Page 59 of Unmistakable Mate

She grinned as she tossed the rag aside and climbed into bed beside him. Even in his sleep Zander reached out for her. She let him pull her against his side and tuck her safely against him. She closed her eyes and fell asleep quickly, knowing that her mate was safer now than he had ever been before, because he wasn’t human anymore.

Zander was a wolf.

Chapter Twenty-One

Zander held Maya’s hand as she led him deeper into the woods. His senses were primed and he swore he could hear everything from the crunch of dead leaves beneath their feet to the sound of his own blood pumping through his veins. The moon was up already, the big, full orb lighting their way but his eyesight had gotten better throughout the day so that he couldn’t be sure if he even needed the light of the moon to keep from stumbling over a downed tree branch. He felt like he was lit up from the inside out, practically incandescent and humming with the energy of a nuclear reactor. His hands were sweaty from the heat and his nerves but Maya didn’t seem to mind as she gave a firm squeeze of reassurance.

He was still awed by the way she could sense what he was thinking, what he was feeling, without him needing to say a word.

All day today, ever since she’d bitten him last night really, the bond between them had become something he could feel. Before it had been more of a magnetic pull towards her but now it was more than that. He felt her as if she were a part of him, like she was his true north, the homing beacon on his compass. The bond that stretched between them now wasn’t a delicate string but a thick, wide river that flowed both ways, letting him sense her just as easily as she had always seemed to sense him.

It was love and magic, or maybe they were the same thing. All he knew was that he loved this woman and would follow her anywhere. He trusted her and though he was still nervous about undergoing his first shift, he knew that he would be okay because Maya would be right there with him.

He had spoken to Zoey about what it felt like to shift for the first time and his sister hadn’t sugar-coated it for him. She’d said her own experience had been terrible. She had described excruciating pain rivaled only by the two births she’d gone through since. She’d told him that he would feel like his body was being ripped apart, because it was, but she’d tried to soften the effect of her words by reminding him that it would get easier with time.

Considering he could still remember her moans of pain and the sound of bones snapping when she had shifted to show him what she was now, he wondered if that was true or if the fact that she had gone through it so many times had numbed her mind to it.

“You okay?” Maya asked, looking back at him and when he gave a jerky nod she groaned. “I told you not to call Zoey. I knew she was going to freak you out. I promise it’s not as bad as whatever she told you.”

He raised an eyebrow, “You were born a wolf. You’ve been shifting your entire life. Zoey said it’s different for us, especially the first time.”

“You’re going to be fine.” Maya stepped closer, “I told you that I would never let anyone hurt you ever again and I meant it. That goes for your wolf too.”

He smirked, “My badass mate’s going to keep my new wolf in line, huh?”

“Absolutely I am.” She winked and then glanced overhead, “Come on. The clearing is just through here and the moon’s almost overhead.”

He let Maya lead him on through another bunch of dense trees without comment. He wanted to ask her where they were going but he didn’t bother. She’d told him that on a normal full moon they would turn with the pack but since it was his first time and their wolves still needed to seal their part of the bond, they would shift alone tonight. He was glad for that and he even managed to smile when they stepped into the clearing and he glanced around, realizing where they were.

“Wait, are we…” He spun in a circle. “Is this the same clearing where you showed me your wolf?”

Maya nodded though she looked up shyly from beneath her lashes, “I thought we should let the wolves finalize the bond in the same place I started it.”

“God you’re sweet.” Zander leaned down to brush their lips together. “I love you.”

She smiled up at him, “Tell me again later. Right now we need to get naked. My wolf is pacing, just waiting to break free which means it’s almost time.”

“Yeah. Okay.” He nodded, tossing the backpack Maya had given him to the ground and beginning to undress.

The backpack was full with their post-change supplies. She had explained that though they were still present inside their wolves that they weren’t going to be able to retain control, not on a full moon and certainly not when the wolves were in heat and desperate to seal the mate bond. She’d packed them spare clothes, towels and wet-wipes and toothbrushes and combs. It was a mini survival pack for the weirdest morning after ever.

“Just remember what we talked about.” Maya spoke as she ditched her shirt and bra. “Open your mind up to the wolf, let him come forward. Don’t fight him. It’ll only make it worse if you try to assert control. He’s brand new so he’ll claw his way out if you make him and neither of us wants that.”

“Yeah. Clawing my insides out. Not on my to do list.” Zander grunted as he kicked off his shoes.

“I’m going to shift first, that way my wolf will already be here waiting for him. I don’t know that it will make it any easier for you but my hope is that he scents his mate and shifts fast and easy to get to her.”

“Okay.” Zander nodded as he bent over and picked up his clothes and shoes, stacking them next to the backpack and then glancing back at Maya to find that she was naked in the moonlight. “Wow.”

“What?”

“I hope I never get so used to seeing you like this that wow isn’t my first reaction.” He moved towards her again, sliding his arms around her waist and leaning down for a kiss. “You’re beautiful.”

“You’re not so bad in nothing but your birthday suit either.” She grinned up at him but his smile faded as a shot of heat flared in his chest and he grunted, letting her go. She winced. “It’s happening already isn’t it?”

“Is it supposed to feel like a heart attack?” He sucked in a gulp of air but it tasted like fire and burned his throat.

“Just breathe. Remember to breathe.” Maya looked like she wanted desperately to make it easier for him, to take away his pain, but she couldn’t. Not this time. Steeling her spine she gave a firm nod, “I’m going to shift now. Just remember to let the wolf come to me. And Zander?”

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