Page 34 of Wolf Desired
“You don’t know that, do you?”
“I’m mostly sure.”
“Mostly?”
“My wolf’s going feral, Artemis. He’s. . . he’s not always rational.”
At least Tiernan was honest with her.
“He won’t intentionally hurt you, but with a wolf going feral, anything is possible. Mating stabilizes the wolf. That’s why I need you.”
Need. Not want.
She dared to touch along his jawline, feeling the smooth, freshly shaved skin there. So warm, so inviting. His breathing slowed at the same time her heart rate picked up. Touching him this intimately could give him the wrong idea. Sayingyesto him wasn’t going to happen, except she wanted to feel his hands all over her, feel wanted by someone who truly cared.
A relationship would complicate her life, especially here. Tiernan wasn’t exactly asking for a relationship, though. And yet she had trouble taking her hand off of him. Her fingertips brushed over his forehead. She needed something to explain her intimate touches. An out.
“Your eyes. . . They’re blue now. They were gray earlier.”
“Blue is my wolf. A wolf’s eye color comes through stronger when he’s paying attention or in control. But I assure you, I’m in control.”
“And you need to mate to permanently gain control?” Why the hell was she bringing that back up?
“Essentially.”
“That’s one hell of a pickup line you have there, Tiernan.Have sex with me, female, or my wolf will drive me mad.”
He ran his hand through his short hair, blushing. He looked so lost and desperate, tempting her to grab hold of him and tell him she’d do whatever he needed.
“Would it help if I said I like you, that I think you’re gorgeous?”
A smile slowly emerged. Cautious but hopeful “It wouldn’t hurt.”
Why the hell was she flirting?
His hand moved to the back of her neck, and damn if she didn’t like the feel of him holding her like that. Gentle, yet firm. Crappy pickup line or not, the guy knew how to treat a gal.
His lips neared hers, then stopped, less than an inch away. He hesitated, like he wasn’t quite ready for this. She liked that. It meant they were on even ground. What would happen if she saidno? Hell, she hadn’t exactly saidyes,but here they were on the verge of kissing and she wanted to taste him.
There was a genuineness to Tiernan. If it was true about needing to mate to avoid going feral, well, most guys in his position would have come up with a lot of excuses and promises to get what they needed from her.
Firm lips pressed against hers, still hesitant, but not for long, as Tiernan leaned into the kiss. His other hand slid to the small of her back. Funny how anyone else holding her like that would make her feel trapped. Tiernan made her feel sexy, desired. And part of her wondered if maybe, just maybe, Tiernan truly liked her and didn’t justneedher.
CHAPTERTEN
MADDOX
From a few hundred feet away, Maddox listened to Tiernan, trying to convince Artemis to mate him.Mate.Tiernan didn’t even use the right term with her. The scout needed a blood-bond, not sex. But Maddox couldn’t exactly blame Tiernan for how he approached Artemis. If Tiernan came straight out and told her about the blood-bond, she’d run from him.
Humans didn’t know about the blood-bond. They’d probably call the ritual barbaric. In some ways, it was, but it’s what saved male shifters from going feral. And for those who never went feral, the blood-bond tied a shifter to his mate on a level that no human could understand, let alone appreciate. The beauty of a blood-bond surpassed the physical beauty of one’s mate. Seeing into one’s soul, feeling a mate’s emotions so clearly that you knew just how to help her, love her. That’s what the blood-bond was about.
While Maddox understood Tiernan’s approach, the fact that the scout wasn’t being upfront with Artemis didn’t sit well with him. Hell, he wasn’t sure if he was upset with Tiernan because Artemis deserved the truth or because he wanted Artemis for himself.
Focus on the fucking job.Not a female who isn’t yours.A female that deserves better. Someone like Tiernan who won’t endanger her.
Maddox’s wolf nipped him to stay alert as he caught Rafe’s scent in the wind.
“You were gone a long time,” Maddox said as Rafe reached him.
