He didn’t seem to notice, his gaze turning concerned as I began to pace, all the while glaring at his tattoo and willing it to go away.
Could he not feel it?
Was I imagining it?
Maybe… Maybe…
Alaric grasped my hand to stop my movements. “Makayla, what the hell is wrong with you?”
I pointed a trembling finger at his pec. “That.”
His gaze dropped to the wolf tattoo.“What the hell?” He released me to poke at it, his expression more curious than anything. “Huh.” After poking it again, his eyes drifted to my hip. “You have—”
“Yes,” I groaned as I sank back down to the mattress.
He shrugged as if I’d just informed him that it was Tuesday when he thought it was Monday. “Never been into tats, but whatever.”
“You don’t understand. This is… this means… it doesn’t work… and it’s impossible. We can’t be—we can’t!”
Alaric simply stared at me. “That made no sense. But I’m going to take it as a compliment that you’ve forgotten how to properly speak English.” He caught my wrist and yanked me into his lap, his smile wicked. “Let’s see if I can make you lose your voice next.”
I shoved him away and rolled off the bed and onto my feet again. “No, no. No more touching. No morethis.No moremating,” I declared, holding out my hand like a stop sign.
Alaric flopped back onto the pillows with his hands behind his head. “A bit late for that, sweetheart.”
I sputtered for a second, then glared at him and began to pace once more. He merely grinned, which, of course, made my wolf do cartwheels inside me. I tugged on my hair to keep myself from wrapping my hands around Alaric’s neck and throttling him. Or strangling myself. I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do more.
This is bad. This is so bad.
“It’s fine,” Alaric said as he peeled back the covers and moved to the edge of the bed.
He had his talk with the alphas today. And—I glanced at a clock on his nightstand—since we’d slept all of the morning away, he was running out of time to prepare. His father wanted him to attend as the Silver Lake Alpha, a task Alaric had accepted without argument. He hadn’t yet commented on the future of that role, and I suspected he wouldn’t for some time. Still, the position looked good on him.
However, I wasn’t done flipping the fuck out!
I scrambled onto the mattress and up to his side, grasping his biceps to keep him from standing until we figured this shit out. “How are you not more freaked out, Alaric?”
He shrugged. “I grew up understanding the concept of fated mates. The moment we met, I knew you were my future. Doesn’t mean this has to be a thing, Mak. We like each other. Let’s just leave it at that for now.”
“Fornow? I don’t think you understand the gravity of this situation, Alaric.We’re mates.”
He palmed my cheek and brought our faces close together. “I’m aware, sweetheart. But feel free to keep fighting it. It’s kind of hot.” His blue eyes were dark with desire, and he covered my mouth with his own.
I almost gave in, but I was terrified that if we continued, it might deepen the bond. Who the hell knew what would happen then? There was no rule book for crossed fates!
“You don’t understand,” I said, pulling away. “This isn’t how it works for my kind. That mark should only show up after completing the first and second stages. And… and… it’s darkening, too.Shit.” I pressed my palm to his chest again. “This wasn’t here last night. Right? Like, you’ve never had a birthmark here?”
He arched a brow. “The thing about birthmarks is that you’re born with them. They don’t come and go.”
“I know that, Alaric.”
He grinned. “Then the answer is no, sweetheart. I didn’t have a wolf on my chest until this morning.”
“Ugh, that’s not what I mean.” Seriously, how was he not upset about this? “Did you have a birthmark here at any point?”
He must have heard the seriousness in my tone because his expression turned pensive. “No, Makayla. It’s always been smooth skin. No mark.”
“Then maybe it’s temporary.”
