My neck burns, an unimaginable fire lighting at the base of my throat. Before I can think too much about it, I feel the energy filled touch of Ares as he strokes my head. My nerves come back slowly, their ripple beginning as my body takes note of him pressed against my back spooning me, "Ares?" I whisper, my throat hoarse.

"Hello, darling. How are you feeling?" His voice is soft again, a reminder of how he was before he ripped my throat out.

"Please stop touching me." I groan trying to pull away, but he uses his strength to keep me against him.

"Not until the mark is set. If I let you go, your body will know you are rejecting it, sending us both into pain." He kisses the top of my head, my head fuzzes in pleasurable zings from his lips.

"What if I don't want it?" I try to pull away again, but he keeps me forced against him, "Ares, I am not wanting to be bonded to you. Please, just let me go."

"I can't let that happen, I'm sorry." His voice seems regretful, but deep down I know that some part of him does want this, he wants this claim over me. Defeat. The only thing coming from me these days. I groan into the soft pillow loving the plush surrounding my head, "I am the Alpha of Wolfsbane, a large pack in the northeast United States. To provide for my pack financially, and for myself, I am the CEO of the largest National Bank that has become international. You are my mate and Luna, the one woman I desire to love me in return. Josh is my Beta, Tyson my Gamma, and Daniel one of my Delta's."

"I feel very played right now, mislead, hurt, used. And worst of all, if you could stop your macho alpha shit for five seconds, feel controlled. Let me go." He gets off the bed as well the only clothing being his low riding pajama pants. I try not to stare, but the inner sex goddess is wanting another round, and it doesn't help I have this new attachment to him that I didn't have before.

"I am only doing this to protect you."

"Every werewolf book I ever read tells me very differently. This is bullshit. This wasn't supposed to be real. I read them for fun!" I scream out stomping around the room. The tether is very much there like a golden rope that hangs in the air between us.

"Where do you think they got the story? A human mate despised her male and ran, writing the first werewolf story. Now it's like an exploding balloon of teenage hormones." He closes his eyes taking many breaths before continuing the conversation, "Like I said before, you can hate me as long as you need too, I know what I have done. It is expected that the Alpha claims his mate the moment they touch, since you are human you had leeway, but it was hard to keep it whenever you ran at every fucking turn."

"Were you planning on taking me when we first met?"

He drops his head into his palms before looking back up at me, "Yes, I would have taken you at the diner, but there were too many people, then my next plan was our date, but you ran. Too many humans so I was unable to chase you."

"Fuck." I push my fingers into my temples rubbing circles. This bite is giving me thoughts that I shouldn't be having, and I have to bite my lip to keep myself from acting on them, "Then why agree to the contract in the first place? You knew what you were doing... you gave up false fucking hope."

"The average time it takes for a human to accept their mate is one month, I hoped by offering a compromise we could beat the average. I need you next to me, baby. I can't handle you being across the city where I can't protect you."

"But it's my life, my decisions. I should have a choice." I slap the back of one hand against the palm of the other, the smack resonating through the bedroom. I just want a choice! I take a step closer to him, he throws his legs off the bed. The tether that I feel between us starts to burn, a good burn that throws my mind off. My feet move closer, my hips between his knees looking down at him, "I know who I am, what I have been through, and part of me knows that I am going be destroyed being with you."

"You don't know that. I want to love you, care for you, provide, anything you want at the drop of penny. The sky is the limits. If you want me to give up my title and move to Italy for fucks sake then let's go, just fuck. I need you." He grabs the sides of my sun dress pulling me in closer.

"I don't want your money, or your status, or anything. I just want love, and to be loved in the way that I want. I don't need the pretty balls, or the nice black card, I just want a normal life with a boring man that makes me orgasm."

He smirks, "Baby, love, you and I both know you wouldn't tolerate a boring man." I lean my head in, the bond taking over me completely. Ever nerves tingles in need for his touch, fuck no I groan moving down to meet his lips, the euphoria crawling over my skin at the contact. He pulls me on the bed, throwing me on my back. Our lips break for a moment, his hand traveling up my dress to palm at my breast. His mouth comes down to my ear, a dark look coming over him as he nibbles, "Love, you aren't meant to be with someone boring. Flip over." Is this something he's doing to me? Is this the bond? Can he control my wants?

