Looking awed, Taryn leaned into Roni’s other side and whispered, “Roni, once again I have to ask: How did you do it? How did you get her to like you?”

Planting one hand on her hip, Greta turned a glower on Taryn. “Whispering again? You’re no better than Dante’s sorry excuse for a mate.” Jaime smiled at that while Dante groaned into his mate’s neck.

Taryn sniffed at the dragon. “Easy there, Old Mother Hubbard. You’re just mad because the Wrinkle Fairy did a tap dance on your face again.”

As an argument between Taryn and Greta then commenced, Trey sighed tiredly. He spoke to both Derren and Ally as he said, “You won’t believe it, but my mate and Greta actually like each other.”

Derren cocked his head. “Yeah . . . I don’t believe it.” Done with these crazy people, he whispered into his mate’s ear, “Let’s go home. I want to be alone with you.”

Just as quietly, Ally replied, “We shouldn’t. It’s our party.” But then she smiled. “Yeah, let’s go.”

They kissed, fondled, and laughed all the way back to their lodge. Closing the door behind them, Derren grazed his teeth over his claiming mark. “Finally I have you all to myself.” He doubted he’d ever be okay with sharing her, even as he knew it was both childish and selfish. But he figured he had a right to be at least a little selfish about his mate. “Tonight, I want to take you in our bed. For a change.”

It was true that since they both seemed to have instant-gratification issues when it came to sex, they often didn’t make it to the bed. “Then you’d better let me go.”

His hands flexed on her ass. “I don’t want to.” But he released her. “Upstairs.” The little minx stripped as she walked, so that she was wearing only her black lacy thong by the time she reached the bedroom. Apparently wanting to tease him, she did a little feline stretch that pushed out her ass and pulled a growl from his wolf.

Taking off his shirt, Derren came up behind her and splayed his hand on her stomach, looming over her as he spoke slowly into her ear, enunciating every word. “When I saw you walking toward me to begin the mating ceremony, all I wanted to do was flip up your little dress and fuck you right there in front of everybody.” His hand snaked up to span her throat. “But we both know I’m much too possessive to let anyone else see what you look like when you come. Because you’re mine and only mine,” he added with a low growl. “Aren’t you?”

Ally shivered as his hand squeezed her throat—a clear caution not to defy him. His tone was calm, even, confident, and assertive. He was seemingly in the mood to dominate her. Yeah, well, she was in the mood to fight him. “I won’t deny that I’m your mate. I’ll even concede that—”

“There’s no conceding, baby. The situation is what it is. You belong to me.” Releasing her throat, he whispered into her ear, “Turn around.” She did it very, very slowly—a rebellious gesture that was all Ally and made him smile. Sliding a hand to the back of her head, he fisted her hair and tilted her head back. “Always so defiant. Just how I like you.” He licked and kissed her neck, groaning as the scent of her need assaulted his senses. “It’s not going to be soft and slow tonight, baby.” He needed her too much. “It’s going to be fast, and hard, and deep.”

“Feel free to get started any minute now.”

“Not yet.” Using his grip on her hair, Derren brought her face to his and took her mouth with a kiss that was dominant, consuming, and demanding—needing to taste and feast on his mate. But he wanted another taste on his tongue too. He pushed her back onto the bed, shoved aside her thong, and thrust a finger inside her. “So fucking wet already.” He loved that.

Bending over her delectable body, he raked his teeth over her nipple. “You’re the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen.” His tongue swirled and licked its way down her body, pausing to deliver suckling bites here and there and renewing any fading marks. At the same time, he teasingly danced the tips of his fingers along her soft skin. When she bucked demandingly, he pinned her flat with a grip on her hip. “I know what you want, but I’m not done here. Now be still and let me make you come.”

Heat and need raged through Ally as his talented mouth lapped, sipped, and licked at her pussy. It was more leisurely than seductive, like this was for him, not her; like he just wanted to taste her, feel her come on his tongue. Still, Ally’s pussy began to spasm, making her feel so much emptier than she already did—a taunting reminder by her body that she didn’t have what she wanted most right then.

“Derren . . .” It was something between a warning and a plea. It was ignored. He continued to feast and gorge, until her body was being tormented by an unrelenting, savage ache; screaming to be filled and fucked. At this point, she was literally burning for him. “Derren, no more.” To her surprise, he didn’t ignore her again. Instead, he plunged two fingers inside her and suckled on her clit, throwing her into a release so intense it stole her breath.

Having shed the rest of his clothes, Derren covered her tremoring body with his. Fuck, her taste drove him as crazy as the scent and feel of her did. His cock hurt and throbbed, wanting to slake its need on the female beneath him. “Ready for me, baby?” He didn’t give her time to answer, just grabbed her hips and lunged. Her pussy was swollen from her orgasm, but he thrust hard and deep until his balls slapped against her. Her slick pussy was blazing hot as it tightened around him almost possessively. He rolled them so he was flat on his back with her straddling him. “Ride me.”