Page 25 of The Wolf Prince's Mate

He snarled again, and the words that came from his lips were all wolf. “You are mine.”

“Shift,” I said.

Hunter’s wolf burst through his skin before the man could fight it, or even take his clothes off. His shirt and cargo pants clung to the wolf as he launched himself over the desk, landing half on top of me. The motion rocked my chair, and I grunted under his weight.

The bastard was huge.

He rubbed his cheek against mine, and when he lowered it toward my core with a roar, I lifted his face so he was looking into my eyes.

I had no idea how to talk to human Hunter—but his wolf?

I could handle the beast.

“Your human doesn’t want me,” I said.

He snapped his teeth, anger blazing in his eyes. He hated that Hunter didn’t want me, but he couldn’t argue that it wasn’t true.

“I know. It’s frustrating for me too. I’ve gone through a lot of physical pain because of it,” I said honestly. “It’s been a really long year. But he doesn’t want me. He doesn’t want a mate at all, okay? And I’m not going to try to seduce him, force him, or manipulate him. I deserve a mate whose human wants me, don’t I?”

He growled again, but there was less anger behind it.

“You feel connected to me, but what if that doesn’t mean we’re meant to be mates? What if we’re meant to be friends? Or you’re meant to protect me from my stalker or something? There are other ways to be attached than just mating, and at this point, we both know that kind of bond isn’t going to happen.”

He growled again, but there was no anger anymore.

It almost sounded like sadness.

I scratched his fur lightly, and he leaned into my touch.

“I’m going to have to start dating. The sooner we get it over with the better, so maybe I’ll try speed dating or something. I need to just pick someone and go with it, you know?”

He grumbled at me, but didn’t growl or snap his teeth again.

I thought maybe we’d finally reached an understanding.

Guess I should’ve tried talking to Hunter’s wolf much sooner.

I scratched him for a few more minutes before he finally rubbed his cheek against mine once more and shifted back. I leaned away as his skin replaced his fur.

Hunter dropped to his ass on the floor, tilting his head back against the desk and closing his eyes.

He looked… calm.

Calmer than I’d ever seen him before.

He breathed in and out slowly. Deeply, too.

I waited.

Finally, he looked at me. There was emotion in his gaze, and it wasn’t anger or hatred for once. It almost looked like gratitude.

“Thank you,” he rasped. “I can finally breathe again.Thank you. I thought my wolf was going to go the same way as Clay’s.”

He was talking about the insanity.

And that made me wonder what had made Clay’s wolf insane, even if I wasn’t about to ask him or anyone else that question.

I didn’t tell Hunter he was welcome.

---