Page 322 of Warlords, Witches & Wolves

Your wolf.That sounded so goddamn good.

She gasped, eyes darting to the far end of the yard. “Is he here? Do you see him?”

My pulse wouldn’t let up. “Close your eyes.”

She didn’t.

I really didn’t want to shift while she watched. Not everyone took that well. Though, Liam did that with Ivy. But again, kids. This was different. If Mia left town again, I sensed she’d never come back. I’d never mate. I’d become the lone wolf I always feared.

Shifting in front of her was a huge gamble. If she wasn’t like Joan…

I lowered my voice. “It’s okay. Close your eyes.”

Her gaze drifted between me and the forest before her eyes slid closed.

I didn’t waste any time. The last thing I wanted was for her to open her eyes mid-shift and freak out. If this went well, we had years for her to watch me shift. First, I needed this gamble to pay off.

I stripped off my shirt and dropped it on the grass.

Mia peeked open one eye.

“No cheating.”

“If you’re planning to get naked, you can do that inside the house you know.” Her lips thinned. “I get the feeling it’s not safe out here.”

Striding up the steps, I halted one step below her, so we were both eye level. Leaning in, I brushed my knuckles along her smooth jaw. “You’re safe with me.”

I eased my mouth against hers and kissed her. Slow, gentle, and deep. A kiss I hoped told her we belonged together, that I’d waited for her. That I would wait another lifetime if it meant making her mine. Before I forgot why the hell I took off my shirt, I eased back and returned to the lawn. Mia kept her eyes closed.

Tremors rumbled through my body and my blood heated. In case Mia opened her eyes again, I quickly stripped off the rest of my clothes and tossed them on the ground. My wolf paced back and forth, gearing up for the shift.

This time I let it take control. Closing my eyes, I handed over the reins. Heat erupted down my spine, flaring through my blood. Quakes raged in every cell as I shifted in one swift motion.

For a split second, through the sharp, tinted lens of my wolf, I saw Mia staring, wide-eyed before my mind blacked out.

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