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“Yours,” I whispered back.

Silas exhaled slowly, his body shifting, his arms sliding around my waist. Then he was lifting me, pulling me into his lap, cradling me against his chest as he sat on the bed.

My face pressed against his neck, his body radiating warmth. My eyes drifted closed, and I breathed him in, letting myself fall, giving in.

Just this once.

At least that’s what I told myself.

I lay against his chest, my skin warm and flushed, my body wrecked from everything he’d just done to me. His arms were strong around me, his breath slowing as he regained control. His scent wrapped around me, dark and intoxicating, pressing into my lungs, settling into a place deep inside where I would keep it forever. That realization was something I really didn’t want to acknowledge.

I was his.

I sighed, shifting slightly before immediately regretting it. My ass throbbed, heat still radiating from his punishment, and I hissed under my breath, my muscles contracting.

“Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.” He lifted me effortlessly as he stood, his strength both infuriating and—ugh—irritatingly attractive. Then he said smoothly, “Go draw a bath. I’m going to share it with you.”

I stiffened, my head snapping up. “Excuse me?”

His eyes gleamed. “You heard me.”

“You can bathe by yourself, Alpha,” I shot back, trying—and failing—to push away from him.

He didn’t let go. Instead, he leaned in, his breath hot against my ear, his deep voice full of promise.

“We’ll share a bath, and then I’ll breed you for as long and has hard as you need.”

Heat shot through me, pulsing low in my belly, and I hated the way my thighs squeezed together on instinct. My breath caught, and Silas noticed.

Of course he did.

I narrowed my eyes, my mind racing. I had half a mind to draw him a cold bath—one so frigid it would shrink his ego and his cock and balls down to something more manageable, but then I thought about what he’d do if I did that. My ass was already sore. Another spanking on top of the one he’d just given me? No, thank you. I mean, I was eighteen. I wasn’t a child anymore, so I didn’t really want to be treated like one, even if it made my clit zing with pleasure every time I thought about it.

Trying to cover up my wayward thoughts, I huffed, rolling my eyes. “Fine. But don’t get any ideas, fuckface.”

Silas chuckled, finally releasing me. “Hurry up, mate.”

I bristled. Mate.

I should have corrected him. Should have denied it.

Instead, I just stomped off toward the bathroom, my cheeks burning, my heart hammering, and my body betraying me. Because I wanted this, damn it. Even though I hated that I did, I did.

With a huff, I entered the bathroom and turned on the taps, watching as hot water gushed into the oversized tub, the scent of minerals and heated stone wafting into the air. Except I wasn’t going to be relaxing in a nice bath, was I? No, I’d be sitting here, naked, with him.

I scowled, twisting the taps off once the water was high enough, steam rising up in the air. For a second, I considered climbing out the window and making a run for it, but I knew two things: one, my ass was still way too sore to be running anywhere. And two, Silas would catch me, and then he’d probably haul me right back over his knee for a spanking that made the ones he’d already given me look like child’s play.

So, with a sigh, I stepped in.

The second the water hit my severely punished, very sore backside, I yelped and jumped up, my breath stuck in my lungs.

Fuck, fuckity, fuck, fuck. Ouch!

I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to push through the sting, easing my body down into the water until the warmth wrapped around me, soothing and burning all at once. I exhaled, closing my eyes for a second. Okay.Fine. It did feel good.

I settled against the faucet end of the tub, figuring he’d take up the good spot, letting the heat soak into my muscles, feeling some of the tension from the last hours unwind. It was almost peaceful. Almost enough to make me forget that I was waiting for him to join me.

The bathroom door creaked open. I cracked an eye open, watching as Silas stepped into the bathroom. Slowly, he undressed, and I couldn’t take my eyes off him, all bare skin and muscle and pure Alpha arrogance. His eyes flicked to me, his mouth twitching like he knew exactly what I’d just been thinking. I hated it when he was amused at my expense. It wasn’t fair that he could read me so easily.