Page 28 of Mated in Darkness

“Fine. You want to know? The Moon Goddess has declared that you could be my mate. That we could be mates. That we could be the perfect people for one another and create a bond. That’s the mating urge between us that you feel. The need? It doesn’t go away. It gets stronger and stronger until one of us finally breaks and walks away forever, or we lean into one another. All I want to do is strip you down and take you and mark you as mine. All I want is to lower myself to you as you take me back, as you mark me as yours. I’m not a submissive wolf, Jason. I’m a fucking strong dominant, and all I want is to show the world that you are mine and mark you as mine. I want to wear your mark so no other man can think he can just take me because he wants to prove how dominant he is. I want to sink my fangs into you as you sink your cock into me. That is what I want. That is what my wolf is craving, and that is what I can’t have.”

I swallowed hard, images of exactly what she was painting slamming into my mind with such veracity I nearly shook.

“Dear God,” I whispered, and a small smile played on her face, her cheeks blushing a slight pink.

“I’m not usually that open when I say those things. They just tumbled out of me. I don’t know how to deal with it, and I don’t know what we’re going to do, but I’m here for Spencer. Do you understand that?”

I swallowed hard. “Because he was your Packmate, not your mate?” I asked, wondering what I would look like without a throat if she tore it out at that question.

“I’m going to let that slide because I know you are feeling the mating urge as a human, even as I feel it as a wolf. No, Spencer wasn’t mine. He lost his potential, what you are to me in this exact moment, during the wars.”

Grief settled into me, a heavy coat right along my skin. “I’m so sorry.”

“We lost a lot of people in our wars. A lot of wolves, a lot of potentials that would never come to fruition.”

“And you’re saying this potential can fade away and not become anything beyond what it is right now?” I asked, wondering if I wanted the answer.

“I’m not saying that,” she stated, and winced. “More that I don’t know what we need or what I want, but we need to focus on the here and now. I wasn’t expecting this, Jason. You’re human. You must never have expected this.”

“No, not this.”

This urge was overwhelming, and I felt as if I could barely breathe or hold on to or do anything other than wanting the woman, the wolf, the beauty in front of me.

“You are strength personified, Kaylee. It’s hard to focus when you’re around, especially considering we met with you throwing me on my back.”

She threw her head back and laughed at that, the tension easing out of the room even as it ramped in a new direction.

“I’m not going to apologize for that.”

“I didn’t ask you to.”

“I don’t know what’s going to happen or what we’re going to do about it, but do you understand that I need to do my duty? I was so close to finding Spencer, and I lost him. My Pack needed him, and I wasn’t able to protect him.”

“It wasn’t your fault.”

“Tell me that once we find the murderers.”

“I can do that. Because we’re going to.”

“After that, though, after that, you and I can talk, and we can figure out exactly what this whole mating thing means.”

“After,” I whispered, knowing that was the right decision. It was hard enough to think when she was around. If we touched any more than we already had, I’d be lost. And I think we both knew that.

“So we do our best not to have a repeat.”

“Not until we find Spencer’s killers.”

I would say that would give more incentive, but I already had enough, wanting to find the creatures or men or whoever they are who were doing this to our people.

Our. Because they were humans, witches, wolves. All species, all who wanted a life, a dream of a future, and had been snuffed out for whatever reason. I wanted to find out that reason. I wanted to take away the guilt on Kaylee’s face. A guilt she shouldn’t feel.

“I have my papers here, but do you want to go back to the den? That way we’re surrounded by others and not alone in my tiny apartment?”

I hadn’t meant to ask like that, but when Kaylee grinned, her shoulders eased ever so slightly.

“That would be amazing. Because it’s tough to think when it’s just the two of us.”

“I want to take that as a compliment, but if I do, then I’m going to have to tell you it feels the same when I’m alone with you…and when we’re surrounded by others.”

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