And I do. I turn over to have my butt up in the air. My dress falls to my shoulders, the pink panties from earlier the only cover I have. I feel his finger snap the band; the panties thrown across the room leaving me naked. Ares moans at the sight, hands rubbing my ass just taking a moment to appreciate the view. I sit with anticipation, Ares leaning over to grab something from the drawer next to us. I stay calm until I hear the shifting of metal. Excuse me? I have always been into vanilla sex, no man ever waning to try anything different, but when he clips those cuffs around my hands then clips me to the bed something inside me roars with pleasure. Fuck boring. His hands travel over my body, the cuffs shifting with me as I beg for his touch. Ares mocks me running a single finger down my spine clicking his tongue, "Of the sorts as I'd told you before. Tell me what you want, love."

"Ares." I moan, he moves his lips down each peak of my back, my core wet with desire. He sucks lightly on the lower parts of my back then gives each ass cheek a quick kiss.

"Tell me, or I stop. I want to hear you." He smacks my ass, the sting so good as I moan for him. My body is mess, too much stimulation at once that I wasn't used to. I feel his fingers between my thighs, and I shove my hips back hoping it's enough, but he follows me mocking my need.

"Please," I gasp out when he slips his fingers in, a steady movement against my core that builds a good pressure, he slows when I don't continue, and I almost cuss, "Please me, Ares."

"As you wish, love." He slips one finger in after the other curling his finger beautifully to send me to a new level of pleasure. I bite my lip keeping it contained, but even then, I'm a moaning mess. This mark takes this to a new level, his pleasure and my pleasure melt together in one, every joy he feels I take part in, and he feels it as well. It's this pool of holy fuck and I don't know what to do it. He knows how much I love this, but I love his cock more. He curls one last time before pulling out, his hand moving to the side of my face.

"Taste yourself, darling." I open my mouth, his fingers running over my tongue. While I hate the taste, the happiness that cracks through the bond helps me enjoy it and I moan against his fingers. He lines himself up with me, taking only a moment before going hilt deep. I cry out, my lip leaving the security of my teeth, "Scream for me baby." He fucks me hard, hands going through the roots to tug on my hair, my body being moved vertical for him to pinch my nipples. The cuffs are long enough for him to shift me, but not long enough that I can turn and touch him as I desire. The need to touch him only adds to the building climax, and he fucking knows it.

"I love the feel of you." I whisper out bouncing my hips with him, he sucks on my neck, a promising hickey that should develop.

"And I love you." He moans out, one final hip thrust, and we both are a mess of release. I fall flat on the bed, his pleasure going over my back once more.

He breaths heavy, keying open the cuffs and grabbing a towel to clean me. I wait until he's done to crawl over and pull my sundress back one his smug face grinning at me from the bathroom.

"What did you say?" I call out to him, the fear that what I heard was true, he sticks his brindle hair out while I rub my wrists.

"I love you, Veronica. I know what I said."

"Mr. Gray..." I go back to my default, the only time I truly call him Ares being when he is fucking the daylights out of me. He comes out of the bathroom, his naked glory on full display. The inner demon in me demands to go another round, see what other toys he has in store for us, "I-"

"I know, it's okay. Come on, we need to go eat lunch." We find ourselves in a different dining room than before. Different people pass by us, look to be cleaners. Each of them stares down my neck, the mark bright red for everyone to see. A beautiful kitchen comes into view through a doorway, a large stove sitting on one side with a matching stainless-steel fridge on the other. In the middle sits a gorgeous marble island, the counters clean from any kitchen tools.

"This is a nice kitchen." I mumble, Ares smiles at me.

"This manor was built for you and me, the kitchen was designed to host a large family. Do you enjoy cooking?" A large family? Like with me?

"Yes, actually. It's a favorite hobby of mine. But I don't get much of a chance to practice."

"We will have to change that. If you write a list of things you want, I can send out for it and have the kitchen stocked how you please." He grabs a skillet laying it on the stove.

"Could I just go get it myself?" He gives me a look, and I know my answer. Not in a million years. While I can cook all I want, I'll be stuck to this manor, maybe forever. And his idea of a large family would become my life taking away any personal goals or identity that I could have.

