Chapter 31 — At Her Mercy

~ RONAN ~

I hold on to Lyra as she stares up at me, her lips trembling. "I can't believe it's there. Within m-me," she stammers and starts to reel, visibly in shock. "I've always known it was, but somehow I kept telling myself it was nothing. Before, I couldn't remember some things after they happened. Everything was blurry or blacked out. But now I do. It’s like I'm seeing another person's memories."

You know what? Strike what I said before. When I see Magnus, I'm breaking his entire fucking body.

"You and your wolf are connected now," I say as I glide my knuckles across her cheek. "There won't be any more back and forth between you two. You're two parts of one whole."

"But it doesn't seem possible. I feel so different."

"Nothing's changed." Brushing my thumb across her lips, I murmur, "You're in control. Things will be different, but you will still be you. You'll see."

"I can't believe I wanted to hurt Silas." She dips her head and buries her face in my neck. "I don't want to hurt anyone. Promise you won't let me."

Goddamn.

I'd known her memories were jagged, but I'd thought she had access to slivers of them. Most wolves had difficulty recalling certain events, especially during their first shift, but even then, most retained a portion of what transpired when the wolf took control.

"If you don't want to hurt anyone, you have to rely on me to take care of you." And I will take care of her, even if it kills me. "That's the duty of an Alpha, to see to those who trust him. Especially when it comes to his mate. Surrender control. Put yourself in my keeping. I'll never give you a reason to regret it."

"Surrender control?" She stiffens against me. "I thought mating was like a marriage. That a man and wife are considered equal."

I laugh against her hair, unable to prevent my response to my ballsy little mate who has just been through hell but meets me head-on. "I thought human females vow to honour and obey their husbands."

"You must be old," she scoffs. She's not as shaky now, like she's finally accepting the finality of her situation. "Women stopped promising that a long time ago."

"To hell with other women. The only female I'm concerned about is right here in my arms." As much as I love her nestled against me, what I want to say is best done by looking her in the eye. I pull away, gazing at her flushed face. "What do you want, sweet Lyra?"

"You," she answers without pause, brown ringlets cascading around her shoulders. "I want you so much it hurts."

Possessiveness and pride slither through me. "We can't have that."

I rise in a fluid motion, bringing her with me, keeping her against my chest with an arm beneath her back and thighs. Lowering my head, I breathe into the delicate shell of her ear.

"And you have me. Whether you want to or not. I'm all yours."

---

~ LYRA ~

I'm all yours.

Those three tiny words mean so much to me I want to cry.

When I fought the raging animal inside me, I was terrified I wouldn't come out on top. The thing was harsh, driven by instinct. It thought in bursts, seeing things only as they pertained to the moment, living and breathing for each second. Now I understand why I attacked Astrid. The wolf simply reacted, taking control because it had been allowed to.

That won't happen again.

I confronted the voracious entity, forced it down, and took charge. The thought of hurting anyone in the grips of a wolf's rage terrifies me. Remembering how angry my wolf had been when Silas threatened Ronan, how ready I had been to go for his throat, puts things into perspective. What happened wasn't something I asked for, but it's up to me to deal with it. As frightening as the prospect might be, I have to admit it's also exciting. If I'm going to start a new life, I have to hit the ground running and face things on my terms.

Beginning now.

Sliding my fingers into the hair at Ronan's neck, I tug him down, lifting myself so our mouths meet. He groans into my lips, taking my next breath as his, our tongues touching as need, want, and desire take hold. The heat that rushed through my body returns, thundering through my system, making it hard to breathe.

"I'm sore where you spanked me." I gently rake my nails along his neck, smiling when he shudders. "You should kiss it and make it better."

"Would you like that?"

"Mm-hmm."

He growls, digging his fingers into the padded area above my hip, holding me in place. "Then I'm going to kiss you all over. I want to watch you melt."

If a person were capable of melting, I’m certain I would have. The way he speaks to me, the way he looks at me, makes my insides quiver, and my heart skip a beat. There are so many things I could say or do at this moment, but one need drives me.

Fire pours through my veins, the potent call of the moon whispering in my ear. A shiver shoots down my spine as the memories of the night before rush back, blinding in their intensity.

Driven by an escalating impulse, I release his neck and push away, sliding down his body. When my feet hit the ground, I shrug my shoulders, allowing my coat to fall to the ground as I slowly sink to my knees. I don’t look away, meeting Ronan's gaze as I pepper kisses down his chest. Lust hits me like a blowtorch to the stomach. I’ll do anything and be anything he wanted if he continues staring at me just like that.

"You're so fucking hot," he rasps, twining his fingers in my hair. "You have no idea what you do to me."

I do. If his expression hasn’t given him away, his harsh inhalations and the tremor that shoots through his body are all the evidence I need. Bold and eager, I nip at his abdomen, holding back a grin when I feel his muscles flex through his shirt.

A surge of power flows over me.

I do this to him. And in this position, he’s at my mercy.