C6 CHAPTER 6

Danica continued making her way to the office. Sam unlocked and held open the door, allowing them all to enter before then clearing off the surface. The guys then carefully laid Medulla on top of it.

Knowing the drill, Ariel opened the window and then stood against the far wall with Rick, Suza, Sam, and Marcus to give Danica some space.

She placed her palm over Medulla’s forehead and, as quick as that, there are patches of luminous lights shining through Medulla's skin, indicating where the most damage was done by the drug Medulla had taken. The first light was coming from her stomach, making her baby pink dress give off a neon glow.

The other was beneath her scalp, gleaming behind her brown hair.

Danica bent over and opened Medulla’s mouth as if she would give her the kiss of her life. It wasn’t quite far from the truth. She put her mouth toMedulla's mouth and then inhaled deeply until she tasted the foulness she had been expecting. When she could breathe in no more, she lifted her head and turned toward the window before blowing all the foulness out of her lungs. It Escaped her mouth in a whoosh of what looked like black particles and zoomed out of the window.

She repeated the process over and over until Medulla’s stomach and scalp no longer glowed, indicating that all of what had been polluting her insides was gone. Danica Hart then stumbled backwards, breathless and a little weak. “She should wake up soon.”

Rick urged her onto Sam’s leather office chair and placed a bottle of water into her hand.

Suza shook her head. “No matter how many times I see you do that it always amazes me.”

So, you extracted the drug from her system?” asked Sam.

“No,” said Danica. “I can’t explain it well, but it’s like I extract the badness.”

“Like…the bad effects of the drug or illness or injury?” Nodding, she replied, “Kind of, yeah.”

“That was so cool,” gasped Ariel.

Meanwhile, three times Gio had strolled the length of the bar, searching for Danica.

Where the hell was she? For a second, he wondered if she had backed out,but the thought had left his head as quickly as it came. Miss Danica Hart wasn't the type to wriggle out of a deal.He knew she had been in this exact spot not so long ago. Her scent still lingered and it was reasonably fresh. His wolf growled at the exotic smell,wanting to hunt her down. To hunt her down and mark her, claiming her ashis.

“Her scent disappeared not far from here,” said Duda as he reappeared at his side. “Looks like she went into the private office and she hasn’t come back out yet.”

“What would she be doing in the boss’s private office?” If anythingsexual was going on, Gio would kill him. Surprised by the vehemence behind that thought, he double-blinked. The sight of his Beta and three men grinning told him that they knew what he’d been thinking. They Had all warned him that because his wolf was so near to the surface his possessive streak would be hard to control. Know-it-all bastards.

What they couldn’t know was that his body reacted to Danica in a way that it never had to another female. He tried to think of it as a good thing; it would mean the sex would be amazing. But he didn’t like that she seemed to have some sort of power over his body, not to mention his wolf. Already he was feeling possessive of her for God’s sake.

Intending to answer his own question of where she was, Gio began edging through the throngs of people toward the office. He was barely threefeet away when the door opened and Danica walked out looking pale and

shaky. He knew that look. It was the same look his old pack healer had worn whenever she had used her gift. Concern – relatively unfamiliar and unwelcome – travelled through him, but then a smile split her lips at

something her friend had said and a shaft of lust shot through his system.

Seeing that she hadn’t noticed him, he stayed where he was and waited for her to be near him. Once she was close, he deliberately bumped into her and watched in satisfaction as surprise and then lust flashed in her eyes.

Oh God, thought Danica as she saw the heated, determined expression on Gio's face. His enticing male scent surrounded her, blocking all else. Herwolf shot to alertness and growled her arousal. Danica held still as he buried his nose in the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply. When his face returned to hers, his eyes had turned wolf and he was so unbelievably focused on her

that they might as well have been the only two people in the club. She knew it was an act, but her body still reacted and her clit began to throb in time with her overactive pulse.

Knowing what she was supposed to do, Danica placed her nose at the junction of his neck and shoulder and, just like he had done to her, took in his delicious scent on a long inhale. She didn’t have to fake being drunk on it. As Danica returned her gaze to his, Gio’s hands landed on her hips and he tugged her to him. Then he pretty much took her over. His mouth crushed hers as his tongue thrust forcefully into her mouth, sweeping against her own. The kiss was dominant and possessive as he took the response he wanted, demanding

her submission.One hand collared her throat possessively as his other clutched her ass,

branding it as his. She didn’t realize she was grinding against him until he hoisted her up and curved her legs around his hips to better the friction.Helplessly she moaned her pleasure into his mouth, digging her nails into his back. If the growl that rumbled up his chest was anything to go by, he liked to be scratched.

