Page 47 of A Wolf's Heart

“Well, it depends how long your heat lasts for. Some are lucky, and it’s only a couple days. I have a whole book on it that I can send to you.”

“Please.” I tried to keep the shock from my voice, though I wasn’t sure who I was fooling. Definitely not Emma.

She put her hand on mine in support. “I heard that, once you’re claimed, the heats get easier. It’s like your body knows you have a shifter male to help you through it.”

“Thanks, but I guess that’s not for me. They aren’t going to claim me.”

Her hand slipped away, a frown playing over her mouth. “What? What do you mean?”

“The impression I got was that Kage ordered it, so the others agreed. I mean, I get it. I don’t want them to claim me, either. It’s just, I wish I could tell my wolf that.”

“But you’re a fated mate!”

“Fated mate or not, I’ve known the guys a week.” Then it dawned on me. “Less than a week!”

“Acting on instincts, rather than human conventions, will do that. Have they been spending time with you?”

“Emma, did you not hear me? It’s been less than a week.” I clapped my hands together, emphasizing my words.

“Lila! Did you not hearme? You are a shifter, not a human.” She clapped back, and I had to suppress a laugh. “Your wolf will always come—”

“First,” I said with a frown. “Weylin says the same thing.”

“That’s because it’s what we are taught. Honor the wolf first, it’s how you create balance.” Again, I felt myself wishing I knew my biological family. What if I was part of Emma’s pack? Would we have grown up together? Become childhood friends? Emma stared at me for a moment. “I’m sorry.”

Her tone knocked me out of my own thoughts. “For what?” I asked.

“If they aren’t going to claim you… If they haven’t been spending time with you… It sounds like Kage might be getting ready to reject you.” Her eyes appeared as if they were about to start filling with tears. “I know it doesn’t sound bad to you, but in our community, it is bad. It hurts, mentally and physically.”

I may not know the reason behind it, but something inside of me understood it, because I had already felt it. Each time it was mentioned that I wouldn’t be claimed, my wolf whimpered. The human in me just kept choosing to ignore her. “Why are you sorry? It’s not your fault. I’m not from some bloodline or anything, like they seem to be looking for. That’s likely the real reason.”

“Because I’m-”

I smelled Kage before I heard him, his scent wrapping around me, causing my heart to pick up its pace. A warm pulse filled my body, something that normally took physical touch from them to create.

“She’s my luna,” Kage finished for Emma.

Emma’s face went pale. “Alpha,” she whispered.

I didn’t fully understand the words he’d used, but thewaythey were used left little room for speculation. Emma was a mate he had chosen. The heat turned to ice and my wolf cried out. All the while, Kage watched me, his eyes taking in my every reaction, waiting for me to do something.

“Emma,” I said, allowing my human to compose myself. “I’m the one who’s sorry.”

Emma was a good friend. Over the hour or so we’d been here, that’s what we had become. She was kind, sweet, and gentle.

“What?” she breathed. “You’re not mad?”

“God, no! You’re amazing for putting up with him. If ever you need an escape, you can always come to my place.”

I meant it, every single word. She deserved better than Kage Cridhe.

14

KAGE

Fear was a useless emotion. It was a ruthless killer, and that was saying something, coming from me.

I’d seen fear lead good fighters to turn to mush on the battlefield. I’d heard victims scream through the night, even when completely safe, due to fear. Physical troubles could be fought and conquered, while fear was a snake of the mind, the rotting corpse that leeched its poison-filled weeds into the fields of thought. There was no free thinking when fear was involved.

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