A swell of emotion that wasn’t his poured into him as her blood filled him.
At first, he couldn’t differentiate her emotions from his, but then her awe and how much she cared for him broke through. And the depth of her caring made it almost impossible for him to think. He was falling in love with her, but the pure joy of her spirit pushed him over the edge.
Tears burned his eyes as he gathered her closer and crushed her against him. She was his future, and instead of being drab and depressing, it now shone brighter than all the stars in the sky.
Breaking his bite on her, he rested his lips against her ear as he told her, “I love you.”
I love you too, she whispered into his mind, and he realized the mating bond was complete.
This time when she climaxed, he followed her over the edge.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Dante stomped his foot and leaned against the bar while he watched Cassidy on the stage. Joy radiated from her face as she belted out a rendition of “Sweet Caroline” that had everyone in the bar stomping their feet and singing with her. He was one of them. There was no way he could resist the song.
Beside him, Julian shouted out “so good, so good” with the rest of the crowd. Aida laughed as she threw one arm in the air and fist-pumped to the chorus. When Cassidy finished the song, the bar erupted into applause as she gave an elegant bow. At the other end of the bar, Kyle waved a white rag in the air and whistled loudly.
Rising from her bow, Cassidy beamed at the crowd before her eyes settled on him. Feeling like a goofy, lovesick kid, he grinned back at her. His gaze traveled to her shoulder. Her shirt hid his marks, but he knew they were there, and that was enough for him.
She was his.
At the other end of the bar, Kyle threw his rag in a bucket under the bar, lifted the panel dividing the bar from the rest of the room, and stepped out. When a woman slipped in behind him, Kyle’s resident admirers exchanged confused looks as Kyle closed the divider.
“Sorry, ladies,” he apologized. “Lucy asked me to switch shifts today, and since I can never disappoint a woman—” When he winked at the women, they tittered at his double entendre. “—I’ve got the night off, but she’ll take great care of you.”
When the women started to protest his announcement, he gave them all a wave before hurrying into the back hall. Turning his attention back to the stage, Dante forced himself to ignore the way some of the men were watching Cassidy.
He would end up fighting every guy in this place, and she’d hate him if he cost her this job. Besides, he couldn’t spend the rest of their lives fighting every guy who looked lustfully at her; he’d end up fighting half the world if that was the case.
However, he would fight half the world for her, and then some, if it meant keeping her safe. Unfortunately, though he hated every one of these assholes and itched to make them look away, they weren’t a threat to her. And since they completed the bond, he didn’t feel quite as jealous of these dip-wads.
When she finished her next song, Cassidy gave another elegant bow before putting the microphone back and descending from the stage.
“Are you ready to go?” Julian asked Aida.
“Yes,” she said and hopped off her barstool.
Cassidy was halfway through the crowd when a man stepped in front of her, blocking her way. Dante’s fangs descended, and it took all he had not to stomp across the room and kill the man.
“Excuse me,” he muttered to Julian and stalked through the crowd toward them.
“Come on,” the man wheedled. “Let me buy you a drink.”
“No, thank you,” Cassidy said for the second time. She didn’t bother to try to step around the man but stared at him as she waited for him to move. “I have a boyfriend.”
“So?” the man inquired.
“So that means back the fuck off,” Dante growled as he came up behind him.
When Dante leveled the man with a look that clearly said he’d tear out the guy’s throat, Cassidy stiffened. She held her hand out to Dante, who nudged the guy out of his way and clasped her hand. He didn’t take his eyes off the man as he pulled her against his side.
Stepping closer to him, Cassidy rested her