The thought is almost as terrible as the one of me following her around. Humans might like my art, but I doubt it’s good enough to make stalking an acceptable practice.
But I’m fairly certain that mating bonds are irreversible. It’s impossible to get back the piece of me embedded into Zhuliya, not to mention supremely offensive to the Goddess.
If, in her infinite wisdom, she sanctioned our bonding, who am I to question this union?
Except, I doubt Aisyth concerns herself with earthly affairs and knows anything about human laws—or cares.
Which makes me…utterly screwed.
I clear my throat after my speech and quickly step away from the tiny woman. She pulls away from the chair, turning towards me, a dazed expression on her face.
So dazed, Zhuliya doesn’t even seem to realize she’s showing me a whole lot of tit—glorious, ample, and tipped with dusky nipples the same shade as her cheeks.
My mouth drops open, and I stumble back with all the finesse of a newborn reindeer. We both stare at one another in shock.
Fuck, does she know what happened—what I did?
“Let me—”
“I should—”
We both speak at the same time, and I freeze, allowing her to finish. “I should go.”
The thought of her leaving guts me. “No!”
Zhuliya’s eyes widen at my growled refusal, and I know I sound like a crazy man. Shit, I can’t think straight.
Everything around me blurs as need slams into me, a reminder to seal the mating bond with the union of our bodies.
“Will…you…excuse me?” I spit the words out between pants, skirting around the lovely female until I’m at the door.
Not once does Zhuliya try to cover herself, clearly still too shocked at what’s transpired, and I slip out of the room and dash back down to my office.
For a second time tonight, I fist my stoyuk and jerk myself into a dissatisfying orgasm until another fountain of cum erupts onto the floor.
Only Zhuliya can give me what I crave, but if I don’t take the edge off, I’m afraid of what I might do.
My heart races as I clean the mess and wonder what the hell I’m going to say to Zhuliya this time, but when I return, she’s gone.
I slump to the floor, a forlorn howl ripping past my lips to echo into the night before I curl into a ball.
The ache I feel leaves me breathless, but underneath it, I sense a pulse, a throbbing reminder of my connection to my mate.
With it, I can find her anywhere, and I need to explain myself—for both our sakes—but what I will say, I have no idea. The last time I spoke from the heart, I fucking imprinted on her.
But I have to try.
For better or worse, Zhuliya is my mate.
CHAPTER ONE
Zhuliya
The arctic air does nothing to relieve the heat scorching across my cheeks and through my body as I run into the frigid darkness of the Siberian night.
Even the whipping wind can’t rip me from my thoughts, although it tries its best to tumble me down the snow and ice-encrusted sidewalk.
I came from a tattoo—I had a tat-gasm.
Is that even a thing?!
Apparently, for me, it is.
Elohim Adirim, how embarrassing. I’ll never be able to show my face in front of Ilian Yaniqu again, not that I’ll likely ever see him—a small consolation when I consider that I creamed all over his leather seat.
Hopefully, there’s nothing to clean…
Another wave of humiliation washes over me as I try to figure out my reaction to both the ink and the man.
Tall, pierced, and muscled, Ilian is a bone daddy but an absolute sweetheart. There’s something about terrifying monsters who are actually gentle giants that melts my insides.
Then again, Ilian was nothing but professional. The few times we spoke really didn’t allude to his true nature.
Maybe he’s really a brute…and why does that excite me even more?
It’s official—I need to get laid. I would say I need a boyfriend, but that level of commitment is a testimony of my current mental state and how unstable it is.
