Page 21 of My Pucking Mate

He stops us, takes my cup, turns and sets them both on a bench. He turns back to me again, scratching the back of his neck, “Sorry I’m not good at this, um, can we start with your name? I feel like I’m at a bit of a disadvantage since you know mine.” The crooked smile on his face makes my heart feel all fluttery.

“Oh, of course! I never really got to introduce myself to you after the whole . . . uh . . . you know what, never mind.” I wave it off with another nervous giggle.God I sound like an airhead.Gathering a steadying breath, “Let’s start over. Hi, Roman. I’m Leera.”

18

Leera.My wolf and I seem to sigh in unison. It’s perfect. Fuck. She's perfect. She's so tiny, though. The top of her head lands between my chest and shoulders, causing her to have to crane her neck to look me in the eyes. Imogen wasn't this small; she was only five or six inches shorter than me.Shit, I have to stop comparing them.

“Good evening, Leera,” I say, lifting her petite hand to my lips for another gentle kiss.

The red blush that covers her face looks amazing with her silver hair and icy blue eyes.

“Even though we’re starting over, I still want to apologize for your first impression of me. You took my, I mean me, by surprise.”

She’s still blushing, but she lowers her chin again after nodding. “Leera, you never have to lower your eyes from me,” I say gently as I pull her back up until we’re making eye contactagain. She will be my Luna, my equal, and I will bow before her before I ask her to bow to me.

“Oh . . . okay,” she stammers.Where did my rambling little vixen go?

“Are you okay? You seemed to have a lot more to say when we weren’t intentionally talking,” I ask with concern, raising my wolf’s hackles.

“Um, I think so . . .” She seems to be thinking of what to say, so I wait patiently. “I don’t know how to explain what’s going on without sounding crazy,” she says, as she starts to lower her eyes but catches herself and looks back up sheepishly.

Goddess, she’s adorable.“You can tell me anything, and I will never think you’re crazy,” I tell her with the upmost sincerity, which seems to make her eyes twinkle.

“Um . . . okay . . . uh,” she says as she fidgets with her fingers.

“Leera, if it helps, I know you're probably feeling strange things right now, maybe the last couple weeks. If that's what you're nervous about, we can talk about it,” I say as lightly as I can.

She looks shocked for a moment, narrows her eyes a little, and nods. She takes a really deep breath and starts talking so fast that I have to pay close attention to keep up, “Okay, so you're right, I have been feeling really weird lately, mostly ever since I met you, and that first day at the arena, I can’t even explain to you how I felt, and then when you touched me, my body got even weirder because it felt like electricity was zapping around my body, and sometimes it feels like I’m not alone in my body, and I don’t know what's wrong with me, but something’s not right!”

As she finishes getting it all off her mind, her chest is heaving, and her eyes are wide. Taking her in again, and focusing, I agree. I feel something other than the mate bond, and I don’t knowwhat’s going on.Benny, there is something more going on with my mate and it doesn’t feel human.

“Great, you definitely think I’m crazy,” she mumbles when I realize I haven’t responded to her confession.

“No. No, that’s not it.” I try to reach for her elbow, but she pulls away, and she’s starting to hyperventilate. “Hey, hey, shhhhh, it’s okay,” I say.

She's definitely about to freak out. “Leera, can I hold you to help you calm down?”

Her eyes give away her panic as she allows me to wrap my whole body around her small frame. “Deep breath, my little miracle, whatever it is will be okay,” I whisper in her hair as I run my hands up and down her back while she calms.

I can feel Benny approaching.I can feel it too, Boss. What’s going on?

I wish I knew.The mate bond feels like this shimmering cord connecting us. Right now, it feels like light tugging because we haven't solidified the bond. When complete, it will be a tight, solid connection between us. This other feeling, it feels like . . . it can't be. I continue to hold her. I'm alternating between whispering to Leera and catching Benny up on what she said.

I’m drowning in her spun sugar and honeysuckle scent when she finally starts to calm but the calm only lasts a moment.

19

In Roman’s arms, I have never felt so safe and secure. Which is weird because I always felt safe with my parents. Just his presence surrounding me, his large hands rubbing my back, and the overwhelming smell of cherries and leather—I can’t explain the calmness that’s settled within me. This should be weird. I just met this man. I've never even had a boyfriend, and here I am in the middle of the night, in a famous hockey player’s arms. Yeah, this isn’t weird at all, but somehow it feelsright.Like all my panic attacks and anxiety can’t get through this wall of a man.

I’m only allowed a moment of calm, apparently, though.

My body starts to burn. “Roman, something’s wrong, more wrong, BIG WRONG!” I try not to scream.

My skin feels like it’s on fire. Not the snuggly kind, like you’re lying in front of an actual fire. No. I feel like my whole body was thrown into a bonfire and sprinkled with some kind of fuel.

I lose the battle with not screaming and crumble into a heap on the ground. Roman is instantly kneeling right next to me, pushing my hair out of my face, asking what's wrong as Benny makes his way over to us.

“M-my skin feels like it’s on fire. I c-can't catch my breath.” I barely get out.

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