GRAYSON
Liam left us in a large guest room with its own bathroom.
The moment he closed the door behind him, leaving Belle and me alone, I locked it and immediately started scanning the room for any signs of danger toward my mate.
I checked under the bed and in the closet before examining the windows to ensure the locks were secure. I was impressed when I found bulletproof glass along the windows.
I wasnât sure what sort of vampireâor any supernatural creature, reallyâwould choose a gun over their supernatural powers, but I appreciated Jeffrey hadnât been lying when he said he had the best security money could buy.
Belle sat on the edge of the bed and silently watched while I moved around. That calmed me a bit. I liked her eyes on me. I liked having her attention.
I liked knowing where she was at all timesâespecially in a situation like this.
I didnât feel good about any of this. I hated depending on anybody else besides myself when it came to the safety of my mate.
Belle stood and approached me while I was still examining the window. She ran a hand up my arm, leaving sparks everywhere she touched.
The attraction between us flared now that we were by ourselves, making my nostrils flare. I automatically pulled her to me, tucking her into my chest.
âHow are you doing?â Belle asked. Her hands dipped under the back of my shirt, seeking the skin-to-skin contact of her mate.
Her fingers traced the muscles of my back, massaging them gently. I wasnât even sure if she was aware that she was doing it, but hell if I was going to point it out to her and risk her stopping.
The need to mate and claim her was becoming more prominent. It could no longer be ignored. My wolf paced unhappily in my mind. He didnât understand the need to wait. He was ready now.
He didnât think our mark on her neck was enoughâhe wanted her to smell like us; he wanted everyone to know who she belonged to.
He pushed to the surface and growled through my chest, wanting to show me his anger and remind his mate that he was there. Waiting. Anxious.
Belle looked up at me, concern written all over her face. But before she could worry too much, I tilted her head up by her chin and pressed my lips to hers.
She didnât hesitate to return my kiss, even pulling me closer.
Now wasnât the right time to be thinking about throwing my mate on the bed and devouring her until she was screaming my name over and over again.
But with the way she was pressing up against me and letting out sweet little breathy moans against my mouth, dark and dirty thoughts were front and center in my mind.
If it werenât for that stupid prophecy, Belle would already be connected to me forever. I would have made sure of it. She would be mineâmind, body, and soul.
Fuck, did I want that.
It didnât help that every instinct in me felt the need to dominate her to remind her and everyone around us exactly who her alpha was.
I pulled back before I lost control. Belle huffed adorably, annoyed. I smiled and licked my lips, my eyes skating down her beautiful body so perfectly pressed up against mine.
I loved the fact that she was in my clothes, covered in my scent. It helped calm me a bit. I would keep her like this all the time if I could.
âIâm fine, baby,â I said, not wanting her to worry.
My wolf growled in my chest again, letting her know that he was, in fact, not fine at all. He was going ballistic.
Belle gave me a look that told me she didnât believe me. Instead of elaborating, though, I just pressed a kiss to her forehead and pushed her toward the bathroom to get ready for bed.
She needed to rest, not hear about all the dirty thoughts I was having about her.
She let me guide her to the bathroom, not even arguing when I found a new toothbrush in one of the drawers and put toothpaste on it for her, handing it to her.
I did the same for my own and then stood behind her while we brushed our teeth, keeping one hand on her stomach, watching her in the mirror.
She rolled her eyes but didnât try to push me away. She knew I was on edge. She knew I needed thisâneeded the control.
âDid I look like this the entire time we were talking to the Blackwoods?â Belle asked once we were done with our teeth.
She pulled on the large T-shirt that fell past her knees, readjusting it and tucking one side into the waistband of her sweatpants, so it didnât look quite so huge on her.
I pulled her hands away when she started to mess with her hair. âStop. Youâre perfect no matter how you look. It doesnât matter what they think about you.â
âIâm just glad that Laila is letting me borrow some of her clothes for the plane tomorrow.â
Liam had also offered to go get mine and Belleâs things from the hotel and Belleâs apartment tonight.
Belleâs head fell back against my chest. She watched me in the mirror. âYou know, as terrible as this situation is, Iâmâ¦glad Iâm here with you. I donât ever want to be away from you that long ever again.â
Pink stained her cheeks at her sweet admission. âI missed you.â
My chest ached. âI would say I missed you too, but that wouldnât even begin to express the hell I went through over the last three months without you. Never again.
âI wonât go a single day without having you by my side. Fuck, even an hour might be too long for me.â
She smiled. âWell, I hope you can go without for at least a few minutesââshe turned and put her hands on my chestââbecause I need to pee.â She shoved me out of the bathroom.
I growled playfully as she slammed the door in my face.