Page 32 of The Wolf Slayer

She didn’t want him to stop, she wanted him to tell her all about it. “But isn’t nine years a little young to become a man?”

“Yes, but I have alpha blood inside of me. An alpha wolf is much stronger than others. Alpha sons need to turn young. They need to be ready to command and rule the pack in case their fathers can no longer do so.” His face lit up as if he’d won first place in a contest. “Seth was eleven when he turned for the first time. It made him furious that I turned so young.” He handed her a glass filled with orange juice.

“How old are you now?”

“Thirty-six.”

She choked on the sip of juice she was swallowing. How could he be thirty-six? He didn’t look a single day older than twenty-eight. That meant he was twelve years older than her.

How had she not asked him before?

He burst out laughing and patted her on the back. Her throat hurt, and she was still trying to catch her breath.

“How?”

“We age much slower than humans do.”

“The women too?”

“Yes. Even though they aren’t wolves they have wolf blood flowing through their veins.”

“Why can’t women turn into wolves?”

“Some say it’s because they are weak. My pack believes it is because Selene doesn’t want to burden the women twice. They carry our children, pour their heart and soul into them. Giving them a wolf would only add more to their plate.”

“So, you don’t believe women are too weak to shift?”

“No.”

She fell silent for a few moments trying to find the right words to describe her feelings. “The night that Berta broke down and you asked me to come with you I’d wanted to say no, but I couldn’t. I’d felt something deep within me that pushed me toward you. Since that night I’ve been feeling it. It’s as if something has been trying to pull me in your direction.”

She’d been wanting to talk to him about that feeling but had always been too afraid it would sound crazy. Now that he’d shared his secret, she felt as if she could share anything with him. It was as if a trust had been established between them that made it impossible to not share everything with each other.

He laid his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to his chest. She turned her upper body slightly and wrapped both her arms around his waist, looking up into his mesmerizing chocolate brown eyes. He lifted his free hand and started twisting a strand of her hair in his fingers.

“I’ve felt it too. I was about to drive home but when I saw you standing by your car, I felt a tugging, pulling me toward you. It reminded me of the feeling I’d felt when my wolf first formed within me.” He paused for a moment, still playing with her hair. “I couldn’t resist you, even though I knew it was forbidden to bring you here. Since that night, the feeling has become stronger the more I was separated from you.”

“What do you think it means?”

“I honestly don’t know. I’ve never heard of anything like it.”

They both fell silent, simply enjoying each other’s company. She leaned her head against his chest and listened to his strong heartbeat. After a few minutes, Blake gently lifted her head up.

“Did you eat enough? We’ll have a busy day ahead and I want you to be strengthened for it.”

“Will I meet your family today?”

“Yes, but first I would like you to meet Christa. She’s the pack’s healer and midwife. I want you to know where to find her so she can help you with whatever you might need during the pregnancy.” He took her hand, gently caressing it with his thumb. “I know I’m throwing you into the deep end here. Everything is new and there must be so many unknowns for you. I want you to be honest with me and tell me if it’s too much and you need a break or to take a step back.”

A warm feeling spread within her wrapping her into a comfy cocoon. It was the feeling of being cared for. His words didn’t feel like an empty promise.

“As long as you lead me through this, I’ll be fine.”

She let go of him and walked to the bedroom where she got dressed for the day. When she returned to the living area, Blake wasn’t there but the front door was open, so she went and looked for him outside. She expected to see Blake waiting on his bike for her, but instead she saw a large, black wolf laying in front of the porch. The wolf rested his head on his great, black front paws. His eyes were the same chocolate brown color as Blake’s, and fixated right on her.

“Blake?”

The wolf blinked and slightly lifted his head to nod slowly, as if he didn’t want to scare her with any sudden movements.

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