Ryker didn't take that information in too well. It was the idea that Mary's life could be in danger that changed everything. It propelled him to bring her back to his home. She was safer with him than anywhere else at this point.

Now, standing in the small foyer of Ryker's home, Mary looked ready to argue with his one-sided decision. However, the look on his face halted all the words she had prepared on the way here.

"Is this really necessary?" She asked.

"I promised your family I would keep you safe."

Mary doesn't know why, but when he said that it made her upset.

"We aren't even sure if the person I saw knows that I saw him. Besides, I don't want to be an obligation to you. If it's the promise about my brother that is bothering you, I can dissolve you of that issue. I am a grown female and can handle my own decisions and choices."

Ryker released a frustrated growl before taking hold of Mary's hands that she was wringing together subconsciously in front of her. He pulled her closer to him. Taking both her hands into his, he bent his head a little to look into her eyes.

"You know that's not what I meant. You should already have guessed the direction of my feelings towards you, Mary."

Being here has changed Mary's life dramatically. In her pack, she had been almost invisible to the opposite sex for years, but living here she has learned to become more independent and confident in her features and skills. The feeling was inexplainable, but Mary knew that she had changed and for the better.

Ryker had told her how much he desired her that night she drunk a little too much tonic. Then he asked to court her and took her out on a date. He had kissed and made love to her in ways no one has ever done before.

Mary bit her bottom lip and heat crawled up her neck and warmed her cheeks. Her gaze dropped to the where his hands were holding hers securely. With Ryker, she felt stronger, confident, and desired. Yet she wondered if what she had guessed was truly what he was thinking. Ryker said he got hurt in the past. He may still don't trust her.

"I may have guessed, but I haven't heard - "

He stopped her sentence by yanking her into the hard planes of his chest. Placing a firm, possessive hand on the back of her neck, he brought their lips together. A gentle kiss. A tug here and there to urge her to let go of her resistance. When she responded by kissing him back, they fell into a seamless sync.

For such a rough Alpha male, Ryker was always tender towards Mary. Maybe that was the reason her heart refused to maintain a steady heartbeat when he was around her. His lips were soft and pillowy. His cardamon and cloves scent has become a second scent to Mary. She would bask it in it for days if she could. How addicted has she become to him was beyond her.

When Ryker broke the kiss, he cradled her face. He took his time looking over her features and remembered faintly the first night she had kissed him. There was no point in denying what he feels. This female before him had him utterly trapped within her firm grasps. He had already proclaimed his rights to her in front of his pack already.

"You are mine," he professed to her. "From the moment you kissed me at the Mating Ball to the moment you left with me that night I was leaving your pack. No one else was going to have you."

Ryker smoothed her hair to her back, exposing her neck.

"W-what d-do you mean?" Mary stuttered. He was looking at her with so much passion and tenderness, her insides were melting. Her knees wobbled so much in his presence, she had to lean towards him a little to hold herself up. Her heart felt like it was lodged in her throat.

Ryker smirked as if he knew the affects he has on her.

"Are you willing to be my mate, my Luna?"

Luna-Mary must be dreaming. Ryker was asking her to be his mate. She felt the room spin, and she swayed slightly on her feet. Dear lord, he was asking her to be his mate. Her vision clouded with black dots.

"Mary?" Ryker looked worried. She opened her mouth to say something, but then fainted right into his arms. Luckily, he was quick on his feet, caught her just before she hit the floor.

He carried her to his bedroom and laid her in his bed. She didn't answer him, yet fainted. He put a hand to her forehead to see if she caught a fever or something, but nothing. She was breathing okay. Did he shock her with his proclamation?

Ryker didn't move from her side. He sat and waited until the sun have setted over the horizon. Thinking about all that has happened since the moment he met Mary and he had never been more confident in his decision.

Mary made a soft sound before she started moving around his bed. His gaze shot from the corner of his room to staring at her. She sighed and turned to her side. A second later, her eyes fluttered open.

Ryker watched emotions splayed across Mary's face like he was watching a movie. She looked confused for a minute before it turned into pure shock and then horror. Shooting up into a sitting position, she looked at him in horror.

"It wasn't a dream." It was the first thing she said. "You asked me to be your mate."

He nodded.

"And I fainted!" she said in exasperation.

He nodded once again.

"I've imagined this a million different ways. Never did I think I would faint in front of my mate," she groaned and covered her face shamefully.

Ryker caught the last bit His eyes widened and he moved closer to her.

"What did you say?" he asked.

"I've imagined this a millio-"

"After that."

"Never did I think I would faint in front of my mate?" It was her turn to look confused.

Ryker broke into a grin first. He captured her lips immediately. Ryker didn't care if she fainted. He cared about her answer. Mary called him her mate. The urge to possess this female was almost frightening to him. He couldn't control the overwhelming power inside of him. The animalistic urge to mark her and possess her body.

