Page 33 of Third Offense

Novak’s irises flashed up to meet her gaze as he licked the seam of her weeping pussy, ensuring she could see his hunger and desperation. It wasn’t just for his own release, but for the claim he desperately needed to hear her say.

She’d threatened to replace him. Perhaps as a joke. However, the events of today weren’t laughable. We might have reacted like animals, as she’d claimed, but she was our mate. Instinct demanded we mark our territory, to inform the potential competitor that we already belonged to her.

Our mate.

Novak licked her again, then laved her sweet little nub until she trembled with pending release.

And stopped again.

“You know what to say,” I told her, brushing my fingers through her hair as I guided her back down to the bed and pressed my lips to her throat. “Tell us who we are, Lay, and we’ll give you everything you want and more.”

She shuddered, an unintelligible sound slipping from her mouth as she tried to close her legs. But Novak’s body was in the way, his arms holding her thighs open and allowing that cherry-like fragrance to perfume the air around us.

“I hate both of you,” she whispered, causing my lips to curl down and Novak to freeze entirely.

It’d been the wrong thing to say.

I rolled back a little, my brow furrowing down.

“Why? Because we didn’t appreciate having yourbetrotheddumped unexpectedly into our laps?” I demanded. “Because we wanted to prove our worth as the superior suitors by challenging him? Because we essentially lost that challenge when he used his godly magic on us in response?” My tone turned angrier with every word, my irritation mounting by the second.

It was entirely disrespectful of her to say such a thing, to belittle our need to claim her by calling itanimalisticand threatening to replace us.

Novak’s darkening gaze told me he felt the same.

He started to pull away from her, but she reached out and threaded her fingers through his hair, holding him in place, her eyes opening to meet mine.

Concern colored her features upon finding me glaring down at her. But what the fuck did she expect after a statement like that?

I thought she understood this game.

We wanted her to saymates.

Not tell us she fucking hated us.

“Auric,” she breathed, her eyes holding a touch of surprise. “I… I just meant…”

I arched a brow, waiting for her to finish that statement.

She shivered, this time her reaction having nothing to do with arousal and everything to do with the way we were looking at her.

“You’re my mates,” she finally said, her cheeks darkening with color. “I… I said that I hated you because you’re tormenting me. But I didn’t mean it. I swear I didn’t mean it.”

Novak didn’t appear appeased.

And neither, frankly, was I.

But her eyes started to glisten as panic touched her features. “Seriously, I didn’t mean it like that. I don’t hate you. I love you. I love both of you. You’re mine. My mates. Myheart. Please, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I really didn’t.”

This time I stilled for another reason entirely.

As did Novak.

I love you. I love both of you..

She’d never said those words, at least not out loud. With her body, yes. But not with her mouth.

“Oh Gods, please believe me. I didn’t mean—”