| Strong And Dangerous

Natalie knew her face was a mask of surprise and she knew everyone would mistake it for her shock at supposedly finding her mate. Her surprise, however, was genuine. She hadn't expected Dominic to be able to pull that kind of response from her body, even with the effect he seemed to have on her. She had practically melted for him and he hadn't even really touched her. And when his teeth had sunk into her skin… it was as though an electric current had traveled through her, sparking her release to hit her. Not like when Mark had tried to bite her against her will; which had left her feeling violated and enraged. 

Her ever-present connection with her dad as Alpha had immediately disappeared and now she was buzzing with a new connection. To be honest, she was thrilled. Her father's presence in her mind had always felt invasive because of his aversion to her. He was all ice and aggressive and elusive. But Dominic was different. He was strong and dangerous and had raw sexuality. His presence inside her was like an anchor to her wolf who was a little smug right now since she was a big fan of the psycho boy. 

"Dominic," he growled as he slid her down his body as if introducing himself. It was pretty common that two wolves could mark each other before exchanging names, swept away by the urge to claim. 

She smiled. "Natalie." 

Dominic almost rolled his eyes when Davina said, "Hey, congratulations, Alpha." 

"Oh. My. God," Shirley finally whispered, gazing at them with wide eyes. 

And so it begins, Natalie groaned inwardly, as she turned to see that many of her pack had observed the claiming and were staring. Every face was a picture of shock. Even Oslo and Pascal, who looked as though they had been trying to get passed Talon and Devina, were shock-still and gaping. 

"You will have to hand Natalie over," Oslo demanded and the unsteadiness in his voice suggested he was aware of who Dominic was. "As her father's enforcers, we are responsible for her." 

Dominic gripped her hip possessively and growled at him. "Not anymore you're not." 

Their eyes were dancing continually from him to Natalie. They didn't look so determined to try to get to her now, she noticed. That could have had a lot to do with the scowl on Dominic's face and the death threat in his eyes. Unless they were dumb, a wolf didn't dare attempt to separate mates, and as unbelievable as it may have seemed, that was indeed what she and Dominic looked to be. Still, Oslo's and Pascal's dedication to her dad meant that they couldn't just let her go on her merry way, especially since they all believed she would be mating that bastard, Alpha Mark. 

Pascal straightened to his full height. "Release Natalie this instant or we will be forced to contact her Alpha." 

"I'm going to remind you this once, and only once because I believe it's possible to have memory loss. Whoever you are about to call is no longer her Alpha, get that through your thick skull now or you will regret it." 

"There doesn't have to be any trouble. Just let her go." 

Dominic locked his arm around her waist and released a deep, rumbly, growl that had everyone around them tensing. "She's mine." 

"Natalie," Shirley called in a gentle voice, "why don't you come over here and -" Dominic's growl cut her off. 

"She's not yours," Zane grunted through gritted teeth before fixing his gaze on Dominic. "You know he's not your mate, Natalie. You're confused or something but you-" 

Unexpectedly, Oslo reached out to grab Natalie's arm, but before he could touch her, she was pulled behind Dominic, and his hand was tightly wrapped around Oslo's throat while Davina restrained Oscar to prevent him from interfering with Dominic's actions. Dominic's other enforcers were also on either side of her in protective stances.

"How dare you touch my mate?" Dominic bit out, drawing out each word with a terrifying growl. 

"She's already mated," Oslo somehow managed to wheeze out. "She's mated to Alpha Mark." 

"If she was mated, I couldn't be able to claim her and you know that. But I just did, and you watched every detail of it, didn't you?" 

"Even if I did, her dad won't allow it." 

Dominic smiled. "It's already done. Now, here's what you're going to do. You're going to start by getting the fuck away from me and my mate. Then you're going to call your Alpha and tell him to inform Mark or whoever the fuck he is that he won't be touching Natalie ever again. If your Alpha has a problem with any of that I'll be right here. But he should know in advance that she won't be leaving here with anyone but me."

*****

Raven was going wild with pleasure inside Natalie's head. The steel in Dominic's voice was apparently a huge turn-on for her because she was currently growling her approval so loudly it was beginning to hurt.

The damn creature was impressed by his dominant display and liked that he was shielding and protecting her. The thought that Dominic was willing to squeeze Oslo's throat was giving her wolf ideas. In fact, she was of the notion that Dominic should be squeezing Oslo's throat a little tighter even though he had already lowered his eyes in a sign of submission.

Natalie could understand why Oslo had quickly submitted. Dominic had a certain intensity about him that made him seem quite intimidating. He was frightening, fierce, and unyielding. Every word Dominic had uttered had been a straight-up command and it rang with power and authority. If Natalie was being honest, it left her feeling a little flushed. 

"Mark will get here on Monday, and when he does, he's going to come for you," Pascal warned as he struggled against Devina's hold. The fact that she could handle a man that size was a sight to behold. "Are you ready to go to war for a woman?" 

A rich laugh broke out of Dominic's lips, then he grinned as he answered Pascal. "Oh, you have no idea, pulp. I really hope he comes to find me. In fact, I yearn for it." With that said, Dominic flung Oslo away from him and signaled for Davina to release Pascal. He then turned his back on them, communicating his lack of concern before wrapping his arm around Natalie's waist to pull her tight against him.

"Time to look mesmerized by each other while we have a little chat," he whispered into Natalie's and she almost blushed. 

Draping her arms around his neck, Natalie locked her gaze with his and fixed a smile on her face. His answering smile was devilish. "My dad's going to shit a brick. I'm sure he's felt my disconnection from the pack and is currently confused." 

"I think he's already on his way here. When the enforcers first tried interfering, one of the females from your pack announced to her friend that she was going to call him. Are you going to be okay watching what happens next? I don't want to battle with your father and risk the chance of an alliance, but there's a possibility that the altercation will lead to a battle."

Natalie knew Dominic wasn't going to be granted an alliance straight away, not when her father was going to be pissed off about the fact that his only source of an alliance with Mark's pack has just been taken away from him. Shit might go down, but she knew Dominic was ready. He just had to be.