It should have sent him into threatening mode to have other males giving him looks that warned him away from his mate. His mate. But Trey honestly didn't blame them for the way they were crowding Taryn's sleeping form and regarding him like he was a threat. He'd f.u.c.ked up. Just like Dante had said. Whether he'd meant for Taryn to hear those cruel words or not, he had hurt her and there was now a gulf a mile wide between them and he didn't know how to close it.

She was now uneasy around him again and emotionally wary of him, both of which were like a blow to his system. He wanted her to know that he was sorry, that he hadn't meant what he had said, that he would never purposely hurt her, but each time he had tried to get her alone she had managed to slip away. She was freezing him out again. It burned even more this time than it had the first time. His wolf had also sensed her withdrawal as well as her pain and both ate at him.

As Trey stared down at her he promised both himself and his wolf that he would fix this. He refused to believe what Dante had said that he might have broken something that couldn't be mended. No, he refused to believe that. He couldn't accept that. Because feeling the sting of her withdrawal had given him a taste of what it would be like to be without her, and although Trey still wasn't sure about those chest pangs or the emotions that tormented him or the extreme sense of possessiveness, he now knew that he couldn't be without her.

Despite his low 'move out of my way' growl, none of the males moved even an inch from their positions. Tao, Trick, Dominic and Ryan remained sitting on the floor with their backs against the sofa while Dante was sitting on it with her feet on his lap and Marcus was beside her head stroking her hair. Trey had to admire their loyalty to their Alpha Female, and it was a good thing considering that she wasn't going anywhere, but no one kept him from his mate. His wolf was in full agreement with him on that.

He released another menacing growl, letting his eyes flash wolf. Reluctantly the males on the floor shuffled along to make room for him. Trey bent and gently scooped her up to cradle her against his chest. She fussed a little in her sleep but didn't wake. He held her tighter against him, stilling her movements, and strode out of the room through the tunnels.

In the bedroom he placed her gently on the bed and then carefully he removed her clothes. Once he'd removed his own he slid under the covers and held her possessively to him, wanting his skin against hers. As she always did, she wriggled a little until she found that groove that seemed to have been made just for her. Then instantly she settled and her expression melted into that sinful angel look she had when sleeping.

Cupping her face and breezing his thumb along her cheekbone, he whispered, "I'm sorry, baby." Then he nuzzled his face into her hair and closed his eyes, feeling a strange kind of peace now that he was no longer at war with himself and had made the decision to do whatever it took to keep her.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

Ordinarily Trey's trigger for waking was either a hunger pang in his stomach or a full bladder. This morning, it was something else. As he lay there with his eyes closed, he felt something nagging at him. Something was different, wrong, something that agitated his wolf and had him reaching for the surface, annoyed with his human side for not realizing the problem.

Taking a deep breath, Trey scrubbed at his eyes. He hadn't had to open them to know what was disturbing his wolf. Taryn's exotic scent had instantly shot up his nostrils, but it was too faint. Which meant that she wasn't there.

As his lids flipped open, his eyes confirmed it. The rest of his senses told him she wasn't in the en-suite bathroom, which meant that she had woken before him and snuck out of the room there had to have been sneaking and creeping involved or else he would have easily woken. Unlike Taryn, he was a light sleeper.

Never since the morning after the anniversary of her mom's birthday had Taryn left the room before him. They always had a little play in the mornings before going for breakfast together. It seemed that she was establishing a distance between them, and apparently it wasn't just going to be an emotional one.

Well f.u.c.k that!

Yeah he had messed up. Yeah he had said s.h.i.t he shouldn't have. And yeah he had hurt her. But he was still her mate and if she had just given him five minutes of her time she would know that he was sorry. Okay, maybe she would never have mated with him if it wasn't for their deal, but their mating had created a connection between them. It was a connection that wouldn't allow for distances something that he had discovered the hard way. So now his wolf was highly agitated and fighting for control of the situation. His wolf wanted to hunt her down and show her just what he thought of this distance she wanted.

In fact, Trey didn't think that was such a bad idea at all.

Within minutes he was washed, dressed and storming his way through the tunnels. He found the little witch in the kitchen sitting on the counter, nibbling on a slice of toast while reading a magazine. She didn't even look up as he entered. He noticed she was alone and wondered if the others had scarpered, suspecting this might happen.

In three long strides he was in front of her, placing a hand on the counter either side of her to cage her in. Slowly she raised her head and arched a brow questioningly, as if she couldn't possibly imagine what his problem was.

"You weren't there when I woke up." The words rumbled out of him.

