*Heat.*
The Ninth’s words echoed in her mind. *You will cycle. You will crave. You will mate.*
She didn’t wait. She ran. Down the stairs. Through the shop. Past the shelves. To the back office. To the door with the lock.
She knocked. Hard. Desperate.
Sam opened it. Immediately. As if she’d been waiting.
Lena didn’t speak. Couldn’t. Her body moved. She grabbed Sam’s wrist. Pulled her inside. Locked the door. Turned. Pressed her against the wall.
Sam’s eyes widened. Then darkened. She didn’t ask. Didn’t question. She just wrapped her arms around Lena’s neck. Pulled her down. Kissed her.
Lena growled. Bit her lip. Sucked her neck. Her cock rubbed against Sam’s stomach. Hot. Heavy. Throbbing.
“Please,” Lena rasped. “I need—”
“I know,” Sam whispered. “I’ve been preparing.”
She stepped back. Opened a drawer. Pulled out a bottle of oil. A strap. A cage. A lube. A blanket. All arranged. All ready. Sam’s eyes were warm. Certain. Devoted.
Lena’s breath caught. “How?”
Sam smiled. Soft. Sweet. Certain. “You’re mine. I know your body better than you do.”
Lena’s heart swelled. She didn’t question it. She couldn’t. The heat was a fire in her veins. A command. A demand. A need that eclipsed everything else.
She lay back. On the couch. On the blanket. Sam followed. Stripped her. Exposed her. Touched her.
Lena gasped. Arching. Trembling. Her cock was fully hard. Thick. Veined. Pre weeping. Her tail wrapped around Sam’s waist. Her ears pressed back. Her chest heaved.
Sam’s fingers slid over her stomach. Down. To her cock. Wrapped around it. Squeezed. Stroke.
Lena cried out. Back arched. Tail coiled tighter. Ears flattened. Her breath came in short, sharp gasps.
“Breathe,” Sam murmured. “Let me take care of you.”
Lena nodded. Shaking. Trembling. Letting go.
Sam’s mouth dropped to her stomach. Licked. Sucked. Traced circles. Then lower. To her cock. Opened her mouth. Wrapped her lips around the head. Sucked.
Lena’s hips bucked. A guttural sound tore from her throat. Her fingers tangled in Sam’s hair. Her tail lashed. Her chest burned. Her heat flooded. It wasn’t just physical. It was emotional. Spiritual. A wave of need so intense it made her see stars.
Sam swallowed. Deep. Slow. Relentless. Her tongue traced the ridge. Her hand stroked the base. Her mouth worked the shaft. Lena’s breath came in ragged gasps. Her cock throbbed. Her heat surged. Her instincts screamed.
*Claim. Mark. Mate.*
Sam pulled back. Smiled. Breathless. Certain. “Let me inside you.”
Lena shook her head. “No. You. Me. Now. I need you inside me. I need to knot. I need to mark. I need to—”
“I know,” Sam whispered. “I’m ready.”
Lena’s cock swelled again. Thicker. Longer. Pre soaking her thigh. Sam climbed over her. Straddled her hips. Straddled her cock. Aligned. Pressed down.
Lena gasped. Back arched. Tail coiled tighter. Ears pressed back. Her hips lifted. Met Sam’s descent.
Sam sank down. Slow. Deliberate. Painful. Beautiful. Her breath hitched. Her fingers dug into Lena’s thighs. Her eyes fluttered shut. Then opened. Locked with Lena’s.
Lena’s cock slid deeper. Thicker. Longer. Sam’s body stretched. Accepted. Adapted. Her walls clamped down. Warm. Wet. Tight.
Lena groaned. Hips bucked. Sam leaned forward. Kissed her. Deep. Desperate. Claiming.
They moved together. Slow at first. Then harder. Faster. Deeper. Lena’s cock rubbed against Sam’s inner walls. Her tail wrapped around Sam’s back. Her hands gripped her hips. Her hips drove up. Sam’s hips rolled down. Their bodies synced. Breath synced. Heartbeats synced.
Lena’s heat surged. Her cock swelled. Thicker. Throbbing. The knot began to form. At the base. Growing. Hardening.
Sam felt it. Gasped. Clamped down. “Yes. Yes. I feel it. Knot me. Claim me. Mark me.”
Lena’s hips drove up. Hard. Final. Her cock slid past the knot. Sam’s body stretched. Accepted. Gave way. The knot locked inside her. Full. Heavy. Possessive.
Lena cried out. Back arched. Ears pressed back. Her tail coiled tighter. Her hands gripped Sam’s hips. Her hips stayed locked. The knot held them together. Bound. Claimed. Mated.
Sam’s breath came in short, sharp gasps. Her fingers tangled in Lena’s hair. Her hips rolled. Rubbed against the knot. Pleaded. Begged.
Lena groaned. Hips bucked. Slow. Deliberate. Deep. Each thrust sent waves of heat through her. Each thrust pressed the knot deeper. Each thrust marked her. Claimed her. Owned her.
Sam’s eyes fluttered shut. Then opened. Locked with Lena’s. Her voice was a whisper. A plea. A promise. “Mine. I’m yours. Only yours.”
Lena’s breath caught. Her chest tightened. Her heart shattered. Then reformed. Stronger. Fiercer. More alive than ever.
She leaned in. Kissed her. Deep. Desperate. Claiming. Her tongue traced Sam’s. Her hands gripped her waist. Her hips drove up. The knot held. Bound. Claimed. Mated.
Sam cried out. Back arched. Ears pressed back. Her body shuddered. Her walls clamped down. Hot. Wet. Tight. Her climax hit. Hard. Ripping through her. Lena felt it. Felt her walls spasm. Felt her breath hitch. Felt her body yield.
Lena’s own climax hit a second later. A wave of heat. A rush of seed. A flood of pre. Her cock pulsed. The knot held. Bound. Claimed. Mated. Seed poured inside her. Deep. Full. Possessive.
Sam’s breath came in short, sharp gasps. Her fingers tightened in Lena’s hair. Her hips stayed locked. Her body trembled. Her eyes fluttered open. Locked with Lena’s.
Lena’s voice was rough. Raw. Certain. “Mine.”
Sam smiled. Soft. Sweet. Certain. “I know.”
They stayed like that. For hours. Locked. Bound. Claimed. Mated. Breathing. Resting. Loving.
When the heat finally receded, Lena didn’t let go. She stayed inside her. Stayed locked. Stayed claimed. Stayed alive.
**CHAPTER FOUR: MINE, MARKED, MATED**
Four months later, the shop was quiet. The afternoon sun streamed through the windows, catching dust motes in the air. Sam was in the back, organizing supplies. Lena was on the couch, reading a book she’d never finish, her tail curled around her thigh, her ears twitching at every sound.
The bell chimed.
A woman entered. Late twenties. Sharp blazer. Heels. Hair perfectly styled. Eyes scanning the shelves like she was shopping for a gift, not plants.
“Hi,” the woman said. Her voice was smooth. Confident. Flirtatious. “I’m looking for something low-maintenance. For my desk.”