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“Yes, I stopped at the house, and they told me. She didn’t say anything about errands or give any hints on where she was off to next.” I can’t help the low growl in my chest. If only we had known before now. I’ll never forgive Benedict if anything happens to her. I don’t care what his reasons were. I don’t care how much he loves her.
The wind shifts, now coming from the west—and my heart leaps when I identify the scent it carries. “She’s here somewhere!” I call out, my nails digging into my palm, and now it doesn’t matter that we want to keep the rest of the pack from worrying. There’s hardly anyone around, anyway. I don’t have to hold myself back anymore. I break out into a run, prepared to burst into every single structure ahead of me.
She’s here, she’s here, my wolf rejoices. I can’t live without her, without the connection we share. Could there ever have been a time I wished it didn’t exist? When I regretted marking her? That may as well have happened to another wolf because I can’t identify with that regret anymore. It’s been a long time since I could. All along, everything I did came from that bond. No matter how I told myself otherwise, she was meant to be with me.
The sweetest sound in the world hits my ears, a tinkling laughter that I would murder a horde of witches just to hear, and I run faster, following it, knowing what I’ll find.
Though I couldn’t have predicted who I would find her laughing with. Old Agnes, the crone, the pack’s oldest wolf. What is she doing with her? What business do they have with each other? My wolf growls, suspicious, but right now, there’s only one thing on my mind.
Lili sees me coming and stands, beaming. “I’m learning to knit.”
I barely hear her, hardly slowing down enough to keep from crashing against her. By now, several of the other wolves who live nearby have gathered, having followed me, and they all watch as I take her face into my hands and crush my mouth against hers.
Our teeth clash together, our tongues tangling, and I have to stop myself before I devour her the way I so desperately want to. Mine, she’s mine, and she’s safe. Even if I found her getting cozy with a witch, I can’t think of the implications now, not when there’s something much more important at the forefront of my mind. The taste of her, the sound of her surprised squeal as it slides into something deeper. Something full of the same sort of hunger consuming me.
When I finally break the kiss, I pull back and look her deep in the eyes. She’s a little dazed, but her eyes are full of hazy pleasure.
“Say the words,” I demand. She has to. I don’t know what I’ll do if she doesn’t.
There’s no hesitation, not even the pretense of resistance. “I’ll do it,” she whispers.
That’s good enough for me. Laughter breaks out around us as I throw her over my shoulder, marching past Forrest, Benedict, Thorne, and everyone else, not even seeing them now. I have only one goal in mind, and it doesn’t involve any of them.
I’m going to take her. I’m going to fuck her, and she’s going to mark me. We’re going to make this official, once and for all.
35
LILI
There’s no question of what’s on Wilde’s mind as he marches me back to the house, heading straight for the stairs and carrying me up. I’m still over his shoulder, which on the one hand, is a real caveman move.
On the other hand? I’m glad everyone saw this. I’m glad because they know, all of them will know that he’s claimed me. That I belong to him, and he belongs to me.
Or he will once I’ve marked him.
I realize nothing is in our way now as he throws me to the bed. All of my fears are gone, my worries, everything holding me back. I know that this is real, that I can make my choice.
What choice is there? Have I ever had one? This is the way it was always going to be. From that first moment at the lake, when I found him watching me. When we silently challenged each other in the darkness. I didn’t know who he was, but I knew there was something about him. He wasn’t just another wolf.
And now, he never will be to me.
My wolf is happy, overjoyed, confirming this is the way it’s supposed to be. Like she’s just been waiting for me to catch up, to get out of my head and into the deeper wisdom she’s able to tap into. She always knew he was meant for me. I just had to catch up.
