Page 55 of Reclaiming Home

The river ran through part of the property and there was a wide, shallow spot that we used to play in during the summers. The whole river itself wasn’t impressive at all, but in this spot with the sand someone had dumped there, it made a nice place for cooling off and having fun.

When we got there, Kye glanced around curiously.

“I love that boulder,” he said, nodding toward the large rock that sat on our side of the river.

“It was a great sunning spot.” I tried to see the place through his eyes.

“Was?”

“Yeah. We need to do some maintenance here come springtime. I think the riverbeds need some pruning.” I gestured at the veritable thicket that had grown here with disuse over the years.

“When was the last time you were here?” he asked and walked to the boulder.

He handed the first aid kit to me and climbed up to get to the smooth, almost tabletop-like surface.

I took a couple of steps and leapt to him.

“Show off.”

I grinned, spread the blanket, and we sat down on top. “The patrol goes a little ways that way. I jump across the river there and go around, then jump across in another spot upstream.”

“Like I said, show off.” He grinned, then looked a bit nervous. Before I had time to speak, he held up his hand. “I’m sure. I want this. I want you. Us. The pack.”

The determination and inner strength shining in his gaze floored me once again.

He shrugged off the jacket he was wearing and pushed the sleeve of his henley up to his elbow.

“Wait, does it matter which wrist?”

I shook my head. “You can pick whichever you want.”

“Then my left one. I’m left-handed. I want the scar somewhere I see it often.”

Floored.

I opened the first aid kit and began to prepare bandages to slap over the bite. “It will hurt. You’ll bleed. But it should heal pretty quickly, too, and leave a silvery scar.”

He smiled, breathtakingly beautiful in the moment. “Mother Moon’s Kiss.”

I chuckled. “Yes. That’s what the old tales call it.” I deemed the bandage ready and put it on my thigh.

“I want to kiss you first,” Kye said seriously.

Happy to oblige, I leaned in and met him in a sensual kiss that made me shudder.

He pulled away before I was ready, looking kiss drunk and smiling goofily. “Okay. I’m as ready as I’ll get.”

I didn’t insult him by asking him if he was certain he wanted to do this now. He would tell me if he wasn’t. He held his slender arm to me. He had long fingers that I could picture smudged with soil in the spring, as soon as he could start potting things again. He’d told me that was something he was excited about.

I kissed the inside of his wrist, feeling his pulse against my lips.

Holding his arm close to my face, I locked eyes with him. “I swear to you, by the Moon that guides all wolves, that I will do my best to be the mate you deserve until the end of our days.”

His eyes filled with tears, and he nodded rapidly, but stayed quiet.

I let my wolf through enough to give me sharper teeth, then turned his hand so I could bite the side of his wrist. I smiled at Kye, my mate, then kissed that spot and finally bit down.

His startled gasp and a whimper of pain hurt my soul. The last thing I wanted to give him was pain he didn’t ask for, but he’d accepted this so we could be joined together this way.

---