Page 25 of Fated to Him

Moving slowly, I release her so she’s supporting herself on her hands and knees. I remain in a crouch, close, watching as black and gray fur that matches her hair sweeps over her naked body.

The speed and ease with which she shifts confirms my suspicions. Whatever happened to her dad, he was a shifter.

Delilah takes a step, stumbles, and nearly falls. I don’t move to catch her. I’ve seen enough of my mate to know she won’t thank me for any handholding.

Her wolf is as beautiful, as sleek and perfect as she is in her human form. She figures out how walking on four legs works faster than usual and glances at me as if wanting to know what comes next.

Easy.

Still crouched, I cock my head. “How about that run, beautiful?”

She blinks gold eyes full of anticipation at me and whirls around.

Grinning as she sprints into the distance, I reach for my wolf and chase after my mate, excited about the run but also about what will happen when I catch her.

9

DELILAH

I’ve spent years on the road, crisscrossing the country, searching for a place that would feel like home.

I thought a life like that was freedom. Most people would.

I was wrong.

As I sprint through a vast green forest, panting as the wind tugs my fur, I realize I’ve discovered true freedom. This.

And the scents… pine and wildflowers, earthy soil, musky rabbits. It should be overwhelming, but it isn’t. It just adds to all this delicious freedom.

And then there’s him. Tobacco, cedar, and raw masculinity. Malakhi Gabriel, a man who’s been watching me since I arrived in town, who I should want nothing to do with, is suddenly the best-smelling scent of all.

When a large black-brown wolf veers right in front of me, forcing me to slow or run into him, I snap at him.

I miss what he does next. But between one moment and the next, I’m on my back, staring up at him.

I struggle to get up. He refuses to move. After giving me an extended stare, he backs up, and the wolf gives way to the man.

As I watch him, I feel a tingle inside me, an itch I can’t ignore, and a jolt as I’m suddenly cooler than I was before. I’m also human.

How did I know how to change back? Did Malakhi make it happen?

I glare at him as I move to get up. “Don’t shove me down like that again.”

He drapes himself over me, resting his weight on his elbows beside my head. “You’re tired. You need to rest.”

“How do you know what I need?” I place my palms on his chest and push.

He doesn’t seem to notice. “You’re my mate.” His eyes focus on my lips, and they’re hungry. “And you were panting.”

“Well, I wasn’t.” I push harder and try to slow my breathing. He was right about me being tired. Not that I’d ever admit to it. “Move.”

He cocks his head. “No one orders me.”

He seems fascinated that I would, and his reaction stirs my curiosity. “What do you do when someone orders you?”

“Kill them.”

You just had to ask, didn’t you?

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