Sam smiled. Professional. Warm. “I can help with that. What’s your space like? Light? Water?”
The woman stepped closer. Leaned against the counter. Crossed her arms. Smiled. “Sunlight. And I like a woman who knows her way around a watering can.”
Lena’s ears pinned back. Her tail went rigid. Her chest tightened. Her breath hitched.
Jealousy.
It wasn’t thought. It was instinct. Feral. Primal. Overwhelming.
She stood. Walked over. Moved between the woman and Sam. Ears flattened. Growl vibrating in her chest.
The woman blinked. Stared at her. At her ears. Her tail. Her cock. Her eyes widened. Then darkened. A smile curved her lips. “Well. Aren’t you a looker.”
Lena’s breath caught. Her hands curled into fists. Her tail lashed. Her cock stirred. Her heat flared. Not a cycle. A warning. A claim. A demand.
Sam looked up. Saw the woman. Saw Lena. Her eyes widened. Then softened. She knew. She’d known. She’d felt it. The pull. The hunger. The need.
The woman leaned forward. Touched Sam’s arm. “You run this place? You’re incredible.”
Lena’s growl deepened. Her body stepped closer. Caged the woman. Her hand came up. Grabbed her wrist. Pulled it away. Pushed her back.
“Back,” Lena said. Voice rough. Raw. Certain. “She’s not for you.”
The woman’s eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”
Lena’s ears pressed back. Her tail coiled. Her cock throbbed. Her heat surged. Not physical. Emotional. Spiritual. A wave of possessiveness so intense it made her see red.
“You touch her,” Lena said. “You look at her. You speak to her like she’s something to be acquired. She’s mine. Marked. Mated. Claimed. You will back away. Now.”
The woman’s breath hitched. She looked at Sam. “She’s joking, right?”
Sam stood. Walked over. Wrapped her arms around Lena’s waist. Pulled her close. Pressed her back against her chest. Her voice was soft. Certain. Devoted. “No joke. She’s mine. I’m hers. We’re bound. Marked. Claimed. You will respect that.”
The woman’s eyes widened. Then softened. A smile curved her lips. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry. I’ll leave.”
She turned. Walked out. The bell chimed. The door closed.
Silence.
Lena’s breath came in short, sharp gasps. Her body trembled. Her tail lashed. Her ears pinned back. Her chest burned. Her heat surged. Not a cycle. A warning. A claim. A demand.
Sam’s arms tightened around her. Her voice was soft. Certain. Devoted. “Breathe. I’m here. I’m yours. Only yours.”
Lena turned. Pushed her back against the counter. Hands gripped her waist. Hips pressed forward. Cock rubbed against her stomach. Hot. Heavy. Throbbing.
“Rough,” Lena rasped. “I need rough. I need you. I need to mark. To claim. To own.”
Sam’s eyes darkened. Her breath hitched. Her hands gripped Lena’s hips. “Yes. Show me. Take me. Mark me. Claim me. Own me.”
Lena didn’t hesitate.
She lifted Sam. Bridged her. Carried her to the back office. Locked the door. Turned. Laid her on the desk. Stripped her. Exposed her. Laid her own clothes on the floor. Stood over her. Trembling. Aroused. Ready.
Sam’s eyes traced her body. Ears. Tail. Cock. Curve. Strength. She smiled. Reached up. Pulled her down.
“Show me,” she whispered.
Lena didn’t need to be told twice.
She knelt. Straddled her hips. Pressed her cock against Sam’s stomach. Hot. Heavy. Throbbing. Her hands gripped her thighs. Her hips drove down. 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. Hard. Fast. Deep. 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 storm finally receded, Lena didn’t let go. She stayed inside her. Stayed locked. Stayed claimed. Stayed alive.
**CHAPTER FIVE: THE NINTH RETURNS**
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 air shifted.
Not temperature. Not pressure. Scent. Rich, dark, earthy, threaded with something metallic and ancient, like rain on hot stone and crushed pine needles.
Lena’s ears swiveled. Her tail went rigid. Her breath hitched.