Page 11 of Alpha's Choice
I expected to feel relief at that, but it was strange to also feel a tinge of disappointment. I was having trouble making sense of my feelings. Part of me wanted space, but another wanted him to just sweep me into his arms and make me his.
My cheeks heated as an image of him naked above me flashed through my head. I saw his face and suspected that somehow, he was thinking the same thing. Thankfully, he didn’t press.
“Are you ready to eat, or should we go pick up your things?”
“Why would we pick up my things?”
“You’ll be moving here, of course.”
“Uh-” My brain stuttered. “I thought you said we’d take things slow.”
“I can give you slow, Emma, but I can’t give you space. My wolf would eventually take over, hunt you down, and mark you.”
“You’d force me?” My eyes narrowed in an instant.
“Of course not. But my wolf could be very persuasive. The mate bond isn’t easy to resist, even for a human.”
I was starting to understand that. “What’s your idea of taking things slow?”
He leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees. “You’ll live here with me. We’ll spend time together during the day, getting to know each other.”
“What about the Summer Wolf Program? I’m supposed to be there during the day.”
“The program helps determine what job someone will train for in the pack. We already know what your position will be.”
“I can’t do the job of Luna without learning how a pack works. I should still be going. Plus, I need to catch up in fight training.”
His response was quick, as if instinctive. “You don’t need to fight. I’ll protect you.”
“Every pack member learns to fight. I shouldn’t get special treatment.”
“Definitely a Luna thing to say.” Tobias looked torn between pride and disappointment. “I’ll try to be away from you while you’re at the program. I can’t promise I won’t show up throughout the day, though.”
“How do mates manage if they can’t be separated?”
“It gets easier once the marking and mating is complete. Until then, our wolves are on edge. It will be worse because I’m an Alpha and you’ll be around a lot of unmated males.”
He pulled me into his lap and wrapped his arms around me, burying his face in the crook of my neck. His breath tickled my skin. “As an Alpha, I’m trained to have more control than normal wolves, because I need it. My wolf, and my instincts, are stronger. This means our bond will be deeper, and harder to resist.”
I allowed myself to relax. I had never felt as safe as I did wrapped in his arms. But a nagging voice in my head protested that I couldn’t possibly be the Alpha’s mate.
CHAPTER6
Tobias
I followed Emma into the house, bumping up against her back when she came to a sudden stop. Greg and a woman I assumed was Emma’s mother, Jane, were in the living room.
They looked up, and Greg’s jaw dropped when he saw me. He sprang up, pulling Jane with him. “Alpha Tobias. We weren’t expecting you. Is everything okay?” His worried gaze landed on Emma.
I slid my arm around Emma’s waist. “Everything is fine, Greg. Emma and I have just learned we’re mates.”
The silence was thick with shock. Greg and Jane exchanged glances, his cautious, hers hopeful. She laid a reassuring hand on his arm before approaching my mate to give her a hug.
“Congratulations, sweetie. I was hoping you would have a mate here, so you would stay.” She pulled back and turned to me. “Welcome to the family, Alpha.”
Greg was still standing back, observing us. His gaze went to Emma’s unmarked neck before coming back to me, heavy with the words he didn’t speak. “She’s not marked yet.”
“Emma’s not ready for that.” I suspected Emma and her mother didn’t understand the undercurrent of Greg’s statement. It was hard for a regular wolf to leave a mate unmarked. For an Alpha, it was almost impossible. He was questioning my commitment to Emma, and my wolf bristled at the challenge.
