Page 123 of The Wolf King's Mate

“I won’t.”

I smelled the lie in her voice. My grip tightened, but I didn’t tell him. I was going to be the first one to argue about that with my mate.

And I knew her well enough to be damn sure there would be many of us arguing with her over it. When she cared about something, she was as stubborn as she was gorgeous.

“You look like shit,” she mumbled to him, and he gave her a small smile.

“You look worse.”

She laughed softly. “How long have I been out?”

“A day and a half.”

“Guess I missed our birthday. Oops.”

“We can celebrate when you’re healed.”

“Okay.” Her eyelids lowered again. She was clearly exhausted. “Can you make Enzo take me home?”

He glanced at me. “I don’t think I can make your mate do anything.”

Damn straight.

Iwouldget her home, though. After the doctor said it was safe to move her.

“I think I need to sleep,” she mumbled.

“Good call.” Fletcher ruffled her hair lightly. “Love you.”

“Love you too.”

Something about the words made my chest tighten.

She had never said them to me.

I had never given her a reason to.

Did I want her to?

Maybe I did.

But if I wanted that, I was going to have to work my ass off to make it possible. She had clearly been pissed at me in the bar. And during that day, before she made me grilled cheese.

I’d forgotten to ask Hunter to add her to the enforcers’ group chat, too.

Shit.

Maybe I’d messed everything up.

That might’ve happened the first day I told her she was going to live in my room and be my mate, though.

Aspen fell back asleep in my arms, and something in my throat thickened.

Yeah.

Maybe I wanted her to love me.

Fuck.

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