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Her hand ran up my tattoos. “What’s your plan exactly, because no-one is going to be very welcoming to the idea of there being a you and me?”

“It isn’t an idea, it is happening.” But I felt like I would have to press the message harder to her. “People don’t get a say in my life. I live it how I want to, and I’m choosing to spend it with you. People won’t have the guts to question me on it.”

“What about the Elders? Or your dad? They all don’t like me.”

“Allie, I don’t care.” I linked my hands with hers. “You’re my mate. They don’t get a say. The Elders won’t fight it because you are my mate and, well, dad will want to enroll you in everything possible to get you in the best possible shape to lead, but not one of them is going to pull us apart.”

She exhaled slowly, again looking extremely worried.

“Allie, you aren’t losing me.” I dipped my head, locking my eyes with hers. “I’m yours, and no-one is going to change that.”

The corner of her lips twitched up. “You are really positive this morning.”

“Had one fucking great start to the morning.” I kissed her lips. “Might have something to do with you, and this,” I kissed her mark, “And you being mine.” Finally.

She nodded her head. “Ok.”

“Ok, as in you will come down to breakfast?”

She nodded her head.

I slowly walked backwards, holding her hands. “Have you accepted the fact I’m not changing my mind yet?”

She shook her head. “Nope. The Zane I know will be ignoring me at breakfast.”

“Trust me, the last thing I will be doing is ignoring you. Touching you and feeling you up, yes.” I stopped at the door. “You ready to face the world as mine, now?”

She frowned for a second and then nodded her head. “If one person comments on my mark though, I will take limbs off.”

Now that sounded more like the furious Allie I knew.

Her and that attitude.

***

We had got breakfast, and I made a point to load up her plate. She seemed more determined on not making eye contact with anyone to notice what I was doing. We had got a table by ourselves, and she went to sit next to me when I pulled her onto my lap.

I hadn’t kept my hands off her. I didn’t care who saw. Allie was mine.

As soon as I sat the plates down, my hands were back on her, and she didn’t seem to mind.

I was kissing her arm, and she was chewing on a bit of toast when I felt him appear.

“Ryder!” Allie jumped off me and hugged him.

Ryder was grinning, hugging her back, his hand dangerously too close to her ass. As if he knew what I was thinking, his hand went down lower.

He had enjoyed the fact he was closer to my mate than I was. Actually, he loved it. How many times did he tell me to let her go, so he could be with her? He had ended his relationship with his mate, and he was hoping mine would end the same way.

But he was hoping to pick Allie up as his.

Well, that didn’t happen.

As soon as she let go of him, I grabbed her arm and pulled her back, not feeling any easier about him and her together, even when she was back on my lap.

“So, how are you, Allie?” Ryder sat down next to me. His eyes on her.

“Good. I’ve missed you!”