Page 33 of His Wild Mate

“How often does it happen?”

“About five days out of every month, much like a human girl gets her period. Only it's so much worse. I can fight better in my fur, so it's safer that way. But when I'm not in heat, I sometimes end up in the city. It's easier to beg for food as a woman than a wolf. People tend to get freaked out around wolves.”

I chuckled. “I imagine that's true.”

It wasn't easy for me to hear her talk about her past. It was her past though. Nothing like that would ever happen again. I would make damn sure about that.

“I can promise you one thing. You will never beg for food again or have to hunt and forage for a meal unless you just want to.”

As I finished up cooking breakfast, I set it down on the table. Her plate was easily twice as big as mine.

Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head when she saw it. But she licked her lips and didn't say anything as she sat down and awkwardly picked up the fork. It soon became clear that civil meals with plates and forks weren't something she was used to. I didn't comment on it though.

She ate about a quarter of her plate and then started to wrap up the remainder in a napkin.

I growled making her jump.

“Eat.”

“I'm okay. This is enough food to last me a week,” she said excitedly.

I scowled. “This is breakfast. Eat. I promise you there will be more food later and no shortage of it here.”

She hesitated and I got up to open the fridge and pantry to show her.

“Paige, look. There's plenty of food here, and I'll go to the store and buy whatever else you want. Food is not an issue anymore. Please, just eat.”

She did as I asked, but only managed about half of the plate before declaring herself full.

I grinned knowing I'd given her too much. Instead of letting her wrap it up for later, I took her plate and finished it myself.

She scowled at me.

“Do you know how to cook?”

She shook her head.

“Do you like kids?”

Hesitant, she confessed, “I really don't know. I haven't been around pups much.”

I considered that. “Okay. Would it be okay if we try it for today? If they are too much, I'll make other arrangements for tomorrow.”

She shrugged.

“You met Lily yesterday, right?”

“Yes.”

“Would you be okay with her coming over to stay with you today? It will make me feel better and may settle my wolf enough to get through today. I don't want to leave you, but I'm more terrified of having you around a bunch of unmated cowboys right now.”

It wasn't easy for me to admit that to her, but I was scared of how the guys would react to her, but even more so how I would react to them. My wolf and I were both still furious with yesterday's attack.

“Am I supposed to stay here?”

“Yes. I need you to stay here.”

I was ready to beg her, but she didn't make me as she nodded in agreement.

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