Page 60 of Wolf Mate

Before I could stop myself, I turned and locked gazes with him and saw Josie standing between him and Lucy. They weren’t holding hands, but Josie was wearing his jersey, which about fucking ripped out my heart.

Why the hell was I pining for him? It had to be because he’d saved me twice.

Keith held up his phone and a speaker. A few seconds later, Nirvana blared into the clearing.

“Come on, football star.” Josie held out a hand to Raffe. “Let’s dance and wear off the adrenaline.”

The five of them moved toward another bonfire, and Adam went to grab them some beers. People watched them, but they didn’t acknowledge anyone else.

I tried not to watch them dance, but every few seconds, I found myself staring at them.

Slade turned to me. “Hey, are you okay?”

I hadn’t noticed how close we were, but his face was only inches from mine.

How did that happen? I tilted my head back to put distance between us. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Laughter sounded from Raffe’s group, and my blood jolted. “I’ll be right back. I’m going for a quick walk.”

I wobbled trying to stand, but when I made it to my feet, I hurried to get away from it all.

I needed to connect with nature. It’d been too long.

When I reached the edge of the clearing, Slade wrapped an arm around my waist. He said, “You shouldn’t go out here alone.”

“Go hang out with your friends.” I forced a smile and removed his arm. That damn tingle at the nape of my neck was happening again. Raffe was watching me, or I hoped he was, which was pathetic. Josie had his undivided attention.

“Nope.” He took my hand and guided me into the woods. “I’d rather be with you.”

That was the problem.

We walked in silence, the music quieting as we went deeper, and the tingling dissipated. I stopped and leaned against a tree, the world tilting. “I need a minute.”

“Are you going to be sick?” he asked with concern.

Some of my annoyance toward him vanished. He was taking care of me …again.He was a good guy.

“I don’t think so.” I waved a finger. “The world went sideways for a second.”

“Which means you’re done drinking.” He chuckled. “Though it’s nice to see you let go.”

“Never have I let go before. We’ll see if it’s worth it in the morning.” I’d heard hangovers were a bitch, and honestly, the damn alcohol didn’t numb the pain of being around Raffe. I wanted to not feelanythingfor once.

I needed to connect with the woods and animals while I could. I stood … and stumbled. Slade caught me, pulling me flush against his chest.

Our faces were only inches apart again, and his eyes flicked down to my mouth. “We’ll get you something to eat, and you’ll be okay.”

If he’d been Raffe, I would have melted into his arms and allowed him to close the distance between us. I wished likeanything I could feel that way about Slade, but even drunk, the attraction wasn’t there.

A tingle shot down my spine as Slade lowered his mouth toward mine.

“Slade. Stop.” I shook my head, not wanting to hurt him, but also not wanting to lead him on.

He sighed. “Look, I get it. You don’t want to ruin things between us, but let’s share one kiss and see how it goes.”

“I can’t.” I placed my hands on his chest and pushed.

His grip tightened, and I stayed in place. He tilted his head and pouted. “If you don’t feel anything, we don’t have to do it again.”

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