But being mine placed her at risk. The gold that adorned her made her a target, and that was no longer acceptable. I kissed her, over and over. “I’m sorry. Never again, gara.”
Her body stiffened, her lips no longer soft and pliant beneath mine, but hard and defiant until, finally, she turned her head away. Her grip on my wrist tightened and her hand shook. “Why? You don’t want me anymore? You don’t want to mark me? Are you sending us back?”
“Back?”
“To Earth.” She looked at me, tears gathering in her eyes, and behind those tears, hurt and rage. “I won’t leave Noah. You can’t have him. I’ll die before I leave my son.”
Confusion froze me in place. Hot water poured over us both as her words seeped through the haze of desire clouding my brain. “Natalie, you are mine. You are not going anywhere. I forbid you to leave my side.”
Her chin lifted and she looked up at me with defiance in every line of her body. “You told me this chain, this adornment, was how Trion men marked their mates. This was your claim, that it would protect me from claims by other men.”
“It is tradition.” I rolled the gold chain loosely between my fingers. I would not place her in danger for my own selfish ends. I could stare at my emblem hanging from her perfect nipples for hours, but my pleasure faded when I thought of Commander Loris, and the others in the holding cells, the men who had allies, friends who would continue to target my mate. “I will remove this curse from your body.”
“No.”
Her refusal stopped me cold and I lifted my head to meet her gaze. “You do not give me orders, mate.”
She stepped forward, pushing her body into mine, driving me to the edge of my control when I needed it most. “No. You can’t have it back. It’s mine.”
I turned off the water and carried her to the bedroom. There, where I’d ordered it placed the day I’d submitted to the Interstellar Brides Program’s testing, was the traditional claiming bench, warm and ready before the fire.
I carried her to stand beside the bench and set her on her feet before me, kissing her over and over as she stood stiff in my arms, her naked body pressed to mine. My cock wept with pre-cum where it was locked between us as I trailed kisses along her jaw and shoulder.
“I claimed you at the Mirana oasis, but never properly, as is custom on Trion.”
“Apparently, you don’t plan on claiming me at all.”
My growl was pure male instinct at her sass. She was pushing me, testing me. The logical part of my mind recognized the need behind her challenge. I had failed her as a master, as a mate. I had not conquered her, convinced her that I was strong enough to protect her and our son. No, I’d left her for over a year, been injured and then nearly lost her again upon our return to Trion.
Instinct and logic warred within my body until my chest felt as if it would tear in two. My mate had been through much, had suffered much. Logic told me to go gently, to soothe and comfort her, but instinct roared through me like a wild beast, demanding I restrain her, spread her open and tie her to the bench as I should have that first night, fuck her senseless, fuck her until she screamed my name and nothing else.
My cock jumped at the idea and I lifted my hand to her cheek, stared into the fiery defiance in her eyes. Gods, she was beautiful when she raged, my strong, rebellious mate. From this moment on, she was mine to protect, mine to master. Mine.
Sinking my hands into her hair, I gripped the base of her neck and held her in place for my kiss. My lips were soft, gentle, the last touch of patience I contained in the kiss. Her lips were hard beneath my softness, unyielding and angry.
“You are mine, mate. And I warned you about defying your master.”
“You’re not my master. Not anymore.” Her breath came in hard pants against my lips. “You don’t want me, fine. Let me go. I’ll cut the damn chain off myself with a pair of wire cutters when I get home.”
“You are home.” Holding her still, I kissed her hard, thrust my tongue into her mouth, forced her to yield. With a whimper, she let me in and I claimed her mouth as my own, left her no room to retreat, nowhere to hide from me.
Done with the kiss, I lifted my head, still holding her exactly where I needed her to be. “You’re mine, Natalie.” I spun her around to face the bench, pushed forward until her hips met the pads and stood with my cock pressed to her ass. Kicking her feet wide, I bent over, covering her back with my much larger frame. “You’re mine, mate. And after tonight, you’ll never doubt me again.”
* * *
Natalie
He stood behind me, his cock like a branding iron pressed in the crease of my bottom. Roark’s fist was in my hair, pressing me slowly, gently, but inexorably forward until I leaned over the bench, my breasts swaying below me, the chain dangling low, nearly brushing the floor.