Page 16
Great. She’s looking for an escape route.
Excellent start, Pyrce. Really nailing this.
“I can prove it. I’ll show you.” I hold up my hands. “But I need to warn you first. Seeing someone shift can be kind of… alarming.”
Her expression doesn’t change.
“I’m going to shift and show you my wolf.”
“You’re a wolf,” Elsie repeats, her tone flat and disbelieving. “You’re going to turn into a wolf.”
“Yeah. But there’s more. I need to tell you about us.”
“Us.” Her eyes dart around again before returning to mine.
“Shifters have fated mates, and you’re mine.” I drag my hands through my hair roughly, tugging on the ends in frustration. “Fucking hell, I’m messing this up.”
I still when Elsie’s fingers wrap around my wrists, tugging my hands from my hair.
“I trust you. I mean, what you’re saying is crazy, but you’ve been nothing but kind and honest with me so far. This is clearly a big deal to you. You’re not messing anything up,” she says softly. “Keep going. I’m listening. I’m trying to understand.”
I nod and take a deep breath. Her touch settles me, and my wolf practically purrs in my chest as I start again.
“I’m a wolf shifter. That means I can change between my human form and a wolf. And I’m not the only one. Night Grove Falls is a shifter town. We have packs here, but we’re not all wolves. There are bears, mountain lions, rabbits…” I shrug. “Pretty much every kind of shifter you can imagine.”
Elsie nods, but she looks like she’s struggling to wrap her head around everything I’m telling her. I’m just grateful she’s still here, that she’s keeping an open mind.
“Shifters don’t date the way humans do. We get one person. One fated mate. The only person we’ll ever want. The only person we’ll ever love.”
I hold her gaze. “You’re mine, Elsie.”
Her lips part in surprise, but I keep going before I lose my nerve.
“I knew you were my fated mate the second you swung my front door open.”
Her eyes are wide as she whispers, “How did you know?”
“Your scent. So sweet, like nothing I’ve ever smelled before. My wolf knew too. There was never any question for either of us.”
Her brow creases. “But… what if you scent someone else you like more?”
I shake my head. “That’s not how it works. No one will ever smell better to me than you.”
“You’re so sure,” she says wistfully. “I wish I had that.”
“You don’t feel anything for me?” I ask quietly, trying not to let her see how much that would hurt me.
“I do,” she whispers. “I just don’t have what you have. There’s no scent telling me with absolute certainty that you’re the one.” A blush creeps into her cheeks. “But I trust you, and I never trust anyone. I feel safe with you. Close to you. Attracted to you.”
I smile, stepping closer. “Good, because ‘attracted’ doesn’t even begin to cover what I feel for you. I want you, Elsie. Until it’s all I can fucking think about.”
Her cheeks bloom brighter, but her eyes sparkle. She likes that I want her so badly, likes that I told her. I file that information away for later. If my mate needs me to remind her how sexy and desired she is, I’ll do it every single day.
Show her how much she means to us right now, my wolf commands.
I cup her face, stroking my thumb over her hot cheek as I hold her gaze. “You are the most precious thing to me. If you leave, I’ll be alone forever. There will never be another woman. Another mate. It’s you or no one.”
Some of the tension leaves her face.
