I jerked awake and found myself drenched in sweat. The thin cover blanket I had pushed down and a complete disarrayed around my feet. My breathing was coming in short pants but the will to move my body wasn't up to me. I couldn't move. I could only see what was in front of me.

It wasn't a nightmare. I would remember if I had a nightmare. It was usually the same usual thing. This time though, I remember closing my eyes to go to sleep and then waking up in this state.

There was only one other being inside of me that can have control over my body. My beast was up to something. Just as that thought flickered in my mind, I felt my body move. I can feel every muscle movement, every thought process that was filtering through. He was stronger than I thought.

He let me know exactly what he was thinking. Half of me was afraid I'll see the chaos he would create with me awake but he let me know exactly what he was doing.

He was hunting but this time would be different from all other killings. This time he would be hunting with me awake. I released a roar of disapproval through our spirit bond but it wasn't anything he has never heard before coming from me. His indifference to my displeasure was irritating. He and I live in the same body with the same mind but he was something else. Everyone has a dark side that we all can give into. Some of us, never stray too far. However, with me, ever since the experiments, my dark side has always been almost a person of its own. Its hate, selfish desires, and anger were overwhelming sometimes.

My hands appeared in my line of vision. My beast was eyeing the human hands with careful scrutiny before our claws began to lengthen. It grew and sharpened. A slow, sinister smile spread across my face now.

I wanted to scream and even tried fighting back for control but it felt like hitting a wall that was made from rubberband. There was no way he was handing back control unless he wanted to.

I got out of bed. My claws retracting just as I looked down and touched my naked upper body. This was the first time my beast has taken control in our human form. He was trying to get used to it.

"You're a foolish human being," he said in a deeper voice, "our mate should have been marked and thoroughly fucked by now."

I told him to fuck off. He was a fucking animal. He smiled at my response.

"I'll show you exactly how to get it done," he replied.

I watched him walk us out of the bedroom. I growled in my head furiously. I'm enraged that he would take this opportunity from me. He would not touch her. I would kill us if I had to.

He stopped just as we stepped out onto the porch. The cold night wind slapped across our skin. The thin cotton sleeping pants were the only thing I had on. He snarled when I threatened him.

"You wouldn't," he sneered.

The amount of force I put into my response back to him told him enough that I would if he tried. He growled and my fist rammed into the already weaken porch post before us. A sudden rage dripped down my body. It filled my heart with so much malice, I never knew I had. The reaction as instantaneous that my claws lengthen again. My canines poked through my inner and upper lip.

He doesn't have to like it but he would play by my rules when it comes to the actual mating. Sage was special and if he hurt her—I would never forgive him or me for it. He felt my thoughts and it simmered the angry heat inside of us slightly.

"I want to see her," he snarled.

Then I realized he didn't want to hurt her too. He has become fascinated with her. His thoughts filtered through mine. He wants her like he never wanted anything else and it wasn't a carnivorous reaction. No, I had mistaken that emotion when I first smelt her. He was enraptured by our mate. I conceded the second he slipped it through by mistake.

The world blurred in my vision as he made quick work in locating our mate. We were standing in front of her window in under five minutes. Their home was not a two-story home. It was simply built in an L-shaped one-story home.

The curtains were pulled back revealing our mate in the middle of her bed. Sage's comforter was at the foot of her bed. Her dark green sleeping t-shirt hiked up to around her waist, revealing a perfect, small ass that was covered in a black cheeky cotton pantie.

I was in complete agreement with my beast. She looked amazing in her sleeping state. If that was what we should be expecting when she would sleep every night in our bed, she wouldn't have a single night of good sleep. I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off her.

Suddenly, she started moving. Rolling onto her back and then onto her side. She was facing us. Her eyes were still closed still. We moved slightly to our right and allowed the moonlight to illuminate her sleeping face.

Our eyes traveled down her curvy body. It lingered a little longer at the sweet spot between her legs. My body reacted immediately upon seeing how provocative she looked. She was innocent; unaware of how much lust was drilling through my body. My beast released a deep, possessive growl. It was loud enough to awake anyone near. 

