, too?” Taryn smirked—she knew the answer.

“I’ll be waiting for her in the car. You people annoy the shit out of me.”

Taryn leaned forward in her seat, her face imploring. “Please say you guys will have your mating ceremony on Phoenix territory? That’s your real home, Shaya. Nick’s family and Caleb can come too, obviously.”

Shaya looked up at him. “I’d like that. Is that okay for you?”

Nick shrugged. “If you want us to have the ceremony there, I’m good with that.” Trey chuckled, drawing Nick’s attention. “What’s funny?”

“I just find myself reminded of that time when you visited my territory and the subject of a mating ceremony for Taryn and me was brought up. I said if she wanted to have one, we’d have one, but that if she didn’t, we wouldn’t. What was it you said? Oh, that’s it. You said I shouldn’t let my mate have her own way all the time. Hmm. Right back atcha.”

Nick scowled at him. “Whatever, a**hole—you mated a psycho.” Trey nodded in agreement, looking proud. Twisted.

Chuckling, Shaya shook her head against Nick’s chest. When she nipped it, he peered down at her. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

His arm contracted around her. “Where are you going?”

“To make some coffee. Want some?”

“Sure.” For the hell of it, he bit her lip hard before she pulled away.

Giving him a mock frown, Shaya turned and waltzed back into the house. She had only just switched on the coffee machine when she picked up Amber’s scent. Her wolf growled.

“I just wanted to say congratulations once again,” said Amber as she appeared beside her. Her eyes bulged as she added excitedly, “We have to get started on the plans for the mating ceremony!” Not only was she effectively inviting herself to the ceremony, but she was doing the BFF thing. Shaya had had enough of it.

As everyone was still outside and the music was blaring enough to keep the conversation private, Shaya figured that now would be as good a time as any to get things straight with her and Amber. “Listen, I appreciate the offer, but we both know that it wasn’t made out of the kindness of your heart.” Amber looked appropriately offended. “You don’t want to befriend me. My guess is that, on the contrary, you hate me…because you want Nick and I have him.”

Amber’s expression darkened, and her eyes became diamond hard, no longer hiding the hatred she had. At least she wasn’t going to play the “Oh, you’ve got it all wrong” game.

“I can’t be pissed at you for wanting Nick—it would make me a huge hypocrite. But if you care about him, you won’t try to mess things up for him. I say ‘try’ because it’s not something you’ll succeed in doing if you do make an attempt at it. But hopefully, you won’t want to.”

In a sickly sweet voice full of contempt, Amber said, “Of course I wouldn’t mess things up for Nick. I want him to be happy.”

Shaya gave her a beaming smile. “Great. I’m glad that’s settled.”