Opening her eyes she saw Trey sitting beside her, his back against the headboard and his legs crossed at the ankles. “Hey there, Flinstone,” she said in a voice gone husky from sleep.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you.”

If she hadn’t been able to feel it through their link, the deep crease between his eyebrows would have told her that he was still pretty pissed. “You know I was right, Trey,” she said in a low voice.

He turned his head away and sighed. “I know. It doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“And stop torturing yourself about not having been there.”

“I’m your mate, Taryn. It’s my job to protect you.”

“I was the one who insisted you didn’t come with me.”

“Something that won’t be happening again,” he reminded her.

She drew circles on his bicep with her fingertip as she asked, “Does that mean you’re done now?”

“With what?”

“Sulking.”

One brow lifted. “Sulking?”

“Yeah.” She climbed onto his lap and straddled him. “Sulking because you can’t go kill the sly wolf.”

“He ordered an attack on you, Taryn. He wanted the shit knocked out of you.” If he knew Darryl like he thought he did, then the ass**le would have ordered that she be sexually assaulted and then beaten almost to death – assurance that Trey would come for him. The drive to do just that was still hounding both him and his wolf. Moreover, he had the painful knowledge that someone within his pack had betrayed them.

She massaged his shoulders and brushed his nose with hers. “Darryl didn’t get what he wanted though. I’m fine.”

The way she had said it as though that made everything okay had Trey shaking his head incredulously. She thought that what he’d been doing all this time was pouting about not getting his revenge and torturing himself about not having protected her. If she had looked deeper she would have seen what was tormenting him most, would have known that the terror he had experienced earlier on hearing she was being attacked was still coursing through his veins.

He had envisioned all kinds of f**ked up scenarios as he had drove like a crazy person to get to her, had imagined finally arriving only to find her dead. Her strong personality always made her seem inches taller than what she was. In reality, she was just a tiny little thing. So easily breakable. He could snap her neck right now with minimal effort – and those wolves who tried to attack her could have done the same even if they hadn’t meant to.

Trey took her face in his hands, fighting to keep his touch gentle while anger and fear was still stabbing at him. “You just don’t get it, do you? You have no idea how important you are to me. I need you to be okay, Taryn. I can’t be without you, you have to be here and okay or I won’t be able to f**king function.”

Taryn doubted he could have known how much those words meant to her, especially when she knew just how hard he found it to articulate himself like that. Even now he looked as though he wasn’t sure if what he’d said had made any sense. She could feel his need to assure himself that she was with him, safe and alive, in the most basic way – by possessing her body. He was restraining himself though because he didn’t trust that he wouldn’t hurt her while his blood was still boiling. Well then she’d provide him with that assurance that he needed if he wasn’t going to take it for himself.

Leaning forward, Taryn licked along the seam of his lips, wanting admission, as she raked her claws down his chest – not enough to tear his t-shirt, but enough that it sent a shudder through him. “Kiss me.” Sliding one hand to her nape he gave her what she wanted, possessing her mouth, owning it. She ground herself against his c**k and he groaned into her mouth, but then he tore his lips away.

“Baby, not tonight.” Shit he deserved a medal for holding back. Knowing that she was naked beneath his old t-shirt was killing him. He could smell her arousal, knew she was wet and primed for him. “My head’s not in a good place.”

“Shh -”

“I’m too wound up -”

“I said shh.” She took his arms and draped them over the headboard. “Keep them there.”

There as an edge of dominance to her tone that he hadn’t heard before. It intrigued his wolf. Trey narrowed his eyes and went to question her, but she raised a brow and shook her head. Then, surprising the hell out of him, she tore the t-shirt he was wearing right down the middle. He might have made a comment about it if she hadn’t then swirled her tongue in the hollow of his throat and sucked at the patch of skin the way he liked.

She explored his chest with her lips and tongue, occasionally using teeth. He loved those little bites she did, loved that she had the urge to leave marks of possession on his body. He hadn’t realized his eyes had drifted shut until she tackled the buttons of his fly and his lids flipped open. “Taryn…”

“Didn’t I tell you to shush?” she said, sitting up again and straddling his thighs. She was pretty sure he would have snapped at her for that comment if she hadn’t curled her hand around the base of his cock. She stroked upwards and ran her thumb over the silky head, sweeping up the pearl of pre-come there. Holding his eyes, she brought her thumb to her mouth and sucked it clean, smiling as he groaned.

Trey’s entire body clenched as she began working her soft little hand up and down his length, her eyes never leaving his. “Taryn, I’m not in the mood to be teased.”

“Are you in the mood to be sucked off?” She smiled inwardly as shock stiffened his body while his dick jerked in her hand. “Because that’s what I have every intention of doing.” Leaning forward she asked against his lips in a wickedly submissive tone, “Can I? Can I suck your cock? Please?”

“You’re a witch.” For so long he’d dreamt of this, but he wasn’t sure that now was the time. “Be certain you want to do this, Taryn. I’m not in control, baby. I’m not going to be able to keep my hands up here and just let you play.”

“I’m certain.”

He bit her bottom lip hard. “Then suck that c**k until I tell you to stop.”

“Yes, sir,” said Taryn in a mockingly submissive tone, but he still growled in approval. Again she kissed and nipped his chest as she crawled backwards until she was settled between the invitation of his slightly spread thighs. He hissed as she ran her tongue along his c**k from base to tip, lapping up the drop of pre-come from the slit. Several times she licked his length, lathing it and teasing him in the process until he bucked slightly, hinting for more. Smiling, she swirled her tongue around the head and took him into her mouth.