Page 17

I smile. “My wolf is dying to meet you. I still need to explain about the mating heat and a few other things that come with being fated mates, but…” I take a small step back. “Do you want to see him? Are you ready to watch me shift?”

“I think so.” Her brow furrows. “Wait. Mating heat?”

I nod as I tug my shirt over my head.

This is going so well, my wolf says happily, excited now he’s finally going to meet her.

“Whoa! Um, what are you doing?”

I glance at Elsie and catch her staring at my chest and abs. Her gaze drifts lower. And lower.

I bite back a smile. “I have to be naked, or I’ll destroy my clothes when I shift. Sorry, I should have given you a heads-up. I’m just so used to it.”

“Uh-huh,” she says distractedly.

Her eyes are locked on me, the dark blue of her irises getting swallowed by black as her pupils dilate.

I take a deep breath, holding back a moan when I smell her desire.

She wants us! Bite her! my wolf howls.

“Tomorrow!” I blurt out loud.

Elsie’s gaze snaps to mine. “What?”

“I mean, the full moon is tomorrow. Every month, on the night of the full moon, all mated shifters feel the pull to their mate. It’s the mating heat. I’m not sure what you’ll feel. For most humans, I think it’s an intense desire.”

I kick off my shoes and push down my jeans, then reach for my boxers, pausing to make sure Elsie is still with me.

“Intense desire.” She nods, her eyes glassy with need.

I could get her off right now. Take some of that need away.

My wolf licks his lips in agreement.

I stand there frozen as I debate what to do. “I’ll mark you tomorrow night. If you’re ready… to be my mate.”

My head is all over the place. One whiff of Elsie’s desire, and I’m frazzled. I need to take care of her, but I also know I need to wait to make sure she wants this.

“If you want me, if you choose me to be yours, I’ll mark you. But I need you to be sure, Elsie, because there’s no going back once I bite you. It’s like marriage, only more binding. You can take your time, as much time as you need. I’ll wait forever if that’s what it takes.”

Panic slams into me as tears fill Elsie’s eyes.

“I’m sorry! What did I say? Please don’t cry, Angel. I’ll fix it. Just tell me what upset you.”

“I’m not worth all of this,” she sniffles.

I shake my head. “You’re worth everything, Elsie. The whole fucking world. I want you. I fucking need you to survive. You’re part of my damn DNA. I want to give you everything. And I want to be everything to you.”

“I just—My own parents never loved me. It’s hard for me to imagine someone else wanting me.”

“Your parents are morons,” I snarl. “If you left, I would turn over every single rock searching for you. That trip? The one I was leaving for when you broke in? It was to find you. I’ve been saving for years to hire someone to locate you. I was coming for you, Elsie. I was looking for you before you even showed up here. I would have found you and never let you go.”

I pull her into my arms as tears spill down her cheeks, trying to soothe her. “You’re worth so much more than you know. You’re a treasure, Angel, something rare and perfect. I’m so sorry that your parents are blind and couldn’t see that, but I do. I’ll never treat you as anything less than the queen you are. You rule me. My head, my heart, my body. I’m yours. Completely.”

Elsie clings to me as she cries softly.

I rub her back in soothing circles. “I’ll tell you every day how important you are to me,” I promise. “Please stop crying, Angel. Seeing you upset is killing me. I’d rather rip out my own heart than cause you any distress.”