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Heat flares my cheeks. “I—I was just curious.” I stumble over my words. “I—”
“I will tell you if you truly wish to know.”
Despite my embarrassment, I give him a small nod.
“While in their wolven form, a female will signal her interest by locking eyes with a male while they circle one another. If she decides she does not want him, she will then growl and move on to someone else. But if she is still interested, she will encourage him to give chase. Once he catches her, they will shift back into their two-legged form. She will accept him into her body, and he will give her his claiming mark on her neck, sealing the mate bond between them.”
I’ve lived around them long enough to know that Wolf-Shifters think nothing of nudity, nor of speaking so bluntly about coupling, but it is still a bit shocking to hear about the mating chase. But my shock quickly gives way to concern. Malak will be partaking in the mating chase. Tomorrow night, he will be in the woods choosing a mate. The bitter knowledge is a poison in my heart.
He takes my right hand, studying it intently.
“What are you doing?” I ask, curious.
“When a human desires to claim a mate, he gives her a ring, does he not?”
“Yes.”
“And if she accepts it, then others who see that ring will know she is taken.”
That’s a simple way to look at it, so I nod.
He stares at my hand a moment longer before lifting his gaze back to mine. “Come with me to the bonfire, Luna.”
“But… my father will—”
“He does not need to know.” Malak tilts his head to the side, training his left ear toward the door a moment as he listens. “He is asleep and snoring. So is your mother.”
A smile crests my lips. “My, what big ears you have,” I tease him about his wolf sense of hearing.
“The better to hear you with.” He grins in return. “Now, let’s go.”
I nod and he hoists me to his chest. My heart slams in my throat as he steps onto the railing. “Mal,” I whisper, giving him a warning glare. He knows I hate it when he jumps from high places. Especially when he’s carrying me.
“I’ve got you.” He flashes a devilish grin, and then leaps off the balcony.
I bite back a shriek and close my eyes, bracing for the worst.
Gently, he nuzzles my cheek, and I open them again to find us already on the ground. I was so nervous, I barely felt the jostle when we landed. “You are safe with me, Luna,” he whispers. “I would never let anything happen to you.”
“I know,” I reply softly. My heart clenches as I stare up at him. Tomorrow, he might be mated to someone, and I can hardly stand it.
Determination fills me. I will be brave and tell him how I feel. And I’ll do it tonight.
When we reachthe town square, a band is playing loud and cheerful music while dozens of people dance around the bonfire. I stare in awe as the Wolf-Shifters and a few humans dance with complete and utter abandon.
This is nothing like the elegant ball at the castle last winter, when Malak’s father entertained the King of Avalor. Mal and I danced then, but it was nothing like this.
He takes my hand and pulls me into the throng of people. At first, I feel a bit awkward, but as I gaze at everyone around us, I realize that this is a night of fun and revelry. I doubt anyone will judge me here.
I grasp my dress and lift it just enough that I can dance freely, without worry of entangling myself as Mal and I join in. My skirt sways with the music and my hair falls free of my braid as I dance with complete and utter abandon to the lively music.
I’m breathless and panting, but I don’t want to stop. I’m having so much fun that my cheeks hurt from smiling. Mal lifts me into his arms and spins me around before setting me back on the ground at the end of the song. He takes my hand and pulls me off to the side as we catch our breath.
We enter the city gardens. It’s dark, but the moon provides just enough illumination that I can make out the path as he guides us to the hedge maze. “Do you remember the time you thought we were lost in here?” he whispers softly.
“We were lost.” I laugh.
“No, we weren’t.” He tips up his chin. “A Wolf-Shifter never gets lost.”