Gio couldn’t believe how responsive Danica was. The whole claiming might be an act, but he knew that her body’s reaction wasn’t forced or exaggerated. She was like fire and he couldn’t help but revel in it, in her taste,

in her scent, in the feel of her skin, and in how her body seemed to conform perfectly to his. It shouldn’t have been possible that a slender person could fit snugly against someone as broad and burly as he was, and yet she did. Thoselittle moans she was making were driving him insane and he wanted nothingmore than to flip up her dress and fuck her right there. Only his awareness

that there was a nearby threat to their claiming kept him from thrusting into her.

Pulling his mouth from hers, Gio moved his hand from her throat totangle in her hair as he kissed and nibbled his way down her throat before settling in the juncture of her neck and shoulder. He scraped his teeth over the

spot, letting her know what was to come. When he was sure her climax wasnear, he bit down hard, breaking the skin and tasting blood. Instantly she shattered, groaning and shuddering. He sucked strongly on the patch of skin he had bitten, being sure to leave a distinct mark that couldn’t be considered as anything other than what it was. A claim.

As quick as that, a rush swept through Gio and he felt a sort of snap in his head similar to that which he’d felt with each of his pack members when they blooded. Then he sensed her through the pack link, not her thoughts, but her fiery, spicy, sensual presence. It was done, she was his to protect as his mate and part of his pack. His wolf growled his approval, urging Gio to sweep her away to their territory away from the threat that her dad's men presented. He pulled back to admire his work and swiped his tongue over the mark, liking the look of it on Danica's skin and how she trembled in response. Danica 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 Gio 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 travelled through her, sparking her release to hit her. Not like when Cody had bitten her against her will; that had left her feeling violated and enraged.

Her ever-present connection with her dad as Alpha had now disappeared and was replaced with this new connection. Carrick's presence in her mind had always felt invasive because of his aversion to her; he was all ice and arrogance and deviousness. But Gio was so different; he was strength and danger and 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 psycho boy.

“Gio,” he said gruffly 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. “Danica”

Gio almost rolled his eyes when Duda said, “Hey, congratulations,Alpha.”

“Oh. My. God,” said Suza, gazing at them wide-eyed.

And so it begins, grumbled Danica inwardly, turning to see that many other pack had observed the claiming and were staring. Every face was the picture of shock. Even Matt and Ben who looked as though they had been trying to get passed Chris and Duda, were shock-still and gaping.

“Hand Danica over,” demanded Ben. The unsteadiness of his voice suggested he was aware of who Gio was. “As her father’s men ,we are responsible for her.”

Gii gripped her hip possessively and growled at him. “Not anymore you're not.”

Their eyes were dancing continually from him to Danica. They didn't look so determined to try to get to her now, she noticed. That could have hada lot to do with the scowl on Gio's face and the death threat in his eyes.

Unless they were dumb, a shifter didn’t dare attempt to separate mates, and asunbelievable as it may have seemed, that was indeed what she and Gio looked to be. Still Ben's and Matt'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 Cody. Matt straightened to his full height. “Release Danica or we will be forced to contact her Alpha.”

“He’s no longer her Alpha, you know that.”

“There doesn’t have to be any trouble. Just let her go.”

Instead Gio locked his arm around her waist and released a deep,rumbly, ‘fuck off’ growl that had everyone around them tensing. “She’s

mine.”

"Danica,” said Suza in a pleasant voice, “why don’t you come over here and -” Gio’s growl cut her off.

“She’s not yours,” stated Rick through gritted teeth before fixing his gaze on Danica. “You know he’s not your mate, Danica. You’re confused or something but you -”

Abruptly Ben reached out to grab her arm and she gasped. Before she knew what was happening she was behind Gio whose hand was tightly

wrapped around Ben’s throat. Chris was restraining Matt to prevent him from interfering with Gio’s men.

“Don’t. Touch. My. Mate.” Gio bit out each word.

“She’s already mated,” Ben somehow managed to wheeze out. “She’smated to Cody Coleman.”

“If she’d been mated, I couldn’t have claimed her – you know that. And You just watched me claim her.”

“Her dad won’t allow it.”

Gio 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 Cody Coleman that he

won’t be touching her 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.``

The steel in his voice had Danica’s wolf growling her approval.