Chapter 5

The penthouse's private medical suite is better equipped than most emergency rooms. Giovanni sets me on the examination table with surprising gentleness, his hands already working to peel away my shredded clothes.

"I can do it," I protest weakly.

"Stop fighting me." His voice carries an edge of command that makes my wolf whimper. "You're hurt."

"I'll heal."

"Not fast enough." He cuts away what's left of my sports bra, professional despite my near-nakedness. "These are deep."

Isabella's claws left four parallel gashes across my ribs. They're already trying to close, but Giovanni's right—they're too deep for my quarter-wolf healing to handle quickly.

He cleans the wounds with steady hands, his touch clinical. But I catch him clenching his jaw when I hiss in pain, see the way his eyes flash gold when he catalogues each injury.

"You're angry," I observe.

"I'm furious." He applies antiseptic that burns like hell. "I should have killed Isabella months ago when she first challenged my authority."

"Why didn't you?"

"Politics. Her father has connections I needed." He wraps bandages around my torso, the pressure just right. "Those connections no longer matter."

"You can't kill her because she lost to me."

"Watch me."

"Giovanni—"

"She hurt you." He finishes with the bandages, his hands lingering on my skin. "She made you bleed. That's a death sentence."

The possession in his voice should terrify me. Instead, it makes heat pool low in my belly. "I'm not that fragile."

"No," he agrees, his eyes meeting mine. "You're not."

The air between us shifts, thickens. I'm suddenly aware that I'm sitting here in just my underwear, his hands still on my skin. The mate bond pulses between us, demanding more.

"You should go," I whisper.

"Should I?" His hands slide up my sides, careful of my injuries. "You used my power tonight. Do you understand what that means?"

"We're connected."

"We're more than connected." His hands frame my face. "You accepted the bond, even temporarily. Your wolf recognized mine as her Alpha."

"For the fight—"

"The bond doesn't distinguish." He leans closer, his breath warm on my lips. "Your wolf wants this. Wants me."

"My wolf doesn't get to decide."

"No? Then why are you trembling?" His thumb traces my lower lip. "Why is your heart racing?"

"Adrenaline."

"Liar." He closes the distance, his lips brushing mine. "Tell me to stop."

I should. Every logical part of my brain is screaming to push him away, to maintain the boundaries we established. But my wolf is howling for more, and the mate bond is like fire in my veins.

"Giulia," he murmurs against my mouth. "Tell me to stop."

Instead, I kiss him.

He groans, his control snapping. His mouth claims mine with desperate hunger, tongue sliding past my lips to taste, to possess. His hands tangle in my hair, angling my head to deepen the kiss, and I moan into his mouth.

He lifts me off the table, carrying me through the penthouse to his bedroom. I've never been in here before—it's all dark wood and masculine elegance, dominated by a massive bed.

He sets me down beside it, his eyes pure gold now. "Say yes."

"To what?"

"Everything." His hands skim down my sides. "Say yes to me. To us. To this."

"Giovanni—"

"I know you feel it." He presses his forehead to mine. "This thing between us. It's not just the bond."

He's right. The attraction was there before I knew we were mates, before the bond made its demands. But admitting that means admitting everything.

"One night," I whisper. "Just tonight."

"That's not enough."

"It's all I can give."

He pulls back to study my face, something dark and determined in his expression. "Then I'll make it count."

His mouth returns to mine, hot and demanding. His hands map every inch of my skin, learning what makes me gasp, what makes me moan. When his lips move to my neck, finding that spot where he'd mark me, I nearly come undone.

"Not there," I gasp.

He pulls back immediately. "Too much?"

"If you mark me—"

"I know." He kisses my shoulder instead. "I won't. Not until you beg me to."

"That won't happen."

"We'll see."

He lays me back on the bed, taking his time removing what's left of my clothes. His eyes devour every inch revealed, making me feel like a goddess despite my injuries.

"Beautiful," he murmurs, pressing kisses to scars I didn't know I had. "Perfect."

"I'm not—"

"You are to me."

When he finally removes his own clothes, I forget how to breathe. His body is a work of art—all lean muscle and tattooed skin. The pack markings wind around his torso, but there are other tattoos too. Dates. Names. A history written in ink.

"My father," he explains, catching my stare at one particular date. "The day he died."

"How?"

"Protecting the pack." His jaw tightens. "Protecting me."

I reach for him, pulling him down for a kiss that's softer than before. He responds instantly, his body covering mine, skin to skin. The mate bond sings between us, perfect completion just out of reach.

When he finally slides inside me, we both freeze. The sensation is beyond physical—it's the bond itself recognizing its other half. My wolf howls in triumph while I struggle not to cry from the intensity.

