Rosemary’s expression was unreadable. I couldn’t tell if she was pissed, upset, or hated me. She stood at the bottom of the stairs and motioned with her head. “I managed to get Milla to her bedroom. I’ve never seen her like this before…” Her chin quivered, but she clenched her jaw when she looked back at me. “I’m going to finish her packaging and mail off her stuff. You better take good care of her or I’m going to kick your ass.”

I took the stairs two at a time and ran down the hall to the far end. Pushing open the door, I was immediately slammed by her spicy scent. My cock twitched, and I momentarily forgot who and where I was. There was my mate, and I fucking needed to claim her.

Yanking off my shirt and boots, I undid my pants as I approached the bed and circled around it. I was the hunter and this my prey. Quivering and vulnerable, my Omega.

All mine.

It was her whimpering cries that brought some sense back to me. I dove in, gathering her into my arms. “Carmilla, I’m here, baby.” I kissed her repeatedly all over her face and she let out a cry. “Let me make you feel better.”

“Deacon,” she choked out and pressed her body against mine. Her beautiful face was wet with tears and red from crying. She trembled as she nuzzled my neck. “It hurts so much.”

“I know, I know, but I’ll make the pain go away.” I kissed her lightly on the lips and swept her hair back from her face, combing my fingers through the silky locks. She looked like she’d been through hell and back, but she still was the most gorgeous female I’d ever laid eyes upon.

Her hands slid along my bare chest and over my shoulders. She groaned and shuddered with more pain, gasping for breath against me. “I don’t… We can’t. I want you so bad, but we can’t.”

My heart thundered in my chest. She was in pain. I would not leave her this time. I made that mistake yesterday. I wasn’t doing it now.

“We can,” I crooned, kissing her again. “Rosemary knows now. Your parents will soon know. And my mother knows because I told her that I wanted you as my mate and she could go stuff her matchmaking ambitions.” Carmilla gasped, shaking her head, but I cupped her chin and had her look into my eyes. “I have made it clear to you that I want you as my mate. That hasn’t changed. And I’m not ashamed to shout it out to the world. We are meant to be together. I feel it deep in my heart and soul. If anyone doesn’t like it, that’s their choice. Their choice shouldn’t interfere with our feelings for one another and what we decide to do with them.”

Tears spilled from her eyes and ran over my fingers. Her hands tenderly danced along my forearm. “Stop being so logical and sexy.”

I chuckled and caressed her cheek. Fuck, this Omega. I loved her so much.

I loved her.

Damn. I’d never thought about any woman that way before, but it wasn’t a thought, was it? It was my heart overflowing with love for her.

We would get through this. I knew it now. For the moment, I’d take care of her immediate needs. “How about this? Let me help you through your heat, and afterward, when you aren’t so distracted by my sexiness—which will only be a tiny amount less—we can discuss where we go from there.”

Carmilla’s eyes shone with a myriad of emotions, like molten metal churning itself. Beautiful. She slowly nodded and lightly touched my chest as if she couldn’t believe I was there. “Yes.” Then she nodded more vigorously and threw her arms around me. “Yes! Knot me now. Please!”

I kissed her hard, giving her my everything. We both worked to fling off her clothes, and a purr rumbled in my chest to have her naked against me. Golden afternoon light filtered in through her curtains to allow me to see every luscious curve as I ran my hands over her. I’d never get enough of this sexy Omega. She was everything I’d ever wanted and she lived right next door.

She pushed down my pants and stroked my erection as I kicked them the rest of the way off. As I swept my jeans onto the floor, she bent forward and licked my cock. I groaned as my head fell back. “Fuck, so good.”

Carmilla lashed her tongue across my shaft a few more times before she engulfed the head with her mouth. She suckled it, teasing the tip, and massaged my thighs as she did so.

I loved the sight of her with my dick in her mouth. Her lips full and locked around me, gazing up at me through her long lashes. And if she kept sucking me like that, I was going to blow my load too fast.

Winding her hair around my hand, I tugged her head up and kissed her. Her hands went immediately to my cock, and I moaned. “I need to fuck you, gorgeous. Lie back like a good girl.”

Her green eyes flashed and she grabbed my shoulders to push me back. “No, you lie back and let me have my way with you.”

I held myself in place even as she ground her hot cunt against me. She kissed down to my chest and nipped at my nipple. I growled and yanked her head back up to mash our mouths back together, fighting for dominance in the kiss. I gave her tight ass a little spank, and at her gasp and squirt of slick, I slapped her sweet butt again.

“You’re a naughty girl, aren’t you?” I sucked on her lower lip and worried it between my teeth. Maneuvering her hips, I sawed my thick cock between her labia and ate up her whimpers. I spanked her again and she jerked against me.

“Deacon, I need you.” Carmilla attempted to climb up and mount me. She clawed at my shoulders as she fought for control.

But she was mine. And I was the Alpha here.

I wrestled the writhing Omega and finally flipped her onto her back. I immediately drove between her legs and buried myself up to the hilt. She let out a cry and drew blood with her nails. I snatched her wrists and held them above her head with one hand.

“Mine.” I slammed into her again.

The tightness of her pussy, the intoxicating scent of her perfume, and the delicious noises she was making. My knot was already swelling and stretching her as we fucked.

Carmilla strained against my hold, but I kept her arms held tight. “Oh God! Yes, harder.”