She looks over her shoulder at me, her sexy blond hair cascading down her back as I drink in the sight of her, from the tiny black thong she's wearing that accentuates her curves to the way she's arching her back.

My heart beats faster as I reach around and cup one of her breasts, feeling her nipples tighten beneath my touch. Her breath catches, and I lean forward and trace a path of open-mouthed kisses down her spine until I reach the base of it. She moans, gripping the sofa tightly as I continue to tease her skin, leaving goosebumps everywhere I touch.

I pull her thong down slowly, deliberately opening her legs wider as I pull it free. I smile as I touch the fabric and feel how wet she is already.

Falling to my knees behind her, I nip at the delicate skin on her ass, massaging her cheeks and pulling them apart slightly so I can run my tongue down from her ass to her clit, causing her to startle slightly as I dance over her most sensitive areas. She buries her head in the cushions, groaning as her hips sway. I know I need to go slowly with her and can't take her in every way I'd like to. So for now, I use my tongue and fingers to show her how good it can be, dipping the tip of my finger into her tight, puckered hole and stroking her clit until she's panting with desire.

Lifting one of her legs slightly to give me better access, I slide one finger into her wet channel, then add a second. I watch my fingers glide in and out of her body before gently adding a third. She whimpers slightly at the intrusion, and I stroke her back soothingly before dipping my head to tease her puckered hole again with my tongue until she's quivering and begging for release. I add a fourth finger, twisting and curling my digits inside her until I feel her inner walls clenching and know that her release is imminent. I start pumping my hand, and I nearly come apart as I feel the moment her orgasm hits. She's riding my hand now, and her sweet juices pour over it as she bounces up and down on my fist.

I pull my cock free. It's already dripping with pre-cum, and I don't think I've ever been so hard. After I pull my fingers from her hot channel, she cries out in disappointment, looking over her shoulder just as I slam my cock deep inside her.

She arches her back, crying out again as another orgasm takes over her body.

From the moment I sink into her tight body, I know this isn't simply sex. I'm not just claiming her—I'm keeping her. She's mine now, and nothing can take her away from me. Nothing can break the bond we have, no matter how hard we fight it.

My wolf wants her. My fangs have fully descended, aching to mark her so everyone knows we belong together.

I grip the back of her neck, holding her still as I fuck her harder and faster. She seems to understand as she cries out for more with each thrust.

"Do it," she begs as her body trembles.

Without thinking any further, I sink my teeth into the soft skin between her neck and shoulder, marking her in the most primal way possible as I come hard inside her. I continue fucking her through my orgasm until there's nothing left.

We collapse onto the sofa, and I pull her against me, panting heavily. I’m completely spent but strangely contented in a way that is entirely new to me. We lay there quietly for a few moments until she finally turns to me with tears in her eyes.

"You are mine now," I whisper against her lips before kissing them gently.

"That was...something else. I never..." she says, trailing off.

"Me neither," I admit. "But I know what it means. I want you, Tanya. I want all of you."

She nods, clearly as overwhelmed as I am. "I want you, too, Zack. More than anything."

I smile against her lips, already feeling my cock harden again. Her body responds immediately, her legs opening for me to nestle between them as I slide deep inside her.

I fuck her gently this time, nuzzling her neck where my mark remains. Even though my life is falling apart, I've never felt more complete than I do at this moment.

Chapter 17 - Tanya

I never imagined everything could be so perfect and utterly ruined all at the same time.

My fingers lightly trace the already fading lines of Zack’s mark on my neck. Although the mark itself will fade, it will leave an indelible impression on other shifters that Zack and I are mates. That we have accepted our mating.

But I know we can never really be mates. We have no future.

I look over at Zack. He's sleeping so peacefully. All the stress and frustration that marred his face yesterday is gone. Perhaps it's simply because he's asleep, but deep down, I think it's because of the mating. I’d never expected to feel the power of it, the raw emotion of our wolves connecting. And it's that connection that is now tearing at my soul.

By the time we return to town, the final transfers will have gone out. I know they've got a decent expert on board. I deliberately made the trail murky, but I'm sure it won't take too long for the hacker to find the back door left open for me to link one of Zack's dormant accounts. If anything, it makes Zack look even more guilty because it will seem like he tried to sneak in an account they thought wasn't being used, circumventing the need for his official access.

As a hacker, the move was gold. But lying here, Zack's strong arm draped across my naked body, I know I can't let this happen.

I think about my laptop sitting in the back of my truck. Agent Barnes taught me a trick that involves disabling it and hiding it under the spare wheel. I have the memory stick with me, so the laptop is useless without it, but I can't do anything without the laptop, either.

I kick myself. I'd wavered about pulling out the laptop and taking it with me here, but that would have meant emptying all my bags. Instead, I'd just grabbed my overnight bag from the front seat.

I lie in the dark, watching the snow fall through the open blinds. It's lighter than before but still coming down quite hard. I check the time on the bedside clock: 4 a.m. By the time Zack wakes up and I suggest heading back down the mountain, the transfer will have long since gone out.

Resolve builds within me. If I set off now, I can get down the mountain, retrieve the laptop, stop the transfer, and reverse all the others. I mentally draft the email I'll send that exonerates Zack and Saffy. It will mean admitting everything, but I'll be long gone by the time Zack manages to get back to town without his truck.