"You'll have to love me first." He takes a deep breath warming the skillet. I see him start to line it with oil to get whatever he has planned prepped, "And I know that seems difficult, but I promise that it's not as bad as you think." I sit down on a stool watching him work around the kitchen. He grabs another small pot to fill it with water. Ares knows his kitchen well, no hesitation in where he needs to go to get what he needs. I won't lie to myself and pretend it's not attractive, the way he carries himself, shoulders back and strong walk, is a mesmerizing thing all by itself.

"Loving you? Being here beck and call when you need a lay, the home maker when I ultimately get pregnant never to leave this house again?"

Ares throws diced chicken into the pan, taking a moment before he responds, "I promise that isn't my intention. You are to be worshiped, and children will be the blessings from that."

"Isn't that big thing though? Children?" I cross my arms; he moves to drop pasta in the boiling water. Children is the whole point of any paranormal relationship I've read. He need an heir, and in return I'm treated with dignity.

He turns his head to make eye contact with me. I feel the tether between us go tight, the emotions he's feeling slipping into my head slightly. Images of me swollen with kids fill my thoughts, the happiness and desire to give me to world filling my heart as well. Some parts are from his point of view, his need to provide and the perfect light he looks at me in. He pulls back, words cutting through the thick air, "You pregnant with our kids is something I think about often. I can't help it, the thought of you walking around carrying a creation from our love..." He chokes a little, "But I know it will be a while before you find I deserve it."

"This still freaks me out."

"And that's okay. I never expected you to adjust quickly, but I had hoped to sweep you off your feet. If sex is all I ever get, I'll force my wolf to be happy with such."

"I never intended to give you that either, at least this morning. Something just came over me and I just..." I drop my palms in my lap, "I lost to myself. Defeated at my own game."

"The mark is going to press you forward, our bond is something of magic, and it wants us to live it out to the fullest. Most mates hide away for a couple weeks, their new bond keeping them from leaving one another." He snickers grabbing a few more things from around the kitchen while I stare.

"And that's just for wolves?"

Ares gives me a serious look, no way of mistaking him, "If you would let me chain you to that bed and make love to you like I desire, darling you wouldn't be walking. I must suppress myself. As an Alpha everything is heightened, my needs, my strength, my sex drive. Everything. I want to keep you below me, screaming my name for as long as you'll allow. However, due to circumstance, I resist."

"It's appreciated." I mumble, the pasta now ready to be drained.

"Anything for you."

I bite my lip staring at his back while he works. The sauce he threw together smell amazing, but my stress is too high to really appreciate, "When will I see Jess?"

Ares stills, setting the strainer down, "You won't be seeing her until we've developed a true relationship."

"Wait what?"

He throws a little pasta water into the sauce, mixing the chicken in as well after checking the temp, "You and Jess together are an inseparable team, both of which lead to one another running away. Unless you are in the office, you will not be seeing her."

"We are still going to work for you?" I raise my brows, and he chuckles.

"Yes, I can't bring myself to leave you chained up here. While most mates of humans do such things, that's leave you with me as my personal secretary."

"I am going to be a terrible one." I mumble, something in me okay with working for him, at least to feel productive in some sense.

"I promise, it would be most difficult for you to mess up in my eyes, but not impossible." He slides a plate over, a bolognese style sauce with chicken instead of the normal beef.

"Ares..."

"Yes, my love?" He stands across from me with his plate as well.

"What is my purpose here? If not to produce children?"

Ares holds the pasta up to his mouth; moments pause before taking a bite. I wait for him to answer, keeping my fork against the plate. He swallows, "Your purpose is to be my Luna, serve the pack and keep me in line. Just your touch can bring me down from anger, and I need that balance. Most of my people know me as cold, heartless even, and you darling are meant to change that."

"That's heavy."

He sighs dropping his fork for just a moment, "I want to say this before we continue. I'm very sorry about marking you without permission. Now that I've calmed down the influence of my wolf has left me, and I realize the error in my ways. I can't take back what I did, but I can take the time to make it up to you. I just... fuck I'm sorry." I don't respond, but little does he know I've already forgiven parts of him. This bond. It's more influential than I like. The itch screams at me, we've finally been claimed. That fucking itch.