There's pain at first, a burning sensation that almost causes me to pull away from him. When he tightens his grip, keeping me close, the pleasure starts from my neck to my toes. My head swims with emotions that I knew weren't mine, my fingers digging into his shoulders as I moan into his chest. He kisses the area, causing my legs to tingle, and then presses a kiss to my forehead.
"It's going to hurt for a while."
Gingerly, I touch the area, smiling even though it burns. Happiness flows through me, my emotions mixing with his, and I look into his eyes. "I love you, too, by the way."
He grins, eyes light. "Normally, the day I planned to mark you I wouldn't leave your side. But I have to go to my pack and finish getting everything settled for Cole to take over."
"I understand. If you get back in time, you're welcome to join my movie date."
Even though he and I both knew I was joking, his growl is deadly and possessive. When he notices, he quickly stops. "I don't think I've ever been this jealous."
"I'm yours."
"I know. I'll make you mine tonight."
He winks, promising that he would be here as soon as he finishes, and kisses my head. I hold his hand before he leaves, squeezing. "Dominic."
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"Does this mean if anything happens to me, for whatever reason, you can feel my emotions too, right?"
He frowns, leaning in the doorway. "Yes. Why?" I don't answer right away, only bringing up his nerves. "Lia."
"I'm worried that Jamie might try something. He almost marked me against my will a couple days ago. He's going to be ridiculously pissed when he knows you marked me."
"I didn't think about that. I'm going to call Cole over here, okay? I want him to keep an eye on you."
"Can you wait to leave until he gets here?"
"Of course. What do you want to do? Nap, watch movies, video games?"
"I'll take a nap. I'm still pretty tired."
Dominic takes me in his arms when we lay on the couch, his chest warm and his heart thumping fast underneath my fingertips. My eyes are heavy the moment he starts to run his fingers through my hair, pulling me into the open arms of sleep. I don't remember when he moved away, yet I wake up alone on the couch, low voices in the kitchen.
"I don't want you to leave her, Cole. I mean it."
"I get it, man. She's protected under my watch. Go take care of what you need to."
Dominic sighs. "You understand if anything happens to her, I will kill you, yes?"
I could only imagine his face paling at the threat, but he takes it easily. I rub at my eyes and sit up on the couch, yawning. My shoulders pop, both boys going quiet, and then I give Cole a large smile when I see him.
"Hi, Coley. Haven't seen you in a while."
He grins, plopping on the couch next to me, and throws his arm over my shoulder. "Hey yourself, sweetie. I've missed you."
I groan into his hug, accepting the little bits of pain, and squeeze him back. "I'm having a movie date. You'll be here, right?"
Looking up at Dominic, I make sure to flutter my eyelashes and pout, begging. He looks between the two of us, sliding his hand down his face, and then nods. "Sure, Lia. If he wants to stay."
"Hell yeah!" We say in unison. I laugh when Cole grins, both of us soon erupting in a small fit of giggles.
"So, if you're done flirting with her, I'm going to kiss her goodbye. Is that fine with you, Cole?"
Dominic's eyes were dark, his arms crossed over his chest, and I cheekily smile up at him. "I'm sure Cole will want your kisses too, Dom."
Successfully getting him to smile, I walk him to the door, pulling him down by the collar of his shirt. "I'll be back as soon as I can, princess."
"Oh, I know you will." I grin and kiss him, nipping at his lip. "Otherwise I'll be sure Cole gets my attention for the rest of the night."
He growls, eyes narrowing in on his Beta. "Touch her and I'll murder you."
"Goodbye, Dominic," he replies, rolling his eyes. "I've heard you the twenty times you've told me."
Kissing him one last time, I push him out of the doorway and shut the door, turning to Cole who is smirking at me. "Say, Lia," he murmurs, walking towards me. "Are you wanting to get your ass kicked?"
"Is this a challenge?" I retort, staring up at him. He chuckles, lowering his head, and smirks.
"It always is little girl."
We both laugh when we head up to the game room, me telling Cole to pick a console and a game. I stretch out on the beanbag chair, seeing Link's message saying they would be here around six, and I toss my phone next to me. We spend the next few hours playing games, Cole raging each time I win, and decides to pick a new game each time he loses. By the time he finally wins one, it's almost six.
"I hate the fact that Dominic taught you," he whines.
Snickering underneath my breath, I put popcorn in a bowl and season it, grabbing out the drinks I knew the boys would like. Cole, about as annoying and protective as Dominic, looks at the door when someone knocks. I go to tell him no, not sure how they would react, and watch in horror as he throws the door open hard enough that it hits the wall.
If that left a hole, you will fix it.
Knowing he would laugh if he could, he looks at me. I will.
"So, who are you?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.
I can faintly see Link and Eric in the doorway, yet there was someone else behind them. "For fucks sake," I mutter.
