Page 8 of The Ballerina

I’m still locked inside her, my knot hasn’t even gone down and already I’m craving her again. I want to fuck her on every available surface until neither of us can walk, and then I want to do it all over again.

I never felt this way with Jana. The moment the thought enters my mind I feel bad for thinking it. I have my fated mate in my arms, her pussy still hugging my cock, and I have another woman on my mind. But Jana was never anything but good to me. She will always hold a place in my heart, but it doesn’t matter what we had, we will never have this.

I will never be able to fuck her on the side now that I have Cathy. And now I will have to find a way to break it to her. I will have to break her heart for a second time in as many days.

Shit.

Chapter Seven

Cathy

After we sealed our mating bond I all but passed out in Atlas’s arms. I didn’t even know sex could be like that. The only other experience I had was fast and almost mechanical. There was no connection. Sex with Atlas was anything but perfunctory. It was emotional, extremely personal, and a little overwhelming.

He carried me to his bed afterward and held me tight all night long. Atlas woke me twice to fuck me again, rocking me to multiple orgasms each time. He knotted me each time and even marked me some more, making sure each mark would be visible when I was dressed. And then, he asked me to mark him somewhere visible in return.

I fell into a deep sleep in his arms and didn’t wake until well after the sun had risen.

Now I’m lying here alone in his bed, in his house, and I don’t have a fucking clue what to do with myself. My belongings haven’t arrived from the Clover pack yet, and Atlas destroyed everything I was wearing yesterday. Slipping from the bed, I decide to rummage through his dresser until I find a soft, heather gray t-shirt and slip it over my head. I head downstairs, hoping to find him somewhere in the house.

It doesn’t take me long to realize I am alone. What the fuck do I do now? And where the hell is my mate?

An idea pops into my head, and I make my way into the kitchen, digging in his pantry and fridge to find everything I need to make a decent breakfast. It’s a little bare, but I can make do with what he has. I cook up a storm. Pans on every burner. Pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs, and more.

“What is that smell?” Atlas asks the moment he walks in the door, and I smile shyly.

“Breakfast. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Fuck, no, I don’t mind, sweetness. But we may have to go shopping if you’re going to have anything to cook.”

“Yeah…” I chuckle. “I saw you don’t have a lot to work with. Sit.”

Atlas smiles at me before taking a seat at the kitchen island. I place a massive plate filled with a bit of everything in front of him and watch him lick his lips. I love that he digs in with gusto and moans around every bite. For any shifter, feeding your mate and having them enjoy it is very important. It’s the idea of nourishing them, taking care of them, that satisfies something deep within us. It’s primal and stupid but I can’t stop from smiling like a fucking fool.

“Coffee or juice?” I ask, turning away to hide my face.

“Juice, thanks,” Atlas replies around a mouthful of food.

I stand and nibble on a piece of bacon as I watch him eat, my hip resting against the counter.

“We need to talk.”

I don’t want to ruin the peace between us, but we don’t know anything about each other, so we need to work through quite a few things. Atlas looks at me with something akin to trepidation.

“Relax. I’m not going to run off, we just need to figure out a few things.” He nods slowly as he swallows, and I continue. “Are we going to live with your pack or mine? I know the packs are now merged for all intents and purposes, but do we even want to live with a pack? What about my job?”

“Job?” he sputters.

“Yes, Atlas. The place you met me two nights ago. My job.”

“You want to take your clothes off for other men?” He frowns angrily.

“Don’t be an asshole,” I bite back. “I want to continue dancing. I deserve to make my own choices even if I have amate.”

“And I want you to have everything your heart desires,” he says darkly. “But I won’t be held responsible for my actions if another man looks at you, much less touches you.”

“Touches me?”What the fuck is he talking about?

Atlas shakes his head. “Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. Remember I was in the private room with you. I had my hands all over you.”

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