Page 33 of The Doctor's Wolf: Part Two
There was a single moment, bright as a flare, that had Adler sense the true wildness of the connection given to two people through a mate bite.It didn’t excite him.It worried him, that need to justhavewithout making sure the other person was thinking the same.
It’s like that’s what the mate bite would be like with another werewolf, but Gordon isn’t that.Fuck me, but I want to keep him safe so bad, from anything and everything that might scare him, and I want him to learn to love me when I’m in fur, not fear my claws and teeth.
“I want to,” Gordon said.His voice was a sheet of clear glass, beautiful, yet incredibly breakable if struck by a wrong note.
“Okay.Come on then.”
Without bothering to give a warning, Adler stood and lifted Gordon with him.
Gordon snuggled close, put an arm around Adler.“Detective.Always have to show off your strength, do you?”
My mate!“Just for you, sweetheart.”
A stuttering bout of laughter went through Gordon.“You sure this is okay?With Mil here?I mean I know those keen werewolf senses.”
Adler chuckled.“You are thinking like a human.Even little wolves are quite aware what big wolves do in their alone time, unlike young humans.It’s not seen as anything scary or something that needs to be hidden.”
Gordon bit his lip.“Once more, I’m learning new things about wolf culture.”
Adler shrugged.“If you start screaming, even a little wolf might come check on you, so there’s that.You know, when a human friend from school once told me he had seen his parents that one time, doingthings, and how shocking that had been for him, I almost rolled over laughing.I mean, for all of us going to co-ed schools, I swear watching the humans during Sex Ed class was one of the weirdest experiences of our childhoods.”
“Hey, Sex Ed class really helped me to figure out I’m bi.”
Adler opened the door and made his way to their bedroom.“Fair enough.I think most werewolves grow up assuming they’re some form of bi or pan.Maybe you were already suited for pack life even before you became a vampire.”
Gordon flapped his foot, maybe an attempt at delivering a teasing kick.“Stop it.You’re only going to make me tear up again.”
Once they were in the bedroom with the door closed behind them, Adler leaned back so he could see Gordon’s face.“You can cry as much as you want, sweetheart.I’ll always be here for you.You talked to Maxim earlier, didn’t you?”
Gordon nodded.“Yeah.Just… I don’t know.Sometimes, you can have a normal conversation with him.Weird, huh?”
Adler stroked the back of Gordon’s head.“Hmm.Should I worry that you are more comfortable talking to Maxim than me?When something worries you, I mean.”He stroked Gordon’s chin all the way along his jaw with a thumb.“I worry sometimes.About the things a vampire might need that I can’t give.”
And just like that, Gordon was on the edge of tears again.He wiggled, and Adler put him down.“You already give me your blood.If I ask you not to worry about anything else, can you please not?Can you trust me that I don’t need anything more from you than what you already do?”
“Only if you promise to let me know if or when you ever need more.Or less, for that matter.”Adler kissed Gordon’s forehead.“Gordon, youaremy mate.Not being able to be there for you…”
Adler shook his head.The very idea of Gordon shutting him out was scary.
Gordon pinched his lip.“I can make that promise.But what do you need, detective?What am I not giving to the wolf in you?I know I haven’t done as well as I could have, but—”
Adler growled, the sound escaping before he could stop himself.“Sorry.Fuck.It’s a werewolf thing.And a beta thing, you know?Letting me take care of you is giving me what I need.Showing your approval of me in front of Maxim is giving me what I need.This conversation—telling me all this—is giving me what I need.Humans have called us toxic or high-maintenance for wanting to know how our partner is feeling, but for a werewolf, wanting to be tuned in to their other is normal.”
With a jolt, Adler understood why the mate bite had done what it had for them, why it had opened a door to Gordon’s emotions to him rather than allowing them to share thoughts like in other cases.
Thoughts and words can be barriers, but knowing his feelings is straightforward.Feelings are simpler.
With his mate’s sweet scent filling his nostrils, Adler’s life, his existence as a wolf and his passion for police work, all of it made sense.He was there already.He’s been waiting for me, my mate.I just had to grow up and become ready to meet him.We were meant for one another.
Gordon looked nearly shy.“Well, okay.I guess that makes sense.”
It makes perfect sense.You are mine—were mine from the very beginning.
The wolf that lived in Adler’s chest and in his mind wanted to howl that revelation out into the world and let everyone know he had arrived exactly where he was meant to be, but this wasn’t the time to make noise about it.After all, Adler’s mate wasn’t ready yet, wasn’t quite there yet with him.
And that was fine.Adler could be patient.
So, like a werewolf the morning after the shift had to adapt to feet again, Adler leaned in and kissed his mate, prepared to watch him writhe on the sheets before the moon was at its zenith.
