Page 59 of Can't Help Growling in Love
She snuggles deeper under the covers and sighs happily. “I brought the books.”
“I can see that.” I lean forward to pluck the one she’s chosen from her hands. “Let’s see…The full moon will make the werewolf mad with lust for his gorgeous new mate, especially if she has freckles, beautiful brown eyes, and a little mole above?—”
“It doesnotsay that!” June scrambles around in my lap and pulls the book away from me. “Give it back.”
Snorting, I squeeze her closer, then can’t resist cupping her tits with both hands. “This is nice, actually. You can research werewolves, and I’ll research you.”
She lets out a breathy laugh. “I’m not sure your type of research is compatible with mine.”
I lick her neck, loving the way she shivers. “True. How about some food first?”
June pages through the book in her lap while I pass her apple slices and let her nibble pieces of chicken off the wooden skewers. With every bite she takes, some of the tension leaks from my shoulders.
After a few minutes, she turns halfway to look at me. “So feeding me is a thing, huh? I canfeelyou relaxing. It says here that it’s an instinct mated wolves share.”
I offer her the cup of trail mix. “Taking care of you is a thing. It’s not just the food. I love making sure you’re warm and safe. The thought of you living in a house without heating washorrifying.” I cringe at the memory of my mental state at the moment when June insisted she could stay there. “If you didn’t agree to come with me, I’m pretty sure I would’ve tossed you over my shoulder and carried you away.”
Her eyes flare with interest. “Really? It’s that strong?”
I finish another one of the kabobs, chewing thoughtfully. “I do think there’s some merit to the biological imperative theory. Protecting one’s mate and feeding them well will ensure the continuation of the species. But there’s more—I do it because it feels right to make you feel comfortable, you know? I don’t feel forced to act that way.”
She gives me a watery smile. “That’s because you’re a good guy, Asher.”
I set the trail mix back on the nightstand. “I’m thinking about doing some things to you that definitely don’t count as good.”
June squeaks at whatever she sees in my expression and burrows back under the covers. “Wait, we still haven’t found anything on the full moon.”
“Hurry.” I wipe my hands on a napkin, then find her naked waist again. “I don’t know how long I’ll be able to resist.”
“Okay, okay, I’ve got it.” Her breathing hitches when I cup her tits again, thumbs rubbing over her nipples, but she soldiers onward. “It says here that obsessive behavior is normal with newly mated wolves, but there’s no mention of the—ah!—of the full moon.”
I grin against her temple and move my fingers to pluck her nipples, pressing lightly to tease. “Go on.”
She glances at me over her shoulder, her cheeks pink. “Do youalwaysturn on the full moon?”
“Either half or full wolf form, yes.” I let my blunted claws scratch gently over the skin of her breasts and am rewarded with another sharp inhale of her breath. “It’s not always unpleasant, by the way. I usually spend the time in my basement because Ilive so close to town, I don’t want to run into anyone on accident. It’s sometimes hard to remember everything that happens overnight, and I don’t want any…incidents.”
Her hand lands on my thigh, and she gives me a squeeze. “I understand. You don’t have a pack to protect you.”
I incline my head to the side. “I’ve been invited to join the local pack’s runs. They’re not bad people, but it never felt right to run with them. I don’t know why.”
She flips to the front of the book, trailing her finger down the table of contents. “Where did I…oh yeah, see?” She opens the book to a page toward the end and taps the title. “I think you might be a lone wolf.”
“That tracks.” I kiss her ear, lingering to get another whiff of her scent. “Once I’m no longer so obsessed with touching you at all times, I promise I’ll read these. I can’t believe I never thought to look them up.”
June leans back against me. “Humans learn about human biology in school. It’s unfair that you couldn’t do that when you were a kid.”
My parents should have taught me all about it. But we weren’t exactly known for healthy communication. Everything my father taught me about werewolves was to do with our superior strength and killer instinct, and I learned those lessons well enough. All the rest was unimportant to him.
“And it’s great those subjects are now a part of public school curricula,” June continues. “Our kids will know all this growing up.”
Our kids.
She says it so casually, but my mind snags on those two words, replaying over and over.
I’ll make sure my children know everything they need to so they never feel like outsiders in a strange world. So they never have to wonder if their instincts are wrong or depraved.
After a moment, she freezes in my arms. “Oh, we don’t have to talk about this right now. I mean, it’s way too soon, right?” She peers at me, biting her lower lip. “But just in case you’re wondering, I do want kids someday. Is that a dealbreaker for you?”
