Page 93 of Marked

“You have no idea what you do to me,” he muttered. His wolf was rising, demanding they claim their mate here and now.

Don’t you dare, Marcus commanded.He’s not ready for what we are.

But Kai was leaning into his touch, those delicate hands sliding up Derek’s chest, and his world narrowed to this moment. To their mate’s warmth, his intoxicating scent, the way he fit perfectly against Derek’s larger frame.

“What if I don’t want to move away?” Kai whispered, and something in Derek snapped.

The sound he made was barely human—a deep, primal growl that should have terrified their mate. Instead, Kai shivered, his scent spiking with desire. Derek’s hand tightened on his neck, thumb stroking along that delicate jaw in a gesture that was both possessive and tender.

“You don’t know what you’re asking for,” he warned, voice rough with restraint. But his body betrayed him, pressing closer until Kai was completely caged between him and the tree.

“Maybe I’m tired of playing it safe.”

Control yourself!Marcus’ voice was distant thunder compared to the storm of having their mate so close, so willing.

“Last chance to run,” he growled, knowing he was moments away from losing control completely.

Instead of running, Kai’s hands slid up his chest, and Derek’s control finally shattered. He moved with inhuman speed, one hand tangling in Kai’s hair while the other lifted him effortlessly until they were eye level. When those slim legs wrapped around his waist, his wolf howled in triumph.

“Mine,” he growled against Kai’s lips before claiming them in a kiss that was more possession than passion.

Kai tasted like sunlight and summer storms. Like home. Like everything Derek had been fighting for since that night nine years ago. His mate’s eager responses drove him wild, each soft sound a victory, each shiver a conquest.

Derek, stop!Caleb’s panic cut through the haze.Your wolf is too close!

He tried to gentle the kiss, but Kai’s fingers in his hair destroyed what little control he had left. His wolf was rising, demanding more. Demanding everything. The hand in Kai’s hair tightened to the point of sweet pain, tilting their mate’s head to exactly the angle he wanted.

The sound Kai made when Derek nipped his bottom lip nearly broke him. He could feel his canines lengthening, his eyes shifting to wolf-amber. Any moment now Kai would notice, would see what they really were…

When he finally pulled back, letting Kai breathe, Derek knew his eyes were feral. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he said, voice wrecked with desire. “How hard it’s been to hold back.”

His mouth found that sensitive spot below Kai’s ear, and their mate’s whole body shuddered. The scent of Kai’s desire was intoxicating, overwhelming Derek’s senses until his wolf was howling for more.

“Derek,” Kai gasped, tightening those perfect legs around Derek’s waist. “We should… we should probably…”

“Stop?” he suggested, but his lips never left Kai’s skin. “Be responsible?” Another kiss, lower on that elegant neck. “Pretend this isn’t exactly what we both want?”

A violent shudder racked his frame as his wolf surged forward, demanding they claim their mate properly. He pulled back slightly, every muscle trembling with the effort of control.

“Derek?” Kai’s gentle touch on his face nearly undid him. His jaw clenched as he fought the shift threatening to overtake him.

He growled—a sound closer to wolf than human—and pressed his forehead against Kai’s. “You make it so hard to control myself,” he ground out. His grip tightened almostpainfully before he forced himself to loosen it. “So hard to… to think straight.”

Kai’s fingers stroked through his hair, and Derek actually shuddered. His wolf was too close to the surface, demanding they take, claim, mark…

“Who says you need to control yourself?” Kai whispered, and Derek’s eyes snapped open. He knew they were glowing now, burning with an intensity that should terrify their mate.

“Kai,” his name was a desperate growl. “You don’t… I can’t…”

He buried his face in Kai’s neck, breathing deeply, trying to anchor himself. But their mate’s scent only made it worse, made his wolf howl louder.

We’re coming, Marcus’ voice cut through his haze.Hold on.

“I should put you down,” he muttered against Kai’s throat. “Should let you go. Should…”

Kai wound those clever fingers deeper into his hair, and Derek’s next growl vibrated through both their bodies. “What if I don’t want you to let me go?”

The sound he made was purely animal. His mouth claimed Kai’s again in a kiss even more desperate than before. One of his hands slid under that cursed borrowed shirt, palm burning hot against Kai’s lower back, and their mate arched into the touch with a whimper that destroyed the last threads of Derek’s control.

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