Sugar

Thirty One

Once again, my eyes shut. This time due to the painful truth of what Dominic was saying. I didn't want to hurt him in that way, but I was more of a runner than a fighter. "I'm sorry," I whispered sincerely.

He pressed a hard kiss into my hair before using a hand on my lower back to drag me further up the bed. "Now, let's get rid of these silly cramps."

Dominic pushed my shirt up to the band of my bra and shifted my pants as low as I would allow. He started with his thumbs pressing into my lower abdomen and it immediately distracted from the pain. The fingers nimbly rolled around my skin and slowly walked up towards my navel and back down again, to the edge of my panties. It wasn't hard to miss the way his gaze darkened when Dom realized how close to the most private part of me his touch was, but he shook his head once, to himself, and kept to the task at hand.

"You don't have to," I said softly, but was already feeling better after only a couple minutes.

"I live to serve you, my Queen," Dominic said with a grin. "Really, I want to."

I grimaced as he pressed a little too hard, which Dominic was quick to apologize about. My hands fisted the fresh sheets beneath me as he dipped down to kiss the newly sensitive spot. "Dominic," I hissed in a whisper.

He lifted his head and snickered, smirking innocently. "Sorry, sugar." But his smirk said the opposite, that he just couldn't help himself but he very much enjoyed it. Admittedly, the tender kiss made tingles flow through my body and goosebumps to erupt on my skin. But Dominic's relaxed, playful emotion did ease the tension and I found myself laughing.

After another ten minutes of his careful touches and I gently cupped his hand and lifted it off of me. His massage had helped, but my lower stomach was starting to ache anew from the repeated pressure. "Thank you, Dom."

He grinned and fell onto his side next to me, his face inches from mine as his fingers now stroked up my jaw to make me look at him. "Kiss me."

My response was immediate. With subtle butterflies in my belly, which I convinced myself was just the remnants of menstrual cramps, I lifted my head to kiss Dominic. He inhaled sharply as I did, the once soft touch on my chin becoming rigid and stern to keep me kissing him. Every part of me felt like it was burning up, but the mark was scorching so much it almost made me dizzy.

Some part of Dominic must have sensed this because all at once he stopped kissing me and moved onto the forever stained part of my skin. His sharpening teeth dragged against my throat, causing me to gasp and bite my lower lip fiercely. Each time he became rough, his tongue and lips would slowly soothe my flesh back to normal.

I didn't notice that my left hand had twisted into his shirt tightly until Dominic's free hand captured it, the foreign touch making me jump a little bit. His fingers pried mine open and then entwined them together. How could he do so much at one time? I wasn't even doing anything and I could hardly think, let alone move.

What was this wolf doing to me?

~ ~ ~

Dominic held my hand securely as we walked through the shopping area in town. The both of us had to buy a coordinated outfit for the ceremony tonight, even if it wasn't going to be an official mating ceremony. Strangely, it was tradition for Dominic and I to wear a specific color scheme. But I wasn't about to complain or argue about it especially seeing as Dom compromised with me for the event.

"So it just has to be solid white, but not like a wedding dress?" I asked for clarification.

Dominic gave a short nod before turning into a dress boutique, holding the door open for me. The shop smelled of roses and freshly pressed fabric, with a hint of laundry soap. "Most of the women in my family wore some type of sundress. It is supposed to bear the place of the mark too. Other than that, it is really open for interpretation. Except it has to be somewhat modest, though I doubt you would pick out something too scandalous."