It felt like hours passed as Wyatt continued to watch over Kass. He looked on as colour slowly returned to her cheeks, her heart quickened until it matched the wild pace of his and finally her eyes fluttered open. The sense of relief he felt when he could once again look into her starry eyes was enormous.
He clutched her hand even tighter. Their time together was short, he had to savour every touch because these memories would be all he had to sustain himself if he decided to try and keep living without her.
“Wyatt,” she managed to croak. Her hand flew to her throat. It wasn’t meant to hurt when you spoke, especially if you’d only said a single word.
Sensing her pain, Wyatt grabbed the glass of water from the table. Dylan had warned him that her throat would be sore and told him what to do. He pressed the cool glass to her lips. “Don’t try to talk mon cœur. Drink this, it’ll help.”
Completely unfazed by the situation, Kass did as Wyatt said, sighing in relief as the cold water erased the pain in her throat. She’d been in this situation before. Usually she’d feel panicked and vulnerable, wondering if Ethan was waiting to pounce but with Wyatt at her side she felt completely safe. Nothing and no-one would get to her without going through him first. Mon cœur? You’ve never called me that before. What does it mean?
My heart. My love. My heart belongs to you, why shouldn’t I make that clear to everyone?
His voice lacked its normal confidence and Kass quickly grew concerned. How are you feeling? Ok? Her voice may have been useless but their connection meant that didn’t matter.
I’m healed. No permanent damage.
Kass’ brow drew together in confusion. Wyatt’s body might have healed but he was anything but ok. There was something bothering him, there was nothing he could hide from her thanks to their bond. Wyatt, she began slowly, trying to keep him calm. Nothing would be gained if he got angry and lost control. What’s the matter and don’t try to lie to me. I might not be able to smell a lie but I can feel one.
He stood up and began pacing, his movements reminiscent of a caged animal. “I’d never lie to you.”
Then you can tell me exactly what it is that’s bothering you.
His pacing grew more frantic. Suddenly he stopped and rushed back to his chair. He lifted her hand tenderly to his lips and placed a quick kiss to her soft skin. Stroking her flesh with his thumb he looked her straight in the eye, drawing strength from her. “Today’s the third of July which means it’ll be your birthday in a few days.”
She blinked, stunned that so much time had passed. It seemed impossible that only a few weeks ago she hadn’t even known Wyatt existed and now he was an essential part of her life. Sensing that Wyatt was struggling to deliver his message she kept her thoughts to herself.
“In a few days you’ll be immortal. You won’t need me to protect you anymore. You’ll be able to take care of yourself. When that happens…I’ll let you go. I’ll take you back to your life and you’ll never have to see me again.”
Silence filled the room. Glaring at him, Kass tightened her grip on his hand and made sure her voice was firm and her stance immovable. “That is never going to happen!” She burst into a coughing fit. Reaching for her glass of water she gulped down half the glass, glaring at her mate as she did it. What’s gotten into you? Has something happened with Anna and Michael? What would make you say something like that? The thought that Wyatt didn’t want her anymore never even came into her mind. Wyatt would always want her, which meant something must have happened while she’d been unconscious. Whatever it is, we can work through it…together.
Kass, this has nothing to do with anyone else. I made this decision myself.
What? she spluttered, confusion covering her face. Why? Is it something I did?
No, he rushed. You’re perfect. This isn’t your fault, it’s mine. He ran a shaky hand through his hair freeing the strands from the band that had contained them. Kass, you’re my mate.
Which is why I don’t understand why you’d want to send me away.
I’m meant to care for you, look out for you and protect you from harm. I’m failing and you deserve better. You deserve nothing but the best and I finally understand that isn’t me. I forced you to come here. I tore you away from your family and I’ve laid hands on you. I don’t deserve a mate, let alone one as perfect as you. It’s taken me a while but I can finally see what’s best for you and I have the strength to do right by you.
Stunned, it took Kass a moment to fully process what Wyatt had said but slowly everything he’d said fell into place and began to make sense. It should have been obvious that the only reason he’d think of letting her go was to protect her but his announcement had stolen all logic from her mind. Thankfully now it was back. Wyatt, I don’t want to go anywhere. She took a deep breath and tried to relax her throat. He needed to hear her words aloud. “I love you.” His jaw dropped and Kass couldn’t help but smile. Flooding his mind with her emotions, she forced him to feel exactly how she felt about him and the truth that was in her words. She would be going nowhere without him and now it was time to explain why. I know why you feel that you haven’t protected me but you’ve forgotten something very important. Ethan. You’ve been protecting me from the biggest threat to my life and you’ve done a fantastic job. I know that you’ve hurt me in the past but your mind was broken then and you haven’t hurt me since you started to get better. Anna lured us into a trap. She was responsible for all of this. Now she’s gone all we have to worry about us what we’re going to do for the rest of our lives together and mark my words Wyatt, we will be spending that time together.
And what if I lose control again?
You won’t.
Her voice said she was completely confident in him and it made Wyatt want to smile. Could this really be happening? He’d offered her freedom and she’d turned it down because she wanted to be with him.
