Page 132 of The Wolf Prince's Mate

It was literally the only violent thing about Clay’s wolf at the moment—and it was violent happiness. Or excitement.

When my wolf had looked her fill, she started sniffing him.

His neck. His muzzle. His breath. His ears. His belly. His paws. His tail (which almost smacked her in the face).

All the while, he remained exactly where he was, never moving at all.

Except his tail. It wagged constantly.

He wasn’t insane. He was scarred. Hurt. Wary.

I could understand that, and I didn’t mind. Hell, I cared more because of that. Because it meant maybe he needed me just as much as I needed him.

When my wolf was finished exploring the massive male, she padded to the front door. There was no way she was going to getit open. It wasn’t wolf friendly like some of them at the Lodge. So, she made me shift back for a moment.

I opened the door for her, and she gently retook control.

Clay’s wolf brushed up against her side as he slipped out in front of her, giving her a soft growl that told her to wait.

She stopped dutifully in the doorway, and didn’t move as he prowled around the front of the cabin. He was clearly searching for threats that couldn’t have existed in the literal cage Clay had created.

My wolf waited patiently while the paranoid beast checked the area thoroughly, even disappearing into some trees for a moment before he emerged again.

He came back for her and nuzzled her neck before leading her out into the forest.

twenty-five

NOVA

Our wolves spentall day in the trees, making it back to Clay’s cabin long after the sun had set. Through the entirety of their adventure, Clay’s wolf would randomly get nervous about something, and nudge mine to let her know she should wait. She never whined or complained, always sitting calmly until he returned and declared it safe.

They were ridiculously cute together.

The door was still standing open when we got home, so the wolves trotted right in. Clay’s wolf nudged mine again, and she sat down while he checked the cabin for intruders.

He was satisfied pretty quickly, and came back for her. After she was inside, he closed the door behind her and led her to the bed in Clay’s room.

Neither of them cared about the dirt as they climbed onto the mattress and cuddled up together.

Neither of them made any move to give us control either. Not that I minded. Clay probably needed more time to wrap his mind around his wolf’s behavior anyway.

The wolves fell asleep together, and I’d never seen mine so confident or content before.

We wokeup in a tangle of legs and hair.

I tried to move my head, and made a muffled sound of pain as my hair stayed trapped beneath some part of Clay.

He moved quickly, freeing the strands, and eased me away. After he rolled me over, he set me on his chest so we faced each other.

Clay stared at me for a few, long minutes.

I stared back.

Though there were a handful of things I wanted to say, I was going to let him speak first.

Another minute passed.

Two.

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