Page 19 of Claiming the Shifter's Heart

It did no one any good to dwell on the past where things could not be changed. Yes, she could be pissed about it. Had every right to be mad as hell. But the best way forward was to learn from her mistakes and move on.

Della understood that all the way down to her soul. The most important things in her life were taking care of her babies and making a good life for them. For the first time ever, she was on her way.

But where did Kris fit in? And did he even want to?

Chapter 12

The early morning sky was dark gray, but the snow had stopped falling at some point during the night. Della was quiet. Too quiet for Kris’ liking, but he respected her need to process what they’d just done.

No, he hadn’t claimed her yet, but he’d sure as fuck wanted to.

Before he broached the subject, he needed to give her some space. To convince her, he would be a good, kind, loyal, and protective mate.

Waiting would be hard, but Kris wasn’t going anywhere. They had all the time in the world. The rest of their lives. She just had to learn to trust him.

He pulled into the driveway slowly and shifted the SUV into park. Della made to grab the door handle, but he placed his hand on hers, stilling her with her body still turned away from him.

“I know you’re having all kinds of thoughts, Sweet Girl, and I am not trying to push or rush you in any way. I just want you to know how special tonight was to me. And I need you to know, this is not a one and done thing. Not for me.”

“W-what are you saying?” her voice filtered through to him, and he sucked in a breath of her peaches and cream fragrance.

After swallowing it down from the source, Kris knew just how sweet it really was. Della was perfect for him from head to toe. She was his match in every way, and he was dying to make it official. But patience was a virtue.

At least, that was whattheysaid. Kris sometimes thoughttheywere just a bunch of assholes. But he could be patient for her, if that was what she needed.

Hell. He could be anything if it meant she’d give him the right to claim her.

God, she was so perfect.

“I’m saying I am in it for the long haul, Della. It might be soon to confess my intentions, but just so you know, I am yours. One hundred percent yours. Whenever you need me. However you want me. You got me, Sweet Girl,” he said, his voice a deep growl heavy with his Wolf.

Della turned her head, looking over her shoulder. She looked gorgeous with her velvet eyes big and glossy with feeling, her pink lips swollen from his kisses, and her blonde locks tousled from his hands.

She looks like mine, the Wolf insisted. Kris leaned forward, pressing one hard kiss on her pliant lips.

“I. Would. Do. Anything. For. You.”

He cupped her cheek gently, then he moved back against his seat not trusting himself to be able to let her go if he kept on touching her.

The cabin of the SUV felt charged with emotion. She turned her face back towards the passenger door. His heart stuttered inside his chest.

Had he messed up? Had he pushed too hard?

Whatever anxiety she’d been feeling during the drive had dissipated some. There was something else there now.Something that struck him as poignant. A mix of curiosity, hope, and arousal.

“Good,” she said after a minute. Then she slid out of his truck.

Kris couldn’t breathe. He wanted to follow her up the stairs to her house. He wanted to have the right to go inside. It was too soon. He couldn’t just bully his way inside.

But it was a near thing.

Tonight, he’d had his mate in his arms. He’d been surrounded by her sweet, warm body. Never before had he felt a sense of such rightness. Like she was made for him, and he for her.

He wasn’t finished staking his claim yet. But he was going to. This was just step one.

She’d walked away without looking back, but that was not necessarily bad. Kris had to look on the bright side.

Good. She said good.

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