Mending the Beast (Awakening Pride #10) - Lacey Thorn Page 0,48

was what she’d feared and most desired at the same time. She could fall in love with him, and knowing that sent terror through her. She swore her heart was going to beat right out of her chest.

Aleksy said something and Daniel turned to answer. She had no idea what it was they were discussing. Her ears were buzzing with white noise. It took her a moment to realize he’d asked her something.

“What?”

“I asked if you wanted a slice.” He held the offering of pizza out to her. “It’s best when it’s hot. Have to admit I’m not one of those who enjoys it cold.”

She took the food from his hand. “You wouldn’t have enjoyed Colorado then. We ate a lot of cold pizza. The cabin we lived in was too far out for anyone to get back with food that was still warm. Forget eating it hot unless we heated it up in the oven.”

“You’d just arrived in Colorado before the pride headed to Oklahoma, right?” Daniel asked between bites.

She nodded. “Griffin and I went with Gideon. He said he was searching for Clara, but I think he meant to leave Griffin and me with Tah and the pride the whole time.”

“Gideon didn’t plan to stay?”

“No. He’s not one for big groups of people. Plus, he planned to go look for Thomas Walker, Clara’s uncle.”

“Then he met his mate,” Daniel added. “And stayed.”

“Oh, he and Vic didn’t get along at first. He was rude and tried to avoid her, but she wasn’t having it. She confronted him. Told him she wasn’t his mate, so he needed to get over it. Gideon agreed. He was sure he didn’t have a mate.” And they’d been wrong. Vic and Gideon were mates, and no matter how much they’d both fought it in the beginning, they’d found out they needed each other. Was it going to be that way for her and Daniel?

“Looks like they were wrong,” Daniel stated, mirroring her thoughts. “They seem happy.”

“They are. Gideon deserves to be happy.”

“What about you?” Daniel asked quietly. “Do you deserve to be happy?”

Part of her wanted to scream yes. She wanted happiness. Wanted to latch onto it with both hands and hold tightly. But she shrugged instead, insecurity winning out. He reached across and used his finger to tip up her chin until their gazes met again.

“Everyone deserves happiness. Even you and me.”

She didn’t reply, but she held his gaze. Could she give him more? They’d kissed and touched. He’d given her an orgasm. Whenever she’d let nerves get the better of her, he’d slowed things down until she was comfortable again. Hell, until she was immersed in the pleasure he’d willingly offered. Offered yet not taken. Oh, God!

“Do you have family?” Daniel’s question snapped her from her heated thoughts. “I mean siblings or parents?”

She shook her head. “My mother died giving birth to me. She was human. My father wasn’t in the picture at all, as far as I know. My grandmother raised me. We didn’t have much, and being human, she had no idea what to do with me. She did her best though and loved me in her own way. She died a few months before I graduated from school.”

The look he gave her was sad. She didn’t want his sympathy, though. Sure, her life didn’t sound great the way she’d worded it, but she hadn’t had the hell she’d heard other shifters share. Besides, she didn’t want to talk about her past, right now. She wanted to ask Daniel about what had happened between them. What she’d denied him while greedily taking for herself.

“You didn’t orgasm,” she blurted aloud then felt her face go up in flames again as Aleksy cleared his throat then turned up the music.

Daniel leaned in close, brushing her hair behind her ear before whispering, “I came, too, baby.”

At this rate, her face was going to stay red.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about, baby,” he continued. “We may not have officially mated yet, but I belong to you, Ariel. With you. What we do when we’re alone together belongs to no one but us.”

She pushed the pizza toward him. “Better keep eating before it goes cold.”

He ran his thumb over her bottom lip but let her retreat. For some reason, that made her want what was beginning between them even more. They finished the pizza, Daniel polishing off the last slice while she closed her eyes. Her full belly along with the motion of