Page 64 of Midnight Mate
“If you don’t bite me, I’ll die. And so will you.”
“Cat.” Anguish shone in his eyes as he glanced down at the blood pouring steadily from my wounded leg.
“Is that what you want?” I pressed, my voice rough.
“Of course not.”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
“I don’t want you to regret it,” he blurted. “I don’t want you to regret me!”
I blinked, my anger draining away faster than the blood from my leg. Grabbing his hand, I pulled him close.
“I have never regretted you, East. Not once. Not even when you left me without so much as a goodbye text. And I won’t regret this now. It’s what I want. Even if it wasn’t a package deal.” My lips twitched. “And I’m hoping it is. But even if it wasn’t, I’d still choose to become a wolf. Now, stop being angsty and save my life already.”
East stared back at me, and for a second, I thought he’d still refuse. But then he growled, his expression flashing with determination as he shifted. I watched him approach, his enormous body taking up all the space in the open door of the truck where I sat. It was the first time I’d ever seen him fully shifted. He’d always been too afraid of hurting me to let me see him like this before.
When he hesitated, I knew he was still afraid of that.
I eased out of the truck and sat on the grass, my legs outstretched. I leaned against the truck bed and looked at East, smiling in reassurance.
“I know you don’t want to hurt me,” I said. “But if you don’t do this, you’ll lose me.”
He huffed.
“Please, East.”
He came forward, and when his lips pulled back to reveal sharp canines, I squeezed my hands together to keep from flinching. Then I turned so my throat was bared to him and closed my eyes.
“Do it,” I whispered.
Hot breath tickled my skin as he inched closer, but I braced myself, knowing there was more to come.
When he bit, I moaned. It hurt like hell, but the pain receded far quicker than I expected. In its place was a strange tingling sensation that started in my throat where he’d torn my skin and spread to the rest of me.
East whined and stayed close, his furry body pressing against my good leg for comfort. His large yellow eyes watched me sharply, and I did my best to hold his gaze, but as the pain disappeared, my lids drooped.
Exhaustion, like I’d never known, came over me.
I smiled as I gave in to it. “Thank you,” I whispered. “It’s okay now.”
As I slipped away, a long, low howl filled the silence.
20
Easton
Cat’s transition nearly killed me.
If I had to bite her to save her, I’d do it. Again and again. but the idea of hurting her—or that we’d misinterpreted Delphine’s words—was an agonizing torture beyond anything I’d ever felt before. Sitting and waiting for something to happen was the worst hour of my life.
The first thing to change was her breathing.
The fact that I could clearly see a steady rise and fall of her chest was the only reason I didn’t completely lose my shit as I sat and watched her. But slow and steady turned to rapid and shallow, and I could hear her heartbeat accelerating—a sign of the shift.
My wolf whined, and I began to pace.
After that, her bleeding stopped, and her wounds closed.
