“For the last year I’ve watched you dance around me like you were in control. I’m the Dom, your Master, and I’m also your mate.” He pressed a finger to her lips as she went to dispute him. “No more arguing. You’ve kept me at bay, and I’ve followed your rules. Shit happened to you, I get it, but you’re not going to deal with it anymore. You’re going to let me inside here.” He pressed the finger from her mouth to her head. “I’m not backing down or going away. We’re in this together.” He waited for several minutes to pass. “You may speak.”
“This is not what we agreed. When I saw you, you promised I could take my time getting used to you and that I could end this when I want.”
“I agreed to those terms before I realized how damaged you’d become from this lifestyle. You’ve got problems, Dawn. I can help you through them, but you’ve got to trust me.”
“How can I trust you when you’re doing this?” She waved her hand between them.
Did she have any idea how beautiful she looked on her knees before him? He doubted it. Dawn didn’t have the first clue of the power she held over him.
“I didn’t go to your father when I realized you weren’t going to accept our mating.” Any father, especially an Alpha, would have loved for their daughter to mate with a fellow alpha. Daniel had had every intention of going to her father. She’d begged him not to then threatened to deny his claim. If she denied his claim the risk of going feral increased. He backed off and decided to prove to her that she could trust him.
“I gave you an ultimatum. That’s not trust.”
He cupped her face, running his finger along her lip. She didn’t tense up or jerk away, which was an improvement. When they were first together she fought him at every turn and pulled away from any kind of intimacy.
“I’ve given you more in the last year than you’ve ever gotten elsewhere. I see the look in your eyes, Dawn. You don’t allow me to bring you to orgasm, yet the pleasure is there in your eyes, the way you let me hold you. There’s much you can accuse me of, but caring and seeing to your needs is not one of them.” He withdrew his hand. “You’ve been through a lot of crap. I want to know what it is.”
“No, I’m not telling you anything.”
“You feel your wolf right now? How she’s pacing along the walls of your mind, curious yet holding herself back?”
“How did you—”
“She wants to trust me, to trust this instinct inside her. You’ve put yourself in danger, and we’re not going anywhere else until you tell me what.” He stared at her knowing he needed to win this battle. “Tonight, you’re coming home with me. We’re going to get to the bottom of your problems. No one lies at my house. We’ll be totally alone, and we can explore your issues.”
“No, I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“It’s simple, Dawn, you’ll come with me back home or I’ll be escorting you home, telling your father, and withdrawing your membership here. No one will touch you, and your father will either cast you out or demand something of you.”
“You can’t do this. I’ll reject you. I’ll stop this.”
“The whole of your club will know your secret. You keep it a secret here with me and it will die with me, but you’ll come home with me. I’ve kept this secret for a year. I’ve put up with your shit, and it ends now.” This was a radical move on his part. She could walk out that door and be safe for the rest of her life. Daniel knew there was something else wrong inside her. Dawn was terrified of her own instincts, which told him she’d put herself at risk in more ways than one.
“This isn’t fair.”
“Life’s not fair. I will never harm you, Dawn. I’m your mate. I’ll take care of you, and I promise you everything that happens will be what you want.”
She looked at a point past his shoulder. Her lips opened then closed. He imagined her mind working on overdrive to get out of his suggestion. “I don’t want you telling my father anything. He doesn’t need to know where I spend my time.”
“Fine,” he said, hurt that she was embarrassed by the way she spent her time.
Her nails sank into the flesh of her thighs, he imagined causing a bite of pain. He didn’t like what she was doing. Going to his knees he took hold of her hands to stop her from causing herself more pain. She gasped at his touch, and he didn’t look away from her eyes. “What’s it going to be, Dawn? This can’t go on.”
“We’re mated?”
“Yes.”
She broke their gaze by looking at his hand holding her. “What do you need me to do?”
“I need you to trust me.”
“I’m not normal.”
“I’ve never said I wanted normal, pet. We’re going to get through this.”
He squeezed her hand in an attempt to reassure her. She let out a breath.
“Okay, I’ll come with you.”
Daniel wished there was more enthusiasm in her voice, but he’d take what she gave him right now. Mating was different for everyone. There were couples who were able to fight the impulse to mate, but that was usually down to the fact one of them were already in a relationship with someone else. In their case, his and Dawn’s, she’d been hurt in the past, and she didn’t trust the natural instinct to mate. When they did finally mate, there would be no way to deny each other. Once Dawn accepted him and he f**ked and bit her, she’d be his, and their connection would be complete. He would understand everything that went on inside her head. If it wasn’t for Jake, he wouldn’t have known Dawn was the daughter of an alpha. His friend found out everything. It was one of the reasons it made him a good guard to have. Nothing ever got past him.
****
What are you doing?
Dawn stared at his hand where he held her palm inside his. Her dark flesh stood out in contrast to his pale skin, but their different skin colors didn’t bother her. No, what struck her was the way he held her. He was strong, powerful, and yet he held her as if she was delicate. She was anything but delicate. He didn’t hurt her, simply held her steady.
What was he trying to do?
“Look at me, Dawn.”
She lifted her gaze to his, confused by what was happening inside her. On the one hand she wanted to continue sinking her fingers into her flesh to try to cause pain, and yet, she wanted what Daniel gave her. Would he even understand what was happening to her?