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Even though my wolf’s attention is focused on our mate, he snidely asks, “Are you ready to admit that she’s perfect for us and that the pack would be lucky to have this human as their Luna?”
“Yes,” I concede. “I shouldn’t have fought against the gift the Moon Goddess has granted me.”
“Us,” he corrects me. “We’ve both been granted this gift.”
I mentally nod and agree, “She’s ours.”
“Fucking finally,” my wolf growls and then howls in delight.
“Crew,” Elodie murmurs softly when I’m standing almost toe-to-toe with her.
“Hi, El,” I whisper and watch as a soft blush colors her cheeks. I nod my head toward the woods and hold a hand out toward her in offering. “Will you take a walk with me?”
“Sure,” the nervousness in her voice, surprisingly, only makes me want her more.
I can hear her heart pounding in her chest. If I couldn’t smell her arousal, I would be concerned that she’s only afraid of me and not attracted to me. The hint of musk wafting from her mixes her scent and makes my mouth water.
I know she’ll taste as good as she smells.
When we step into the tree line to follow one of the well-marked trails, Elodie’s words come out so fast that her tongue almost trips over them, “I’m sorry for being in the kitchen last night so late.”
Before I realize what I’m doing, my hand shoots out and grips her wrist, pulling her to a stop and sending tingles I have only felt when touching my mate through my body. The way her lips part and her pupils dilate as she looks up at me tells me that I’m not the only one experiencing the sensation.
“Do you think that’s why I wanted to walk with you? To reprimand you about being in the kitchen?” I don’t even try and conceal the hurt in my voice.
I can’t say her skepticism and expectation of me being a dick isn’t warranted. I haven’t treated her kindly or fairly since she arrived. I thought we turned a corner last night, but maybe we haven’t gotten as far as I thought.
She shrugs one shoulder as she looks up at me expectantly.
“You’re welcome to do anything and be anywhere you want to be,” I tell her firmly, hoping she takes my words at face value. I pause and then glance around the woods, dread settling into my gut, “But I would ask that you have someone with you if you plan to go into the woods.”
Elodie tilts her head to the side slightly as she looks up at me, her question tentative, “Because of the wolves?”
I balk for a moment and my wolf stands up and takes notice as well. He’s been laying content and satisfied because of our proximity to our mate, but now he’s demanding answers. I want them as well.
“Who told you about the wolves?” My voice comes out harsher than I intended and there’s a hint of my wolf coming through.
As her eyebrows pull together in confusion, she speaks slowly, “Tilly told me. She also told me about the bears and other wildlife that can be found in the forest surrounding your home. I think she was just trying to prepare me since this is the first time I’ve really spent any time outside of a city.”
Internally I breathe a sigh of relief as I let go of her wrist. If I keep touching her, I’m not sure what I’ll do.
“Mark her,” my wolf demands.
“Not yet. That would scare her off permanently,” I fire back at him, hoping he understands.
“You never went camping growing up?” I’m pretty sure I know the answer since Tilly told me about how she grew up, but I want to learn everything about my mate right from the source. When Elodie opens her mouth, I shake my head and she snaps it closed. “Before you answer that, I want to say something.”
“Okay,” she whispers so softly that if I weren’t a wolf I probably would have missed it.
I breathe deeply before letting it out slowly. What I’m about to do does not come naturally to Alphas. We’re raised and trained to be decisive and to not second guess ourselves. It makes us cocky and sometimes arrogant. It also means being humble and admitting when we’re wrong goes against our nature.
But that doesn’t mean I can’t give a little for my mate. She deserves it and so much more.
“I’m sorry for the way I treated you since you arrived. You never deserved to be met with indifference and hostility in a place where you are welcome.” Elodie’s eyes start to glisten with tears, and I can’t help myself from reaching up and cupping her face in my large hands. “And you are welcome here, little moon,” I rasp, wishing I could express to her how much I want and need her right here with me.
“Thank you,” she sniffles and then straightens her back and blinks her tears away. “I accept your apology, even though it really wasn’t necessary.”
“Yes, it was,” my peanut gallery wolf pipes up, but he’s focused entirely on our mate and the way her soft skin feels in our palms. “Kiss her,” he demands and tries to push forward in my mind.