Instinctively, our eyes flew back to her face to catch a pair of olive eyes staring back at us.

"Liam?" she said sleepily. She pulled herself up into a sitting position and rubbed her eyes.

Run, I demanded my beast to listen but he didn't move. The motherfucker still had the ropes and still played my body like a muppet. I was pissed.

She stood up from her bed and walked over to the window. She slid it open and bent down to look through the window. She was so close. My beast roared possessively. She was a beauty up close.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" she growled.

That snapped us out of whatever fucking mess my beast got us in. Displeased with her tone, he wanted to teach her a little lesson. I didn't get to process what my beast was thinking. All thoughts fucking stopped the second I grabbed her by the neck and bent down to meet her halfway through the window.

We kissed her with a primitive hunger. It was bruising and I willed my beast to pull back but our little kitten bit our tongue. I can taste a hint of our blood mixed into our connected lips.

Releasing another feral growl, I tightened my grip around her neck before releasing her lips. If it was anyone else who had shed our blood, they would have been dead by now. It was because we were so deeply fucked by our mate that she was the only exception.

Only this female of ours would gain such courtesy.

"Mine," I whispered in a huskier voice, staring down at her half surprised state.

"Um...what are you doing here?" she whispered. She glanced behind her to her bedroom door. Sage didn't want to wake up her parents.

For fuck sake, I had my tongue deep down her throat with her parents sleeping next door. I growled angrily at my beast.

He wanted to do so much more. He wanted to yank her out of that window and fuck her so hard while he howled his claim. Just the thought had us rock hard.

Her right hand came out and touch my left temple.

"Your eyes---they look..." her voice dropped.

I blinked and looked away. They were probably starting to change color. When I get a high strain of emotion, my eyes change from its normal brown to a pure yellow color. She can't see this or else she would see the animal that I was. I couldn't let her see this side of me.

"Hold on," she protested when I looked away.

I pulled away from her now gaining most of my control back. Thank the fuckin God.

"Liam," she protested again.

"Go to bed," I ordered before turning to walk away.

"You came here first, peeping Tom!" she growled in a whisper. Sage was irritated with me.

"And I am leaving," I replied over my shoulder.

"Fine, leave," she grumbled. I fought back a smile.

"Close your curtain," I told her.

"What?" she said incredulously.

"I said close your curtain, Kitten. I don't want anyone looking in and seeing you like that," I said in a near growl just at the thought.

She scoffed, "What if they did? What would you do?"

"Kill them," I responded immediately.

"Shit, you said it so fast I almost believed you," she chuckled quietly.

I turned around again and walked back to her. Bending down, I leveled my eyes with hers.

"I wasn't joking, Kitten. I will kill whoever looks at you through your bedroom window," I growled possessively.

Her smile slipped and her eyes narrowed. Then a small frown appeared on her face. She points a finger at me.

"You looked at me," she stated.

"You know what I mean." I grabbed her finger and forced her to lower it.

"It isn't even sexy underwear. If was really a boy short. Not even my whole ass was showing---"

"Sage," I whispered her name.

"I am just saying..."

"That you are my mate."

"Right...and that..."

"You would only wear this for me."

"Not what I was going to say but whatever floats your boat, big boy," she muttered before leaning back. She was finally listening to me and going to bed but I think she just wanted the last word.

I caught her wrist with my hand. She turned back to look at me. Placing a palm on her cheek, this time I kissed her good night. I gently ran my lips over hers. Her lips parted on their own. I pulled in her bottom lip and sucked on it. She sighed before kissing me back. I threaded my fingers through her unbound tousled hair.

When I pulled back, her eyes were soft and compliant.

"Go to sleep, Kitten," I whispered.

"I was going to but you stopped---"

I hid my smile by pressing my forehead onto her shoulder. She was going to kill me with her constant little bickers. Prideful but so soft and willing. So strong yet so frightened too. She tries so hard to cover what was inside of her. A woman. A woman who desires things just like everyone else.

"Ok, this is my fault," I admitted.

"It is," she agreed.

I bit my bottom lip from stopping myself from laughing.

"Good night," I said and stood up. Before she could respond, I left her and ran the rest of the way home.