"Dude, I asked you a question."
I push Cole away, grinning up at the two boys. "Please come inside," I tell them. "He's on his period."
Eric and Link do as I ask, giving me a clear view of the man that was behind them. He had familiar blond hair and gray eyes, the same smile, and the scar on his cheek. I grin from ear to ear, throwing myself into his arms.
"Hi, Cammy!" I squeak.
He chuckles, hugging me back. "Hey yourself. You smell funny."
Faintly aware of Cole behind me, I brush back the hair that was covering my mark, knowing it was nearly fully healed. Cameron grins, touching it gently, and then ruffles my hair.
"Glad to see you finally found your mate, kiddo. Who is it?"
I swat his hand away. "You're just a year older than me, Cam. I'm not a kid. But my mate rejected me, actually."
He points to my neck, raising an eyebrow. "Then what's that?"
"Do you remember Dominic?"
His eyes harden at the name, looking up at Cole who stood behind me. "Please tell me you're fucking with me, Liana."
"No, she's not. Is that okay with you, pretty boy?" Cole replies.
Clicking his tongue, he sighs. "I leave you alone for two years and you already move on to the one person I asked you to stay away from."
Smacking his arm, I walk back inside, Cameron close to my heels. The tension between the two boys behind me was annoying, yet I knew Cole was only doing his job, knowing that he was to protect me. I take the love seat, pulling Cole next to me, and see the look that Cameron gives me before he sits in front of me on the floor.
"So!" I start, looking at Eric. "What did you pick for us today?"
"Action movie that I bought last night. Do you like action movies?" he asks, tossing some popcorn into his mouth.
"Romance and action are my favorite if you ever want to be my best friend."
Cole chuckles at my side, letting me put my legs in his lap, and rubs them absentmindedly. "I'm your only best friend," Link mutters.
"Nope. I think I have you beat on that one." Cameron replies.
I snicker at the two of them, giving my attention to the movie. When the menu comes on, I sit up, glaring. "You fucker," I growl. "You're dead."
"I'm sorry!" Eric laughs, scooting away to the other side. "Link dared me."
"I hate the both of you."
"Is my little kitten scared of horror movies?" Cole teases, eyes light with amusement.
"She isn't yours. Put your dick away."
I smack Cameron's shoulder, frowning. "This is the first time I've seen you in a couple years, Cam. Be nice." Looking at Eric and Link who were confused, I point to the two of them. "This is Cole, Dominic's best friend. This is Cameron, someone who I knew growing up. Neither of them like each other."
"You sure know interesting people," Eric mumbles, smiling over at me.
When I smile back and shrug, his cheeks turn pink and he quickly faces the movie that is steadily introducing what the issue was. Throughout the movie, I cling to Cole, hiding my face behind his shoulder even when he laughs.
"You're a lot scarier than them, little kitten. Why are you so afraid?" he whispers.
Not answering, I feel the fast pace of my heart, screaming just as the jump scare happens. Everyone laughs at my reaction, bringing a blush to my face, and Cole tenses the moment the door opens too quick. Dominic's eyes immediately find mine, frowning as he sees me clinging to his Beta, and then sees the screen.
"Link dared me!" Eric defends.
Dominic narrows in on Cameron, the two of them having a small stare down, before I growl at Cameron who was steadily getting angrier. "You two need to behave. Damn."
Cameron scoots and takes the rocking chair, letting Dominic sit next to me. The moment he's at my side, my nerves calm and I ditch Cole for him. Dramatically pouting, Cole reaches for me, dragging me back to him. "My little kitten can't leave me."
I stick between the two of them through the rest of the movie, breathing in the familiar scent of Dominic to keep calm. Every time Cole goes to put his arm around me, Dominic smacks him, glaring in warning. I snicker at them, watching the movie between my fingers until it finally ends.
"Right," I tell them. "I'm going to the bathroom. Dominic, you'll pick the movie next because I don't trust them. Cole, you will wait for me before you leave so I can get a hug. The rest of you need to behave."
They all nod, Dominic and Cole heading into the kitchen to talk things over. My fingers touch the mark on my neck after I wash my hands and I brush my hair back, smiling. The holes had officially healed, and ever so faint was the intricate design that belonged to Dominic. I hear them call for me, ready to start the next movie, and I jump when Cameron is standing right in front of the doorway.
"Sorry, had to go next."
"It's fine," I reply. "How long are you in for?"
He smiles warmly at me, the smile that I once enjoyed, and tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. "Just for a few days and then I'll come back in a few weeks. This was the only time I could come and visit you."
Stepping away, I nod and walk out of the bathroom. His fingers wrap around my wrist, pulling me to a stop, and I look up at him. "Yes?"
"Why did you let him mark you in the end? I told you to stay away from him."
Frowning, I pull my hand away. "My relationship with him is none of your concern, Cameron."
