Chapter 10. A War

Saya growls in Selene's chest and unsheathes her claws at her mate's display of affection. Connor anticipates what's coming and grabs Selene's wrists, managing to restrain her fury. The alpha knows his mate is upset about what happened earlier, but he's determined to show her that it was just a misunderstanding and not what she's thinking.

Slowly, he enters the room with her and closes the door with his foot. Selene is trembling, trapped in his huge arms, like a small wild animal wanting to be set free to cause chaos.

"That young woman..." she growls, but Connor interrupts her with a loud kiss on her cheek.

"Why...?" she tries to say again, but is once more interrupted by a kiss, this time longer and louder than the last.

"Damn you..." she pants as her mate turns her around and leaves a soft kiss on her lips, leaving her dazed for a few seconds.

She takes a moment to process what just happened, and the fact that she is now completely at his mercy makes her even angrier. How dare he kiss her after what he did? Their gazes lock, and this is really costing her more than she thought. She feels it, the mate bond growing within her, and her irritation increases as she remembers how that young woman clung to Connor's neck as if she owned him.

"Put me down!" she demands, inches from Connor's face. Her warm breath on her mate's face makes Sorem growl softly, having desired her ever since he first saw her.

"No," Connor replies, accompanied by a short kiss on the tip of her nose. "I won't put you down until you calm down and we talk."

"Then stop kissing me. We agreed you wouldn't force me," she huffs, making a cute pout that makes Connor smile.

"You said not to mark or mate with you by force. We didn't talk about kisses or other types of affection," the alpha plants a kiss on her neck, instantly making that part of her anatomy bristle. Selene closes her eyes, and Connor takes the opportunity to leave more kisses there, pressing her even closer against his body.

Beltrán and Jackson had once told him that the mate bond was so intense it was almost impossible to resist. He hadn't believed them then and even laughed, but now he understands perfectly those lovesick looks and the overwhelming need to be near their mates.

A low moan escapes Selene's mouth, which serves as an encouragement for Connor to continue. Slowly and tortuously for both, he moves up her neck, leaving random short kisses until he reaches her mouth, where he stops despite wanting to continue. Yes, what he wants most now is to kiss her, to taste her mouth, and satisfy his need for her, but he doesn't want to overwhelm her. They have just arrived, and he will take it slow with her, not forcing her as he had promised.

"Connor..." Selene pants again, feeling the absence of his mouth.

"My little rebel…" Connor adjusts her long locks with his fingers before setting her down. The young woman feels a bit disoriented by the sudden release. "One of the omegas will come to help you settle in. If there's anything here you need to change to feel comfortable, do it. I have some important matters to attend to now, but I'll be back to have lunch with you and then give you a tour of the pack."

Connor leaves a kiss on the top of her head before exiting the room. Selene looks around and is surprised at how well-organized and clean everything is. The room is huge, with equally large windows that let in the full splendor of daylight. The furniture is Victorian-style as well, but here they are all in dark tones, blacks and grays. A gigantic bed occupies the main space, like two king-sized beds put together, which doesn't surprise her since Connor is very big.

She walks to a door and opens it, finding the closet. Connor's scent hits her face, and Saya becomes alert, looking through Selene's eyes. Everything here smells like him. All his clothes, shoes, and other accessories are perfectly arranged on the shelves, by color and size. She raises an eyebrow, realizing there is no free space for her things. Where is she supposed to put what she brought?

"Miss, I'm Analia, and I'm here to help you with your things," an elderly woman says from behind. Selene turns to look at her, frowning. Is everyone here a redhead and so similar? "Let me show you where your wardrobe will be."

The old woman leaves the room, and Selene follows her to the end of the hallway, where she opens a door leading to a damp and gloomy place. Analia turns on the light, and Selene looks around in amazement. It's small, dark, and dusty, with a thin bed occupying almost all the limited space and an old piece of furniture that the elderly woman opens, indicating that it's what she was talking about.

"Mrs. Carla said you could put your things here," the older woman says, pointing to Selene's suitcases already in a corner. "If you need anything, you can call me. I'll be nearby doing my chores."

"What? We won't be in our mate's room? Why must we put our things here? Did Connor authorize this?" Saya asks in Selene's mind with evident displeasure.

"Calm down, we'll fix this," Selene responds mentally, turning to the woman with a wide smile.

"Thank you," she says, despite boiling inside. The old woman leaves, and Selene knows exactly what she needs to do. It's clear that Connor's mother is declaring a war she doesn't deserve, but she's ready to fight it.