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Chapter 7
Aubree couldn’t sleep. She tossed and turned for hours before she slid into her robe, grabbing her bag that held all of her clothes, and quickly slid out of her room. She whispered a silent thanks to the stars that kept Alpha Josh from putting a guard on her door, and she hurried up the stairs to Heath’s room.
It was her last chance to get him to claim her before Alpha Josh’s commands would force her to go to him. She knew she hadn’t disobeyed him yet. She was perhaps on the cusp of it, but it wasn’t yet light out, letting her move easily into Heath’s room using her key.
She tossed her bag onto the sofa, moving quietly towards the bed. Her feet stopped as disappointment hit hard, finding it empty. There was no sound coming from the bathroom, and a quick peek said he wasn’t there as well.
Her wolf huffed in irritation, demanding to know where he was, and Aubree honestly fought against a grin. Her wolf didn’t appreciate it, giving her a headbutt to the chest, and she sat down on the edge of the bed, rubbing at the spot.
“Would you calm down? He likely went out for a run. When else has he had time to do it but before we get here or after we’ve left the last week?” she said aloud, still using a quiet voice not wanting anyone down the hall to wake up hearing her.
The clock showed showed it was just after four-thirty and she let out a yawn, laying down on the bed, her eyes closing for a moment.
Heath’s scent made her hungry as she dozed softly, her thighs rubbing together, trying to get purchase on the need rushing through her. Her hands slid down her body, nearly to her clit when a soft click pulled her back. She woke further as the huge form appeared in the doorway and she let out a happy rumble, whispering his name.
He reached the edge of the bed, his eyes darkening as they slid over her, and she sat up, wanting to touch him, entice him more than ever now. “Mine,” slid from his lips pulling a gasp from her.
She shivered as something deep and indescribable rushed through her, pulling her up to her knees, reaching for him. His hands drug her up, his lips slamming onto hers, and a single word flashed through her mind, straight into her wolf’s and they both agreed entirely—mate.
Her legs wound around Heath’s waist, her hands gripping his shoulders tightly as he held her fully against him, his bare chest and skin calling her to mark him, with her mouth, her teeth, her nails, until everyone knew he was hers.
A moan slid out as her back hit the bed, followed by a tiny whimper when the bruised area hit, and Heath tore his lips from hers, pulling a whine from her that had his eyes glittering deeper still. “Shh, I have you, little doe. I can’t stand you in any pain though, tell me you’re not hurt.”
“No, just a small flash. They’ll be gone soon,” she said, trying to pull his lips back to hers, needing more, needing him—all of him.
“Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t eighteen yet? Stars above, if I’d known…I’d have known that first night you were mine, really, truly mine,” he stated, his hands fisting in her hair, reminding her it was down for the first time since she’d met him.
“I couldn’t, wasn’t allowed to tell anyone my age,” she managed to get out. There wasn’t any pain from that admission, and she smiled, rubbing against his big body. “What do you mean if you’d known?”
“Oh sweetness, haven’t you heard of mates feeling the pull leading up to one’s coming of age?” he asked, his nose brushing against hers making her shiver. Her hands held tighter to his shoulders, needing more of this heaven.
“No, no one was allowed to talk to me about mates because…” She stopped feeling the familiar tug of pain low in her gut.
“Look at me little doe,” Heath said, pulling her eyes up to his, loving the look in them. “When mates are in the same place they can feel the attraction, the desire to be closer, weeks before the last is of age. It’s meant to prepare them for what’s to come, because when it hits…”
“You can’t think straight?” she guessed as his lips pressed into her neck, making her hum.
“Yes, all you want is to claim, to take. If I’d known your birthday was coming up, I’d have told you that first night you were to be mine. Soothed any fear you had about it happening, and then found the bastard that thinks he can take what’sminefrom me and destroy him. Now…you’ll tell me who he is and anything else you haven’t about him, so it’s behind us when I put my mark on you,” Heath stated and she wanted to, more than anything but she knew she couldn’t.
“Heath…I can’t. I want to, you don’t know how badly I want to, wanted to from the moment we met—before we even met,” she admitted, her voice thickening with the tears invading her eyes. “I’d prayed and wished to the stars that someone would come and save me from this nightmare. That someone could fight him, stop him, kill him so I wouldn’t have to…”
“Shh, shh, shh, little doe. Stop, I can’t stand your tears,” he said softly, his lips brushing over her face, as they fell, his hands holding her tighter. “Calm down, sweetness. You’re safe. You’re in my arms and nothing can hurt you here. Nothing can stop you from telling me.”
“My alpha…” She started but his lips cut her off before she could try to find words that would somehow explain any part of it.
“Look at me Aubree,” he said when they parted, his breath warming her as it rushed in and out. “Iam your alpha now. You are my mate, which means you belong to me. That means you answer only tome. Now tell me who has tried to take what’s mine? Who’s hurt what’s mine?”
Her breath escaped in a rush, her eyes closing as she lifted her forehead to touch his, needing his connection more than ever.
“Alpha Josh,” she said, her eyes flying open as the words actually came out, shocking her, but even more so that there was no pain, none. Not one little bit controlling her. Her heart raced and the words tumbled out quickly, not wanting it to rush up on her before she could finish, “He ordered me to go to his office at first light today because he could finally claim me. I didn’t want him, never wanted to be near him, and I thought if I could get you to claim me now, then he wouldn’t be able to, so I…”
“Breathe, little doe, just breathe,” Heath said, stopping her jumble of words spewing out.
She drug in a shaky breath, her eyes opening to meet his again, and saw nothing but softness and desire as he looked at her, but his body was tense, his muscles screaming as he held himself rigid. Her hand caressed the back of his neck, wanting to comfort him the way he was her.
“He’s the reason no one would talk. This is what he’s been forcing everyone to keep quiet.”
“He never touched me more than what I told you, but he wanted to, started to when I was just fifteen, until Luke warned him what he’d lose if he tried it. He would stop him anytime he tried to go further, or when he’d be hurting me because every man wanted me,” she said, shaking her head, trying to push away the awful memories, the reminders of what he wanted.
