Sara Humphreys: Unclaimed

“This must be your worst nightmare, brother,” Eric barked. “I’ve got your mate, and the prince is passed out—practically dead, actually. I shot the other two, and now, it’s your turn. So much for doing your duty. Look where it fuckin’ got you.”

Eric pointed the gun at Dominic, but the sound of Casanova barking from inside the bullet-ridden house momentarily distracted Eric. Tatiana screamed and fought to free herself as Richard reared to life and latched his massive jaws around Eric’s ankle. Eric bellowed in rage, knocking Tatiana to the ground as his gun fired. She looked up just in time to see Dominic throw the dagger he always kept tucked in his belt. It sliced through the air and landed squarely in Eric’s chest.

Eric dropped like a stone as a gurgling noise escaped his lips, and the light faded from his eyes. Lying in an awkward position with a knife protruding from his chest, it was abundantly clear he was dead.

Shaking and crying, Tatiana scrambled to her feet and ran to Dominic as he dropped to his knees. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him, breathing him in. Blood, sweat, and tears covered them both. He linked one arm around her, but the other hung limply at his side, stained red with blood. She pulled back to look at him but could barely see through the tears.

“Sorry I was late,” Dominic said through heavy, shaking breaths. “I got held up.”

“Uh-huh.” She laughed and leaned her forehead against his. “You’re not going to use that old I-was-killing-a-Caedo-assassin excuse, are you?”

Tatiana rained kisses over his face and hugged him again, but he winced as she put too much pressure on his wounds.

“Sorry.” She helped him into a sitting position and looked over at Richard, who had shifted to his human form, but had passed out again. “We have to get you two help. Kerry was sending some, but—”

The sound of branches cracking and gravel being displaced set Dominic rigid in her embrace, but a moment later, Pete stepped out of the woods carrying William over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

“This guy keeps getting shot.” Pete jutted a thumb at William’s limp body, but his eyebrows flew up when he set eyes on Richard and Dominic and the dead bodies. “Shit. You guys really need to develop an Amoveo power that makes you bulletproof.”

To her surprise, Dominic started laughing and shook his head but stopped as pain shot through his body. “Fuck me, that hurts.”

“William is gonna be so pissed I saved him again,” Pete said. His eyes glowed red, and Tatiana got a glimpse of his fangs when he smiled. “He really hates to say thank you.”

“Yeah,” Dominic said through a deep breath as Tatiana helped him to his feet, “but at least it’s over, and everyone can go back to their lives.” He sliced a glance in her direction. “You can have your life back, Tatiana. Whatever makes you happy.”

Tatiana’s heart sank as Dominic limped away from her and out of her grasp. She watched as he went to Richard’s side, but she turned her back on them, struggling to get herself together. As her teary gaze skimmed over her bullet-ridden house, she knew her old life was gone. Nothing would be the same ever again.

A moment later, Casanova came barreling out through the ramshackle door and ran down the steps. Like any good therapy dog, he went directly to the most banged up guy in the group and sniffed the prince. The dog had more sense than she did. Through it all, he knew where to go and what to do, he knew not to fight his nature.

“No.” Tatiana spun on her heels with her hands on her hips and glared at Dominic through the glowing eyes of her wolf. “I don’t want it.”

Dominic helped Richard to a sitting position while looking at her as though she’d lost her mind. Pete, with William still flung over his shoulder, looked between them but said nothing. Dominic grunted and rose to his feet as he held her challenging gaze.

“Pete,” Dominic ground out. “Take William and Richard to the Presidium. Tatiana and I have things to take care of. I’ll be along after I clean this up.”

“Are you sure, man?” Pete gave him a doubtful look. “You got your ass kicked.”

“I’m fine,” Dominic growled over his shoulder. He held one hand over the wound on his chest and fought to get the words out. “Just get them some help.”

Pete nodded and mouthed good luck to Tatiana as he, Richard, and William vanished into the night.

“What the hell do you want, Tatiana?” Dominic ground out once they were alone. “Do you know? I sure as hell don’t. Shit. I could spend the rest of my days trying to figure that out.”

Dominic took another step but paused and ran a hand over his chiseled features, his eyes fierce and glowing in the dark night. Covered in blood, sweat, and dirt, he was still the most desirable, sexy man she’d ever met.

“All I know is that I love you, Tatiana. I love when you nibble on your thumbnail when you’re nervous, or when you talk to animals like Dr. Fucking Dolittle, or when you look at me like I’m a macho dickhead. But you know what? Through all of the shit that went down today, the only thing I could think of was getting to you and keeping you safe. I want you to be happy, and if that means you staying here without me, then fine.”

His jaw twitched and he squared his shoulders through the pain. He looked as though he was ready for her to rip his heart out of his chest.

“I don’t know what happened with Steven and Courtney,” he sighed. “Or how their wires got crossed, but I do know my feelings for you are real. My body might be genetically programmed to respond to yours, but no one can tell my soul what to feel.”

Tatiana’s heart hammered in her chest as she glanced over her shoulder at the disaster that was her house. She surveyed the debris and chaos around her until her gaze finally landed on Dominic.

As she studied him and took in the bloody, wounded sight, she remembered how she felt in that moment when she couldn’t reach him and had no idea if he was dead or alive. Tatiana recalled the aching void, the one that pulsed deep in her chest when his comforting, soothing energy was absent. In that instant, like fog dissipating from a mirror… everything was clear.

Tatiana moved toward him, taking each step with purpose until she stood inches from him.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured. Tatiana popped up on her toes, and his eyes widened with surprise as she linked her arms around his neck and brushed her lips over his. “It was foolish and insulting to imply that what we feel for one another isn’t true.” She peered up at him as her fingers fluttered along the base of his neck. “I do love you, Dominic, and I promise I will spend the rest of my life proving exactly how real that is.”

Dominic growled and pressed his warm lips to her forehead. “Tatiana, you do realize what this means, don’t you?”

Tatiana pulled back to look him in the face and found him giving her that mischievous smirk. “What?”

“Make-up sex,” he whispered against her lips. “Lots and lots of make-up sex.”

Tatiana laughed as his mouth covered hers. Dominic’s energy signature curled around her like a blanket, wrapping her up with desire and protection. She knew that she was home.

Whether it was a bullet-ridden house in Oregon or a cabin on a ranch in Montana, as long as Dominic was by her side… she was home, and she was safe.