Page 14 of Rescued

He reaches out as if to touch my cheek, his hand trembling, but he stops at the last second, letting his hand fall back to the bed.

Theache in my chest sharpens, my breath catching. My mate is so close, yet the distance between us feels impossibly wide.

How can I feel the loss of a touch that hasn’t even happened?

The phantom warmth of his hand lingers on my skin where it might have rested. I can’t stop myself. I reach for him, and brush my fingertips over the firm, warm skin of his hand before clasping it in mine.

This time, he doesn’t pull away.

Hope blooms, tentative and fragile, but enough to send my pulse racing. His hand in mine is like a tether, grounding me even as the storm of emotions inside me swirls stronger. I caress his wrist with my thumb, a small gesture that feels impossibly intimate.

“You have some idea of what I am, yes?” I ask, my voice soft but steady.

His gaze searches mine, but he doesn’t answer. The weight of his silence bears down on me, yet I can’t stop my thumb from its gentle sweep over his skin. Even this chaste touch sends heat flaring through my blood.

I shift slightly, trying to relieve the aching pressure between my legs. Watching Gabe, I catch the slight squirm in his posture, the telltale discomfort that mirrors my own. His arousal is thick in the air, unmistakable to me.

My attention drops, taking in the evidence of his desire. The damp spot spreading across the front of his boxers draws a low growl to the back of my throat, one I swallow just in time.

It’s maddening. He’s making it nearly impossible to think clearly.

“Perhaps I should take care of that first,” I murmur, sliding my free hand from his arm to his thigh. The heat of him sears my palm, even through the fabric. Slowly, I let my hand travel upward, brushing lightly against the thick ridge straining beneath his boxers.

Gabe groans, the sound hitting me like lightning, igniting every nerve in my body.

For one agonizing moment, he pushes his hips into my touch, his body arching toward me, as though he’s drawn by the same unseen force that grips me.

Then, just as suddenly, he catches my hand and pulls it away, his grip firm despite the tremble I feel in his fingers.

“No,” he says, his voice ragged. “We can’t… I can’t…”

His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows, his gaze locking onto mine with a mix of need and confusion. “I need to know what’s going on here, Mika. Please, help me understand. I mean, there was a wolf, and then the dreams, and now you’re here, and this is all…all fucking unbelievable!”

The plea in his voice is impossible to ignore. His eyes, warm and filled with questions, seem to reach straight into my soul.

I nod slowly, releasing a deep breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. Turning my hand under his, I lace our fingers together, the simple connection enough to steady me.

How much do I tell him?

The question churns in my mind. If Gabe were a shifter, this would be easier. He would already understand. But he’s not. He’s human, and I can’t assume he’ll accept any of this—our bond, my nature, or the truth of what’s happening between us.

Even so, I can’t lie to him.

I want him to know me—not just as his mate, but as Mika, the man. As much as this bond pulls us together, I need him to want me for who I am. But if I tell him too much too quickly, I risk scaring him away. And if he leaves…

The thought claws at me, threatening to tear me apart.

“All right,” I say finally, my voice quieter now. “I can do that, Gabriel. I’ll try to explain.”

The words feel woefully inadequate, but they’re all I have.

I take a steadying breath and bring our joined hands up to rest over my chest, right above my heart. I hope he can feel the rhythm beneath his palm, the raw sincerity of what I’m about to say. I pull him down onto the bed so that we’re sitting side by side.

“I know you’ll have questions,” I begin, holding his gaze. “But if you could let me speak first—before I lose my nerve—I’ll try to answer them after.”

For a moment, he doesn’t respond. His forehead furrows, as though he’s weighing my request. Then, he nods, his lips pressing into a thin line of determination.

“Okay,” he says, his tone clipped but not unkind.

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