Page 17 of Fated to the Wolf Billionaire

Elodie bobbled her head back and forth. “I can ask one of the trainees to do it. Just pass me the key, and let me know what hotel. Then I’ll go see about getting you library permission, and we’ll see what we find.”

“Thanks, Elodie.”

“Call me El. We’re practically pack now,” she said with a jovial grin before slipping silently back out the door.

* * *

I must have driftedoff at some point because I woke with a start when Fiona stirred at my side. But where we’d fallen asleep chastely propped against each other, we woke in a tangle of limbs. A low rumble built in my chest as I took stock of the situation.

We’d both sunk down to lie horizontally, her head pillowed on my biceps and one leg tossed over my hip. My top leg was pressed between hers, thigh tight against her core.

She was whimpering in her sleep, as if she was in the midst of a nightmare.

I rumbled a little louder and rubbed her back, hoping to ease her out of the bad dream. And while she did go still, it was only for a moment. Those beautiful eyes flew open a second later, startled and wide, as she seemed to register our close proximity.

She had heterochromia, and I stared into the depths of her rich brown eye on one side, half blue, half golden on the other.

“It wasn’t a dream,” she blurted, studying me intensely.

I chuckled. “No, it wasn’t a dream. Seems like we both had a power nap.”

“I needed it. Seizures tend to wipe me out for a couple of days, after. Although… I feel pretty good now. Maybe we slept longer than we thought?” She blushed, the color tinging her pale cheeks beautifully as she extricated herself from my grip.

I could tell she was embarrassed by how we’d woken up, but my wolf was content on a bone-deep level. Sleeping with your mate—even fully clothed, on top of the blankets—was the most restful experience I’d ever had.

But while I was basking in the afterglow of her touch, she was keeping her head ducked low and avoiding eye contact as she scrambled from the bed. Her scent was tinged with embarrassment, which my wolf hated.

“You don’t have to feel embarrassed.” I stood, resisting the urge to wrap my arms around her from behind. “Wolves crave touch. It’s part of the pack dynamic. And the touch we crave most of all is our mate’s.”

“I… I’m not a wolf, though. This is all so strange, and I can’t figure out why I feel sodrawnto you. I should be worried about you murdering me and wearing my skin like a designer coat, not cozying up to you like you’re my college boyfriend!” She ran her hands through her hair with a wince, and I realized that maybe she needed a few minutes to collect herself, feel a little more human after the long night, before we had this conversation.

“I asked Elodie, one of the maidens who’s going to be staying with our pack, to get your stuff from the hotel earlier. It might be outside the door by now, if you want to check. And then we can talk about the fated-mates situation.”

She nodded stiffly, so I crossed the room and pulled open the door. Sure enough, there was one small carry-on suitcase, with a neon-green ribbon tied around the handle, sitting outside the door.

“Looks like you’re in luck. I’m going to go right down the hall and check in with my Alpha to give you a few minutes. The attached bathroom is right through there.”—I pointed to the door—“And I’ll wait outside until you tell me you’re ready to talk. Okay?”

“Thank you.” She still wouldn’t make eye contact with me, and my heart sank as the door closed behind me with an ominousthud.

I had always been a confident guy. I rarely second-guessed my decisions, but as I stood and stared at the solid oak door, I was questioning everything. Should I have stayed and gutted it out? Was it the right thing to let her have some space? I had no idea.

But I hated feeling disheveled, and in her shoes, I’d have wanted a moment to get clean and feel like myself. Hopefully, it was right.

I stalked down the hall, my worry over Fiona painting everything in a sour light.

When I knocked on Kane’s door, he called for me to come in without hesitation. I was surprised to see the pack had gathered, lounging around the room, including Gael and Leigh. It was obvious they were all loved up and happy, and seeing them that way was like a knife twist to the gut.

I was thrilled for them; they had a rocky time getting to that place, and I didn’t begrudge them their happiness, not really. But while my own mate was unsure of me, it was hard to see them cuddled in each other’s arms in the same chair.

I averted my gaze and saw that Elodie and Galyna were also here in their maiden’s uniforms, leaning against the only window in the room.

“I’m surprised to see you all together. Is everything okay?”

Dirge was the one who answered. “You had a long night, brother. We decided to let you both rest since there wasn’t pressing news yet. Finding a new mate is a… harrowing process sometimes.”

I nodded my agreement.Harrowingwasn’t the first word that had come to mind, but navigating all the new feelings was a bit like traversing a minefield while blindfolded.

“I wanted to thank you all for having my back this morning, with the priestess.” I cleared my throat. “But I also want you to know that if the test comes back that Fiona is harming the protective barrier here, I won’t ask you to put your lives in danger for us. She wants to go home next week anyway. I can go with her, or, if she’s willing, take her back to Alaska to the rest of Pack Blackwater.”

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