"True. And?" Taryn hadn't actually expected him to react so badly. She had considered that his wolf might feel cheated out of what had become his morning ritual and maybe she'd end up with a nipped lip that seemed to be his favorite thing to do when she had annoyed him but it wasn't his wolf looking back at her. It was Trey. With his mouth a harsh line and his eyes smouldering, he looked incensed, determined, and pretty d.a.m.n h.o.r.n.y. Her traitorous body responded to that l.u.s.t. There was something else there too...if she didn't know any better she'd have thought it was hurt.

"I like making you come in the morning, hearing you moan, having your taste on my tongue. This morning, you weren't there."

"Huh. Well my aim in life isn't to please you so..."

He placed his face closer to hers. "Spread your legs."

Her stomach clenched. "What?"

"I want my morning taste of you. So spread your legs like a good girl."

"Not a chance, a.s.shole."

The fire in her eyes had his already hard c.o.c.k aching painfully. "Don't talk about a.s.sholes unless you want me to f.u.c.k yours. You know exactly what my problem is so stop playing dumb. You snuck out of my arms and out of our bed snuck being the key word. Believe me when I tell you that it's in your best interests to not push me any further because I'm seriously p.i.s.sed off."

She c.o.c.ked her head. "Do I get extra points if I fake giving a s.h.i.t?"

Growling, Trey tangled his hand in her hair and mashed his lips to hers, thrusting his tongue inside and exploring her mouth. It was a hard, possessive, punishing kiss, but of course his little mate wasn't prepared to take that punishment. She bit his tongue and pulled away.

"Go force your will on someone who'll bow down at the wonder that is you."

Out of patience, Trey gripped her a.s.s and tugged her to the edge of the counter as he boldly cupped her and leaned forward to lick over his mark. As always, she shuddered. "That's it, baby, relax for me. That's my good girl." He unsnapped the top b.u.t.ton of her jeans and went for her zip. Shocking him to complete stillness, a slice of toast was slapped onto his face.

Before he could react, Taryn had slipped off the counter, ducked under his arm and was running out the door. b.i.t.c.h. Amus.e.m.e.nt and anger warred within him for supremacy. He chased after her through the tunnels, out the main door, down the narrow flights of stairs and into the forest. He was stunned by just how much distance she had been able to place between them. Christ, she was fast. And so unbelievably agile.

Knowing she was nearing a pond and would soon need to turn left, Trey detoured through the trees and came at her from the front, springing in front of her. She froze and smirked smugly, further inciting his wolf. He was insisting that Trey take her, take her now. Liking that idea, Trey stripped off his clothes, holding her gaze the entire time.

Helpless to the effect the naked body of her mate had on her, Taryn licked her lips as she ran her gaze along Trey. He was so gloriously male. His form seemed designed to seduce, seemed created especially to deliver raw, carnal pleasure. And Taryn was eager for it. Eager to feel that long, thick shaft tunneling in and out of her. A wave of savage need had her stomach clenching and her body quivering. Afraid that she would end up giving him exactly what that hard-on said he wanted, she backed away. His cautioning growl made her halt.

"Is this your new thing, Taryn putting s.p.a.ce between us?" He shook his head, tsking. "It won't work. We're mates."

"Wrong. We might have mated, but we didn't do it because we chose each other and wanted to have that bond. We came together for a deal. That makes it an arrangement, not a mating."

"I don't much care what you want to call it, Taryn. The point is that because I've claimed you we have a connection you can't ignore, that neither of us can ignore."

"And this connection means I'm supposed to give you whatever you want?" She snorted derisively. "Well f.u.c.k you."

"I know you're upset with me, baby, but did you give me a chance to apologize? Or did you try to freeze me out again?"

It startled her that he sounded genuinely hurt by that. In fact, he looked it too. "Who said I was upset?"

"If you're not upset then prove it. Come here so I can give you what both of us want. I can smell your arousal, Taryn." He fisted his c.o.c.k. "You want this."

He was right, the b.a.s.t.a.r.d. She couldn't help being annoyed with her body it didn't care that he had hurt her. No, it was responding to him as it always did like the G.o.dd.a.m.n hussy Greta described! Even now as she was considering a good place to bury his body she couldn't move her eyes from the sight of him stroking himself.

Not trusting that she could keep resisting him, she snarled and sprung upwards, grabbing onto the branch above her head. She hauled herself up and stood perfectly balanced. He didn't look impressed.

"Get your pretty little a.s.s down here now and I might not spank it."

She snorted. "You say that as if you think I'd let you spank me."

"Now, Taryn," he drawled.

