Page 37 of Wolf Chosen

It breaks my heart to feel her adoration. She doesn't understand. Not fully. She's a newborn wolf, filled with nothing but wonder. Complex human emotions are lost on her, too hard to process.

All she wants is the joy of her mate. All that matters to her in this form is the simple pleasure of my company. Another lick trails across my cheek as she tries to understand.

My wolf howls in anguish, pressing against the barrier I’ve thrown up between us. He wants to be free, to run and play too, but there’s no way I’ll let him pass. Not after what he’s done. He may be my other half but he's also a threat. He’s a danger I can no longer risk.

Anguish washes over me in waves, a bottomless sorrow that leaves me hollow and gutted. Because I know what I have to do. The only course of action that will keep Taylor safe from me.

I have to ask Mitch to cull me.

It’s the only way

My wolf howls in anguish, a keening cry that echoes through my mind. He butts against the barrier, desperate to break free, to join his mate in the joyous celebration of their bond. The way he should be able to, but I won't let him. Won't ever again give him the chance to hurt Taylor, to visit upon her the same brutality he...I... inflicted.

He slinks back into the shadows. His grief is a tangible thing, thick and suffocating and threatens to drag me down into the inky depths of despair. Good. He should suffer. Should feel every bit of the agony he's brought upon us.

Taylor’s confusion buffets us. I force myself to meet Taylor’s gaze, to witness the confusion and hurt that cloud in her eyes.

“I'm sorry, love but I can't play with you now.”

Taylor’s wolf whines, a pitiful sound that lances through me. She nuzzles against me, her emotions a chaotic whirl of longing and desperation, a wordless plea for me to reconsider but there’s no way I can shift. Not if I want to keep her safe.

“I need you to shift back. There are things I need to say, things that only your human self can understand. And I promise, once we've talked...I'll shift too. We can run and play together, just like you want.”

It's a lie and it makes me hate myself more.

Understanding flickers through our bond, followed by a shimmering in the air around Taylor's wolf. Her form blurs and shifts, fur receding and bones realigning until she's kneeling before me, gloriously naked and achingly beautiful.

She falls into my arms with a choked sob, my name a litany on her lips as she peppers kisses across my face. Relief and joy flood through our connection, twining with the ever-present thrum of her love. Love I know I don't deserve, not after what I've done.

“I'm so happy you're back,” she whispers, her voice thick with emotion. “I was so worried, Liam. When Mitch and Zane found us in the forest, you were unconscious. So much has happened...”

She cups my cheek, her touch infinitely gentle. Wonder fills her eyes as she continues, “I shifted, Liam. I don't know how, but...my ring saved you. A power traveled through it, like it did in the cell when it incapacitated Rowan.”

I nod, remembering the blinding flash of golden light, the way it shattered the barrier dividing me from my wolf. In that moment, I felt whole again, the fractures in my soul knitting back together under the onslaught of that incredible magic.

“Elara says it was the Goddess,” Taylor murmurs, awe coloring her tone. “Lunarith is the golden angel who came to me in the cell. She's helping us, Liam. She brought you back to me!”

Self-loathing is a bitter poison on my tongue. I don't deserve the Goddess's intervention, don't merit a second chance after the horrors I've wrought. My gaze darts around, seeing for the first time she’s brought me back to safety and the familiar confines of the 'Bite'.

“The Goddess herself,” I whisper.

Taylor frowns, no doubt picking up on my emotions churning through our bond. “Liam, listen to me. What happened...it wasn't you. The wolf that attacked me, that wasn't the man I love, nor was he your wolf.”

She takes my face in her hands, her touch a brand against my skin. “I'm not blaming you for anything. In fact, I'm thanking you. For protecting me in Rowan's cell, for getting us to safety in the forest. If it wasn't for you and your wolf, we'd probably be dead by now.”

I shake my head, a mirthless laugh escaping my lips. “That's the bare minimum I should do for you, Taylor. You deserve so much more than a mate who can't even control his own beast.”

Gently, I push her away, putting distance between us as I slump against the wall. A headache throbs against the inside of my skull. “I hurt you. I let you down in the worst possible way. It's unforgivable.”

Taylor straddles my lap, her arms winding around my neck as she presses her naked form against mine. Her scent envelops me, that heady aroma of woodland roses and soft femininity that I crave like a drug.

“Liam, listen to me,” she breathes, her forehead resting against my own. “The bond may show me what you feel, but it doesn't take away my free will. And I'm choosing you, Liam. I love you. I want you, all of you, man and wolf.”

Her essence floods through our connection, a tidal wave of pure, unconditional love that staggers me with its intensity. I'm humbled by it, awed by the sheer depth of her devotion. I know I shouldn't accept it, shouldn't let her absolve me of my sins...but oh, how I want to.

Suddenly, the bond pulses with a golden light, warm and soothing. A powerful awareness brushes against my mind, ancient and infinite, yet strangely familiar. Taylor gasps, her eyes widening.

“Do you feel that?” she whispers, wonder suffusing her tone. “It's Lunarith. She's here, Liam. She's with us.”

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