Page 63 of Can't Be Love

“And I’d come back again simply for this,” he said, hugging me closely as we kissed.

I hadn’t expected Thomas to be so sweet and affectionate under that Alpha exterior. There was no mistaking it, he was all Alpha. It was in the way he walked and talked. He commanded attention the moment he walked in a room, and he struggled to keep it in check around other Alphas. With me, he didn’t seem to have those same issues. He didn’t have to be in charge all the time. It dawned on me that it made him vulnerable. I did that to him. I was his weak spot, the weak link in the Collier Pack.

He frowned, watching me puzzle out this new revelation. “What is going through that pretty little head of yours right now? You just transitioned from happy to carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders.”

“It’s nothing,” I assured him, not certain how to vocalize the feeling of despair it caused, knowing I would weaken him and potentially the Pack, too. It wasn’t too late, though. I didn’t have to complete the bond. Just the thought of it made me wince in physical pain.

“Lily?” he asked, sounding even more concerned. “What is it? Tell me.” His last command came with an Alpha punch. I watched him wince when he realized. “I’m sorry. I, I never want to command you to do anything. Sometimes it just happens when I’m upset, scared, or pumped up.”

“That’s who you are, Thomas. You are an Alpha, and you’re going to be a great one for Collier when your turn comes.”

“Why do I feel there’s a but coming here?”

“But,” I said dramatically, trying to lighten my mood a little, “I’m worried about what will happen if we complete the bond.”

“If? Lily there’s no ‘if.’ You already said you love me. You have to know I love you, too. What’s all this about?” His voice had shifted and I could tell he was trying to stay calm, but his body was tense and emanating stress.

“With me, you have a vulnerability. I’d make the entire Pack vulnerable. You did a great job of holding it together back there, but let’s face it, there’s a reason we’re stuck in the middle of nowhere in some crazy storm.”

“Yeah, my wolf is very strong. He’s hard to control at times. It leaves me temperamental, irrational, and quick to make rash decisions. That’s not you, that’s me. We’ve always had our struggles.”

“You let your guard down with me. Your wolf, too. I can feel it, and I can see the differences. That gives you a weakness, Thomas. A mate should make you stronger, not weaker.”

He smiled, and I felt his entire body relax as he reached over and pulled me across the couch and onto to his lap. He cradled me close and kissed the top of my head. “Is that all this is about?”

“Is that all? That’s pretty major, don’t you think?”

I looked up at him and he looked so happy. “Lily, the kind of weak you make me is a good thing.”

I smacked him. “I’m not talking about sex right now, Thomas.”

He laughed. “Neither am I, slugger. My dad used to tell me my mate would be my biggest treasure and greatest weakness and I must always protect her above all else, even the Pack. It’s the burden every Alpha must bear. This isn’t something new or exclusive to us. I remember the first time he told me that, I laughed in his face. Told him no woman would ever weaken me. I was too strong. And he said that was the whole point.”

“The whole point of true mates is for one to weaken the other? That’s bullshit.” I couldn’t believe he could really think that. Kelsey didn’t weaken Kyle, she strengthened him. Mom didn’t weaken Dad, did she? I always thought she was so strong and contributed so much to the Pack. Was I wrong? Did she bring down my father and leave him vulnerable, too?

“Not weaken,” he said, caressing my cheek and forcing me to look at him. “Balance. Without you to ground me, I’m a loose cannon. I’m arrogant, cocky, and prone to anger and aggression. What you perceive as vulnerability isn’t. It’s bringing me back down to earth, shrinking my ego some, making me focus on someone besides myself. That’s not the same as weakness. It’s more humbling. You make me see the world differently.”

I considered his words. He was arrogant and cocky. I’d seen his aggression flare, but I seemed to be the cause of it more than the tamer of it. Did I humble him? Seeing the world differently didn’t sound so bad. And earlier he had said he loved me.

“Wait, back it up. Did you say you loved me?”

He threw his head back in a deep sexy laugh. “Yes, Lily Ann Westin, I love you. I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly, but I do. I love you. I don’t just need you to calm my wolf and keep me grounded and make me a better man, but I want all those things and so much more. I want to spend my life with you.”

I kissed him deeply, overwhelmed with emotions. “I love you, too.”

“So, we’re good?” he asked, looking a little relieved.

I gave him an evil grin and moved so that I was straddling his lap. I didn’t wait for my canines to elongate, instead calling them forward, and my wolf happily obeyed. I brushed my hair to one side, exposing my neck to him. When I smiled, showing him my teeth, I heard his quick intake of breath. “Almost,” I whispered before kissing him again.

I felt his teeth sharpen and grow, running my tongue against the new sensation and change in his mouth as I smiled against his lips. He was breathless when he pulled back to stare into my eyes.

“There’s nothing more permanent than this. We can wait if you need more time.” I shook my head. “You’re certain?”

“I’m sure, Thomas, so stop talking and claim me already.” I was still protesting when the sting of his teeth sinking into my neck hit me. It didn’t hurt, quite the opposite. I almost lost myself in the crazy sensation he was invoking and forgot to bite him back.

He paused, hesitating for a moment as reality came back to me and I followed his lead, letting my teeth sink into his neck. Heat spread through my body, sending tingling sensations up and down my spine as I sucked on him.

I thought Thomas had made me feel as incredible as was physically possible in the few times we’d been together, but as our bond sealed, a new level of ecstasy came with it. I reached down and pulled his shirt up, needing to feel him. I rubbed myself against him and protested when his canines finally retracted and pulled away from my skin. I eased up on him and smiled at the sight of my mark on his skin. I licked it and planted a kiss there, soliciting a moan from my mate.

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