Dominic’s POV
I dressed quickly and left the villa, heading for the private forest preserve nearby. The night air was cool against my skin, but I barely noticed it. My blood was on fire, my heart racing with a primal energy that demanded release.
The marking had changed everything. The bond that I had tried so hard to deny was now fully formed, irrevocable. I could feel her presence even now, a warm pulse at the edge of my consciousness.
As soon as I reached the dense cover of trees, I stripped off my clothes and surrendered to the change. It was faster than usual, almost painless, as if my body was eager for the transformation. One moment I was a man; the next, a massive wolf with deep gray fur that gleamed silver in the moonlight.
I ran through the forest, reveling in the surge of power that coursed through my veins. Every sense was heightened, every instinct sharper. I could smell prey animals a mile away, hear the rustle of leaves in the gentlest breeze, sense the presence of other predators long before they would detect me.
But most importantly, I could feel the bond with Rebecca–a golden thread that connected us across the distance, pulsing with life and energy. I lifted my head to the moon and howled, a sound of pure joy that echoed through the
trees.
She had accepted the bond. My mate. My little doe.
I ran for hours, the exhilaration of the bond and the freedom of my wolf form a heady combination. It was only as dawn approached that I turned back toward the villa, shifting back to human form at the edge of the property.
As I dressed in the clothes I had left there, I realized the full implications of what had happened. Rebecca had marked me, forming a true mate bond–but she likely had no idea what she had done. She didn’t know the significance of that instinctive bite, didn’t understand that she had bound herself to me in a way that transcended human understanding.
I needed to explain it to her, to help her understand what it meant for both of us. But that conversation would have to wait. For now, I just wanted to hold her, to feel her beside me and know that she was truly mine.
When I returned to the bedroom, Rebecca was still asleep, her chestnut curls fanned across the cream–colored pillow like a halo. Her lips were slightly parted, eyelashes casting delicate shadows on her cheeks in the dawn light. I carefully slipped under the covers beside her, the mattress dipping slightly with my weight. Drawing her into my arms, I felt her unconsciously shift toward my warmth, one hand curling against my chest while her head found its place in the crook of my neck. She fit against me perfectly, her soft curves melding into the hard planes of my body, as if she had been designed specifically to complement me.
In sleep, she instinctively curled into me, seeking my warmth. I watched her breathe, marveling at how this small human woman had so completely upended my carefully ordered life.
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9:01 Thu, Sep 25
Chapter 134
93
I must have dozed off, because the next thing I knew, sunlight was streaming through the windows and Rebecca was stirring in my arms. Her eyes fluttered open, confusion momentarily clouding them before recognition set in.
“Morning,” she murmured, her voice husky with sleep.
I pulled her closer, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Good morning, Becca.”
She looked up at me, studying my face with curious intensity. “You seem… different.”
I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at my lips. I felt different–lighter, more complete, as if a piece of me that had been missing had finally clicked into place.
“Do I?” I asked, tracing the curve of her cheek with my thumb.
She nodded, her gaze dropping to my lips. “Less… broody.”
I laughed at that—a genuine laugh that surprised even me. “I don’t brood.”
“You absolutely do,” she countered, a smile spreading across her face. “You’re the broodiest brooder who ever
brooded.”
Instead of responding with words, I captured her lips in a kiss that started gentle but quickly deepened. I could kiss her for hours and never tire of the taste of her, the feel of her soft lips against mine, the little sounds she made when I did something she particularly enjoyed.
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