"Fuck," Giovanni breathes, his control shaking. "Giulia..."

"I know," I gasp. "I feel it too."

He moves slowly at first, letting me adjust, letting us both absorb the impossible perfection of being joined. But soon slow isn't enough. The bond demands more, demands everything.

The marking spot on my neck throbs with each thrust, begging for his teeth. I turn my head, offering even as I know I shouldn't.

"No," he growls, pinning my wrists above my head. "Not like this. When I mark you, you'll be fully mine. No contracts. No time limits."

"Never," I manage.

"Never is a long time, piccola luna."

He releases my wrists to grip my hips, changing the angle, and I shatter. The orgasm rips through me with supernatural force, the bond amplifying everything. Giovanni follows, my name on his lips like a prayer.

We lie tangled afterward, both breathing hard. The bond hums contentedly between us, satisfied for now but far from sated.

"Stay," he murmurs, pulling me against his chest.

"Just tonight," I remind him.

"We'll see."

I should go back to my room. Should maintain the boundaries. But his arms feel like home, and I'm too exhausted to fight anymore tonight.

I fall asleep to the sound of his heartbeat, trying not to think about how perfectly I fit against him.

Trying not to admit that one night will never be enough.

I wake to sunlight streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows and an empty bed. The sheets beside me are cold—Giovanni's been gone for a while. Part of me is relieved. The morning-after conversation would have been awkward at best.

I slip out of his bed, wrapping myself in a sheet to hunt for my clothes. They're nowhere to be found, but there's a robe hanging on the bathroom door that smells like him. I put it on, trying not to think about how his scent makes my wolf purr.

The walk of shame back to my suite is mercifully short. No guards, no witnesses to my poor life choices. I shower quickly, washing away his scent even as my wolf protests. The hot water stings my healing wounds, but they're already much better than they should be.

The bond. Even unmarked, it's making me stronger.

I dress in my own clothes—jeans and a sweater that haven't been selected by Giovanni—and head to the kitchen. I need coffee and distance, not necessarily in that order.

Giovanni is there, of course. Because the universe hates me.

He's dressed in another perfect suit, reading something on his tablet while sipping espresso. He looks up when I enter, and the heat in his gaze makes my stomach flip.

"Good morning," he says, voice neutral.

"Morning."

We stare at each other across the kitchen island, the silence stretching uncomfortably.

"About last night—" I start.

"Was a beginning," he interrupts.

"It was goodbye."

"You don't believe that any more than I do." He sets down his tablet, giving me his full attention. "You felt what I felt. The bond—"

"The bond doesn't get to dictate my life."

"No, but it's not going away either." He stands, moving around the island toward me. "Last night changed things."

"Last night changed nothing. We have a contract—"

"Fuck the contract." He stops just out of reach, his jaw tight. "You're my mate. My Luna. Last night proved that."

"Last night proved we have chemistry. Nothing more."

"Chemistry?" He laughs, dark and disbelieving. "Is that what you're calling it?"

"What would you call it?"

"Fate. Destiny. The inevitable conclusion to this dance we've been doing."

"It was a one-time thing."

"Keep telling yourself that." He moves closer, backing me against the counter. "But we both know the truth. You're mine, Giulia. Fighting it only delays the inevitable."

My phone rings, saving me from responding. It's the hospital.

"Your grandmother is being discharged today," the nurse informs me. "She's requesting you pick her up."

"I'll be right there."

I duck under Giovanni's arm, escaping his trap. "I have to go."

"Marco will drive you."

"I can drive myself."

"Your car was destroyed last night. Someone took exception to my Luna driving a Honda."

I whirl on him. "Someone destroyed my car?"

"I've ordered you a new one. Several, actually."

"You can't just—"

"I can and I did." His phone buzzes and he checks it, frowning. "I have to go. Situation downtown needs handling."

"What kind of situation?"

"The kind that doesn't concern you."

"I thought I was your Luna."

"My Luna in name. Not in practice." He heads for the elevator. "Marco will take you to the hospital. Don't leave the penthouse without security."

"I don't need—"

"After last night, Isabella's supporters might retaliate. You need protection."

The elevator arrives and he steps inside, then turns back to me. "Tonight, there's a gathering with the other pack leaders. You'll attend as my Luna."

"I have plans."

"Cancel them."

"You can't just—"

"I can and I will. You're mine, Giulia. The sooner you accept that, the easier this becomes."

The doors close on his smug face, leaving me seething.

One night. I gave him one night and he's acting like he owns me.

The worst part? My wolf agrees with him.