Page 34 of Tease Me

“You’re standing at a mating ritual about to find a wolf to mate. Remember?”

“Sure, sure.” Jules waved her hand shooing Zara’s concern off like a fly. “But if I wasn’t. Mmm-mmm.”

“Why are you avoiding him?” Heli asked.

Seriously? Fleur almost rolled her eyes. Heli had been with Kosta longer than any of the rest of them had been mated. She didn’t even remember what it was like to be single in this town of hot wolf shifters. “The mating ritual is tonight. I don’t want to show up smelling like a dragon.”

“Uh, I don’t think you can help that.” Zara guffawed, but when she glanced at Fleur’s face, she turned contrite. “Sorry. But it seemed like you two had more than a connection.”

Fleur almost sniffed herself but held that impulse back. “Yeah, there’s something there, but I don’t know if he’s the one I’m meant to be with. I just have this feeling that something is going to happen tonight.”

Heli grinned at her. “How could it not? Wolves are coming from all our packs. A lot of somethings are going to happen.”

“I know I’m not a wolf, but I appreciate that you invited me to come.”

“Since the Troika alphas all mated the three of us a lot of wolves are interested in meeting humans and...,” Zara motioned toward Fleur.

“Whatever I am,” Fleur supplied. It was okay. She’d lived with knowing only a part of herself for long enough that she’d accepted that nobody else understood who or what she was either.

“Right. Whatever badassness you are, to see if their true mates might not be wolves. So, of course we invited you.”

“We just want to make sure you still want to come.” Galyna’s voice was gentle and sincere.

“I do.” She had to know for herself.

Selena searched her eyes and smiled. “Okay, then. While the guys are having their freak out over the security, I declare a spa day to remove thel’eau deDragon from you. Besides, I could really use a massage from the sexy new masseuse I happen to notice started working at the Rogue Spa last week.”

“Saleeeeeenaaaah.” The girls all pouted.

“Fine, you one of you girls can have him this time. I’ll make sure to request him for my next one. I bought one of those massage subscriptions.”

Heli rolled her eyes.

“I’ll get Kosta to make the arrangements to have several enforcers accompany us, or we’ll never hear the end of it. I suggest each of you go give your mate’s a quick kiss and snuggle and reassure them, too.”

The girls each went to find their mates and seeing the clear connections and affection between the pairs, a deep longing burned inside Fleur’s chest and stomach. She glanced over at Steele and felt a sad hollow open inside of her. Was she wrong to want to go through with the mating ritual?

She slid out of the booth and walked over to Steele. This was probably a bigger mistake than wanting to go to the ceremony.

She wanted to reach out to him, touch him, feel that zing of energy between them. Instead of doing that she stared at her sneakers.

“Hi.”

“Hello, little flower.” He twisted on his barstool and pulled her between his legs. “Come to give me a kiss before you leave, too?”

Oh, yeah. There was the zing. “Yes, I mean, no. I mean, gah. I don’t know. I thought I’d at least tell you we were going so, you know, you didn’t worry.”

Geez, awkward much? She hated feeling this way. Like one dream orgasm had turned her into a bumbling mess of geeky teenaged hormones. Blech. She needed to get over that right away. How to do that was another matter.

“I will anyway, so you should give me that kiss. It seems to be helping the other men.” Steele wagged one eyebrow indicating toward the couples around them engaged in various lip-locks.

“That’s probably not a very good idea.” She knew it wasn’t because of how badly she wanted to do it. “In fact, I can’t think of anything worse we could do.”

“I’ve got a few ideas.” He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her impossibly closer.

So close, in fact, she could feel something hard pressing against her stomach, and it wasn’t a pencil in his pocket, but it might be a rocket in his pocket.

“You do, huh?”

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