She looked at him and he did not take his eyes off her.Gideon cursed himself inside.

She was clearly hurt but all he was thinking aboutnow was how much he wanted her.

The realisation that someone tried to kill hismate just a few minutes ago was angering him.And also bringing him pain.

He couldn’t lose her.

Not like that.

Not in any otherway.

He couldn’t lose her at all.“Are you going to use that magical lycan healing of yours?” she taunted him withone of her brows up and a slight smile on her lips.

The lips that he wanted to kissso desperately that it was all he could think of now.“If you will allow,” he leaned lower and touched her shoulder that was alreadyhealing slowly.

It pained him that this happened on his watch.

The wounds on herstomach seemed worse but blood stopped dripping already.Gideon took the piece of fabric that was holding the dress in place and slowlymoved it off her shoulder.

His eyes were asking for her permission too.“Well, it hurts,” she co.cked her head up to meet his gaze and held it until theend.“We need to clean you up first,” he said with his hands still on her shoulders, histhumb making tiny circles on her skin.“You are the expert in healing,” she tilted her head slightly, “I will trust you withthis one.”The lycan king lifted the girl in his arms once again and took her to the hugemarble shower room.

She threw her shoes away before he placed her on thecold floor as if she would break if he made the wrong move.

The water switchedon, the automatic tropical shower took care of them both before he evenmanaged to warn her.

And now they all were all wet.

But it didn’t seem to botherthem.magic

Standing behind her and feeling the heat that her slender body radiated, Gideonwas afraid to make a wrong move.

His large palms slid up her bare back,hooking the two pieces of fabric that held the whole thing together and slidingthem all the way down to her waist.

He could see the blood tainting water at theirfeet but he knew that the more he touched her, the sooner she would heal.And he wanted to touch her badly.Riannon was conflicted.

What the hell was she doing? She did not need this.

Sheknew very well already that no magical healing existed.

So, why didn’t she tellhim to leave? Why was she standing topless with her back to his chest and...wanted him to do something about it.And yet...

She did not stop him.She felt his gentle touch on her shoulder first, as his fingers traced her woundscarefully.

The wounds were healing way too fast.

It was supposed to be slower.Not that she wanted to complain about it.There were other sensations too.

New.

Pleasant.

Alluring.His palm moved lower, cupping her breast gently.

Riannon threw her head back,resting it on the mighty chest of the lycan.

His other hand took the pins out of herhair, making her blonde locks fall down her back.

At the same time, his lipsplaced a gentle peck on her shoulder.Her chest was going up and down as he still held her breast in one hand, tuggingthe n**ple between his fingers and making it firm.“Riannon,” he muttered in her neck as he traced the line of it with his tongue.

Shetasted so sweet, the woman he desired more than anything.

She didn’t struggleagainst him, she didn’t try to stop him.

And he knew that he wouldn’t be able todo that himself.

His hands went down her back, he tried to find the zip of her dressunsuccessfully.

So, when he gave up on that, he tore the wet fabric to relieve herof the clothes.The woman in his hands started to breathe heavily, driving him crazy.

He knewthat if he made one wrong move, this magical moment between the two of themwould be gone.He tore off the piece of clothing that he had wrapped around himself, it couldn’thide his hardness anymore anyway.

Not after he had been so close to her.

Notafter she allowed him to touch herself that way.He took her delicate neck in his large palm and made her turn to look at him,tracing her lower lip with his thumb.“Are you sure you want this?” he couldn’t believe that he was asking thisquestion now, risking her coming to her senses.“Yes,” was all Riannon said and the next moment she felt his other hand brushinglightly all the way down her abdomen and in between her thighs, parting themslightly.

He caught the hem of her lace panties and moved it slightly to givehimself access to her core.

Gideon teased her folds gently, probing and studyingwhat was his from the very beginning.He watched her gaze as he slightly moved her creases apart and thrust onefinger inside of her, moving it back and forth slowly.

wasting his chance.Mars was howling inside of his mind, because never before the two of them wereable to be so close to their mate.Riannon closed her eyes because it felt so good.

It wasn’t like he did somethingshe never experienced before, but it was the way he did it...

As if she was themost precious thing to him.

As if he was afraid to scare her off.

She loved it.

She loved how he made her feel about herself.

And she loved howevery contact of their skin was bringing her tiny bursts of pleasure.He addedanother finger to her, deepening the kiss at the same time.

Ria moaned into hismouth as drops of water were falling all over their bodies.A soft growl left the lycan king’s chest and something stirred deep inside of hersoul as well.“More,” she whispered, and he picked up the tempo in teasing her.

Warmth andpleasure were building up inside of her slowly, a sweet feeling of being on theedge.

She felt Gideon showering her shoulders with kisses, paying specialattention to her neck.“I want you to be mine, Riannon,” he muttered into her ear, tightening his graspon her, “ Only mine.

No one else’s.”The words pulsed through her mind at the same time as the cli.max rippledthrough her body, as she clenched again and again on his fingers.

Ria threw herhead back and relaxed into his chest as he held her tight, not letting her fall downsince her legs were weak now.She felt his hot breath right on her neck, where her mark was.

Even in spite ofwater pouring over their heads.

His canines grazed over her skin, pressing into itsoftly and she...

froze.So did he.

He was afraid to move because he lost himself just for a second thereand she noticed.

Did she get scared? Or maybe she was excited? He had noidea but he didn’t want to risk it, so he turned her to face him and then kneltbefore her, throwing her thigh over his shoulder before she managed to even sayanything.He was the mighty and fierce lycan king and he never knelt in his life.

Until today.His mate was the only one who would ever receive the honour of looking down athim.

He pushed her slightly so that she leaned her back over the marble wall and onlythen when he made sure she was secure at all times had he dipped his head inbetween her legs.already started building up another.

He took his time pleasingher and Riannon laced her fingers into his hair, tugging on it to make sure hewouldn’t stop.But Gideon had no desire to stop.

He loved listening to her moans and whimpers.He loved that he was the one to make her produce those sounds.

He loved everymoment of what they were doing.Ria screamed as she climaxed again and this time she was sure to fall down andproperly hit herself over the hard floor.

But he caught her before that, pulling hercloser in his arms.

He walked out of the shower cabin and went straight to thebed, throwing her on top of it.“Mark.

Her,” Mars growled possessively, “MARK: MATE.”The fight for control was too much.

Especially when she lay in front of himwearing nothing.

He looked at her innocent face and swallowed.

She had no ideawhat kind of fight was going on in his head.Only now Gideon noticed that her phone was ringing all the time.

Something thatshe also chose to ignore.

They both knew who it was and he never hated anyoneas much as he hated her husband.

The man who had what was his and hadn’teven appreciated it.He saw his faint mark on her neck.

That weakling even couldn’t do that properly!And all he wanted now was to put his own lycan mark on that neck.

To make thewhole world see that this woman was his.“Do it!” Mars growled possessively and he knew that if he stayed there for atleast one moment, he would obey his wolf and mark her without permission.

“I am sorry,” he grunted and walked out into his own adjacent room, leavingRiannon alone.She was disappointed.

And she had questions.

Just what was that right now? Didhe seriously leave her at a moment like this? When she practically offered herselfto him on a platter?This was far from over!Ria jumped off the bed and found a silk robe to wrap around herself hanging overa huge mirror.However, this was when she truly felt shocked.

All the wounds that she receivedtoday were gone.But it was impossible! It was too early.

She knew very well that something likethat had toHer eyes darted in the direction of where the lycan king disappeared justmoments ago.

“Go to him,” she heard Onyx’s voice inside her mind.

And this timeshe had no doubts what to do next.