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She nodded and after a moment of searching her gaze, he joined their lips. The kiss was soft, almost reverent, and as it went on in length Kelly felt as if something clicked into place between them.
“The bond.”
“Yes. You know it’s hard to fight when it’s something you actually want.”
“You want to mate?”
“More than anything.”
“You’re not just suggesting we mate because I am sick?” Kelly voiced her deepest fear.
“Yes, I want back the strong vibrant woman who I knew when we were growing up, but Kelly, you are my mate and I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything else.”
As if sensing her disbelief, Ryan caught her chin in his hand forcing her to look at him. “More than anything Kel, even being alpha of this pack can’t hold a candle to how much I want you.”
She melted at his declaration and lost another piece of herself to him.
RYAN COULD FEEL the tentative whisps of her emotions reaching out to him. He could feel the bond between them begging to be cemented, and knew that once she finally allowed them to fully mate, theirs would be one of the strongest connections he’d ever seen between a mated pair.
“Kelly, you’re feeling dizzy let me help you.” He whispered the words against her ear as he let his lips brush the curve of her jaw. She tilted her head exposing her neck to him, and the part of him that was alpha wanted to crow with joy. He wanted to sink his teeth into her and drink deeply, taking part of her into him so that she could never deny him again. He couldn’t though. He’d promised her he wouldn’t bite her until she wanted him to, and he had to respect that but the way that she arched her neck for him made him think that she might be more ready than even she realized.
“Are you able to shift yet?” he asked, between trailing kisses down her neck and watching her shudder at his touch. He felt the heat of her blush before he pulled his mouth away from her flesh.
“No.”
“Will you let me try to help you again?” Ryan asked. He could feel her wolf wanting out, and his wolf was going crazy he was so desperate to spend time with their mate. He couldn’t hold back his grin when she finally agreed.
“Come on, let’s go outside.” Ryan urged her up from the couch and towards the door. The walk to the lake was short. “We won’t stay long, I don’t want you getting cold.” Without any fanfare, he stripped out of his clothing, leaving them on the shore away from the water.
With the warmer weather, they’d begun having, the lake was thawing and there was only the lightest dusting of snow cover in patches on the ground. Once she’d removed her clothing, Ryan couldn’t resist taking in her appearance. Partly because he couldn’t believe that she was his, and partly to assess her healing progress.
She was still far too thin, but she had filled out some, and that at least mildly appeased his wolf. He tried to reassure himself she was healing, growing stronger but the fact that she still couldn’t shift was alarming.
The other pack leaders would be arriving soon, and he needed her strong, healed, and with him so that they could present a united front to the other packs. He sighed, hating the politics that ruled the shifter society. Everyone always jockeying for power, looking to exploit any weakness they could find.
He pushed thoughts of the pack aside, focusing on his mate and what she needed from him at that moment. “Try to shift,” he instructed and watched her struggle to do what should have been the most basic thing.
After a few minutes sweat beaded on her forehead and he realized that she wasn’t going to be able to make the change on her own. She let out a frustrated grunt and looked close to tears.
“She wants to come but it’s like she’s blocked or something.”
“Here let me help. The ground is cold, sit on the pile of our clothing and I’ll see if I can coax her forward.” Ryan could see she was leery of allowing him to call her wolf again. “It won’t be like last time. I promise I’ll be gentle.” When she nodded and sank onto the pile of their discarded clothing Ryan reached for her.
She still had the pink scar where she’d been wounded, and he wondered if it would ever heal. He laid his hands over her shoulders careful to keep his touch light. He called up the power he normally would to shift and let it flow between them, this time teasing her with it instead of shoving it into her in a desperate attempt to save her life.
This time the energy that flowed from him was more of a tingle as the power mingled between them. Ryan let his mental shield drop slowly, afraid that if he was too quick he’d scare her but anxious to let her in.
His wolf brushed against hers in a tentative caress and he could feel a bit of his control slip when she responded.
“That’s right baby, come out for me.”He used their mental path to communicate and was filled with joy as she responded, her wolf emerging slowly. Ryan kept his hands on her even after she’d completed the shift, stoking the soft fur that now covered her spine.
“You are so gorgeous.” he praised, his voice a whisper as he stroked his fingers through the soft waves of fur, giving her one last pet before he allowed himself to shift.
CHAPTER TWENTY
When his shields came down Kelly felt Ryan’s genuine shock that he was her mate.Is it possible he hadn’t known?The question swirled around in her brain tormenting her as they padded through the wooded area around the lake together. The scents of the night should have been enough to distract her wolf but the revelation that Ryan might have been telling the truth kept nagging at her.
If that was the case it would mean that they had been apart for no reason. The thought that she had suffered in silence without her mate for over a decade. All the while he’d been right there. Embarrassment and shame swept through her in a hot wave that made her stumble.
