Page 65 of The Wolf King's Mate

My wolf finally relaxed. The only time the bastard was ever calm anymore was when her body was pressed against mine. He was itching to go for a run with her wolf, but didn’t want her to shift until she was healed. Shifting could make the healing process messier.

“If they could figure out how to make more female wolves, it might?—”

“No, Princess. When my scent is combined with yours after our mating ceremony, I’ll consider it. Until then, my answer isn’tchanging. Your blood belongs to me as much as the rest of you does.”

She sighed. “Alright.”

I carried her out to the parking lot. Fancy vehicles were a waste of money, so I didn’t bother. I buckled her into the passenger seat of my truck, then took the driver’s seat. Some of my wolves had a fire burning between the Lodge and the newer apartment building, and a few of them waved at me.

I lifted a hand back, as I pulled out of the lot.

“They like you,” Aspen said.

I made a noncommittal noise.

“Your pack,” she clarified. “They like you, even though the rest of the city is terrified of you. Why?”

“I don’t know.”

It was a lie.

I knew.

My pack understood what I gave to protect them and everyone else in the city. No one else did.

I glanced at her in the rearview mirror. She didn’t look like she believed me.

At least she didn’t question me about it any further.

“How far out is your cabin? At least an hour into the forest, I hope?”

“It’s on the far side of Greenview. Far enough into the forest that no humans or wolves would ever find it on accident.”

“Oh, damn. Isn’t that like a five-hour drive?”

“Six.”

Six-and-a-half, actually. But she didn’t need to know that. Not when she seemed unhappy with the answer.

“If your ankle starts to hurt, just turn in your seat and rest it on my leg. I can lift the console.”

“It’ll be fine.”

My wolf growled, and I didn’t bother trying to suppress the sound. All it would do was piss him off, and I didn’t need him fighting me when I was trying to get her out of Crimson River for her safety.

Her past experiences with heat had obviously left her scarred. She was dreading spending it with me, even if she hadn’t said as much.

I couldn’t erase the pain she’d lived through, but I could give her good memories. I didn’t know how her heat or the rut would affect me, but she would be damn sure that I wasn’t fucking her out of obligation, fear, or guilt. According to Fletcher, Silas was the only man she had ever been with, and he was shit-poor competition.

She looked over her shoulder, and did a double-take when she saw reusable grocery bags on the backseat. “You went shopping?”

“We’ll need to eat.”

“Yeah, but I could’ve gone with you. It feels like forever since I went grocery shopping.”

“I ordered them online and picked them up on my way home. You didn’t miss anything.”

“Still, I should’ve paid for them at the very least. You keep cooking for me, and now you’re going to deal with my heat, so?—”

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