Page 23 of Wolf Desired

Panic flooded my twin bond and I gritted my teeth, determined to not let it affect me. Bishop was awake and had just realized Audrey wasn’t in bed.

I’ve got her,I told him.We’re on the porch swing.

The panic shattered, followed by confusion then a stomach-churning mix of emotions flashing so fast they were nearly impossible to recognize as he realized I’d sealed the mating bond.

Yeah. That was how I felt about the whole situation as well.

Why?he asked, his footsteps hurrying across the living room floor and drawing closer to the door.

You know why. Her fever wasn’t going to break unless the bond was sealed and now her fever has broken.

The door creaked open and Bishop stood in the doorway looking exhausted. His gaze slid over Audrey curled against me, her expression relaxed and peaceful, and he released a heavy breath.

Thank the Sisters,he said, sagging against the doorframe as the energy from his fear evaporated.

As soon as she’s strong enough, you need to mate with her,I told him, even as a part of me roared at the words. She was mine. I was supposed to be able to protect her and fulfill her needs. But I couldn’t and I never would.

You still need to develop a relationship with her,Bishop said as if he already knew that I planned to keep my distance after he bonded with her — probably because that’s what I did with all the things I couldn’t handle. It was always easier to say, ‘to hell with it,’ and move on. And it would be better for Audrey if I did.

Cyrus, still in his massive black wolf form, bounded out of the underbrush on the far side of the glade and raced toward us, stopping at the foot of the porch steps. His tongue lolled from his mouth and his sides heaved with heavy breaths as if he’d spent the entire time away from the cabin running.

Knox sealed the bond and broke her heat,Bishop said.

Good,Cyrus stepped forward, his form turning liquid for the blink of an eye before solidifying into his human form, and he marched up the steps to the door.We still leave in the morning.

Shouldn’t we give her a day to recover?Bishop asked.

Cyrus glared at him and Bishop moved to the side to let him pass.

She can recover on the way. The fever might have done more than exhaust and starve her, and we can’t chance Kelna’s human healer not recognizing if there’s a problem.

And while the healing elixir Whil made healed a lot of things, it didn’t help with exhaustion, starvation, or rifts between our human and wolf souls. Given how Audrey’s connection to her wolf was so buried she couldn’t even shift, it wouldn’t surprise me if the heat fever had created more problems.

The thought made me tighten my grip on her.

If I hadn’t been stubborn, none of this would have happened, and the only way I could think of to make it up to her was to convince Bishop to mate with her as soon as possible and stay the hell out of her life. Our bond was sealed and the overwhelming compulsion to be together was gone.

Audrey bonding with Bishop would overpower any other desires to be with me. It had to.

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