She fell back onto the mattress and Ryker's body covered her body a moment later. He broke the fevered kiss to skim his lips along her jawline and down the sensitive curve of her neck. She didn't protest. Mary threaded her fingers through his hair, almost locking him into the crook of her neck, urging him to mark her, but Ryker wanted to do so much more.

While sucking on her neck to curb the lust in marking her, he removed the covers between them with an abrupt tug. Before he quickly discarded their clothes too. Leaving no barriers to his hungry exploration.

Although Mary has been working on her confidence during her stay here, she never felt more alive than in this moment. Her emotions filled her heart to the peak. So, she stopped thinking and allowed her body and heart to revel in Ryker's care.

Ryker fell on top of her once again. Gentle not to crush her completely. Lightly, he pried her legs apart with his hard knees and settled between them. She felt his hard length pressed against her soft core, throbbing and pulsating with manly needs and her own need spiked.

She wrapped her legs around his waist while he slid his lips back down the curve of her neck and gently bit the area between her neck and shoulder. Without words, he had already told her where he wanted to mark her. She shivered with barely controlled need. She arched her neck in invitation even when he proceeded to suck hard enough to leave a mark.

Then Ryker moved lower. Sliding down her body until his lips were above her breasts. He brought one nipple into his mouth. Sucking and lapping around the sensitive tip until she was writhing with waves of pleasure. When he stopped long enough to pay the same amount of attention to the other nipple, she felt a desperate cry leave her throat. It was pure longing torture. The ache between her legs grew so quickly she couldn't control the soft moans and pleas that were leaving her lips.

Ryker's hand slid between her legs before circling around her sensitive nub. She cried out loud and clutched the sheets. He watched her fall apart underneath his skilled hands. It plunged inside her and stretched her.

"Look at me, Mary," he rasped.

She could hear the need in his voice. It strained his vocals when he spoke. Her eyes flew open to look at him while he worked his fingers inside of her, building her quickly to her peak. Her muscles tightened and her eyes were wide.

"You're mine, Mary. Mine."

She cried out as he stretched her one last time. Her body shook, and she threw her head back. Her body writhing and moving on its own as wave and wave of the orgasm hits her. Just when she was about to hit the end of her orgasm, though, he stopped. Knelt between her legs, hooked his hand underneath her thighs and plunged his hard length inside of her.

Mary gasped upon the invasion, throwing her head back at the sheer pleasure of feeling him inside her. It felt amazing, so good, even when he wasn't moving. That thought was snuffed a second later when he pulled all the way out and plunged hard and deep inside of her.

"Ryker!" she screamed his name as her hands clutched the sheets beneath her for dear life.

Mary was still looking at him again, almost daring him to try one more time. Ryker's grip on her thighs tightened as he showed her he was more than willing to do it.

"Shit!" she growled.

One corner of his mouth quirked upward before he started a hard and fast rhythm inside of her. Her body shook with each thrust. She felt the coil inside of her tightening all over again. So fast that she wasn't ready.

"Ryker." She was desperate this time.

Ryker released his grip on her thighs before rolling over onto his back, bringing her on top of him. He knew what she wanted. By putting her on top, she could control the pace. She placed her hand on his chest before rocking her hips. Slow, circled movements that made him groan. Mary watched him close his eyes tight with pleasure and biting his bottom lip.

When he opened his eyes again, he was looking at her greedily. Her body moving slow and seductive. Her eyes were bright with desire and hunger. While her hair was a tangled mess over her shoulders. She looked like a temptress. His temptress.

Mary's rocked harder and faster on top of him. Her breasts bouncing with each rock. Ryker's control slipped completely. He was about to burst inside of her like an inexperience juvenile.

Flipping her over, he took back the reigns. Ryker captured her lips and slipped his arms underneath her shoulders. His body completely covered her. This time, he was going to bring them both to the edge together and she was ready.

Mary kissed him back with equal amount of fever. When he felt her tightened around him, he knew that she was there. Breaking the kiss suddenly, he moved to the crook of her neck. Growling like an Alpha, his canine lengthened and when he felt her tightened once again around him he plunged his canines into her skin. He felt her own canines pressed against his shoulder and the second that he pierced her skin, she also plunged her canines into his shoulder. Blood filled both their mouths, mixing their bonds and tying their souls together.

They both could feel the build up and tugging in their chest and mind. Neither of them were relenting in releasing their canines. A muffled growl vibrated from deep within Ryker's chest as he pour his release inside of her. She was milking him dry each orgasmic wave.

When they both came down, Mary was the first to remove her canines but she made sure to lap at the two little wounds on his shoulders to close them properly. Ryker repeat the same action to his mark on her neck.

Pulling back onto his elbows, he looked down at Mary.

The unspoken words hung in the air between them.

They did it.

They were finally mated.