I swatted his hands and stepped away. My heart felt like lead in my chest. I wanted nothing more than to bury myself in the hole of my self pity and forget the world. “I know why you’re trying to stop me from becoming a werewolf. Just tell me I’m not your fated mate and get out. I already told you I wouldn’t hold it against you if things didn’t turn out the way we wanted.” Even with my back to him, his gaze seared into my flesh. Piercing through every wall I’d ever been bothered to put up, until they laid in a crumpled heap at my feet.
“Brie,” he whispered.
“Stop calling me that.” I bit out, losing the fight against my tears. Turning to face him, I did my best to keep my head high. “I’m a grown woman. I can handle the truth. Just spit it out.”
I yelped when Felix suddenly reached out and crushed me to him. He buried his face in the crown of my hair and inhaled deeply. His voice came out in an agonized growl. “Of course you’re my fated mate. I told you that from day one.”
“I…but you’re trying to break the curse before I turn.”
“Love, I bit you without permission. Ever since I laid eyes on you, I’ve been on a mission to earn your love and prove to you I wasn’t the monster you saw in the woods. And yet that is exactly what I proved to you, when I acted no better than a feral beast. I never wanted to take the choice from you. But dammit, Lamb. When I came into the room and saw that man’s hands around your throat.” He paused, the hands wrapped so tightly around my body filled with tremors. “The only thing that mattered was his death and your safety. It didn’t matter if I had to turn you to make that happen. If becoming a werewolf would have given you the strength to survive that encounter, I would have done it a thousand times over. Hate me if you want. You’re not allowed to get hurt, you know. I can’t bear it.”
I sniffed and returned his embrace. “Then you’re never allowed to ignore me like that again. I thought I lost you.”
Felix let out a shaky laugh and a furious rush of joy warmed my skin as I felt his smile against my temple. “As if you could ever be rid of me.”
“Well.” I patted his chest and leaned away from him. “If you’ll excuse me for a moment, I need to go find our nameplate.”
Felix wiped a tear from my face and smiled softly. His face was reminiscent of staring at the sun for too long. Tear inducing, but unmistakably magnificent. “What happened to the nameplate?”
My mouth quirked, and I stroked my fingers over the masculine bridge of his collarbone. “I may have…thrown it into the woods.”
He gripped the back of my head and let his lips trace against my own. His other hand pressed against the small of my back until I was flush against him. “You’re so cute when you’re mad.”
I brushed my lips against his. Drinking in his nearness like water in a drought. “I love you.”
His breath hitched. “Say it again.”
“I love you, Felix.”
He cursed under his breath. “Sweetheart, I’m afraid it may have lost some of my hearing in the battle. Say it one more time.”
I ran my fingers through his soft hair and kissed him. “I’ll repeat it as many times as you need me to.”
Felix shuddered and ran his hand down my back to grip my ass, before nipping playfully at my lip. “Be careful what you say to me, Lamb.”
Epilogue
Dante
Waves rocked across my back in a slow, soothing rhythm. A ray of sun peeked out of the clouds, just wide enough to shine down and warm my scales. I burrowed a little deeper into the sand and let the ocean floor cushion my weight. In the distance, rolling thunder beat against gray skies. Not close enough to be too loud, but just right. My head lulled against the warm beach of puffer cove and I let out a sigh of contentment.
With the previous night’s celebration over and done with, my makeshift bed was finally free of intruders. It wasn’t as good as the bed that I had painstakingly crafted back in my castle in Volsog, but it was damn close. My eyelids grew heavy with the sweet promise of sleep lulling my senses.
The sound of crashing footsteps ruined my precious ocean symphony. I shut my eyes tighter, hoping whoever it was passed by quickly.
“DANTE.” An all too familiar voice screamed.
Not this fucking guy.
A blur of yellow fur bounded into my peaceful cove, leaving irregular paw prints in my previously perfect sand. Felix called out again before tripping over a log in his haste. He shielded a blanket wrapped package as he went down and scrambled back onto his feet.
I wonder how much fur I’d have to pick out of my teeth if I just ate him.
“Dante, I need your help.” He panted, skidding to a halt in front of me.
“No.”
“Come on.” He whined. “You’re not even busy.”