Instead she shot him a challenging look. As she expected, he began climbing his way up the tree, reaching for her. She sprang to the next tree, then swung from that tree to the next, and the next, and the next before finally jumping to the ground and dashing away. She could hear him hot on her heels but she didn't once look back.

Moments later a set of powerful arms locked around her and tackled her to the ground. At the last second he spun, taking the brunt of the fall, before then rolling her onto her stomach.

"Caught. Trapped. And soon to be mounted."

Taryn struggled. "Oh I don't think so!" He grunted as she reared back and slammed her elbow into his ribs. Although she managed to scramble from beneath him, he grabbed her feet and dragged her back to him.

"Tricky little b.i.t.c.h," he said with a smile. "My tricky little b.i.t.c.h."

"No."

He draped himself over her and placed his mouth at her ear. "Oh yes, baby, your a.s.s is definitely mine. And if you keep struggling I swear I'll f.u.c.k it."

Instantly she stilled, but then as she felt his arrogant smile at her neck a surge of anger hit her. She sank her hand into the soil and hurled a handful of it at his face. He coughed and spat, cursing. As the pressure of his body left her, she managed to crawl from beneath him and was almost on her feet when he again clamped his arms around her and pinned her to the ground.

Harder than he'd ever been in his life, Trey tore her jeans from her body and then gripped her arms and locked them behind her back, trapping them there with one hand. He curled his other arm around her waist and pulled her a.s.s in the air. "G.o.d, you've no idea how hot you look right now. Totally submissive." Without any preamble, he plunged two fingers inside her. "You're so wet for me. See, baby, your body knows it belongs to me."

She hated herself for the moan that escaped her. Not prepared to let him win, she continued struggling but then stopped and gasped in outrage when he spanked her a.s.s. What p.i.s.sed her off even more was that she liked it. "You do that again and you'll find out what your right t.e.s.t.i.c.l.e tastes like!" She fought against his hold but he didn't even loosen it.

"You don't really want to get away, Taryn. What you want is me inside you."

Again, he was right. "G.o.dd.a.m.n caveman b.a.s.t.a.r.d!"

Aligning his c.o.c.k to her entrance he told her, "I'm going to f.u.c.k you. Because I can, because you belong to me, because this body is mine to f.u.c.k whenever I want." And then he slammed into her and she cried out. He groaned as her muscles clamped down on him like a vise. She was so hot and tight and felt as good around him as she always did. Having given her a moment to adjust, Trey blanketed her body with his and grazed his teeth over the mark on her neck. "I'm going to f.u.c.k you hard and deep now, Taryn. f.u.c.k you until you're dripping with my c.u.m. And you're going to take it like a good girl."

"You c.o.c.k-smoking s.h.i.tfaced motherf.u.c.king piece of monkey s.h.i.t," she growled, squirming again as she tried to free herself only to have him lock his teeth on her shoulder in warning. He rested more of his weight on her then, pinning her still.

"You know I won't force you, baby. I'd never hurt you. If you want me to stop" he began to slowly drag his c.o.c.k out of her body, wanting her to feel every inch of him "all you have to do is say so." He paused when there was only the head of his c.o.c.k lodged inside her. "Is that what you want? Do you want me to stop?" When she only growled, he smiled, adding, "Or do you want me to f.u.c.k you until you come so hard it hurts?" He gave a very slow yet deep thrust, loving the long-drawn-out groan that escaped her. "Shall I stop?"

"Just do it!"

"Do what, baby? Stop, or f.u.c.k you? Be very clear."

"f.u.c.k me!"

"Whatever you want." He closed his teeth over her nape and rammed his c.o.c.k into her, growling.

Taryn decided it was very possible that Trey could f.u.c.k her into unconsciousness. He was pounding into her at a frenzied pace, like f.u.c.king her was the last thing he would do before he died. Pinned as she was, all she could do was take everything he had to give. It should have infuriated her that his huge powerful body was like a cage around her, leaving her unable to move. But, strangely, she found that she kind of liked it. It was sheer male domination, but it wasn't threatening or painful.

Her wolf approved of her male's dominance, believed him to be worthy of her surrender. The pleasure had swept Taryn under and she couldn't even find it in herself to care that she was still hurt by his words or that her heart was a mess. Her body was winding tighter and tighter, making her moan and groan and whimper.

A voice inside Trey whispered that he was being too rough, but he was too far gone to heed it. l.u.s.t had consumed his blood. She had consumed his blood. Every sound she made had his body burning hotter and hotter, had him heading closer and closer to his climax. He could already feel the telling tingle in his spine but no way would he come until she had found her own release.

