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“Okay,” she says hesitantly, taking my ruff in a tight grip and swinging her leg over my back, settling on top me.
Slide your hands into the fur around my neck and hang on like your life depends on it.
She does as I say and the moment I feel her grip, I stand and start trotting, my legs stretching in long leisurely strides as she finds a comfortable place on my back to notch her body.
“This is fun!”
I take a peek into her brain, wanting to see what she sees. A wild kaleidoscope of sky, trees, and ground rush at me and I have to leap out of her brain before I lose my footing. Of course my mate would enjoy such chaos.
My wolf’s eyes pick things up much differently than her human ones and the scenery becomes visible to me once more. I open my gait and run as fast as I can.
Vanessa’s hands tighten in my fur and her laughter echoes through the night. Her enjoyment fuels me, making me run harder and faster, urging me to show her all the places I love in Wolf-Haven.
Finally, I’m forced to stop and take a breather after what feels like hours of running. I come to a halt next to my favourite place in all of the Wolf-Haven countryside. A cozy cave on the precipice of a mountain surrounded by trees except for the mouth, which sits on the edge of a sloping mountainside.
It feels right bringing Vanessa to this spot. I lower down so she can climb off, then shift to human. As soon as her feet touch the ground, she approaches the edge of the mountain, looking down at the moon-washed landscape.
I snatch her arm and pull her to my side. She’s a graceful human, but accidents do happen.
“It’s so incredible,” she murmurs, her gaze sweeping the shadowy forest blanketing the valley below. She looks at me, stretching up on her toes to graze my bearded jaw with a kiss. “Thank you for the run and thank you for bringing me here.” She wrinkles her nose. “But if you’re trying to convince me I’m not being kidnapped, bringing me to an isolated cave probably isn’t the way to go.”
Oh shit, was I wrong to bring her here? I reach into her brain but find only laughter. She’s teasing me.
I yank her closer under me arm and pinch her ass. “I brought you here for a reason.”
“What’s that?”
“You see all this? The beauty? The magic?” I sweep my arm, indicating the valley below. “It’s nothing compared to watching you on a stage.” I turn her to me, cupping her face. “The way you light up a stage, shining on everyone and everything around you, that’s the real magic. And that’s where I want to live with you.”
I hope she understands what I’m trying to say. It doesn’t matter where we live, I want to be with her and I want her to be happy, which means she gets to choose where our home is.
But she does the opposite of what I expect, bursting into tears. Not delicate you-said-something-so-wonderful-I-can’t-contain-my-tears tears, but deep gasping sobs that seem to penetrate her whole being.
I stare at her in stunned confusion as she pulls out from under my arm and paces away, her body trembling, her arms wrapped around herself as she walks. “You’ve ruined everything!”
“What?” I’m stunned. I was pretty sure I’d just said the most romantic thing I’ve ever uttered, which is saying a lot for a guy who’s fumbled four previous mates.
She throws her hands up and wanders toward the cliff, her tears continuing to fall unchecked. I grab her and pull her away but let her wiggle out of my grasp once she’s safe. She puts some distance between us.
“Vanessa. I don’t understand why you’re upset.”
“That’s because you’re too awesome to get it!” she shout-sobs, throwing her arms up. “You’re always doing wonderful things for me, trying to make my life better. And I can see right into your head, so I know it’s all true! You really care and you really are a great guy, and I hate it!”
“Why?” I’m lost and when I try to slide into her thoughts, she throws me out with enough force that I know better than to try again. She doesn’t want me witnessing her inner turmoil, but her outer turmoil can’t be any worse. “Vanessa, tell me what to do.”
She wanders toward the cliff again, so I turn her around and she paces toward the mouth of the cave. “You can’t change, and neither can I. We’re doomed.”
“Vanessa!” I shout her name, startling her into stopping.
She stares at me with wide, tear-filled eyes.
“Tell me what’s wrong.” I make it a demand and push it at her brain, turning it into a mental compulsion.
“I love you,” she blurts. “Like really love you. Not the mating connection bonding whatever kind of love, but the kind where I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Her words are like a punch to the chest, a good punch, but they still steal my breath and I stand in stunned silence while she stares at me with what looks like accusation. I still don’t get why she’s upset.
“It’s because I’m going to die.” A sob racks her as she resumes pacing. “Soon, maybe, but if not soon, then eventually. Keenan, I’m going to die and you’re going to keep going. I’ve seen into your brain, seen the histories of your previous mates. Each death tears a piece of you away. You haven’t been whole since Delilah, and I… I… can’t make it better. I’m human and you’re immortal. I’m going to die and you’re going to be alone until the next mate and then you’ll go through the cycle again and again until there are no pieces of you left.”
