Page 14 of Fated to the Wolf Billionaire

I snorted. “You’re taking this all extremely well.”

It wasn’t a false compliment; I didn’t do those. She really had taken a whole lot of information in stride in a short amount of time.

“You might not say that if you saw how I panicked when Shay shifted.” She blushed and looked away, suddenly very interested in studying the corner of my quilt.

“That good, huh?” I asked lightly. I didn’t want her to feel guilty however she’d reacted. She wasn’t running; that was enough to start.

“That good. I may have threatened to call an Uber to escape the wolf-worshipping cult.” Fiona winced as soon as the last word was out, as if I would be offended, but that was the funniest shit I’d heard in nearly a decade.

The laughter started slow, deep in my belly. And by the time it escaped, it was a head-thrown-back belly laugh. She joined in, nerves seeming to melt away as the two of us laughed at the absurdity of the situation.

SIX

Fiona

Reed’s room was much smaller than the one I’d woken up in, and I noticed there was not much to identify it ashis. Sure, a pile of work on the desk. But that could be anyone’s black notebook and phone charger. There was a pair of expensive-looking leather loafers peeking out of the itty-bitty closet, and a spare suit jacket hanging above them. But that was it.

Everything else was the enclave’s, identical to the other room.

“How long have you guys been here?” I asked, turning to face him.

He was watching me study the room, and I resisted the urge to look away. Every time our eyes met, I felt thisawarenessthat I didn’t know what to do with.

Was this what he felt that made him think we were fated mates? That thought was… overwhelming. I certainly wasn’t ready to alter the course of my entire future on the word of a near stranger. But… I clenched my hand into a fist, covering up the glowing mark there.

“Not long. Less than forty-eight hours.”

“Where’s all your luggage?”

“It was a spontaneous trip. We didn’t have time to pack.”

I blinked at that, feeling there was more to the story he wasn’t sharing. Which was okay. He didn’t owe me his life’s story in five minutes. Soon, I’d be boarding my plane, and maybe we’d talk on the phone or something?

If he thought I was his mate, I assumed he’d want to stay in touch.

Right?

“What’s that look?” he asked, taking a step closer, eliminating the space between us.

“What happens after I go home? If you think I’m your mate…” I trailed off, watching emotions play over his face rapid-fire.

“I know it’s sudden, but for a wolf, there’s no question. Youaremy mate. But if you want to go home, I won’t stop you. There’s nothing that says we have to immediately be together, though my wolf won’t like letting you go.”

He looked like the admission cost him, and I didn’t like that. He’d done a lot for me; I didn’t want to repay that kindness with pain.

Even if it was unavoidable. I couldn’t walk away from my life in a few hours. Surely he didn’t expect that?

“We could still talk, right? Get to know each other a bit more? Maybe when you’re done with this spontaneous trip, you could come and visit me.” I touched his hand, and he stilled, eyes locking on to the tiny bit of contact.

But before I could withdraw it, he flipped his hand, letting my fingertips trace over his palm. It was the most innocent of touches. But I shuddered anyway, his warmth affecting me in ways I didn’t understand.

“Absolutely. We’ll talk. I have a restaurant in Philadelphia, so I go a few times a year.”

I froze. “Uh, how do you know what city I live in?”

“When you had the seizure, the nursing student at the bar found your pills in your jacket pocket, and there was a pharmacy address on them.”

“Oh, right.”

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