anything against full grown wolves, and they still whispered. I didn’t want the same thing for you. I wanted you away from all of that.”
“Ari,” I breathed, resting my head against his chest. “You didn’t have to tell me.” I turned eyes still full of tears up to meet his. “I’m glad you did, I want to know about you, but I know what it’s like to rip those wounds open.”
He stroked a finger across my lip. “It still hurts, Penny, I won’t lie to you.” My stomach clenched at that. “But it doesn’t hurt quite like it did. In some ways it hurts simply because it doesn’t hurt, because I’m guilty that I’m not as sad. In some ways it hurts because it’s fading away, because I can’t remember what she said to me when we were searching for the shells, or I can’t remember what her hair smelled like, or what her laugh sounded like. That’s its own kind of pain.”
I tilted my head, considering his words. “I can understand that.”
“When I lost my mom, Penny, I closed everything off. If I couldn’t have her, then I wouldn’t lose anyone else. I wouldn’t lose a packmate again. I would be the strongest wolf there was. Then you showed up and you were this threat to my pack. You were all color and fire and change, and my wolf wanted you.” His eyes glowed blue, his wolf pushing to the front, brushing against me even as he held me tighter. “Not because of a promise I made, not because of a debt I owed, although that’s what I tried to convince myself. I wanted you because of who you were. You were strength and fragility all wrapped up in this crazy, beautiful package, and it was like nothing I had ever seen before.” His blue eyes were brilliant now, glowing as bright as the sea glass behind us. “My wolf sees you as mine, Penny. You’re my opposite in so many ways, my match in others. I’ve nearly lost you twice now. You died in my arms. There’s so much coming, and I’m not going into the unknown without telling you how I feel about you—I can’t. I’m not fighting it anymore. I’ll wait if that’s what you want. I don’t mind the others, they’re good for you, but I want you for my mate, Penny. I love you.”
“Ari, I…” My heart stuttered in my chest as I tried to grasp what he was saying. “Mating?” The word squeaked out. “That’s like marriage, right?” Oh, goddess, I was going to faint.
“It doesn’t have to be now,” he told me softly, brushing gentle kisses over my lips. “You’re still human in so many ways, pretty girl.”
“I definitely am in this way!” I yelped. “That’s, I mean, this is, I don’t…” I was rambling now, struggling to find the words. I hesitated, pulling back to study him as I chewed on my lip. “That wasn’t just to get me in bed, right?”
A snarl worked its way up from his chest, and Alarick’s eyes flashed blue. “Use your power on me.” Command laced his words, and slowly, I could feel my power tingle against my skin, called forth by his own as he gripped my chin in his hand. “I can’t believe I even have to say this. I would never, ever lie to you to get you into my bed.” He said each word deliberately and succinctly, staring right into my eyes, his lips peeled back into a grimace. “You are used to humans. That’s to be expected. That behavior would not be tolerated here. I would not lie or manipulate you to get you into bed. Should you choose to let me touch you, and I hope at some point you will, it will be your choice. My offer of mating is not contingent on sex.” No sparks flew marking a lie, and he let his own power lapse, lowering mine in response, a growl still rumbling in his chest.
I huffed at his irritation. “I thought it was a fair question,” I mumbled.
“A human question.”
“I was a human,” I argued.
“My human,” he retorted, nipping my ear. The gesture shot heat through me, and a small moan slipped from my lips.
He tilted my chin, kissing me softly. “Anything between us is yours to control, Penny.” His blue eyes were warm as they met mine. “I may be dominant in bed, and I will be in the future, but our first time