Page 35 of Jace's Mate
“Now that our mating pheromones are active,” he continued, “our senses will heighten.It’s overwhelming at first.But we’ll learn to control it—together.”
Anikka’s gaze turned hazy as she traced along his jawline, mesmerized.
“Wait until you feel my fur,” he murmured, voice rough with meaning.
Her hand froze.“Fur?”
He sighed, letting her hand fall.“Why don’t you tell me about yourself?I’ve never met a shifter who didn’t know what she was.Wolves...we’re driven by instinct.Most of us shift for the first time when we’re young and at the latest, in our teen years.”
Still stunned, Anikka stood there, eyes narrowed in confusion.“I don’t know what you mean by shifting, Jace.”
“Sit,” he said softly.
Her body obeyed before she could even process the word.
She sank into the couch, blinking down at the glass in her hand.“Why do Idothat?”she grumbled, frowning as she set the scotch on the table.
“It’s not the scotch,” he said with a quiet laugh.“Tell me—how did you grow up?”
She shrugged and looked around.The space wasn’t really an office.This looked more like a home, but she’d thought they’d walked into an office building.
Concentrating on the present, she looked at the low, wooden coffee table.“I’m an orphan,” she explained.“My uncle,” she tilted her head back and forth, “isn’t really my uncle, but he told me to call him uncle…he explained that he found me one day and took me in.”
Jace nodded encouragingly.“And he has no idea that you’re a shifter either?”he pressed.At her blank expression, he continued.“What’s his background?”
Anikka crossed her ankles and smoothed her ugly flowered dress over her knees, trying to be demure.It was always a challenge because she wanted to be a bit wild.“He’s in his fifties, I guess.I don’t really know how old he is.”
“What does he do for a living?”
Anikka thought for a long moment, pressing her lips into an unconscious moue.“I don’t know, actually.”
“Where does his money come from?”
She shook her head again.“I have no idea.We’ve never been wealthy.But somehow, Uncle Wilton always takes care of us.”
“Us?”
“Yes.There are six of us currently.Although none of the men that live in the house with us are the same men that I grew up with.The men change pretty often.They don’t call Uncle Wilton anything other than sir.Although…sometimes they say something…” she stopped speaking, thinking about the slips she’d heard in the past.Finally, she finished her thought.“Alpha,” she whispered, her lips numb from the shock.
Of course Jace picked up on the word and shifted towards her slightly.“The others call your uncle Alpha, but he doesn’t like it?”
She shook her head, her gaze trying to remember.“I don’t know if he likes it or not.I always suspected that they call him something else when I’m not around.”
“Why?”
She thought about that for a moment, then shook her head.“I don’t know,” she whispered.“I’m so confused.What is an Alpha?”
“I’m an Alpha,” he explained, then his finger moved over the bruise on her cheek.“Who did this to you?”
Her hand flew to her cheek, her fingers touching his.It was a startling sensation, touching him like this.So startling that she jerked her hand away.
“My uncle.I…I don’t remember why.”
“It was recent,” he said.“Otherwise, you would have healed by now.”
“Why?”
“Why do you heal?”
