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“He did! He was really kind and nice. I totally wasn’t expecting it.” She put her hands on my shoulders and pushed me over, rolling us, so she was on top straddling me. “He had a feeling I was going to ask to be released.”

I groaned. “And he released you, didn’t he?”

She laughed. “You really aren’t thinking much of him right now, are you?”

“I know him.”

“He made some excellent points, but he asked me a question I didn’t have an answer for. I told him to ask you.” She looked guilty.

“What was the question?”

“If this was a fling or something serious because if it is serious, he wants to get involved, but if it is a fling and we are going to, well, do what Blake and Ebony do, then he thinks we should let it play its course until we either kill each other or separate, or he’ll release me.”

“It’s serious.”

She rolled her eyes. “You could at least think about it some more before you give an answer.”

I locked my hands with hers. “It’s serious.”

She started chewing her bottom lip. “You sure about that?”

“I marked you, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, but you could have just done that because you were overwhelmed with the thought of having sex with your mate.”

“Is that why you did it?”

“No.”

“Good.” I pulled on her hands, forcing her to come down so I could kiss her lips. I made sure to pull back just before the need of her overpowered me. “So, we are serious?”

“Is that really what you want? We barely had a conversation before this. You don’t even really know me.” She took an uneasy breath in. “Maybe we should try and be friends.”

“Skipped friends.”

“Dating then?”

“Skipped that.”

She sighed. “Well, what do you think we should do?”

“I think we should just be what we are.” I rolled her over, her legs wrapped around me. “Mates.” I kissed her neck. “Which means I can be with you, I can touch you whenever I want, in front of whoever I want, and I can fuck you whenever I feel like it.”

She giggled, and her hands cupped my face, bringing it to hers. “You sure you want that?”

“Fucking right I want that.”

“You won’t be able to just ignore me when you feel like it if we go public?”

When will my past stop haunting me? “I’m never ignoring you again.”

“Good, because I think it’s my turn to ignore you.”

“You are joking, right?” She wouldn’t do that to me, would she?

“Like I could if I wanted to. You know for a fact you run deep in my veins, Zane. I swear you spend more time in my head than you do your own.”

She had a point. “So, mates?” I kissed her mark.