Just then a hint of a familiar scent drifted to him and he almost smiled. Tao was obviously on a run in his wolf form and had wandered close. Trey removed his teeth from her nape and whispered in Taryn's ear loud enough for only her to hear. "You know Tao's out there, don't you? I'm glad he's watching. I want him to see my c.o.c.k thrusting in and out of you, owning you. I want him to remember that it's me who f.u.c.ks you not him, not anyone else."

"No one owns me," Taryn somehow managed to growl even as she was still moaning and whimpering. She flexed the hands he had pinned behind her back, clawing his stomach in retaliation.

He groaned. "Yeah, baby, scratch me. You know I like it. Do you know what else I like? Feeling your hot little p.u.s.s.y squeeze my c.o.c.k while you come all over me. Make that happen for me, Taryn. I want it, now." With that he upped the speed of his thrusts and sank his teeth over his mark. Instantly she screamed and her muscles bitingly clamped down on his c.o.c.k, milking him as he growled her name and exploded inside her. Completely sated, he released her arms and they both sank down to the ground, him still atop her and still inside her.

"I swear to G.o.d I'm going to rip your spine out of your a.s.s," she panted. "As soon as I can move, I'm going to do it."

He chuckled and licked his mark, liking the shudder that ran through her. Movement in his peripheral vision s.n.a.t.c.hed his attention and he looked to see Tao again. Most likely sensing that Trey's wolf saw him as intruding and wanted to attack, Tao turned and trotted away.

Only when he was satisfied the other wolf was a fair distance away did Trey return his focus to Taryn, nuzzling her hair. "I'm sorry for what I said, baby. I was in a s.h.i.tty mood. I took it out on Dante."

Just like that, all the emotional torment that she had pushed aside came flooding back. She swallowed hard. "Like I said, it wasn't anything I didn't already know, you only said the truth."

"No." He withdrew, gently flipped her over, and then slid back inside. They both groaned. He kept his thrusts slow and sensual as he spoke. "I just say stupid things when I'm p.i.s.sed. I didn't mean any of it."

"Then why say it?"

"I don't know. I'm not good with this stuff, baby. Things weren't supposed to be like this, it was only supposed to be about a deal."

He sounded so lost and confused that it p.r.i.c.kled at Taryn's protective instincts and, before she thought better of it, she was curling her arms around his neck.

"When Dante talked about you staying and I realized how much I wanted you to it spooked the h.e.l.l out of me and stupid s.h.i.t starting coming out of my mouth."

She could understand him being spooked. The second she realized she cared for Trey, she'd s.h.i.t her pants. Even now she didn't want to use the L word even though she knew it was what she felt.

"All I know is that I don't want you to leave. If you do I'll hunt you down and bring you back, Taryn, I s.h.i.t you not, I will. Not because of our deal or my wolf, but because I want you here with me." Then abruptly he reared back and began hammering into her, capturing her cries with his mouth as he crushed her lips with his. He groaned when she began sucking on his tongue, thinking of something else he'd like her to suck. Of course she was well aware of that. "If you do that again I'll pull out and shove my c.o.c.k in your mouth."

She beat his back with her legs. "I'll bite it off and shove it up your a.s.s!"

"Then who would f.u.c.k you like this?" Drawn to one of his marks on her neck, he bent down and sucked at it, loving how her muscles tightened around his c.o.c.k and how her nails pressed into his back. But, like always, they never broke the skin. "You know what I want, Taryn," he growled as leaned over her, curling his hips as he increased the pace of his pounding. "Give it to me."

Taryn knew what he meant, but she clamped her mouth shut and shook her head.

His eyes flashed wolf. "Bite me, mark me, now."

"No!"

He tangled both hands in her hair and tugged hard. "Do it, Taryn. Put your f.u.c.king brand on me."

She writhed beneath him, growling, "f.u.c.k you!"

He gentled his voice a little and pinned her gaze with his. "Why fight it? Why?"

"This isn't real," she almost sobbed.

"Wrong, baby. This is as real as it gets."

"I told you I won't always placate your wolf!"

"He needs it, baby. I want it. I need it."

Taryn shook her head again, knowing he couldn't realize what he was asking, couldn't realize what might happen. Nor could he realize that she was fighting herself just as much as she was fighting him. "It'll never fade!"

"I don't want it to. I want to look in the mirror and see it there. I want everyone else to see it there."

"You want me to mark you so another female can cover it with hers? f.u.c.k that!"

He arched a brow tauntingly. "You don't like the idea of another female marking me? Then leave your brand there, warn them off, show them who I belong to."