Page 89 of Bearly Hanging On

“I need your knot.”

“No…” That was the sound of a man’s soul coming to pieces, but I’d put it back together, I was sure of it.

“Yes, Mack, please. I’m so full, but there’s something I need.”

They’d ruined me for human men. That ache that started up inside me, it’d never happened before I started messing with them, and it bit hard now. If I was with Tor and Kieran, one of them would work their fingers inside me, stroking that spot until I saw stars, but that was only a poor substitute for this.

“I can’t, Harper.” He bared his fangs, his eyes perfectly silver now. “I can’t, because if I do…” I ground down, feeling something hard and swollen at my entrance, demanding access. His strokes faltered at the feeling of it. I was both terrified and needy all at the same time. “If I do, I will mark you and make you mine.”

My eyelids flicked open and I stared into his eyes.

“Do it, Mack.”

“But—”

“Do it.” My breath hitched as I felt him move, because we were so damn close. “Do it, please.” This was all part of the plan, and yet I hadn’t anticipated this. Needing everything he had to give me and more. Fuck, it he didn’t knot me right fucking now, I’d…

Oh my god.

As he shoved himself deeper, his hands pulled me down and for just a second, I questioned my life decisions. Too much! mybody shouted, right before I realised this was exactly what I needed. The ache transmuted the moment his knot popped in, blossoming instead into a kind of pleasure I didn’t even know was possible.

“Fuck…” I hissed, testing the limits of our link before bearing back down. I was rocking my hips now, unable to stop from feeling his knot rub against me over and over.

“Harper, tell me you’re OK,” he snapped. “Harper!”

“I’m…” My voice was all breathy and my head was spinning a little, the whole world feeling too soft, except for him. “I feel amazing.”

His arms went around me, holding me tight.

“You are amazing.” His hips thrust harder, faster into me. “Too fucking good for me. More than I ever deserved. I’ll protect you, Harper. Make sure that bastard never lays a finger on you, but…”

As his fangs flashed, my head dropped to one side, baring my neck. What had started as a cunning plan became destiny. This was what I wanted, needed. Him lunging forward, his teeth nipping my skin, then sinking in.

You’ll always be mine. His voice reverberated through my head.Always mine.

And he was mine too. Mack wanted to protect me, but I felt the same about him, about Daria, about everyone I cared about. Dax would make mincemeat out of as many people as he could to get to Mack, but I needed to make sure he got nowhere near him, using the strength of our very big, very expansive pack.

But right now, I needed to come hard, the sounds of his gasps and mine drowning out the TV as I milked his knot dry.

“Fuck…” Mack looked exhausted. Happy, but completely trashed as he laid us down on the couch. I tried to wriggle free, but his hands slapped down on my hips, holding me still.“Shouldn’t have done that.” His eyelids were already fluttering closed. “We’re stuck here now.”

“So maybe you should sleep.” My arms went around him, smoothing small circles across his shoulder blades.

“Can’t…” he mumbled, but his body had other ideas. As his breathing evened out, I started to think he was relaxing, but when I started to wiggle, his grip tightened. “Just… stay here, Harper.”

It was not a good sign that the moment we were mated, I was deceiving him. I told myself it was for our own good, but it didn’t make me feel any better when Mack’s knot finally deflated, letting me slip free. With a few very careful movements, I eased myself out from under Mack’s grip, then tiptoed up the stairs. I’d watched him punch in the security code, because no one was leaving me locked down in the basement without a way out. The door popped open and then I stepped out.

“Harper—!” Dax purred as I put through the call.

“Where,” I snapped, not willing to play his stupid game.

“Where what, my?—?”

“Where is Daria?” The words came out through gritted teeth. “Where do you want me to go?” I swallowed hard. “Where are you?”

“My brother knows,” came Dax’s sly reply.

“Well, I’m not with Mack right now.” The mating mark on my neck throbbed, forcing me to slap a hand down over it. “So why don’t you just cut the bullshit and tell me where you are?”

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