Page 86 of His Wild Mate

“I'm fine,” she lied.

“Your stomach says otherwise.”

She sighed. “You've been spoiling me with regular meals and too much food. I'll be fine.”

I wasn't sure she was going to unwrap herself from around me so I could get up and hunt for something edible. Maybe I should have stopped by the grocery store on my way here, but I'd been too worked up and focused on getting her to a safe place to think logically.

“Want to go into town with me?”

“Do I have to?”

“No, you don't.”

“Then I'd rather stay here.”

“Okay.” I was really hoping she'd say yes because the thought of leaving her alone and unprotected, even as irrational as it was, didn't sit well with me.

She was in the safest place I knew of. But still, I didn't want to go even a second without her in sight.

“You're pouting.”

“It's fine. I just miss you already.”

“You're turning into a sap,” she teased.

“I blame you.”

She lifted her head and found my lips. I was instantly lost in her kiss.

Being with Paige was as easy as breathing. And something told me it would always be this way for us. I was counting down the days until Thomas lifted the order and I could finally touch her and mark her as mine forever.

I'd never been opposed to having a mate, but I hadn’t exactly been looking for one either. Now, I couldn't even imagine life without her. She was everything I never knew I needed.

“Any requests?”

“Fruit, bread, and peanut butter please. It's the one thing I know how to make for myself.”

I chuckled. “We're going to fix that. With a little practice you won't be so intimidated by the stove. Come on, let's start now.”

She followed me to the walk-in pantry, which was empty. I pushed on the side panel and it opened into the hidden second pantry.

“How'd you know that's there?”

I smirked. “Told ya I’ve been coming here for a very long time. There's nothing about this place that I don't know about. Including the safe room in the basement. Remind me to show you how it works before I leave.”

“A safe room? You really think I need that here?”

“You can never be too safe, and it will ease my wolf some while I'm away from you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine, but you're getting a little paranoid. I can take care of myself. I've been doing it for a long time.”

“You aren't alone anymore, sweetheart. You're mine to protect now.”

She smiled but it didn't quite reach her eyes. I knew there were things she hadn't told me yet, and she had already tried to run away once. I just prayed she wasn’t going to try it again and that she would give me the chance to prove to her that I could handle things. Together as a team, I knew we were stronger.

“Well, there isn't a whole lot here. Beans. Tomatoes. Peas. Soup. Sorry. They usually keep this place more stocked.”

“Soup sounds good.”

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