Page 9 of Wulf's Pack
“I don’t know,” I hiss through gritted teeth. “My wolf is acting insane.”
But it all becomes clear in the next instant. Oliver breaks the spell on the collar, and when I finally feel Skylar’s wolf, something snaps into place. A bond I thought could only be established through biting a willing partner. Skylar and I bothgasp at the sensation of power flooding through us, linking us together permanently.
Skylar is my mate. Myfatedmate.
Chapter
Three
My wolf surges forward, trying to make me hop over the counter for the second time today.“Mate!”he shouts in my mind, pushing me forward, straining to get closer to the goddess on the other side of the bar.
Mate. I have a mate. A true mate. That’s not supposed to be possible.
Skylar meets my eyes, and we stare at one another. My panic is mirrored on her face.
Fear and disbelief pool in my gut. My wolf’s not just interested, he’s nearly feral with need. It feels like a betrayal. He’s never reacted to a female like this. Not once. He turns his nose up at them all. I thought we were on the same page, happy with our single status, but he’d claim this woman right here and now if I didn’t have iron-clad control.
I grip the bar with both hands to keep from reaching out to her. The need to touch her is crippling. My body is shaking. My heart is physically aching with longing.
“Wulf,” Charlie murmurs, blinking at me in shock. “This is incredible.”
Rook, Enzo, and Oliver shoot me bewildered looks. Rook frowns, turning his gaze from Skylar to me and then to Charlie. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” I growl.
I glare at Charlie. This is impossible. It’s preposterous. I’m an eternal bachelor. I don’t want a mate. I don’t need one. This can’t be right. But Charlie is about to spill the beans, and I can’t have that. “Charlie,”I warn.
He shakes his head, not about to let me deny it. “The connection just snapped into place the second her wolf was free. It was instant. I’ve never felt anything like it. And it’s so strong. So pure. I just…” He shakes his head as if to clear it and smiles at me. “Congratulations.”
I don’t want any congratulations. I don’t want to believe this.
My wolf balks at my denial.Mine! Mate!
Rook looks between Charlie and me, and whatever panic he sees in my expression makes the pieces fall into place for him. His eyes widen to baseballs, and his mouth drops open. He gapes at me, then turns his attention to Skylar. She looks as shocked as I feel, but there’s something in her expression that scares me. Hope. She’s looking at me with hope. She’s trying to hide it, but I can feel it through the bond that connects us on a soul-deep level.
The only way to describe what comes over me next is terror. I’m genuinely terrified. My wolf is happy. Joyous, even. He’s claimed Skylar as his. I’ve never been out of sync with my beast before, but I can’t accept what just happened. I shake my head, desperate to deny everything I’m feeling. “No,” I murmur. “This can’t be happening. It’s not even supposed to be possible. How can I have a mate?”
“Mate?”Oliver blurts.
Rook blinks at me. “Are you saying she’s yourtruemate?”
“She is,” Charlie confirms when I say nothing. “I can feel their connection. Their wolves…it’s like they’ve always known each other.”
I frantically shake my head again. “No…I…it can’t be. This has to be a mistake.”
I ignore Skylar’s brief look of hurt, but I can feel her disappointment. Guilt swamps me. I choke it back and give Skylar a pleading look. “Honey, you don’t want me. I’m too…I can’t…”
Rook grabs me by the collar of my shirt and tugs me away from the bar. He shouts down to my other bartender, telling him I’m taking a break and to call Terrance up to his suite. I follow without a fight. I’m too shocked, and I don’t need the entire city hearing this.
In the back of the club, there’s a set of stairs that lead up to a row of small private rooms. One of them is Terrance’s. It also doubles as a panic room and is completely soundproof. That’s probably why Rook drags us up here—for some much-needed privacy.
The room is laid out like a studio apartment with a bathroom and a small kitchenette. A huge mahogany desk sits proudly in the middle of the room, and a couch rests along the back wall.
Charlie guides Skylar into the room and leads her to the sofa. Oliver and Enzo take seats at the small round table in the kitchenette, and Charlie rolls the desk chair out to sit with them. Rook, still holding me by the back of my shirt collar, pushes me down on the other end of the couch, then backs up to lean against the desk.
Silence stretches out, building more and more tension the longer it lasts. Everyone is staring at me. I tug at my collar. I still feel like I can’t breathe.
“Wulf.” Rook pins me with a serious but understanding gaze. He’s stronger than I am and older, but he rarely ever asserts hisdominance over me. Right now, he’s in big brother mode. “I get that this is a shock, but fated mates are a gift. If Skylar truly is your soulmate, you can’t deny her.”
