There was never any judgment or horror with Ally. Never anything except total acceptance—so much so that she’d not only accepted him as he was but the position of Beta female as well. She’d fully embraced it, happily took on the responsibilities, and even trained with him, Eli, and the other enforcers every day to keep fit and sharp.

He wasn’t sure he deserved the acceptance she offered, but he selfishly wanted it anyway.

The truth was that, even if she had tried to pull away from him, Derren wouldn’t have let it happen. Even though he’d have understood it, he wouldn’t have let her go. He couldn’t—not now, not ever. She was too much a part of him, too vital to him; an anchor he hadn’t known he needed but now knew that he couldn’t exist without.

His wolf too was a total goner—he adored Ally. She was theirs, and God help anyone who ever attempted to cause her harm. Derren would slaughter them without blinking, and he wouldn’t miss a second of sleep over it.

He understood now what his Alpha had meant when he once said that every emotion was magnified when it came to mates. Adoration, protectiveness, respect, tenderness, hunger, jealousy, possessiveness—they were all tied up in what he felt for Ally and were so unbelievably intense, because the mating bond amplified everything. And Derren knew there wasn’t a damn thing he wouldn’t do to protect that bond, to keep this person who was and always would be more important to him than anything else.

Spotting him, she gave him a smile that never failed to make his cock begin to stand to attention. “Coffee?”

“Do you really need to ask?” Pulling her close, Derren gently mashed his lips with hers. He thrust his tongue inside, tasting and teasing. Wanting that unique scent that was all Ally settled in his system, he buried his face in the crook of her neck. “You smell too good. Exotic and tasty and mine.” Her blush made him smile. She could take an insult with a bored snort, could take a hit without a flinch, but a compliment? Too much for his little Seer to process.

“You smell better. Like oak bark, Brazilian coffee beans, and seriously hot sex.”

Chuckling, he slid his hands down to cup that ass he loved. “Perfect.” She winced slightly. “A little sore?” When he’d bent her over the sofa the night before, he’d spanked her a couple of times. Of course, his little Seer hadn’t been too pleased about that—she’d cursed and clawed him. So he’d spanked her again.

She narrowed eyes that were glinting with amusement. “No need to look smug. And get your hands off my ass.”

“How many times have I gotta tell you, baby? It’s my ass.” He let one finger slip gently between her ass cheeks, hating that her jeans acted as a barrier. “Has anyone had you here, baby?”

The question had a whisper of menace in it, and Ally knew it would have pissed him off big-time if she hadn’t saved that for her mate like most shifters did. As it was, she had saved it for him. “No, they haven’t.”

Gratified, Derren swiped his tongue over her bottom lip. “Good girl. One day, I’m going to take this ass.” He was rock hard just imagining it.

Ally wasn’t afraid to admit to herself that she wanted him to do it. She was curious, and, like her wolf, she wanted him to claim her every way a shifter could. But Ally would still make him work for it. She sniffed. “Maybe.”

Hearing the challenge in that one word, Derren smiled, rubbing his nose against hers. “You are the most—” Cutting himself off when he heard his cell chiming, he gave her ass a gentle pat before going to retrieve the phone from the coffee table in the den. Seeing that it was Marcus, he answered, “Yeah?”

“We have ourselves some visitors,” drawled Marcus.

Derren stiffened. “Who?” If it was any of the Collingwood wolves, he was going to—

“Miranda and two of her enforcers.” There was a wealth of agitation in Marcus’s voice. “They’ve all been checked for weapons and bombs, although she didn’t like it much. They’re all clear.”

“Okay, well, call me when she’s gone. I have no desire whatsoever to be in her company.” Derren’s comment made Ally shoot him a quizzical look from the kitchen. He held up one finger.

“She wants you to come. According to her, you’re going to want to hear this.” The line went dead.

Growling low in his throat, Derren looked at his mate, who, mug in hand, was crossing the room. “I have to go to the main lodge. I won’t be long.”

“Who’s here?”

“Miranda and two of her enforcers.”

“Huh.” Ally placed the mug on the table. “Let’s go then.”

Not liking that idea at all, Derren scowled as his hand involuntarily tightened around the phone. For as long as the mating bond was incomplete, he would find it difficult to have others around Ally—particularly outsiders—as it created a lingering insecurity, making him more possessive and protective than ever. He wouldn’t, couldn’t, take any chances with her safety.

In honesty, he didn’t believe Miranda was actually a real physical threat to Ally. After all, to attack Ally here would be the height of stupidity. Miranda was many things, but stupid wasn’t one of them. Still, Derren didn’t want outsiders around his mate right now. If that meant he was being irrational and paranoid due to their mating bond not being fully developed, fine. “Baby, you don’t need to come.”

“Probably not. But I am.”