She spun around, heart in her throat, only to be ensnared by a pair of hooded, emerald eyes. Voice higher pitched than she’d like, she flung her arms over her naked chest on instinct. “Gods, don’t you knock? What are you doing?”

He didn’t move from the doorway. He just stared at her, his skin reddened and his long hair damp across his clean-shaven face. His gaze moved hungrily over her body, taking in the skin peeking out from beneath her arms, and his eyes heated. They trailed up, devouring every inch of her exposed collar and shoulders like he could consume her from across the room.

He made no effort to hide his erection, and his scent assaulted her senses, causing her to squeeze her thighs together. Fuck, was she ever going to get used to feeling his desire tunnel through her without her own immediately responding?

As if he could hear her thoughts, his lips curled at the corner, warning her he was about to say something irritating, when he suddenly stiffened. His grin fell and his brow furrowed for just a moment before his entire body went unbelievably, unnaturally still.

What was he—but then she noticed where his eyes had zeroed in on. What his eyes had zeroed in on.

Shit.

“Where is it?”

She squeezed her arms harder against her chest, feeling like she was going to choke on the sudden lump in her throat. In her surprise, she’d been careless, not realizing her hair had fallen off her shoulder when she’d turned. “Where is what?” she asked stupidly, like they both weren’t painfully aware of what he was looking at.

He took a single step toward her, biting out, “You know what.”

Her fingers twitched, but she fought the temptation to drag them over the spot he was glaring a hole into. She’d known he’d find out eventually, she just hadn’t planned on it happening before she’d prepared what to say.

“I, um…I healed it.”

Another step. “You would’ve had to have done that soon after and hid it this entire time.”

She winced. If words could cut, she’d be bleeding out on the floor. Swallowing hard, she lifted her chin, trying to look as confident as she could while half-naked. “Yes.”

His nostrils flared and his hands fisted at his sides like it was taking everything in him not to throttle her. “Why?” he demanded. “You enjoyed it. Quite vocally, if I recall.”

She blushed, remembering how she’d screamed his name, writhing against his hand. “Yes, but that doesn’t mean I wanted to flaunt the details of our relationship to everyone around,” she said, hoping he’d understand that her choice didn’t mean she hadn’t enjoyed it.

But it was the wrong thing to say.

He snarled, taking two more steps. “It’s my mark, it’s meant to be seen so your status of a mated female is known.”

“It doesn’t need to be known, Jaren. You don’t own me, and my mated status is no one’s damn business.”