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We stayed like that for a while, letting our hearts and breaths return to normal.
“I’m glad you’re starting to understand your wolf better. It’ll help you become much more peaceful.”
Tori squirmed on top of me, making my dick flex inside her. “I feel a lot better now, and it’s probably not just from the mind-blowing sex we just had, either. Although, that certainly helps things.”
“Happy to oblige, ma’am,” I said, causing her to let out a girly giggle that made me ache again. I couldn’t help the smugness that enveloped me.
I roamed my hands up and down her back as I stared up at the sky. This moment couldn’t have been more perfect if I’d tried.
“I went by the jail earlier,” I said.
Tori stiffened for a second. After a couple of silent beats, she asked, “How’d it go?”
Fuck, I shouldn’t have brought it up now, but we had to talk about it. Since it was out there now, I tried to lighten the mood. “You and your brother are so similar in some ways, not the least of which are your sharp tongues and stubbornness. But the eye-rolls are a dead ringer.” I chuckled.
Tori elbowed me, and I let out a very masculinehumphbefore continuing. “I won’t pretend to understand your relationship, but baby, your brother might be more worried about your welfare than you realize.”
She was silent for a moment, then cleared her throat. “I saw Kyle at the hospital before he drugged me and took all of you.” Her voice softened, and my heart ached for her. She was trying so hard not to show that she was hurting. “He gave me a warning and made it perfectly clear that no matter how close we once were, he didn’t see me as his sister anymore. It’s just something I need to get over.” She trembled in my arms, and a small teardrop landed on my shoulder.
I could tear Kyle’s heart out for the pain he was causing my mate. I hated her being upset in any way. She was filled with so much light and love; she shouldn’t have to touch this world’s darker, negative emotions. I’d more than happily do that for her.
Wanting to take her mind off her brother and her sadness, I changed the subject. “I spoke with my aunt today. She was having a lucid moment, and I promised her I’d visit her tomorrow. I was wondering if you wanted to go with me.” Worried I might be pushing for things Tori wasn’t ready for, I hastily added, “You can absolutely turn me down. Sadly, Aunt Lucille is far more feral and isn’t likely to be rational, which doesn’t make for great company. I don’t want you feeling obligated or pressured to go if you don’t want to.”
I didn’t know if taking her with me to meet my only family member would be too much for her, but I hoped she would say yes because I wanted Tori to meet my aunt. Family meant the world to me, and I wanted Tori to be a part of it all.
“Of course I’ll go with you. I’d love to meet your aunt.”
A shit-eating grin split my face, and my heart swelled. Her coming to meet my aunt meant we were taking another step in the right direction. Soon, I’d be able to convince Tori of what we had, which was far more real than the fake engagement I’d initially proposed.
I wanted to officially propose to her sooner rather than later, but I had to show her how deep my feelings went for her. It had to be done slowly. I was too afraid of scaring her off and never finding her again, or worse, scaring her off so much that she wouldn’t pay close enough attention and get caught by a fucking hunter.
I’d never lived with so much fear until I met my mate. Remembering the shy way she’d asked if I wanted to go for a run and then seeing her in balance with her wolf had helped alleviate some of the fears gnawing at me since she’d admitted to losing control in front of Clawson. Now, I wasn’t as concerned as when I first saw the feral nature in her wolf. They were communicating better with each other, now that she’d had time to process the fact that she was a shifter.
Knowing Tori had been taught that shifters were monsters—however wrong those beliefs were—helped me understand her fears better. It took years to overcome that kind of gaslighting. The longer she was with other shifters, the easier it would become. We weren’t meant to be solitary nomads. We needed a pack. Seeing for herself that we weren’t to be feared helped her understand that. Margo, Diana—hell, even Audrey—were far from the villains she’d expected.
I traced the tattoo under Tori’s left breast—a cage formed from the light of a crescent moon with wolf tracks leading into it. The symbolization of it made my wolf growl, but I reminded him how far she’d come. I ached at the knowledge that she’d been disconnected, alone, and frightened. That was changing, and I was so fucking proud of her, of both of them. She and her wolf were bonding and attempting to work together to form the balance that was so important for us shifters.
Balance and pack—she had both now, and me. Tori would always have me.
Her wolf was stunning, and I’d savor the memory of us running together for as long as I was hungry for her.
I kissed the top of her head, and she tilted her face to mine, a small smile on her lips. I wanted to kick myself for making the night turn in a depressing direction. I didn’t want her to associate running free with her wolf with anything that’d upset the shaky foundation she and her wolf were building.
“Come on, little wolf, let’s shift again and get back to the manor. Our wolves need to have some fun. I’ll even let you win.” My words had an immediate effect, just not what I’d hoped for.
She jerked away from my arms, her eyes wide. “You mean like play-fighting? Are you for fucking real? Do you remember the last time I ‘played’ as a wolf, Ridge? I woke covered in blood, found Deputy Hill’s body, and because I had no memories of my time in the woods, I thought I killed him. So, no thanks. I don’t want to play with you.”
Fuck, how did I forget? She hadn’t been in control of her shift or her wolf that night, and her feral side had taken over. When Zander had tried to get between us, she’d turned on him. It had been his own fault. The ass knew better than to get between an alpha and his mate, but Zander thrived on pushing boundaries. It had backfired spectacularly when Tori’s wolf had laid into him.
She was right. She’d woken alone, naked, and covered in blood. It hadn’t played out in her favor when she was found standing over Hill’s body.
Oddly, I owed this closeness between us to Zander. The result of that night had been Tori agreeing to be my fiancée to have an alibi. I’d confirmed her innocence, even if she didn’t remember. People here were quick to cast blame on a stranger in town, but when they learned she was the alpha’s mate and the mayor’s fiancée, they’d backed down. Save for a few outliers.
She tried to stand, but I kept my hold on her. If I let her go, she’d run away from me. Again.
“That wasn’t your fault, Tori. Zander paid for his own stupidity. He was being a jerk, and your wolf deservedly put him in his place. It’s irrelevant now. You’ve better control now, and every time you work with her, you become more in sync.” I spoke quickly, trying to quell her unease. “There is so much more to being a wolf. Sometimes it means indulging in their playful side. While running is great, you might find you enjoy goofing off and experiencing things as a wolf. It’ll also hone her instincts. You’ve got nothing to lose but everything to gain.”
Tori’s troubled gaze nearly choked me. “I’m still fighting the feral side. You didn’t see the way I acted at the hospital with Clawson. I’m grateful he stopped me from hurting anyone, and I’m happy that my wolf is calmer, but this run with you tonight was a huge step. I’m not sure I’m ready to dive in further than this. What if my feral side takes over, and you can’t stop me?”