"I thought we were going to be together. That's what we told each other."
"No, Cam, that's what you said. All the time. You knew I loved Dominic."
He growls at his name, clenching his fist at his side, before smirking. "At least I was your first. He can't take that away from you no matter how many times he takes you to bed."
I smack him, tears in my eyes, and step back. "I don't know what your problem is, Cam, but you're not the same guy who was my best friend."
His face drops, realizing how upset I was, and I step away from him when he tries to reach for me. Shaking my head, I take the steps two at a time, rubbing my eyes with the back of my hand. Cole is leaning against the wall when I reach the bottom, giving me a warm smile. Seeing me cry, he frowns, taking a quick glance at Dominic who was busy in the kitchen, and pulls me to him for a hug.
"Are you okay, little kitten?" he whispers. Shaking my head, I bury my face in his chest and stay there until he pulls my face to look at him, his thumbs running under my eyes. "Do you want to talk about it?"
I see Cameron take a seat next to Eric, both chatting about video games, yet his eyes refused to meet mine. Cole, knowing what I could be looking at, kisses my temple. "I don't know what happened to him."
"I'll look into it, sweetheart. Go. It seems your mate is waiting on you."
His words bring a smile to my face and I nod. "So, the pack is officially yours?"
His grin is wide, nodding. "Yeah. I'm pretty excited."
Hugging him hard, he chuckles in my ear. "I'm happy for you. Let me know if you need anything, okay?"
I close the door softly behind him when he leaves, scowling at the hole that was in my wall. With a growl, I send him a link telling him that he will be fixing it, sitting next to Dominic on the love seat. In the darkness, he kisses his mark, making me shiver in his arms.
"You smell like him," he mutters. "I'm going to kill him. Best friend or not."
Shaking my head, I curl into his lap and wipe my eyes, watching a romance come on. Everyone groans but me, a hopeless romantic, and I smile at Dominic in thanks. He could faintly see the tears, rubbing my head, and then turns his attention to the movie.
Are you okay?
I smile at the movie, watching it with full attention. No, not necessarily, I reply.
Does my baby want to talk about it?
Later when everyone leaves.
Dominic's fingers distract me from the thoughts in my head by running his fingers over my back and up my spine, giving me a sense of comfort. Throughout the movie, Link playfully groans each time they kiss, Eric smacking him to get him to be quiet. When the credits roll, I stretch.
"I love romances," I sing, taking the dirty bowls into the kitchen.
"Lia, we're heading out," Link calls.
"Thanks for the invite."
I smile at the two of them. "Let me know next time you guys want to come back over."
"What are you doing for your birthday?"
Humming, I look over at Dominic, wondering if he had anything planned. With a shake of his head, I grin over at them. "I'll throw a party at my parents'? They have a pool in the back yard and a big open space for food."
"Sweet. Let me know when you talk to them and then call us."
I wave goodbye when they leave, washing the dishes to distract myself. Dominic and Cam speak low in the living room, determined not to let me hear, and I chew on my lip. I try to think of a way to bring it up to Dom, washing off the counters with the rag, and then lean against the island.
"I'll see you later, Lia."
I pay no mind to Cam as he leaves, leaving Dominic and I alone finally. Looking up when he steps in front of me, I smile as he claims my lips with his own, causing my heart to thump hard in my chest. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Rubbing my eyes, I sigh. "Cameron was really rude. When he found out that you were the one to mark me, he wasn't happy about that. He told me that I was supposed to stay away from you, that he and I were supposed to be together, but I told him he was the one that always thought that. Then he brought up that in the end, he was my first one in bed and it doesn't matter how many times you take me."
Dominic grips the island hard enough that I hear it snap. "Sorry, I'll replace that."
I stare at him, mouth open in shock, and groan. "What is wrong with you two? Cole puts a hole in my wall and now you break my island?"
"I'll fix it," he repeats, yet his eyes remain black. "How long did he say he's staying for?"
"A few days, but then he will be back in a few weeks."
He nods, cradling my head, and looks at me. "I ask that you stay away from him. I'm going to bring him up with the guards and one will stick with you whenever I'm not at your side."
Eyes black, they slowly start to turn the golden honey color that I was in love with. "I will."
He kisses me slowly after that, fingers buried into my hair, and I make him groan by pulling him to me. Smirking, I bite his lip, bringing blood, and then lick just as he shivers. "So, you really are into pain."
He grins, mischievousness in his eyes, and pulls me so I'm sitting on the island. "Oh, sweetheart, you haven't seen anything yet."
----
I realized it's been a while since I've updated, and for that, I am sorry. Book one has been finished for about a year and a half now, but a lot has happened since then. lol I'm going to go ahead and upload the rest of these chapters that way we can mark this as complete, and from there, we work on book two!
happy reading ♥ I'm glad to be back!