Page 26 of Her Wolf's Demands

My heart thundered in my chest as she hung the dress from a cupboard door and brushed a hand down it. Did she think I would marry Malone or something? Fuck no. I was a newbie wolf, totally finding my feet, without the need for an alpha wolf to trap me in a marriage without even getting on one knee first.

“Oh!” Emiliah stopped fussing and came over to me, placing her hands on my shoulders. “Don’t panic, it’s not a legal wedding. It’s just a wolf tradition to magically bond the spirits inside us. You’re already bound on the physical level, but we invite the wolf magic to bind in the ethereal also. It’s nothing too strenuous, just a few words and a tying of the knot.”

“Huh?”

Staring at me, Emiliah bit her bottom lip before rolling her eyes. “Why am I not surprised that Malone has failed to prioritise the ritual?”

I blinked, unsure how to answer her. I had more important things to do, like rescue my familiar. How would she react if I told her that I wanted to ditch a wolf right of passage to go and get my cat? Dogs and cats hated each other enough as it was. Although, I doubted that Bohdi would put up a fight against one of the wolves. They would crush him in an instant.

“I’m not sure we’re ready for that.” I tried to defend the alpha, knowing full well that he wouldn’t be worrying about some hand-tying ceremony.

He also had more pressing matters to attend to. Like sorting out his pack and stepping into his role as alpha with much more enthusiasm.

Emiliah’s glare scorched me as she walked backwards towards the door. “I’m sorry,” she said, reaching for the handle, “I’ve persuaded the pack that once the ceremony takes place, they have to accept you. The wolf spirits won’t bind with the knot-tying if you’re not supposed to be in our pack. It happens on the full moon tomorrow night.”

She was gone, the door slamming shut and locking behind her, before I could reply. No, they couldn’t keep me prisoner. I had to find Bohdi or Ertha would kill him, which in turn would kill me.

Going to the door, I yanked on it, grunting when I heard a deep masculine chuckle on the other side. Shit, they were going to keep guard. Were they serious? All this fuss over a wolf wedding that had been arranged behind my back. What would Malone have to say about it?

Dialling him, I stalked to the kitchen window. Malone’s cabin was right beside mine, the windows covered by net curtains.

“Della.” His voice was tight. “I’m sorry, I can’t fight this.”

“They’re trapping you, too? Like a fucking mouse?”

His harsh release of breath made me swallow. I hadn’t meant to be mean, but I was sick of his pack dictating what I could and couldn’t do. Especially since we were supposed to be the one’s leading them.

“Listen to me,” he hissed, “this could be the answer. The pack have agreed to allow the ceremony to go ahead. Which means they’re willing to accept you ruling alongside me. I know you want to be free, but if you show them respect by agreeing, we can both benefit.”

My chest vibrated with my heartbeat as perspiration lined my forehead. How could I tell him that I had been planning to bind the wolf? I wanted to be with Malone, the heady pull of him and the fantasy of belonging was almost too strong to resist. However, Drake was my number one and always would be. Could we find a way to co-exist?

“And there I was,” I breathed, “waiting for the declaration of love and how you’re dying to marry me.”

“It’s not an official marriage,” he said, almost choking, “just an old wolf tradition for fated mates. Look, I didn’t tell you because we’re not ready, I admit it. However, they’re trying to find a way to make it acceptable for you to stay. I appreciate that and will honour it. Please… support me in this.”

His throat closed near the end of his sentence, strangling the words from him.

My gut twisted as I imagined him, his head bent and his shoulders lowered, vulnerable, only to me.

“What about binding the wolf?” I whispered, afraid to rile him. “What about Drake?”

“You can’t bind your wolf, I forbid it.” His tone tightened, his breath rapid in my ear. “Do you hear me, Della? I won’t… I can’t… Fuck.”

“Okay, okay.” Staring at the window, I willed him to lift the curtain at the same time as hoping he didn’t. “I’ll do it.”

His intensity made my heart pound. No one had been passionate about keeping me before. Okay, so he hadn’t expressed his feelings for me in words, but his desperation for me to stay told me more than fluffy sentiment ever could.

“Thank you. We have to stay separate until the full moon. I promise, once it’s done, we’ll go and get Bohdi.”

“Yeah.” I almost laughed. “Because the wolves will appreciate having a cat around the camp.”

His chuckle relaxed my shoulders as the last rays of sunlight disappeared. It had been a long day, and the pull of my muscles reminded me that I hadn’t had any sleep the night before.

“I don’t know if I can sleep over here, just inches away, and yet, unable to touch you.”

A light switched on in his bathroom. The misted window blocked my view, but the bulk of him was visible, tormenting me even more.

Hurrying out of the kitchen, I went into the bedroom opposite Malone’s bathroom to get a better view. The sound of running water started up in the background, loud as he pulled his shirt over his head.

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