“I’m trying to do the right thing, damn it.” He snaked his fingers around her wrists and forced her arms over her head. “But you’re not making it easy.”
They stared at each other, panting softly, chests touching. His hair had fallen over his forehead, a few of the strands along his neck caught in the bristles on his cheek. Golden eyes seemed to look through her, as though he could touch her very soul. The moment was more than intimate. It was as if something snapped into place. The connection was baffling but impossible to ignore.
And it wasn’t the first time she’d felt it.
Back when things were uncomplicated, she’d experienced the same emotion, as though something inside her recognized Emory as her other half, the one person to complete her.
How is that possible?
“You feel it, don’t you?” Emory murmured.
“I don’t understand.” And she didn’t, not at all. This was more than sex, something that she realized would change her life forever.
“We’re meant for each other.” Emory dipped his head and feathered his lips over hers. “The first time I saw you, I knew. I wanted you so much it hurt.”
“But…” She struggled to find words. “You never said anything.”
“I wanted to,” he hissed when she unconsciously shifted her hips, pressing her thigh against his thick erection. “You have no idea how hard it was to keep my hands off you.”
“Then why did you?” God knows if he’d made a move she wouldn’t have stopped him.
“I didn’t know how deep your ties to your family were. I wanted you to trust me before I told you the truth. I didn’t want you to be afraid of me.” A flash of pain crossed his face. “You ran from me when you learned what I am.”
“I’m so sorry.” The hurt in his expression caused something in her chest to break—hard. “When my family…all the guns…and then you…” She gulped. “I panicked.”
“Understandable.” He took a deep breath and released it slowly. “There’s nothing we can do to change what happened. Dwelling on the past won’t do either of us any favors. We can only move forward. That’s why it’s so important that I’m honest with you now, that you understand exactly what you mean to me.”
“Mate?” she whispered, remembering he’d put a stop to the heavy petting when she said the word. “Is that what you mean? Is that what you want me to be?”
“No, that’s not what I want you to be.” She frowned and he corrected, “It’s what you are. Mine. My mate.”
Then it all clicked.
This wasn’t casual sex. He didn’t want her for a quick romp.
Emory wanted to make her his.
A crease formed between Mary’s brows as she processed the information he’d given her. Her lower lip vanished between her teeth and he clenched his jaw, forcing back a growl of need, want and desire. No one had affected him like Mary and no one would. That was what she needed to understand and come to terms with.
Finally, she asked, “Is that shifter lingo for girlfriend?”
He grinned at how perplexed she sounded. “No, angel eyes. It means you’re my other half. The woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.”
Her beautiful brown eyes went wide. “You don’t even know me.”
“Don’t I?” He rolled his hips so that his jean-clad cock made contact with her pussy. Her eyes slid closed and she moaned.
“It’s chemistry.” Mary sighed, arching her back. “You don’t have to know someone to share that.”
The wolf inside him snarled, wanting to prove just how wrong she was.
Hell no.
He would not allow her to think chemistry was the only thing responsible for her reactions to him. He moved away from her, so a sliver of distance separated their bodies. She opened her eyes and glared at him, her sexual frustration apparent as her full lips pursed into a sexy frown.
“There’s more than chemistry at work here. Concentrate on your emotions, think about the way you feel.”
“Right now I feel annoyed,” she grumbled.
“But you feel secure too, don’t you?” He left her wrists go and trailed his fingers down her arms. “You’re in a room with me, all alone in bed. But you’re not scared. You’re not running away. In fact, you’re burning me alive with the way you smell, how you fit against me and how eager you are.” His nostrils flared as he pulled her scent into his nose. He floated in the fragrant scent of her pussy—hot, sweet and all Mary—and his cock throbbed as he imagined tasting for the first time.
Her scowl slowly faded. “I’ve always felt safe with you,” she confessed, cheeks turning a breathtaking shade of pink. “I’m not sure why.”
“It’s because deep down you know you’re meant for me.” He met her gaze. “You know we’re meant for each other.”
“That’s not possible. Love at first sight only happens in cheesy romance movies.”
“What we have is more than love at first sight.” He skimmed his finger along her shoulder. “In fact, what I want to share with you makes love laughable in comparison.”
She trembled when he lowered his body so they touched once more. “You’re trying to tell me something.”
He chuckled. Christ, the woman drove him insane. He’d been trying to tell her something since he’d gotten her into bed. Hormones certainly played a part in her confusion. Mary wasn’t a horny, sex-crazed female who wouldn’t care about tomorrow. Her intelligence surpassed many people he knew, including members of his pack who had degrees in fields that required dizzying intellect.
“I’ve already told you but I’ll repeat myself for your benefit.” His finger dipped down the center of her chest and he made lazy circles in the area between her breasts. “Once I have you, I’ll never let you go. After we make love a bond will be formed that can never be broken.”
“Are you talking about changing me?” He caught the hitch in her voice, saw the way her bottom lip quivered. “I didn’t think you could do that.”
“You’d be right. I can’t change you. Not in the way you think.” Attempting to soothe her obviously rattled nerves, he brought his hands to her temples and played with her hair. “But I can share a part of what I am with you.”
“How?” He could see she was frightened, although she tried to hide it.
And the moment of truth has arrived. “It’s called bloodbonding.”
“Bloodbonding?” she repeated, as if making sure she heard him correctly, sliding her tempting pink tongue along her even pinker lower lip.
“When we make love the wolf inside me will start the process of merging with you.”
“Merging with me?” She sounded skeptical. “How would that change me exactly?”
He hesitated before he admitted, “A part of my wolf will remain inside you.”
The scent of panic—sharp and peppery—hit just as she shoved at his chest, forcing him away. He sighed but gave her what she wanted despite his feral half’s protest. Rolling off her, he moved and sat at the side of the bed. She shoved her elbows into the mattress and pushed herself upright against the headboard. Then she faced him and ran a shaking hand through her hair.
“It will be a part of me?”
“In a manner of speaking.” Sugarcoating wouldn’t help, so he didn’t bother. “It will merge with you, remain with you and unite us as one.”
“Will I…What I mean to say is…”
“Would you be able to change?” he asked, picking up on her question easily enough. “No, you wouldn’t. You’d have the soul of the wolf inside you, not the form.”
“That’s a lot to process. I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything.” He bit back a curse when he reached for her and she shied away from his touch.