Mine to Claim

Chapter 18

Looking at Nikita is always like a punch to my gut. I am leaning against the door, having sent Christine home to rest for a while.

As Nikita walks out of her room with Cayden's underage mate following her, my gaze follows my witch, trying to gauze her.

As if sensing my gaze, she turns to look at me and then her face scrunches up in an adorable frown.

"Hey," I whisper and wave my hand. I am not sure if she's still angry at my forwardness. By now she must be sure that I want more from her. However, I am not sure if she has realized it and understood it. Knowing the truth and accepting it are two different aspects.

"Hello Dominic," she whispers but doesn't lift her hands. She's looking at me, but her mind is closed off to me. She's put up a shield, strong enough that I cannot penetrate.

That shield was not strong enough a few days ago. To experience and observe my witch-mate growing stronger in front of my eyes is a huge revelation. A happy one but I also suspect that the coming days will be a testament to my patience.

It's obvious with the way Nikita's looking at me, trying to penetrate into my mind. She's using a different tactic.

I didn't even feel her presence in my mind a second before but now suddenly she's inside my mind, knowing exactly what I am thinking. I am not sure if she can read my thoughts but she can read what I am thinking, gauzing my emotions and trying very hard to segregate the complex emotions and micro-analyse them.

I put up a thicker barrier and raise up a brow at her, daring her to push at the barrier now. Her liquid silver eyes narrow at me and then I feel her back-off a bit.

She closes her eyes then, takes a deep breath and then opens her eyes, before I feel a strong hurricane like pressure inside my mind. A strong headache builds inside my mind, trampled by the outside force and I narrow my eyes at her.

She smirks at me.

That damn witch-child, getting stronger and showing off her new skills. It's a huge fucking turn on.

Should teach her a damn lesson!

Not waiting another moment, I push her out of my mind, gently yet firmly, counting till three before I lock up my mind to her and to every psychic being out there.

Walking up to her, I smirk at her frowning face. She's adorable when she's confused and I feel like punishing her for trying that stunt.

Her frown disappears when I reach her and she has this smug look on her face, which makes it very difficult to control my urge of scooping her up in my arms and lock her up in my own personal dungeon, where I could torture her with pleasure.

That would definitely be my end. She would make a burnt toast out of me. I am glad that she's not afraid of me.

Chuckling at that thought, I watch her frown again at my sudden amusement. Leaning down to whisper in her ear, I make sure that the teenager standing beside Nikita, looking quite confused yet scared of my presence; doesn't hear my words.

"Be careful of what you want, malyshka. If it's my mind that you seek, be ready to bear the force of my emotions as well," I whisper and almost feel the tremor that moves through her body at my words.

The wall inside her mind cracks and I enter swiftly, getting a glimpse of her excitement which is the reason behind her confusion. She is not aware that the emotion that she feels around me is excitement and desire mixed up in a potent combination.

It might as well be the death of me.

A throat clearing makes me pull back from Nikita's confused form, and turn to look at Cayden who's leaning against the fireplace, with a smirk on his face.