Page 20 of Wolf Fated

“Wow. She’s going to be one happy woman,” Sarah says, turning her shining eyes to me.

My hand itches to reach for her and I only just stop myself when it lifts off the steering wheel. Longing blooms through the bond. Her longing for acceptance, for completion, to belong. And something else deeper and more complex. What’s more, there’s also a touch of jealousy and if I’m reading that right, it’s because she’s interested. Not only because I’m her mate and she feels a draw toward me, but because she likes the man I am.

I send a burst of affection toward her. Of my complete and total loyalty. At the first stirrings of love I have for her.

For humans, it would be far too soon to feel anything close to the strength of those emotions, but the bond works differently. It provides a connection between our souls, so that we recognize each other on a much deeper level. There will be a lifetime of getting to know each other, but that deeper connection is already there. For me, she is already my one and only. She’s everything I ever want, need or desire. She is perfect for me in every way. She’s a gift given to me by the Wolf Shifter Goddess, blessed by the wings of fate.

For me, there is no hesitation. And once she’s aware of the bond, she will understand too. I send my desire for her through the bond, hoping that she’ll start to feel an inch of what I do.

I grow still. Every cell in my body is locked on her as the scent of her desire swirls around us. She draws in a quick breath, her pupils dilating, and I want to whoop with happiness and joy. She feels me. The bond is no longer one way. My wolf stirs beneath my skin.

Mate. Claim. Mine. Bite.

I grit my teeth, fighting against the rising tide of instinct and primal need that threatens to sweep me away. I can’t lose control, not now, not when so much hangs in the balance.

Stop. She needs more time. She needs to feel more. She needs to know and fully understand before we claim her.

But my wolf isn’t listening. He’s scenting her interest. Her arousal. He doesn’t care about waiting, or upsetting her, or potentially scaring her away forever. He wants her and he wants her now.

I grip the steering wheel tight to stop from reaching across the console. I swing the wheel and hightail it away from our future home, guiding the cruiser back into the main road, putting as much distance between us and the temptation of my sanctuary as possible.

Sarah grips the door as the cruiser rocks, her eyes wide. All I want to do is stop and explain, but I can’t because my teeth are already elongating. I press my tongue against the tip of my fangs hoping the coppery taste of my blood is enough to shock my wolf into regaining his mind but it isn’t.

Her brows wrinkle, confusion and a hint of hurt flickering across her delicate features. She doesn’t understand the leash on my wolf grows more tenuous, threatening to snap at any moment.

“I’ll take you back to the Wolf’s Bite,” I manage, my voice a low, gravelly rumble that betrays the turmoil raging within me. “You should rest before the festivities begin.”

We pull up in front of my sister’s hotel and I waste no time in throwing the cruiser into park and killing the engine. Without a word, I exit the vehicle, rounding the hood in a few long strides to open Sarah’s door for her.

She regards me warily, her eyes guarded. I don’t meet her gaze. Not when my control is hanging by a mere thread.

“I’ll come by to collect you at five. Be ready,” I growl, the words clipped and abrupt in a desperate bid to mask the sound of my wolf pushing through.

I help her from the cruiser and bolt to my side to slide behind the wheel once again, every muscle in my body straining with the effort of restraint. It’s the only way I can keep Sarah safe. I slam the vehicle into gear, wincing as the tires spin on the gravel before I tear down the road and away from our mate.

My wolf howls but I’m so angry with him I can’t talk to him to calm him down. If it weren’t for him, we’d still have her in the cruiser with us.

Instead, I cling to my control with my fingernails until I reach the outskirts of the town. I throw open the door and tear off my clothes, and let the shift rip through me. My wolf throws back his head and howls, the sound echoing through the valley. Best I let him take control and run before he steps in and makes a mess of not only our lives but that of our mate.

Chapter Eleven

Sarah

The moment Mitch speeds away in his cruiser, bewilderment washes over me. One minute he was showing me the breathtaking cabin he’d built with his own two hands, his voice laced with quiet pride and reverence, and the next, he could barely get me back to the Wolf’s Bite fast enough.

Did I make a mistake? Say something to upset him or trigger his sudden change? I replay our interactions over and over in my mind, searching for any hint of misstep or offense, but come up empty-handed.

I frown as I try to make sense of his erratic behavior. There had been an undercurrent of tension, a simmering intensity that had pulsed just beneath the surface. And for a fleeting moment, I could have sworn I saw a flicker of something feral burning in the depths of his eyes.

As though another awareness lives under his skin.

But just as quickly as the thought takes root, I push it aside, dismissing it as nothing more than a figment of my overactive imagination. Despite the lingering confusion and hurt that Mitch’s abrupt departure has left in its wake, I can’t deny the deeper connection I feel toward him–a fundamental sense of rightness and belonging that defies all logic and reason.

There’s an undeniable quality about Mitch, an essence that resonates within my soul. He gets me, understands me on a level that transcends words or surface-level interactions.

When I’m with him, when I allow myself to bask in the warmth of his presence, a profound peace and acceptance washes though me.

It sounds corny when I think about him that way.

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