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A growl trickles from my throat at the word “babe,” and he grins at me. “Dude has power,” he tells her. “He even made my wolf submit.”
That seems to shock her, and she glances at me for a moment, evaluating me.
“What does that mean? Claimed you? Den?” I ask, needing answers.
Quinn’s jaw works as she stares at me. “Wolves . . . mate. We get to pick who, and we are claimed during a ceremony if the male can prove himself worthy?—”
Dom snorts. “Which no one ever has to Quinn.”
She glares at him then looks at me. “But some wolves are born with an instinct that, when they meet certain wolves, comes to light. They call this fated mating, and although they still go through the ceremony, they claim the other beforehand, or at least their wolf does.”
“So my wolf has claimed you as his,” I say slowly.
“So it would seem,” she mutters, sounding unsure. “I need to visit White and see everyone. Dom, can you show them around and give them the rundown and layout? I’m hoping that showing people they are helping might go a long way in the pack accepting them.”
“Are you sure? He still looks like he wants to rip me apart,” he says.
“Please,” Quinn begs.
“Sure thing, babe—Quinn.” He coughs. “Go, I’ve got this.”
She spares me another look and sighs. She put on some denim shorts and a crop top, and her hair is unbound. She headsmy way, patting my chest. “Behave and don’t kill Dom. He’s a friend, a good friend.” She waves at the others through the window and jogs off into the forest.
“Oh, this will be fun.” Dom grins, rubbing his hands together.
Fun isn’t the word I would use to describe this.
The wolf inside me hates even being near Dom. Something about him is rubbing the feral creature inside me the wrong way, and I have to swallow back my growls.
He was familiar with Quinn, very familiar, and it seems my wolf and I have claimed her as ours. It’s giving me a headache, and so is his insistent, happy chatter as he leads us through the forest, pointing out the best areas to run, to rut—whatever that means—and swim. It’s a lot to take in, especially when you’ve only been a wolf for a day and haven’t even had time to fully understand what that means yet.
Everything has been happening so fast, but I can’t deny there is beauty to this pack and its land—something that calls to a part of me, telling me I’m home.
When Dom lapses into silence as we walk, I find myself eyeing him. I suppose he’s attractive enough, albeit too happy, like a puppy. I didn’t know that was her type. After all, none of us are like that.
As if feeling my gaze, he shoots me a smile and carries on walking. I know he told me they hooked up before, but I need to know what that means. “Are you and Quinn . . . mated?” I test the word, not knowing if it’s the correct one. Two growls sound behind me from Jai and Vale.
Dom chuckles before eyeing me. “Oh, you’re serious?”
I nod, biting my tongue until I taste blood. Jealousy wars with possessiveness, and my wolf wants to rip this man apart while the human in me knows he’s important to Quinn and that would hurt her.
Blowing out a breath, he turns to face us, his hands on his hips. “Okay, so you are new to being wolves. I should have realised that.” He rubs the back of his head. “Yes, I have been with Quinn.” He doesn’t step back when we all step towards him threateningly, which makes my estimation of him go up. “I won’t apologise for that. We were both single, and wolves crave comfort from sex. However, we are not mates. There is a difference between mating and mated. Mating is fucking. It’s what every wolf does. We are sexual creatures, and we love the high, especially after hunting or running. Mated is a lifelong bond between two, um, usually two wolves.” He spares Vale and Jai a look. “Though Quinn never did like to do things normally,” he mutters quietly.
“It is a choice,” he continues. “You choose whom to mate, and it’s consummated under the moon before the pack, but under all that is a feeling, a pull, like being born to your destiny. Sometimes, mated pairs are just from love that is grown, and sometimes they are moon bound, as we call them. The goddess herself blesses it. Once mated, you are committed, like a human marriage, only much more binding. Your wolf would never accept another, even if your mate dies, which is another thing—if your mate dies, then usually, you would as well.”
“Quinn’s mother didn’t perish,” Vale muses softly.
“She’s a strong motherfucker. She’s alive for Quinn, but make no mistake, that woman has lost her soul and her wolf is grieving and broken. It’s a miracle she is still alive,” Dom replies seriously, then he seems to perk up. “So no, I’m not Quinn’s mate.” He gives me a grin. “I have a feeling that title has been taken. Besides, Quinn was always hard to get close to. She is sodetermined to be the best alpha she can be, she kept everyone at a distance, as if feeling too much made her weak. Or maybe she just worried about getting hurt again and losing them when she had already lost so much. I’m not sure, but don’t let her push you away. Keep pushing, she’s worth it.”
“I know,” I admit, begrudgingly liking him. “So the tour?”
He nods. “Ah, yes, come with me. Ignore the stares you’ll get. We don’t often have new wolves, especially turned ones. They’ll get used to you eventually.”
“They’ve probably never had hunters turned into wolves though,” Vale points out.
“True, but Quinn has a lot of loyalty here. She has risked her life over and over for the people of this pack, not to mention she would take care of us every day. She genuinely wanted the best for us. She would help build houses or cook for the pups when the mums were pregnant. She would run with the changelings to help them get used to it. She’s an incredible wolf and an even better alpha,” he explains as we reach the grassy verge. The black remains of the pack house are to the right, and there are many wolves dotted around, starting to clean it up.
Even in the colder weather, they are wearing shorts and not much else, but then again, I’ve been hot since I woke up, so I guess that explains it.
