Page 52 of Stone Crest: Rise of a Raven
My heartbeat steadily begins to pick up its pace. I’ve read wolves mate for life.
“Yes.”
“Fated mates are sacred to wolf shifters.”
“Like a spouse?” I’ve read a little about this particular bond and what it means for the dynamic.
“More than that.” His voice grows hoarse. “It’s this inevitable bond. When a wolf finds its mate, that’s it. He’s devoted. Committed. To her and her alone, forever. It’s a soul connection. The mating bond is forever and only once. You don’t control it. You don’t pick. Fate does. And when you find her.” His hand brushes against mine. “Nothing or no one will stand in your way.”
The way his eyes begin to change to a beautiful golden glow has me mesmerized.
“The curse?” I ask.
I need him to be specific.
“I was cursed to never find my fated mate," he finally confesses.
A wave of emotion hits me when he cups my cheek. His rough hand caresses my skin. “I’ve lived with this curse for over fifty years.”
My eyes widen and he must see the questions on my face. “We don’t age like normal wolves.”
"How old are you?" I ask.
"Like ballpark?"
"Locke," I deadpan.
"One hundred and twenty-six."
I mean, I knew I liked older men…. but…
He takes a step towards me. “This curse. This damnation is a wolf’s worst nightmare. Never finding his mate. The one to carry his children.”
His other hand reaches up to cup my other cheek. “But I’ve began to question whether the curse is real.”
“Why?” I frown.
“Because for fifty years I’ve walked this earth and never found her.”
I open my mouth to speak when he leans his forehead down to mine. “I accepted my fate. But everything changed.” His thumb casually strokes across the front of my throat. “Everything changed the second I kissed you.” He brushes his nose against mine, the touch resembling the lightness of a feather. “I fucking knew.”
“You knew what?” I whisper.
He brings his gaze to mine. “Somehow…. I’d found her.”
Chapter thirty-eight
Locke
Raven’s eyes glisten as I watch the realization cross her face at my admission.
“But I’m not…” she steps away. “It doesn’t make sense.”
Her face scrunches. “I’m not a wolf, Locke. Who else knows about you?”
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a wolf or not.” I tell her. “And just a select few that are human know….” I let that truth hang in the air. “If this got out…. I’d be dead. We would all be.”
“All?” She rakes a hand through her hair, then reaches in the pocket of her pants and pulls out a peppermint. She mindlessly unwraps it, then slips it between her plump lips.
