Page 19 of Kiss My Sass

He pulled out of her, leaving her cold and bereft as he got out of bed. Whatever passion had burned so brightly between them moments ago had dulled now to a muted flame. Nica sat up, watching him with sad eyes.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“To deal with this,” he growled.

“It’s not your problem, Thor. I’ll go—”

“Not my problem? Nica, you’re mine.”

“I can try to reason with him,” she said, avoiding his statement and hating the hope that rose within her.Yes, she wanted to say,I am yours, but for how long?

“No,” Thor grunted, shaking his head. “I don’t want you near that fucker. You stay here.”

He pulled on jeans and a shirt, and she watched the play of muscles helpless to do otherwise. Her body was sore in places she didn’t even know she had, but Nica would not have traded the last few hours with him for anything else in the world. Everything was all a jumble. Still, she refused to sit still and stay like an obedient puppy. Nica was a Raven, not a dog.

“Look, this is my mess. If you go, I go.”

“Fucking hell, Nica,” he growled, and turned to her so quickly he stopped her in her tracks.

Thor’s eyes bled to black, and she felt a sudden weight pressing down on her. Nica’s shoulder burned fiercely while he glared at her, his powerful body flexing as he tried to keep his control in place. She looked down at her aching shoulder, finally taking stock of herself. Nica gasped at what she saw.

“You bit me,” she whispered, shocked that she hadn’t realized it.

“I told you. You are mine. You agreed, Nica.” he growled, and her heart squeezed tight.

“Biting is the same as claiming to Wolves, right?” she asked, still trying to wrap her head around it.

“Fuck, I thought you understood,” he cursed, rubbing the top of his head.

“Explain it to me,” she demanded, wondering where she found the gumption to question him like that.

“Explain it to you?” he asked, his eyes blazing, that growl echoing in the room. “You. Are. Mine. Explanation over.”

Nica knew she shouldn’t like it when he said that. Something about feminism and being independent. It was all the females of the Dire Wolf Pack talked about. And a sassier group of females Nica had never met. Still, something primal and deep inside her recognized his claim, and reveled in it.

Lucy was the best. The tiny Alpha fem was always giving her mate hell one minute, then making goo-goo eyes at him the next. Sheila was the same with Leo. Though Ariella and Brock were slightly more complicated and openly worshipped each other, while Tracey and Phoenix were all about traveling the globe and visiting when they could. Gwen was still managing her new Wolf, and Weylin was a surprisingly kind mentor, but their love was off the charts.

Nica had spent the last few weeks getting to know this close-knit Pack, and she’d been pleasantly surprised to find the females all had a say in what went down. That was the total opposite of how the Murder was run.

But back to his possessive declaration, honestly, Nica had heard the others say similar things to each other, but she never understood it. Now, with Thor standing in front of her naked and proud, his thick erection jutting out from between his legs, staking his claim with words as he had with his body, Nica just about melted into a puddle of goo at his enormous feet.

And why shouldn’t she? Sassy or not, none of the females there seemed to mind it one bit when their larger-than-life mates came in, dropping proclamations of outright ownership and hauling them off to ravage them well into the night. Nope. In fact, those lucky women seemed to live for those moments.

You can too, her Raven whispered.Mine.

“But what does being yours mean to you, Thor?”

“There’s no time now—”

“The heck you say! Look, Mr. Tall Dark and Tattooed, you said I’m yours. Tell me what that means!” she demanded, chest heaving with her sudden anger.

Thor paced a moment, then turned to her, those Demon Wolf eyes of his glittering dangerously. He was so damn handsome. So big and powerful. Thor just took up all the space in the room, leaving her with one helluva view, she had to admit.

“Okay, you want to know what it means? Fine,” he grunted, freezing her in place with his laser like stare. “It means you let me have you, angel. Now, you’re mine. And I have no intention of letting you go.”

“Okay then,” she mumbled, swallowing hard. “I’m yours.,” Nica agreed aloud, her voice stronger. “Now, let me go to the meeting with you.”

“No!” he snapped. “Fuck, Nica, I am sorry. I don’t mean to yell. But it is dangerous.”

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