Page 154 of The Wolf King's Mate

“Ask him if he felt the rut,”I urged.

He clenched his jaw for a moment but finally gritted out, “Did you feel the effects of her heat pulling you in?”

Jake’s forehead creased. “What effects?”

“Did you feel any lust?” The words sounded physically painful for him to get out.

The crease in Jake’s forehead deepened. “No, man. I didn’t feel anything. When my wolf heard you guys out there, he turned around.”

Holy shit.

Relief hit me so hard, my wolf plopped down on the ground.

“I don’t want to hear any fucking gossip about this,” Enzo managed. “If I hear gossip, you die.”

“Got it, man. Loud and clear.” Jake saluted him, clearly realizing that the imminent danger was past. “Congrats on sealing your bond. That’s a damn good mark you have.” He gestured to Enzo’s shoulder. Enzo contorted his head in an attempt to look. He couldn’t have possibly seen it, but his body position changed. Grew prouder, somehow.

He grunted, the closest he’d give Jake to athank you.

With that, he grabbed my wolf around the middle and carried her away. She yelped at him, and he said into our mind,“I’m going to have to kill him if I don’t have you in my arms.”

She relaxed.

And licked his face.

It was dirty. Disgustingly dirty. We both were.

If I was the one licking him, I would’ve gagged.

But she seemed fine with it, so I tried not to get too grossed out.

As soon as we were back in our room, she gave him a few more licks to the face, then shifted back. And suddenly, we were alone again.

In our human forms, absolutely filthy, and mated on top of that.

“What do we do now?” I asked, uncertainty creeping in. He was still holding me, but I wasn’t embarrassed. We’d been together too many times for that.

“Shower and sleep. Tomorrow, you should probably turn someone else.”

I could hear how much he hated the idea, but we both knew there was no way around it. If we wanted to keep the peace in Crimson River, I was going to have to turn more people. A lot more.

Enzo carried me into the shower, and I leaned my head against his shoulder. “Thanks for not killing him.”

“I still might.”

“No, you won’t.” I kissed the place I’d bitten him. Where his skin was scarred in two crescents, a perfect replica of the sharp tips of my teeth.

He rumbled in satisfaction.

“Not worrying about heat anymore would be amazing,” I admitted. “We’ll need to test it again next month. Maybe one of your brothers will offer or something.”

“I’ll think about it.”

I wasn’t going to push him.

Even if it took months or a year for him to feel comfortable with it, he would eventually agree.

And if being mated really prevented heat from affecting anyone other than me and Enzo, then I would be free.

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