Page 21 of Liv and Ripper

“Can I come in?” she asked, and I knew she could sense I was just on the other side of the door.

I ripped my top off and looked down at my marked body, marked with scars and silver-inked tattoos that still appeared when I shifted. They weren’t basic tattoos . . . no, they had a silver ink in them. Made them more painful to get; however, made it more worthwhile because they showed in both forms.

I opened the door, immediately taking a sharp breath in.

There stood my woman in jeans and a simple top.

Her eyes ran down my bare skin and I felt her emotions go up with anxiety. She was checking me out—which caused me to smirk. Didn’t she know that she could have me. But was I was ever worthy enough to have her?

“Can I help you?” I straightened my face and hid the needing I had for her. She just stared at me, causing me to frown. “You came to my room, baby girl, what do you want?” My words were this time softer because I was slightly panicked. What if she was in trouble?

My eyes hardened on her. Why wasn’t she speaking! She was just standing there gawking.

“Baby gi—” I spoke but she put up her hand.

“Don’t look at me like that,” she said harshly. “Stop looking at me like I amyours!I’m not!” Though she was saying the words, her body was screaming something completely different. She was telling me she wasn’t mine, but she was—she was completely mine.

She had no idea what was going on between us. Not until she touched me, then she would know—that would spark her mating process with me. Because currently it was all one-sided. I had mated with her. Well, started the process at least.

Fuck. Was that what I wanted? Did I want her to be mine? My body did, and the answer was simply yes. Yes, I wanted her to be mine. I wanted to fuck her when I wanted. I wanted to kiss her without her saying that she regretted it. I needed her. So was now the time for the speech where I declared my love for her?

No, she wasn’t ready for that.

“Liv.” I took a step toward her, watching her inhale sharply, and I was guessing it because I had just got closer to her. She had to know I was feeling what she was feeling. She had to know I was falling in love with her. “Stay with me tonight.” I needed her, she needed me—it was that simple.

Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip. I needed to touch her, had to touch her, but I knew as soon as I did, it would spark the mating process. I just wasn’t sure if she was ready for that.

A few members came down the hall and caught our attention. Considering I was topless and trying to get into the bedroom, they just gave me a smug look.

“Model pussy, wouldn’t mind some,” the travelling member had the guts to say to me. Again, it was instinct. Didn’t fucking think about it. Travelling wolves never knew their boundaries, like never to refer to my mate as model pussy.

I gritted my teeth, containing the need to shift.

Liv’s hand wrapped around my arm, stopping me before I could react. Her touch calmed me, her touch made everything all right. It took a few seconds before I remembered exactly what followed if she was to touch me. I turned sharply, locking eyes with her, and I could see it on her face.

Fear.

Love.

Hate.

Fear again.

And then uncontainable rage.

“You’re my mate,” she whispered and then terror captured her face. “How could the universe pair me with you?” Her words could be an insult; however, I knew what she meant.

Why would the universe put an angel with a killer?

It wasn’t fair on her, she deserved better. She looked like she was in pain, and I knew I could help. She was feeling the overwhelming pull. I had managed it because I was stronger, but she didn’t have Alpha blood in her. My hands went to her hips, pulling her into my chest.

“Just one night, that’s all I want. Trust me, gorgeous, you can’t go through this alone.” My hand slipped off her hip and ran along the waist of her jeans. “I don’t want you to suffer tonight, I know what the first night is like.” My fingers brushed her button. Sliding my other hand from her hip, to her cheek, my thumb pulled her lip free from her teeth. Her lips looked so moist, so sweet, and I needed to kiss them.

Her eyes widened, and the spark I had hoped to see light within her happened. Her eyes glazed over, then her expression sharpened, and the look on her face set butterflies to my stomach.What the fuck had I just started?

She gulped, taking a step back from me into the hallway.

“Liv, did you get Ripper for tea. Dad said he is needed?” Lottie hollered up the passage. But Liv’s eyes were still glued to mine. She was processing what had just happened, what I had let happen.

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