Page 14 of Dane's War

It’s a stupid idea, but she’s human, not shifter. My sister told me this morning when I said something about going to check on her, that I should take flowers, do something special.

“Yeah,” I grunt and hold them out for her. When she lifts her gaze but doesn’t take them right away, I cock a brow. “They’re for you.”

Slowly, she puts her mug down and takes them. I watch as she draws them close to her and inhales the scent of the bouquet I had made just for her. The flowers were delicate and beautiful. The florist in town called them Meizorland Drifts. I just thought they looked good. The smell of them wasn’t intolerable either.

“They’re pretty,” she whispers, bringing her gaze up to finally meet mine. “What are you doinghere?”

“Wanted to check on you.” I shrug, uncertain of how to handle this situation. Seeing her bruises and sensing the pain she’s trying to hide, doesn’t do anything to ease the anger or rage coiling inside me. My wolf isn’t helping. He wants out. He wants to find those fuckers and rip their hearts out like we should have done last night for what they did to our mate.

“You didn’t have to.”

I don’t miss the apprehensive look on Raine’s face.

“Yeah,dolcezza, I did,” I say, stepping even closer to her, not missing how her eyes flutter close.

I’d never called a woman anything but babe or darlin’, but it felt right calling herdolcezza. It fits.

It’s because we’ve always called her that. She’s our sweetness.

The fuck?

Flashes of memory come at me from my wolf.She’s ours, even in her dreams.

Oh fuck.

Fuck me.

This shit with my wolf isn’t just fucked up, it’s fucked up. I get what my dad explained about the two halves of me now mending, but fuck me, this shit, my wolf was able to be with Raine in her dreams? I didn’t think something like this was possible.

“Well, thank you for the flowers. Is there anything else?” she asks.

“Yeah, I want you to go out to dinner with me tonight.”

“Um, I, uh, I . . . what about . . .”

“It’ll be okay,” I interrupt her, knowing she’s talking about her bruises. Maybe possibly also her brother. I’m not worried about him or the bruises. So long as she agrees to have dinner with me.

“How do you figure it’ll be okay?” she asks, brows furrowing. “You don’t even know me, yet you’re wanting to go to dinner with me. I thought you weren’t one for dating.”

“I’m not one for dating, and before you say anything, yeah, I took Sloane out. It was all in fun. At least for me, that is. I didn’t think about being with any woman. Didn’t even know if I’d ever meet my mate.”

We knew who our mate was all this time. We just had to wait for her.

Shut up.Swear, my wolf since last night and everything shifted inside me is out to not only annoy the piss out of me but also piss me off in general. He’s known this shit, and because of some curse, he couldn’t share about our mate. But could he have anyway?

There’s still more to this than I know. I’m not even sure my dad knows the full story about the curse. As he said, it was a fucking millennia ago when it was cast upon our family. Maybe I need to look into it myself.

“And if I don’t want to go out with you?” she queries. But we both know she does. The way her heartbeat picks up and her breathing changes slightly speaks volumes.

Smirking, I step into her space, leaving barely any room between us. “Raine, baby, you wanna go out with me. Don’t deny it.”

“Stupid shifters,” she mutters, looking away from me and licking her lips.

“Raine, if you’re uncomfortable with going out somewhere, we can do something else. You’re my mate, I won’t do shit to make you feel that way while with me.”

What the fuck is up with me being gentle? It’s not the type of shifter, person, or wolf I am.

She’s our mate. That’s why. We need her, just like she needs us.

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