Page 63 of Dominion

“That’s it, baby,” he murmured, ignoring his body’s desire to celebrate their union and pound into her without mercy.

She arched, making sweet little moans each time he stroked into her. She lifted her legs in the air and wrapped her ankles behind his back, using them to pull him even deeper, hoisting her pelvis up to meet him.

“Oh, God,” he groaned. “I won’t make it long at this rate.”

Ashley closed her eyes, her hair spread out on the pillow as her head slid up and down with the force of his thrusts. She clutched at his arms, dug her fingernails deep into his flesh, and thrust even harder to meet him. “Give it to me.”

“What? Oh,gawd…” He slammed into her, losing all ability to regulate his need. Using one hand on her shoulder to pin her in place, he thrust over and over until lights exploded before his eyes and he came, shouting her name.

Even if herbed were on fire, Ashley couldn’t have moved. Every muscle had gone limp in the wake of her orgasm. Her pussy still throbbed from Ben’s invasion, stretched wide and punished with his rough lovemaking. Even her insides felt pounded, but she adored the sensation, wished to savor the sensation of being so well-used, so very much his.

He eased out of her and settled at her side, pulling her against him. “Are you okay?”

“Mmm,” was all she could manage to say.

“How’s your leg? Did I hurt you?”

“Shh,” she said, touching his lips. “I’m fine. I’m better than fine; I’m wonderful.”

“I love you,” he said.

She stopped breathing.

He looked uncertain. “It probably seems way too soon to say something like that, but it’s true. Wolves are different. We know our mates from almost the moment we meet them.”

She traced the line of his brow. “Does that mean it’s fate? Or destiny? I mean, do you think you have only one mate?”

He shrugged. “Yeah, I suppose so. I mean, not all wolves mate for life, but most do. It would have to be pretty bad to call it quits.” He frowned, looking lost in thought.

“What?”

He swallowed. “I was just thinking about my mom.”

“You think she chose death rather than divorce your dad?”

He nodded. “Divorce would never have been an option with my father. He would’ve hunted her to the ends of the earth. She was more of a possession than a partner. We all were.”

“What happened between your dad and that guy today?”

Ben’s face turned stony, as if the memory of her kidnapping angered him.

She stroked his cheek.

“Sandoval led a rival pack to my father’s in Caracas. He was a drug lord—filthy rich—and growing more and more powerful every day. My father felt the threat of a takeover and he summoned me back to Caracas to stand beside him in a fight. Leon had moved to the States and made a success for himself, so he wasn’t expected back. The idea was always that I would inherit leadership of my father’s pack, so it made sense for me to go, but I ignored the summons.

“There were threats—Sandoval issued a challenge, which my father ignored. When I didn’t show up, my father took a coward’s way out and planned Sandoval’s murder. He planted a bomb in his limo, only it exploded with his wife and daughters inside.

“Realizing the shit was going to hit the fan, my father called me back again, desperate this time. I made myself unavailable—I just didn’t answer his calls or messages. Leon went instead, and Sandoval killed them both.” Ben’s mouth twisted into a bitter expression.

“Ben,” she said, “their deaths are not your fault or responsibility. You chose not to engage in a fight that wasn’t yours and lacked honor. Your brother made a different choice, which was his right. It had nothing to do with you.”

“Yes, it did,” Ben said, the anger in his face causing her to stiffen. “If I had gone, Leon never would’ve had to make the choice.”

“That’s not true. He could’ve made the same decision as you did. And if you’d gone, he still might have chosen to go. He was his own man—you didn’t force him into anything.”

Ben’s eyes reddened and he fell onto his back, staring at the ceiling.

“Ben, we’re each in charge of our own destiny. You’re an alpha. A man who follows his own guidance and chooses his own path. You made the right choice. And if you hadn’t… then you might not be here today and we never would’ve met.”