Page 13 of Rescued

His fingertips stroke the scar again, and I can’t help but shiver under his touch.

This is it.

This is my mate.

Logic and desire war within me, a battle I’m losing fast. My cock throbs, painfully hard, each pulse matching the rapid beat of my heart. The slick heat of pre-cum smears against my skin, the sensation sharp and almost unbearable. Every instinct screams at me to act, to claim, to take what’s mine, but I force my body into submission.

Gabe’s presence overwhelms me, his nearness tightening the bond between us until it feels like I can hardly breathe.My mate.

I can’t let my desire overtake me—not yet. Gabe watches me, his green eyes flickering with confusion and something deeper—something I dare to hope is the same need clawing through me.

I wait, straining against the silence, unsure of what he will do next. When the tension becomes unbearable, I reach back, my hand closing gently around his wrist.

“Please, Gabriel,” I say, keeping my voice as steady as I can. “Sit with me. I promise to do my best to explain.”

Hehesitates, pulling his wrist free. The moment feels like an eternity, my stomach twisting in knots as I fear he will pull away completely. If he leaves me now, I don’t know how I will survive it.

I close my eyes, trying to block out the ache in my chest and the sharper ache between my legs. I will beg if I have to. Pride means nothing compared to the need to keep him near me—to keep him, period. The pull between us is more powerful than I ever imagined it could be, the intensity of it frightening in its raw, primal force.

When I open my eyes again, I find Gabe staring at me—not at my face, but at the very obvious bulge straining against the borrowed sweats. His green eyes are wide, his lips parted slightly, and the heat of his gaze sends another jolt of need through me.

A groan slips out before I can stop it. My cock jerks, responding to his attention as if it senses his interest.

“Gabe,” I mutter, my voice rough with frustration, “you can’t look at me like that and expect me to concentrate on talking.”

His gaze shoots up to meet mine, and his face flushes bright red.God, he’s beautiful.The embarrassment creeping over him only makes him more so, his lips trembling slightly as he struggles to form words.

“It’s just…ah, that cock is…distracting,” he mumbles, his voice low and unsure. He darts another glance downward, and the sight sends my heart racing.

Distracting.

The word makes me want to laugh, a burst of hope breaking through the haze of tension. My mate isn’t immune to me, isn’t unaffected by this bond.

So, he feels it, too.

The realization gives me the strength to hold back, to temper my need and focus on what matters—keeping Gabe close, no matter what.I can explain, at least enough to keep him from pushing me away. Words first. Action can come later, if it needs to.

“Gabriel—”

“What are you?” he interrupts in a fast burst, his sharp gaze locking onto mine with an intensity that steals the breath from my lungs.

The question stops me in my tracks. Of course, he would ask. How could he not? But answering isn’t as simple as it seems.

Fear churns in my stomach, hot and sharp. What can I tell him? How much can I say before it becomes too much? The truth could tie us together, but it could just as easily drive him away.

I’m not strong enough to lose him.

I’ve lost everything already—my pack, my home, my place in the world—and the pain of it nearly destroyed me. Gabe is my second chance, my only chance. If he rejects me, if he tells me to leave, I don’t think I’ll survive it again.

“Are you certain you want to know the answer?” I ask, keeping my voice low. Words, once spoken, can’t be taken back, and the truth will change everything.

He trembles, and I catch the faint scent of fear mingling with confusion. But underneath it, I sense something steadier—a determination that sparks a flicker of pride in me.

Gabe straightens his shoulders, standing tall despite the emotions I know must be racing through him. “I need to know the answer,” he says firmly.

His eyes sweep over me, lingering briefly on the straining bulge at my groin before snapping back to my face.

“You were there,” he continues, confusion clear on his handsome face, his voice softer now. “Somehow, in my dreams…”

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