Page 22 of Dutiful Wolf's Mail Order Mate

My wolf preened at the contact, tail thumping through my consciousness like a second heartbeat.

Mine.

Her obsession began with the first sniff of the man, and now, marked by him, she demanded more.

I leaned into him, relishing the solid strength of his body against mine. For a moment, I let myself imagine this was real. That we were just a normal couple on a normal date, without the specter of a convenient mating and pack politics hanging over our heads.

“So,” I began, aiming for casual and landing somewhere closer to first crush nerves. “How was the emergency? Did you manage to save the day?”

“Barely. The rain did a number on the site. We’ll be playing catch-up for weeks.” Rafe huffed a laugh, the sound rumbling through his chest. “Then I got tag teamed by Declan and Wyatt—alphas of the Crescent Hollow pack and bear-shit craziness, respectively. They hate me right now, but they’ve been apprised of the situation.”

I hummed in sympathy, tracing idle patterns on the condensation of my glass. “Sounds like a headache.”

“You have no idea. They haven’t had any other stray wolves stroll through their territories, so that’s a relief.” Rafe’s fingers flexed against my hip, drawing me closer. “But enough about the bullshit of my day. What about you? Did you give any thought to what we talked about this morning?”

My shoulders tensed, the easy comfort of the moment evaporating. The question hung between us, heavy with expectation.

What did I want?

It should’ve been a simple question. But every time I tried to imagine a future, to picture myself doing something, anything, my mind went blank. It was like staring into a void, an endless expanse of nothingness.

Following behind and serving as Kai’s apology mouthpiece had been my concern for so long. Maybe I craved it. Let it fill my time. Because otherwise what would I have done? While not as optionless as the Black Sands packs, females in mine were expected to focus on our mates and pups. If the males required it—preferred it, really—any precious few years of independence between maturation and mating counted for nothing.

So, what was the point of snatching any little bit of something for myself when it could be taken away on a whim?

“I...” My throat tightened, the words sticking. “I don’t know.”

Rafe’s brows shot together in concern. “Hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to have it all figured out right now.”

But I wanted to. I wanted to have a plan. Something to cling to in the midst of all this uncertainty.

“I just feel like I should know,” I confessed, my voice small. “Like I’m wasting this chance you’ve given me.”

“Maddy, listen to me.” Rafe cupped my cheek, his thumb stroking gently over my skin. “You’re not wasting anything. This is your life. It’s your choice. You don’t need to have it figured out all at once.”

His words eased the knot in my chest, my racing thoughts slowing to a steadier pace. He was right. I had time. Time to think, time to figure it out.

And I had him, and his pack, to shield me.

“Thank you,” I whispered, meaning it with every fiber of my being. “For understanding.”

Rafe’s lips quirked in a small smile, his eyes softening. “Anytime.”

The moment stretched out, suspended between us. Rafe’s eyes dropped to my mouth, his thumb tracing the curve of my lower lip. Hunger sparked in his gaze, desire burning white hot in the depths of blue. His touch sent shivers down my spine, my breath catching in my throat.

A loud whoop from the pool table broke the spell. We jerked apart as a chorus of groans rose from the spectators. Orion slumped over the table, glaring daggers at Kai, who did a ridiculous jig that I assume was supposed to be a victory lap.

“Fucking beginners’ luck,” the bigger male griped.

I chuckled as Kai sketched an obnoxious bow, sliding a hand up and down the cue. “Beginners’ luck, my ass! I just know how to handle my stick.”

Brielle patted her mate’s arm in mock sympathy, her eyes dancing at the string of grumbled curses dripping from his lips. “Don’t worry, babe. You’ll get him next time.”

“Yeah, right,” Kai scoffed. “I’m unbeatable.”

Rafe snorted, taking a long swig of my drink and setting it on the table with a thunk. “Care to put your money where your mouth is, hotshot?”

Kai grinned, all cocky bravado. “Bring it on, alpha.”

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