His Arrogant Human Mate novel Chapter 18

"Mom, Dad, this is my sweet little mate," Dominic greeted.

They both gave me polite smiles, Dominic getting into place beside me. "Eat up, princess. It's all delicious."

"It's a lot of meat," I mumbled, watching as he put a juicy slice of steak onto my plate, followed by a serving of pasta salad and regular salad. There was meat everywhere - venison, turkey, steak, burgers, chicken. Even seafood.

"We're carnivores, Cara, what did you expect?" Dominic teased.

I looked over at Alfie, who was absorbed in a conversation with Andrew, giving me a view of the mark on his neck. It wasn't fresh like mine. He must've gotten his days ago.

Dominic's fingers laced into mine, and his lips pressed into the side of my face.

"What are you looking at, sugar?" He hummed. "Andrew's mark on Alfie?"

I nodded, gazing up at him innocently. "I think I like yours better. But his isn't as new, huh? I think Andrew did it right before we left," Dominic explained.

I pouted at him, and he gave me a charming smile in reply. "Caroline, as my son's mate, I have to ask. When do you plan on having pups? My wife and I are waiting on those grandkids," Dominic's father asked casually, kindly.

I gasped at him, and then turned to Dominic. What the hell was I meant to say to that? In what world was it appropriate to ask that when we'd only just met? Better yet, when I was obviously uncomfortable with everything. I had publicly yelled at Dominic, making it very clear how I felt about him, and yet this man thought I'd be bearing his children anytime soon?

Dominic saved me from having to answer that question. "Whenever my mate is good and ready we'll move on to that. She's still quite young."

His mother laughed lightly. "I was sixteen when I was pregnant with you. She's a lovely woman, I'd bet you're ready," she said.

"Why would you have a human carry your pups? You do realize what that could mean for them?" Someone further down the table snapped suddenly.

I looked down at my hands, gazing intently at the one Dominic was squeezing tightly, trying to control his anger. It didn't hurt me or anger me, but it embarrassed me because he was completely right.

"It means that my pups would have a mother that beat me in a fight," Dominic said proudly.

The table went silent. "You're lying," another person murmured.

"I'm not. She pinned me down. Huh, gorgeous?" Dominic pushed the hair that was laying on my shoulder, away from my face, and revealing his claim on me. I didn't say anything, my face hot. "She's a little shy right now, but I can assure you, she had me on my back. And no one was more surprised than me."

I hurried up to the bedroom, grabbing the comforter and reclining on the couch. This time, I wouldn't let him use his voodoo magic on me to make me pass out. I wasn't going to sleep with him this time.

"Get on the bed, princess," Dominic grumbled when he came in five minutes later. "After tonight, I am not in the mood to play."

"Then don't."

"This is why everyone is worried about you being my queen. You act-"

I threw a pillow at him. "They're right, Dominic! I'm not right for this! You need to get that through your thick skull!"

"Caroline, this is the last time I'm going to say this. I do not care what the hell they all think. I want you. I gave you my mark-"

"You mean you forced it upon me?"

He growled at me, and in a flash he had me off of the couch and pressed into the nearest wall, his eyes blazing orange as he tried to contain his wolf. "You are mine. You were nothing before me - without me, you'd be stuck alone in that pack, Alfie wouldn't even care about you anymore. No one would want someone as headstrong and obnoxious as you."