Page 15 of Claiming His Virgin Mate

He’d wrapped his fingers around her wrist the second he changed back, and though she tugged on his hold, he was not ready to let go. Not yet. Not ever.

“Um,” she began, but he was already pulling her closer.

“You know, you smell like sea salt caramels. So sweet and savory. Making my mouth water,” he growled, dipping his head to take a deep breath of Maggie-flavored air right at the base of her neck.

“What? Oh, um,oookaaay,” she said, and giggled when his nose touched her skin.

Fucking hell. He was glad he’d grabbed the blanket. The last thing he wanted was to be standing there naked with a hard on in front of her sister, Wolf or not.

“Um,” she cleared her throat, “Why can’t I touch Jo-Jo? Like I touched your, um,” she smirked, “Cat.”

His Tiger chuffed. Sister or not, he wanted her hands on him alone. But he ignored the silly feline, pushing his need to be physically close to his mate aside.

It was not easy considering she was so close. Her scent was intoxicating. Alex was desperate to roll in it, coat himself with the delicious flavors of her and transfer some of his own spicy musk onto her.

It was a Shifter thing, he shrugged mentally. She smelled exactly like his favorite candy. Sinfully delicious and perfect to snack on.

Yum.The Tiger growled softly at the prospect. He licked his lips and tried to focus on her question.

“Joelle is new to her Shift, isn’t she?”

“Yeah,” she nodded, “Her first one was a few months ago.”

“And you’ve learned the history, I assume? Wolf Shifter lore, and all that?”

“I know that Werewolves, or Shifters, suffered unjustly under the Curse of St. Natalis which bound their Shift to the phases of the moon for a thousand years. I also know that a few years ago, a teenager named Grazi Kelly broke the curse. She was a Jersey girl too,” she added proudly.

“Very good. She is quite famous now in Shifter circles,” he nodded, “Did Joelle’s Alpha explain anything else?”

“Yeah, I mean, Mr. Maccon is great,” she said, and he couldn’t help the growl that slipped through his lips at her description of the other male.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yeah, sorry,” he smiled.

“Anyway, Rafe and Charley Maccon have both been good to us. His sister Cat runs the teen outreach program here, and she’s spent time with Jo-Jo as well.”

“Well, Tiger Shifters didn’t have a curse to contend with, but growing up with a dual nature isn’t easy either way. Joelle is volatile at this stage. She is still learning her Wolf, and that can be dangerous for non-Shifters-”

“Jo-Jo would never hurt me,” she gritted her teeth, chin jutting forward as if she dared him to argue.

“She would never want to, sweetheart, but she’s still learning. Like a toddler who bites his mother without meaning to hurt her. Only, your sister is capable of serious damage,” she stepped back, dropping her hands from his shoulders, and he allowed it this time.

“Joelle needs extra help, and it is good she’s getting some from the Pack. But I imagine she still feels the pressure of all this every hour of every day. It is not something that she can handle on her own. Her Wolf is wearing her down, scratching at her skin, wanting out. I don’t think I can explain it any better than that.”

“Bullshit. I’m her sister, and I know her better than anyone. Don’t you dare presume to tell me-”

“Hey now, easy. I would never do that, Maggie. I think you’re doing an incredible job. Joelle is happy, healthy. I only meant to say if she needs help with her Shifts, I can do that.”

“Great. First, you waltz in here and announce your little hostile takeover plan. Now what? You can help my sister better than me too? I’m going to have to look for a new job, a new place to live-”

Joelle whined and his eyes flashed to the Wolf who was reacting to her sister’s obvious upset. Alex growled and she quieted again.

“Don’t you growl at her,” she said and flicked his nose.

Alex gasped. Then he laughed. She was spunky! And brave. And so fucking hot.

“Sorry, kit. Let me explain? You see, dominance isn’t all about being the boss. It is more about letting others know that someone is there to take care of them. I am just letting her know it is okay. You see, she can sense your agitation and it is making her tense,” he said and found himself rubbing her shoulders in an effort to calm her.

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