Yes, I am. His eyes darkened, became more intense.
Licking her lips, she rested a shaky hand on the side of her face. “So, now what? You tell your wolfen family you found me? We date and see what happens…right?”
“Wrong.” Trae assumed a casual stance, slipping his hands into the pockets of his slacks as if he had all the time in the world to be there. “As my mate, you have to be there. At the induction. Our final bond is part of the ceremony.”
“Our bond?” Why did that seem ominous? Springing up from the couch, she said, “I hope that doesn’t mean I have to have sex with you in front of your furry clan.”
“Pack.” He chuckled, the sound deep and robust. “The last mark is not conducted during the sexual act. Its purpose is to signify to the other pack members we are one, and it triggers the altering of your genetic make-up.”
“Which means…?” She prayed he was not about to say what she thought he was going to say.
“You’ll shift and take your wolf form during the following full moon.”
Shit, he had said it.
It was her turn to pace. “Ohmygod, this can’t be happening.” Her movements were erratic. One second she was walking in front of the couch, then she was behind the couch, then before her living room window, then back walking the carpet by the couch. “You’re telling me I’m going to be a wolf, running on four legs and hunting the mountains for my meals?”
“Not quite. We go on several runs a month, but we only hunt for special occasions, like the induction ceremony. I’ll be required to make a kill. However, as you witnessed yesterday at breakfast, we are perfectly capable of eating regular food, at the table, with civilised manners.”
He was right, of course—he and Diego had ordered and eaten mammoth amounts of pancakes and sausages, while she and Kelsey had eaten normal portions.
Could she do this? Become a wolf and leave everything she’d ever known behind? Looking around her apartment, there wasn’t much significance to her life. There were no pictures of family or siblings littering the tables and walls. Her phone never rang, unless it was Kelsey, which wasn’t an issue now, with her best friend out of the country.
All her life, she’d been an outsider. A loner. There had never been any family reunions or Christmases gathered around a fireplace en masse. She’d always yearned to be a part of something, to be a part of a family unit. It was possible for her to finally have a chance at that. Her stomach ached, her chest felt tight and her eyes burned…to have someone care about her, consider her. Running her hand over her head, she allowed herself to imagine her life as more than half an existence. It was such a far-fetched vision she couldn’t. She couldn’t see what she’d never experienced. Something that had only been a fiction she’d seen on television shows and in films.
But, she wanted to believe. With everything in her, she wanted to believe it was possible for her.
So many questions began to run through her mind. Would the change hurt? Would I be sick afterwards?
Then reality invaded. She couldn’t do this. Her job—she’d worked hard for her position at the magazine.
“I can’t do this!”
“You have no choice.”
That wasn’t entirely true. Trae knew he was exaggerating a bit. Since he had only marked Olivia once, she was still free to go. Even with the mate connection, if she never saw him again, the mind link would fade with time. It was only the bond of the second mark that would keep her from ever leaving him—that link was so strong that if either died, the other would soon follow.
She stopped striding along the carpet and gazed at him with her soft, brown eyes. “What do you mean, I have no choice?”
“We’re mated, beautiful rabbit. You’re mine and I will not let you go.” He crossed his arms over his chest.
“Can’t you just choose someone else?” Her arms waved around beside her. “There’s got to be some available Wulfene pack bitch that’s more than willing to mate with you.”
He couldn’t help but smile at her choice of words. “Even if there were, I cannot risk the vitality of my children.”
The skin between her eyebrows tightened, concern shadowing her gaze. “How would their strength be in jeopardy?”
Seeing the worry on her face at the mention of children struck him in the centre of his chest. It was possible that he had discovered the avenue to convince her to be with him. Children, a family? With all the questions and concerns that had been volleying in her mind, he knew she hadn’t been worried about parents or siblings. Just Kelsey, whom he knew by her thoughts was gone, and her job.
Allowing her to hear the sincerity in his words, he explained, “In my pack, every male and female is raised to understand the significance of finding their one true mate—the strength of the offspring. Often, a pair joins together through love or responsibility when they are not mates. Any children produced by them are healthy. However, they will never excel in strength, agility or wisdom, like the children of mated matches.”
Lowering her head, she stared at her hands as they rubbed involuntarily together while she remained silent.
“As the Alpha, Olivia, I must produce an heir who will be able to take my place when it is time. Say you’ll do this with me,” he implored.
“I like my job at the magazine. I’m finally doing what I love.” Her gaze rose. “I don’t want to leave my job.”
He could hear the apprehension in her voice and the anxiety filling her brown eyes pulled at his heart.
“You won’t have to. Everyone in my pack works with and around humans. Even headquarters is in Asheville, we just choose to live deeper in the Blue Ridge Mountains— more privacy.”
He could feel some of the panic leave her mind. She was beginning to analyse the possibilities. It was time to seize the opportunity, before other doubts began to creep up.
“Say you’ll be with me, my rabbit.” He held a hand out to her. He needed her to come to him willingly. “Join with me. I can’t make you take this next step. As much as I would like to, our laws and nature forbid it.” As much as it was a risk to confess this to her, he had to tell her the truth. “There’s no glamour or subterfuge, just me. Right here.” Taking a deep breath he let out the rest of the words. “If you come to me now, there will be no turning back, Olivia, ever. You must understand this.”
Holding her gaze with his own, he didn’t allow her a chance to break their connection.
Olivia only hesitated for a moment before she rounded the table and moved towards him.
When she finally stood before him and slipped her soft hand into his, he sighed with relief. There were two things his body desired—to bury himself deep inside her and to sink his teeth into her flesh.
“I’m not sure what I’m getting myself into, Trae, but I can’t deny that I want to be with you.”
“Don’t worry, I will guide you every step of the way.” Pulling her against him, he wrapped his arms around her sexy form. The breast-hugging tank-top and her short skirt had been driving him insane since she’d opened the door. It had taken everything in him to keep his mind focused on what he needed to explain to her, instead of pressing her up against the nearest wall and slipping his cock into her wet heat.
“That’s what I’m counting on.” For the first time that night, she smiled at him, making her face radiant, allowing him to see the sensual woman she had been that night at The Club.
His desire amped up, pushing him fast towards erotic madness. He needed to have sex with her, now, before his beast took over, disregarding the fact she was human, and took her hard, unleashing a fierce ardour that could hurt her.
“Kiss me,” he commanded, his voice rough and urgent.
Sliding her hands into his hair, she rose on her toes and pressed her breasts to his chest and her lips to his. Even though his cock was hard, his blood raging and his body vibrating with desire, he restrained himself and allowed Olivia to lead the kiss.