“They killed 46.”

His mate. She swallowed hard and her hands rubbed his skin in an attempt to calm him a little. “Obsidian,” she whispered. “Please take a deep breath. I just asked a question. I’m not your enemy.”

His gaze lowered to her still-bare br**sts where her shirt had been pushed up. “I am not so certain.”

It hurt. Deeply. Alli blinked rapidly to hide the tears that filled her eyes. How could things go so wrong so fast? She’d been sleeping and then she’d woken to his mouth. It had all been a haze of passion and need until they faced the aftermath of what they’d done together. He regretted it and worse, he seemed not to even like her much if he were comparing her to Mercile.

“Your swelling should be over. Will you please let me up?”

“No.” He settled more of his weight over her, pinned her tighter to the bed. His temper did seem to dissipate somewhat as his tone turned from gruff to husky. “Explain responsibility and why you feel it.”

“It means this is my fault. What happened between us just now is something I should have avoided. You’ve gone through a lot and I don’t want you to feel bad for ha**ng s*x with me.”

“It felt really good.” He inched his face closer to stare deeply into her eyes. “I woke to your scent and I wanted to taste. I did this. You didn’t manipulate me, Alli. You have no power over what I do.”

“You are wrong. I—”

He suddenly thrust into her deep, making her moan. His c**k was still hard but the swelling had subsided enough that he could move inside her again without the intense pressure. His mouth parted to flash his sharp fangs at her as he withdrew almost from her before he drove back into her again. He froze.

“You don’t tell me what to do, Alli. Can you stop me? Force me to move from your body? Who is responsible? Tell me.”

He meant to show her who was in control and she knew it.

“I could take you again for hours and you’d be powerless to stop me. Your body would have to take mine as long as I want.”

She was going to go to hell. A small part of her mind admitted that because it didn’t sound bad at all if he f**ked her over and over. She’d be sore later since she’d not had sex in such a long time but he felt so good she didn’t care about consequences. It was all about the here and now to her. She wanted him.

His h*ps rolled and he found the spot inside her that made her breath catch. His nose brushed hers as he drew even closer. “Who is responsible?”

“You.”

Something flickered in his eyes before he pulled away and lifted his chest from hers. He separated their bodies slowly, almost regretfully, and it forced her to release his waist from the grip of her legs. She glanced at his c**k and couldn’t help but appreciate the sight of how aroused he still seemed to be.

“Go shower.”

She met his gaze as he backed away from her on his hands and knees until he slid off the end of the bed to stand.

“Now, Alli.” He looked angry again. “Otherwise I will lose what control I have left.”

She sat up and shoved her shirt down to hide as much of her body from him as possible. “What does that mean?”

He stepped to the side to clear a path from the bed to the bathroom. “Go,” he demanded.

Something in the intense way he looked at her made her inch down the bed. There was a hint of danger in the air that she could sense. She just wasn’t sure why. He looked angry though. The floor of the room was chilly to her bare feet after having them pressed against his warm body. Her legs were shaking as she took hesitant steps toward the open doorway to the shower.

A hand shot out and gripped her upper arm. Alli stared at him with dread and fear. He closed his eyes as he deeply inhaled. A soft, animalistic sound came from his parted lips and he licked them. The hold on her forearm eased until he let go.

“Keep the door open. Go wash quickly. Your scent is driving me insane.”

She fled. The reason behind his mood swings was a mystery to her but she was grateful he hadn’t hurt her physically.

Obsidian breathed through his mouth but Alli’s arousal taste was still there. His dick throbbed to take her again. The memory of being inside her would torment him. So soft, so tight and wet. It also angered him deeply.

A stab of pain pierced his heart. The memory of his mate filtered through his mind and how long they had been forced to live together. It had felt really good when 46 had allowed him to touch her when she was in heat but it seemed mild compared to the sex he’d shared with Alli.

A human female had taken him to heights of passion he’d never known existed. Frustration fisted his hands at his side and the urge to punch something became almost unbearable. A howl of rage caught in his throat but it only came out as a fierce grumble. His eyes opened when water came on in the next room and he took a step before he could regain control of his body. He wanted Alli again.

He moved to the side enough to gain a clear view of her profile in the stall. The sight of her wet, slick skin caused his dick to harden to the point of pain. It would be easy to haul her out from under the water. He turned his head to stare at the bed. He’d take her on her knees beneath him next time.

He allowed the astonishment of what they’d done to cool his desire just a bit. He’d never taken his mate with her facing him. It had been strange but really good to see Alli’s expressions and have access to her body with his mouth while he’d driven his c**k into the snug confines of her sex. He’d also really enjoyed the feel of her legs around his waist and her fingernails digging into his skin. It hadn’t hurt but he’d been aware of them. She’d clung to him as if he were saving her and she’d desperately needed to hold him.