Page 119 of Fated to the Warrior Wolf

Within an hour, the sky had lightened significantly, and I could see a massive stone fortress looming ahead. He was right; there was no other way to describe it, althoughmedievalwouldn’t have been a bad descriptor.

The road turned to switchbacks at the end, and I was more than a little green around the gills by the time the gravel stopped crunching under the tires and Gael put us in Park.

“You ready?” he asked, stroking his thumb over the back of my knuckles.

“Is she going to like me?” I blurted, suddenly realizing that a meeting with his sister was imminent. I was in sweats, hadn’t brushed my hair since yesterday, and had morning-slash-coffee-breath, which wasnota pleasant combination.

“She’ll love you,” he assured me with a wicked grin. “And if she doesn’t, well, we won’t invite her to Christmas dinner.”

I smacked him lightly on the arm as he laughed and jumped out of the car to come around and open my door. But when I slid to the ground, he didn’t step politely away the wayhe usually would. He stayed in my personal space, wrapping his heavily muscled arms around me, and looked down at me with an intensity that made my panties go damp in an instant.

“Tonight’s the full moon.”

I squinted up at the sky, finding the low-hanging moon that hadn’t gone down yet from the night before. “Looks like it,” I agreed. “Are you changing your mind about bonding so soon? I mean, I understand. We could wait. I would be fine to wait, really. It’s a lot to pull together, and we’re already showing up on your sister’s doorstep, so she might not appreciate being asked to put together a whole bonding ceremony in a day. This seems like the sort of old-as-dirt place that has traditions before a run, so that’s also a factor, and— why are you looking at me like that?”

He just grinned harder at the question, and I knew then that I’d give him anything he asked for. The Goddess was giving with both hands when she put this man together, and it wasnotfair. I was already knocked up, so how was he still leading me around by the ovaries so easily?

Because you’re head over heels in love with him, dum-dum.

“You’re cute when you’re nervous. But no, I just wanted to remind you that tonight’s the night you bond with me.”

I froze, heat filling me from head to curled toes at that devilish tone and theI’m going to devour you wholelook in his eyes. I took a step back, subconsciously running from the promises I saw there.

A step back that plastered me against the car and got me no space whatsoever. He just followed me, putting his palms on either side of me, and leaning in as close as the belly would allow. Petal chose that moment to kick, and he grinned even wider as he felt it.

Damn his handsomely adorable self.

“It’s time, Leigh. I don’t want to go another minute holding myself back from the woman I love. We’re forever. I’m morethan ready make it official.” He stroked my cheek so lovingly, I couldn’t bear to keep looking at him.

He loves me. He wants to stay with me forever.

“Oh shit. That wasn’t supposed to make you cry. We can wait if that’s what you want. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be impatient, I just?—”

I reached up and grabbed him around the shoulders, yanking him down to squish him in a hug. To show him how I couldn’t say what I felt yet.

“Is that still a yes, or…?” he whispered against my ear.

Was it?

“Yes,” I whispered back, and he captured my lips with his.

I strong-armed him back a few inches. “Prince, I haven’t brushed my teeth.”

He rolled his eyes. “Don’t care. You agreeing to bond with me trumps coffee breath.” He kissed me again, but this one was a tender kiss to the forehead.

We were really doing this. I was going to be bonded tonight. Giddy elation bubbled up inside me, swiftly followed by all those earlier objections again.

“Oh, shit. I don’t have a dress. We haven’t prepared or planned anything. And we’re guests here. How are we supposed to just walk in and ask them to help us throw together a bonding ceremony in less than a day?”

He shook his head slightly. “You let me worry about that. The only thing I need you to do today is meet my sister and keep cooking this little nugget,” he said, palming my belly with a loving smile.

“Nugget!” I practically shouted, covering my face with my hands. “Gael! I’m going to be a terrible mother. I just left him behind in the castle, my poor baby! We have to call Cristian, my poor kitten?—”

“Is absolutely fine. I handed him to Brielle personally before they evacuated.”

“Thank the Goddess.” I breathed a sigh of relief. “And you,” I added hastily.

He chuckled, pressing another kiss to my forehead. “You’re welcome.”

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