I rub my palm on the marks. Her skin is already warm, but where I hit it, it’s on fire. My cock leaks at the feel of the heat. I slip two fingers under the string of her thong and pull it from between her cheeks. She bites her lip to keep herself quiet, but I can still hear the whimper she makes when I drag my fingers up and down, pulling the skimpy fabric tighter to her front.

Where the string meets her pussy, the material is damp and slick. My head rushes. My voice is low and soft. I’m barely aware I’m speaking.“Bend over.”

She folds over onto her forearms, and I take my cock out from my undone jeans. Just running my hand over its length makes me feel like I’m about to blow. Ineedto get inside her.

I lean down to bite the back waistband of her panties then tear them in half. They fall down one of her legs, which are pressed tightly together. She winces when I shove my hand between her thighs and crudely cup her pussy, rubbing my palm back and forth.

I’m so single-mindedly focused as I go into rut, I don’t know how I manage to speak. “Legs,” I grunt. “Wider.”

She spreads her legs obediently. My lungs hold my breath captive until I bury myself inside her with one thrust so vicious, she cries out—not with pleasure.

I’m going to change that.

The thought takes me by surprise as I withdraw halfway to pound back in even harder. Her small body rocks forward as she gasps for air. “It’s—too—much, Ti—” I cut her off with another sharp thrust.

“Alpha,”I growl. “When I’m fucking you, I’m your alpha above all else. Don’t call me anything else when my cock is wrecking this cunt.” Her teeth dig into her lip as she glares at me through the mirror. “I’ll take a‘yes, Alpha’ now.”

She shakes her head with a look of utter disgust. “You’re a monster.”

My chest erupts with an anger the rut was trying to push down. I shove my hand into her hair and fist the back of her head. Yanking her neck back, I bend forward to speak cheek to cheek while our gazes battle for dominance in the glass.

“You think I want this?” I roar, “This . . . this need—insatiableneed—for the one person who is a walking reminder of everything we’ve suffered? You think it doesn’t drive me goddamn insane to constantlycravesomeone I hate?”

I don’t know if it’s my admission of reciprocated hatred or simply her heat catching up to her, but her pussy starts fluttering around my cock. Her mouth falls open and a moan so mind-bendingly beautiful comes out.

It resonates with the deepest, most primal parts of me and suddenly I’m hungry for nothing else. Not hatred, not revenge, not punishment. I keep my hand knitted in her hair but move my other hand to her pussy.

I find her swollen clit and she gives me more of what I want. Moans torn from her throat only to land in my chest. Each one correlating with another clench around me.

Pleasure is a physical, tangible thing that seems to consume me. Both our reflections glow with solid gold eyes. The rut strips away everything but the feel of our colliding bodies.

I can’t remember why I ever hated her.

I can’t get close enough, deep enough—I want herinmy skin.

“Oh fuck—Alpha,”she whines. “I-I need—I need it,please.”My veins ignite with the overwhelming desire to give her everything,anythingshe wants.

If she asked, I would rip out my own heart and still ask if it’s enough.

I untangle from her hair and bury my face in the nook of her neck. She rolls her head to the side to hold me there as I pant like a goddamn dog into her scar. “Oh, please, please, please, Alpha.”

I hold her tight, curling my body over hers as I lick up her sweaty neck to suck her earlobe into my mouth. She moans, her eyes rolling back.

“Such a good omega, letting her alpha give her what she needs and asking so nicely.” The praise comes naturally, like I want nothing more than to make sure she knows I cherish every little thing she does.

“Will you come just as nicely for your alpha? Come on my cock until I fill you up?” I purr, and she whimpers in assent.

I think she’s about to say something, but instead her body starts trembling and wordless sounds of pleasure come from her lips. Her pussy clenches around me in a devastating rhythmuntil white light seems to burst behind my eyes and I come with a guttural groan.

I cling to her body, wishing I could envelop her, protect her like this at all times. I close my eyes and listen to our heartbeats. Her scent is everywhere. I drink it in and—

“Get off me.”She squirms in my arms, and I open my eyes to see hers, suddenly void of all gold. “You goddamn pig—getoff!”

Her snarl is a bucket of ice water over me, instantly ripping me out of rut.

I drop my arms and jump back. The remnants of my rut still tingling through my body make my skin feel like it’s crawling.

She pushes off the sink and faces me, spitefully shoving down her skirt. Her lip curls in disgust. I decide I don’t care for whatever she has to say and reach for the door.