Chapter 3

My head is pounding as I groggily wake up to the sound of clicking, fragmented memories from last night’s return, the way his hands touched and caressed my skin, his lips everywhere, tasting and devouring me.

Heat rushes to my face, and I roll over on the hotel bed, praying I haven’t just screwed my father’s enemy, yet I clearly have by the throbbing ache between my thighs. I stare up at the ceiling. My mouth feels dry as the events of the night before come back to me. Instantly, I regret the stupid decision and poor choice I made.

Click. Click. Click.

That noise again. Rolling over, I find my mate standing in nothing but his boxer shorts. My eyes trail down his abs to the deep V-line before looking up at him. My wolf stirs, waking inside me, and she nudges forward with me, eye-fucking our mate.

Axton smirks, and I know he can sense her, just as I could feel his wolf coming forward last night. He walks over to the bed, stopping at the edge with his phone in his hand, and I eye it suspiciously. Did he just take photos of me naked?

“What are you doing?” I groan while sitting up before falling back down, making my headache ten times worse. Every part of me hurts, especially between my legs. With effort, I force myself to sit up and look around, vigilant.

“What’s your wolf’s name?” he asks, and she perks up at his interest in wanting to know. I growl at him.

“None of your business.”

He bristles at my tone as I look around, finding my clothes scattered on the floor, when another thought occurs.

“Did you use protection?” I ask, glancing over at him.

“No, you said you were on the pill.” He shrugs, uncaring as I try to recall that memory.

“You better not have given me some disease,” I snap at him, furious at him and myself for being so careless.

“Whoa, chill out. I’m clean,” the Alpha says, falling onto the edge of the bed with his phone in his hand.

He crawls up the bed toward the headboard. He tugs me toward him, making me shriek when I crash against his hard chest. His phone takes a photo of us together while I push off his chest.

“What are you doing? Give me that!” I snarl, reaching for his phone.

He pulls it away from me and raises an eyebrow at me.

“Delete it and the others I heard you taking,” I demand.

Axton growls at me, but I growl back, straddling his waist to snatch the phone from his hand as he tries to hold it out of my reach. I jab the screen with my finger, only to find he has locked it.

“Tell me the password. Now, Axton!” I panic. If that photo gets out, my father will murder me.

“It’s a bit early in the relationship to be checking my phone, don’t you think? Doesn’t the whole psycho girlfriend thing start after at least a few months in?” He laughs.

“Password. Now,” I repeat.

Axton sighs and holds up his index finger, and I stare at him for a few seconds before looking at the back of the phone to find it has a fingerprint passcode.

I press the phone to his finger while he watches me with a smirk. I scroll through his camera roll, deleting them, and growl when I find he has been taking photos of me while I slept naked.

“Why are you getting so upset? I’m your mate,” he purrs, walking his fingers up my thigh.

I slap his hand, but he just laughs, gripping my hips and sliding me lower so I am sitting directly over his crotch.

“Do you have any idea who I am?” I ask him.

He scratches his chin, appearing thoughtful for a second before he smiles.

“Yes, Elena Hale. I know exactly whose daughter you are,” he answers.

“And you don’t have a problem with that?” I ask, a little shocked.

“Nope, but I can’t wait to see the look on your father’s face when he learns I fucked his daughter until she was screaming my name and begging for more,” he taunts.

My hand connects with his face, and the impact stings my hand. He rubs his cheek, a taunting smile on his lips.

“You dare mention last night to anyone, and you’ll live to regret it, Axton.”

He laughs, reaching for me. He sits up before I can climb off him, then rolls, forcing me beneath him, and rocks his hips against me.

“That sounds more like a challenge, Elena. Yet I don’t think fucking you will ever be a regret. And your father? He has no say in what I do with my mate,” he says, rocking his hips against me.

I turn my face away from him as he leans down to kiss me, instead focusing back on the phone in my hand. I quickly delete the photos, double-checking I got rid of them while trying to ignore how hot and tingly my body is getting from him being pressed between my thighs.

“No one can fight the mate bond, so why are you pretending you aren’t affected by it?” he asks, dipping his face into my neck. He inhales my scent and groans lewdly. My wolf purrs loudly like a damn chainsaw in my head.

I drop his phone onto the bed, tucking my chin so he can’t reach my unmarked flesh. I push on his chest.

“Off, now. Before I make you,” I warn him.

He doesn’t budge, and I try to shove him off, but he catches both of my wrists in his hands, shoving them above my head before holding them in one of his. His other hand squeezes my breast before he brushes his thumb over my nipple, making it harden. I grit my teeth and glare at him.

“Fight it all you want, Elena. It won’t change that I am your mate. It certainly won’t stop me from claiming you,” he says, leaning down and covering my mouth with his.