Page 172 of The Alpha's Pen Pal

My arms slipped around his waist as he lifted the phone again and unmuted Dr. Russo. I pressed my body close to his, soaking in his warmth and his presence to soothe my frayed nerves and frazzled mind.

“Okay, Dr. Russo. Go ahead,” Wesley said, his free hand rubbing my back.

Dr. Russo’s deep chuckle rang out of the speaker. “Well, I feel like that was quite a bit of a buildup for me to tell you that Haven is, in fact, just human,” he told us.

I pulled my head back just enough to look up at Wesley. “Told you,” I whispered to him, and I heard Dr. Russo laugh again.

“I have heard she’s quite the ballet dancer, though, according to my daughter. In my opinion, that makes her better than ‘just human.’ And being human doesn’t negate that she’s your mate and our future luna. So that makes her pretty special, too. And judging by the number of pack members gathered outside her room the other night, I’d reckon they agree with me.”

“You’re sure?” Wesley asked.

“Yep. One hundred percent positive. The DNA test didn’t show any supernatural genetics at all. I’d say that ex-boyfriend of hers just felt like he had some sort of claim over her and lost control of himself and his lycan when he attacked her and attempted to mark her.”

Wesley swallowed back the surge of anger that rushed through him at the doctor’s words, and my brow furrowed.

Marking. I’d heard it mentioned a few times, but I wasn’t sure what it meant, or why it was significant, or why it would make Wesley so upset.

“Thank you, Dr. Russo,” Wesley said. “I’ll call you if we have any other concerns, but I don’t think we will. Haven seems to be completely healed,” he said, looking down at me with a raised brow. I nodded, letting him know I felt fine.

“Goodbye, Wesley! Bye, Haven.”

“Bye,” I murmured at the same time as Wes.

He set the phone on the counter, wrapped his arms around me, and just held me. His love and acceptance of me flowed from his end of the bond to mine, warming my heart.

And even though he had already reassured me it wouldn’t change anything, feeling through the bond how his words held true was a different type of reassurance.

“Let’s eat breakfast,” Wesley said, kissing the top of my head.

He grabbed my waist and lifted me onto the counter, then handed me a plate before grabbing his own. I parted my knees so he could stand between them while we ate our breakfast casually in our kitchen.

“Please don’t block me out like that, Sugar Plum,” he said between bites. “It makes my lycan antsy when we can’t feel you. It’s one of the ways we are able to protect you, and if we can’t feel you, we can’t know if you’re in trouble or hurt.”

“I’m sorry,” I replied. “I really didn’t even know I was doing that.”

“You did it yesterday, too. When you left with Nolan. I couldn’t feel you all day.”

His face wrinkled into a little pout, his brows pushing together, and I held in a laugh. My hand reached for his face. “I won’t do it again.”

“Good,” he replied, his frown turning into a smile.

We continued to eat, and his focus moved to his plate as he wolfed down the food I’d made for us. When he’d finished what was on his plate, he moved to the stove to serve himself some more, and I asked the question that had been dancing around in my mind since the phone call with the doctor.

“What’s a mark? Or being marked or whatever?”

Wesley’s back tensed, the muscles shifting and flexing at my words. A flash of nerves hit me, and a glimmer of hesitance with it. He gulped and set his plate down next to the stove, then turned towards me, crossing his arms.

“It’s how we… claim our mates,” he said.

“But what does that mean? Claim your mate? We accepted each other already, right? I’m already your mate.”

“Yes, but the bond isn’t complete until I mark you.”

“Okay, but you still haven’t explained what that means.” I shrugged, setting my plate down on the counter next to me. “I’ve heard you mention it, and the doctor, and even Nolan, but no one has really elaborated on what it is or what it means.”

He blew out a breath, then uncrossed his arms and walked towards me, standing between my legs again. “When we are ready to completely claim our mates, we mark each other, so other wolves know we are unavailable. That we already have a mate.”

He looked down at my neck and reached up to brush his fingers over my scars. “When I mark you, I will bite you, right here,” he murmured, his fingers circling a spot on my neck that sent a shiver all the way down to my toes and tingles straight to my core.

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