Natalie looked up at Dominic and smiled. "If a fight ensues, I have confidence in you. Moreover, my father won't want the fight any more than you do. He'll know you're a more dominant wolf and that you'll most likely defeat him – he won't chance to look weak in front of his pack because it will most definitely inspire one of them to challenge his position."
"You're going to have to openly claim I'm your true mate, Natalie," Dominic reminded her gently as he breezed his thumb over his mark. "Are you going to be able to do that?"
It took a good deal of effort not to let the smile drop from her face. "Yes. I know what has to be done."
He brushed his lips against hers. "Good girl. How's your wolf doing? Did she want you to fight me off when I marked you?"
Natalie shook her head. "She likes you."
Dominic smiled crookedly at her response. "You say that like it makes her stupid."
"Doesn't it? She's too impressed by your level of dominance to think straight."
Dominic looked surprised like he hadn't expected her wolf to be impressed. She was Kage for God's sake, not human. "Are you sure? Dominic rasped against her ear. "She's not intimidated or weary?"
Natalie scoffed and shook her head. "I wish. She isn't feeling any of those things. She thinks you're strong enough to take her on and that thrills her because she doesn't like weaklings. Also, she's addicted to your scent, which is a huge tick for her.."
*****
Natalie's revelation slammed hard into Dominic. His wolf was extremely pleased to hear it and Dominic was forced to inhale her scent deeply, taking that exotic scent into his lungs so he could calm his wolf down a notch. Shit! This was all getting harder by the minute.
"My wolf's riding me hard," he groaned. "He wants to complete the claiming so badly, I almost can't see straight " Grinding against her, he spoke into her ear, "And I don't know how long I can hold him down. I'm five seconds away from slamming into your hot little body."
*****
It was true that the mating technically wouldn't be complete without them consummating it, but as it wasn't a mating in the truest sense, Natalie had figured that the drive to have sex wouldn't be as strong. But to her dismay, her wolf and her body were cravings that completeness just as much as Dominic.
Dominic slipped his hand under her dress and boldly cupped her hot wet core and she gasped. "This is where I'll be very, very soon, Natalie," he promised – or threatened, depending on how you see it. "I'll be inside you, filling you up till you cum, and making you beg for more."
"I've met guys like you before. They talk the talk but, well… talking doesn't exactly get people to orgasm, does it?"
She watched his lips curve in a wicked smile. "When I fuck you, mate – and make no mistake about it, baby, I will – the only talking you'll be doing is begging me to let you come. And don't doubt that I'll make you come. Not just the once. You'll come over and over again until I decide you've had enough. Until I decide that I've had enough."
"Hmm. That's all very fascinating, but you're forgetting one very important thing."
"What's that?"
"You are very used to plain Janes - who submit to you because they were born to - and this has made you arrogant. You don't just want total obedience, you expect it. This makes me skeptical because I'm quite sure you wouldn't know what to do with a woman who would bite you, scratch you, and curse you to hell and back if she wasn't getting her way. If you want my submission, you're going to have to battle for it."
*****
Desire zapped through Dominic. He hadn't thought he could get any harder but he was dead wrong. Natalie was right in her assumption that he was only used to submissive women; females were too cautious around him to fight him for dominance. He didn't crave submission, but he liked it. And he sure as shit liked the thought of Natalie and her wolf, submitting to him. The idea of having to fight for and earn the right to her submission was... Fuck. It was the hottest thing he'd ever heard. "I'll look forward to the upcoming battle," he finally replied and Natalie smiled at him.
"Just so you know, big boy, I never beg." All alphas had a big thing for begging, especially when it came to their mates, but it seemed like Natalie was hell-bent on letting him know it wasn't going to happen. To hell and back! The woman was determined to push him to the edge. "Don't take that as a challenge, dear," she added, a sly smirk on her lips. "It's genuinely not meant as one. It's just something I'll never do."
Dominic knew why she was saying all this. If she fully surrendered herself to him by giving him total submission, it would mean she has agreed to forever with him, and Dominic knew she was not prepared to do that because that wasn't in their agreement.
He truly understood her because he knew that being completely vulnerable with her would make him want forever too. And he was very aware that forever wasn't meant for him. His curse made sure of that. So schooling his features, he decided to change the topic. "Now that we've cleared that up," he whispered as he curled both arms around her and rested his hands on her ass. "Do you think we've been able to fool everybody?"
Natalie's features changed into that of contemplation. "I think most of them are having a little trouble accepting that I'd been wrong about Ava, but they can't deny to themselves what they've just seen." Or what they thought they saw, Dominic thought. Dominic was glad they had done things this way, no one would have bought it otherwise. "I don't think any of them believes this is some kind of prearranged thing," she continued. "They are probably wondering if it's some kind of out-of-control-lust or something." She placed a hand on his chest. "You are a genius, after all."
Dominic chuckled and then nodded. "They might be able to think of a reason why you would lie about being mated, but they won't be able to come up with a reason why I would. And that is such a shame because they've to be blind to not see that you are the most beautiful bird in this entire fucking camp. You are so beautiful it hurts the eye."
Dominic watched as she threw her head to the side to hide her reddening cheeks from him, but then he saw the mark on her shoulder and froze.
*****
Natalie knew she was in trouble the moment Dominic froze, his eyes suddenly turning wolf. She gasped and stood still for a moment, her blushed cheeks returning to normal. She had noticed Dominic's reaction to Mark's bite a few days ago at his house, so she knew it was that same bite mark that had his wolf fighting to surface. She had to refrain from flinching as he released a frightening growl. If she, the female his wolf saw as his, showed any sign of fear toward him, his wolf may become even more dangerous and she didn't want that because he was already on the edge as it was.
Knowing what the beast wanted and needed, Natalie curve her neck to the side, offering him her throat. "Go on," she rasped and he didn't hesitate. Bending his head, he bit down hard over Mark's fading bite, sucking and licking the skin to replace it with his mark. When he finally lifted his head again, his wolf had retreated and Dominic was gazing down at her again - which meant his wolf was happy once again.
Thank fuck.