Page 80

The drumming of his heartbeat drew me back to the heavy pectoral muscle and I kissed the spot right before I sank my teeth into his skin.

Pleasure washed over me once again and my thighs squeezed tight around his waist as his fingers dug in so hard I knew he’d leave bruises. This time, I recognized the pleasure as his. I was feeling it through him.

Mine.

The word reverberated through me. The possessiveness in it shocking me because I was the one who thought it.

“And you are mine as well,” he declared, the words sending a wave of satisfaction though me so intense I shuddered.

Chapter Nineteen

“Bunny,” Dad caroled, making me wince. “It’s birthday time.”

“Dad, you do know I’m eighteen, right? And weren’t you supposed to stop calling me Bunny?”

A beat of silence followed my question.

“I thought it was eighty,” he finally answered and then pounded on the door lightly. “Now, get your lazy bones up!”

I glanced over at the alarm clock.

“It’s five thirty. In the morning!” I added in case there was any confusion.

“You know the tradition,” was his only response and I groaned. I did know the tradition. I just hadn’t enjoyed it since I was twelve. The Saturday after your birthday or if your birthday was on a Saturday you woke up early and spent the day celebrating. Granted, it had always just been me and Dad since Mom had never bothered to participate that I could remember.

I dragged myself out of the bed, my body protesting the movement. Dominic had dropped me off the night before with strict promises to stay put. He would be patrolling the perimeter with Trent, but I was safer inside. He’d wanted me to stay at his house, safely in the heart of the pack, but I knew that was the fastest way to get my dad to call the sheriff and send a search party out after me.

“Fine,” Dominic had agreed grudgingly. “You need to maintain contact though.”

Yes, sir, I projected mentally and he frowned.

You can leave the sir off, he grumbled back, makes me feel even older.

Older men are hot, I informed him with a mental grin. He answered with a glare through slitted eyes and I slipped out of the Jeep before he could follow up with a verbal reprimand.

I padded into the kitchen bleary eyed mumbling, “Dad, don’t you think we could change the tradition to later in the day?”

The sight in front of me stopped me in my tracks as I muttered, “Fuck.”

“Watch your mouth. I didn’t raise you to speak that way.” The elegant woman standing in the middle of our tiny apartment glared with a familiar disdain and a surge of anger shot through me.

“Well, at least one part of your comment was right. You didn’t raise me.”

Are you okay? The thought blasted through me and I realized my burst of anger had reached Dominic.

I’m fine, I reassured him. My mother is here. A flicker of surprise accompanied that news, but he didn’t ask any questions.

“That is no way to speak to your mother,” she informed me, her chin tilting up. “I’ve come to get you. Get dressed. Don’t bother to pack. We’ll need to buy you new clothes,” she commanded as I stared at her in disbelief. I glanced at Dad, but all he managed was a shrug.

“Did you tell her to come?” I demanded, staring at him in angry disbelief.

He shook his head, and relief trickled through me. I didn’t want to believe he’d send me away, that he hadn’t called her to come here.

“I’m standing right here,” she reminded us and I shot her a look.

“The door is right there,” I informed her sharply. “Feel free to use it.”

“I don’t like your attitude.” She glared at me and then Dad. “I blame you. You were always so soft on her. Doting, even. It was disgusting.”

“Well, you were too busy fucking every man to bother being a mother,” I retorted, angry she’d once again attacked Dad. The responding slap was loud and my cheek stung with burning heat.

Jess, Dominic shouted in my head and I winced. There was no way he hadn’t felt that and I knew I wasn’t going to stop him from coming to my rescue. Necessary or not.

It’s just my mother, I tried to reassure him with zero faith it would work. A low growl filled my head and I sighed.

“You should go,” I pointed at the door helpfully and she just stared. “Really, you should. There’s nothing here you can destroy. Not anymore.”

“You will be coming with me,” she demanded. “It’s been decided.”

“By who?”

“Your father and I,” she replied airily, not even glancing at my father. I spared him a quick glance, already knowing he wouldn’t protest. She’d done this a million times before and I knew Dad was firmly under her thumb. He couldn’t seem to challenge her.