from looking at me, and I grab his face in my hands to make him look right into my eyes. A flash of his wolf comes through, and the hunger for me is there before he pulls it back and tries to look away.
“You said you’d always watch me,” I remind him, and I think back to when he used to watch me. It makes so much sense now. How I always felt so protected when he was near. The draw I felt towards him was something I’d never had for another person. Then he was gone, leaving an ache inside me.
Now he’s back. He’s my mate, and I only see traces of the man who was there before. I rub my thumbs along his prominent cheekbones, and now more than ever it’s clear he’s been in the wild. What caused him to leave me all those years ago? Sure, we didn’t know we were mates; we couldn’t have. I was too young and wouldn't have come of age until I was eighteen.
I still remember my eighteenth birthday. I was so scared I would find my mate amongst one of the local wolves, and now I know why I had that fear. In the back of my mind, I wanted it to be him.
When he doesn’t answer me, I push on. “I think you got hotter.”
His mouth parts at my words, and I lean down to take his lips. Pushing my tongue into his mouth, I taste his sweetness and moan at the flavor. He flips me over onto the bed so I’m beneath him once more. He deepens the kiss, his dominance returning. I love the way he makes me feel like a woman. I relish it for a moment before I strike.
I want back the confidence he had when he pinned me to the wall and fucked me like he owned me. Grabbing him by the hair, I pull his head back from me, breaking our kiss.
“Why did you stop watching me?” I growl out the question, letting my aggression flow. I want him on edge with me.
“You deserved better. I couldn’t protect them. How could I ever protect you? Your brother gave me that reminder when he caught me watching you.”
I growl again and use my legs to flip him over. He goes to flip me back, but I place my hands softly on his chest and the gentle touch stops him.
His answer confuses me. “Who did you not protect?”
“My mother and sister. They were killed by hunters when I was…” I know what he can’t say. When he was watching me.
“Your brother caught me outside your window watching you sleep and told me what happened. He told me to stay away from you.” He takes a deep breath, looking deep into my eyes. “That day I lost everything.”
“Am I not here right now, Xavier? You haven’t lost everything.” He sits up with me still in his lap, pulling me so we are chest to chest.
“I don’t deserve you, but I’m keeping you. You’re here and you’ll go nowhere I’m not.” I should correct him and tell him I’ll go wherever I please, but I like the idea that he wants me by his side at all times. While it might not be possible, we can play with the idea for now.
I rub his long hair and beard and try to offer him some comfort. “You couldn’t have watched them every second of every day, my sweet mate.” I try to reason with him. Everyone shifts and goes out into the woods, oftentimes alone. I do it myself.
“I’ll never take my eyes off you. I’ve learned my lesson. No one gets close to you.” I ignore his words because that’s not something I’m going to touch right now. Not with the heat happening. I’m bound to get fucked through the floor so he can prove his point. While it does sound appealing, I have a feeling I’m going to have my hands full with my wildly aggressive mate regardless of his having to prove anything.
“Where have you been?” I ask, changing the subject.
“In the wild.” He confirms what I thought might be true. It explains a lot. Why he’s so much wilder than the rest of us. I’m not sure if he’s even a member of our pack.
“I thought as much. It’s made you look more rugged. Like a sexy lumberjack,” I tease, running my fingers through his beard. His eyes narrow on me. “Not that I’ve