Besides, she continued. Even if you’d managed to not listen to your wolf and let me leave, how long do you think you’d last before he made you chase me down? I don’t have to speak to him to know that he is one hundred percent against this idea.
You’re right, the wolf is definitely not happy about the idea of you leaving but if it’s what you want then I’ll fight him every step of the way for the rest of my life. I just want you to be happy even if that means I have to get out of the picture.
Cupping his face in her open palms, she fixed him with a hard, penetrating stare. You. I want you. If we’re anything like the original phoenix and wolf I doubt I’d survive without you…and I wouldn’t want to either. I don’t know if there’s a phoenix equivalent for mates but if there is one then you’re mine. I love you Wyatt and if I have to I’ll fight to stay with you.
Humbled couldn’t even begin to describe how Wyatt felt after hearing Kass’ words. His mate was beautiful inside and out, how else could she have forgiven him after all he’d put her through? He’d tried to do the right thing by letting her go and she’d turned him down. He wasn’t going to be doing that again. If she wanted to stay then he’d make sure she was kept.
“You’re right.” He kissed her slowly, savouring the sweetness of her lips and groaning as his body reacted to her nearness. “There’s no way that I’d have been able to let you go for long. You might have got out of the estate, you might even have made it to the city but I’d have never let you go…my wolf just wouldn’t allow it.” He chuckled to himself. “Though the chase would have made the claiming even better.” Brows furrowing at an unwelcome realisation, he shook his head. “Actually maybe not.”
The look on his face made Kass’ curiosity rise. “Why not?”
He turned to face her, his amber eyes glowing wildly within his face. “Because when I caught you, and make no mistake I would have done, I’d have been wild, barely in control and the claiming would have been savage.” He shook his head despite the fact there was a smile playing on his lips. “That’s definitely not what you want for your first time. For your first tim
e you want gentle. You need someone who can be careful with your body and treat you like the treasure you are.”
“Someone?”
Fangs erupted from his mouth. “Me,” he snarled. “There will only ever be me. No one else is going to be looking at your naked body let alone touching it.” The hardness of his shaft pressed uncomfortably against the seam of his trousers forcing Wyatt to shift within his chair as he tried to find the most comfortable position. It was futile. Nothing he did helped. Now that he had the image of Kass’ naked body in his head with the full knowledge that in a few days he’d be able to claim her fully, there was nothing he could do to stop his thoughts wandering to the upcoming claiming.
And for those of us that haven’t been dreaming of the claiming for the last few years? What exactly is going to happen? I get the feeling that it’s a little more than the two of us finally being able to make love without the risk of me dying during the event?
Strands of his hair flew around his face as he nodded quickly in response. “The claiming is where our hearts and souls join so that our lives are forever connected.”
“Didn’t we already do that?” She traced her hand over his bare chest, caressing the marks where her name was carved into his flesh. She didn’t normally appreciate body art but for this she was willing to make an exception. She suddenly felt very possessive of her mate. Wyatt was a beautiful man and if ever a woman should look at him she wanted them to know that he was taken. Having never had anything in her life that wasn’t disposable, the feeling was distinctly strange but she embraced it warmly. Her life was changing…for the better and that was all thanks to Wyatt. There was nothing she would change about it. Soon she’d be immortal and happily mated, life had never looked so good.
“Just because we’re wearing each other’s marks doesn’t mean that you’ve been claimed. The instinct allowed me to mark you because your life was in danger but that isn’t enough.”
“Why not?”
He sighed heavily feeling stress weigh down on him. Most males practiced what they would say to their mate about the claiming for years before they met them and they thought twice as hard if they knew their mate was human. For women who hadn’t been immersed in werewolf culture and even for those that had, the claiming was a difficult concept to grasp. Human women often had difficulty with the idea of belonging to another person heart, body and soul. As soon as they heard ‘belong to’ they presumed that the claiming was a step back for all womankind and that it dealt a mortal blow to their independence. It was hard to explain that the belonging went both ways.
After Emily died Wyatt hadn’t seen the point in practicing a speech he’d never get the chance to deliver especially when it was going to do nothing but remind him of what he’d lost and the connection he’d never have. He was sorely regretting making that decision now. His tongue felt thick within his mouth and his thoughts were a jumbled mess that barely made sense to him let alone another person even if she were his mate.
Just tell me what you can. Anything you can’t think to say or you just can’t get out don’t worry about. I’ll piece it together. I’m a clever girl you know?
The warmth and amusement in her voice made him relax and things suddenly seemed much clearer. “I can’t claim you without proving to the instinct that you know who and what I am. I have to show that I can provide for you, that I’m strong enough to protect you…I have to prove that I’m worthy of you.”
And how do we do that?
“We’ll need to spend a day together with me in my wolf form. It’ll show the instinct that you know what I am and are happy to have me as a mate. Until that happens I can’t take your body.” His gaze was hungry and as he spoke he devoured her with his eyes, leaving her in no doubt that he wanted nothing more than to take her…heart, body and soul. “I wish I could but the instinct won’t physically let me take you unless I show you what I am first.”
What would happen if we didn’t do that first?
“I’d be forced to change into a wolf but the change would be agonising. The instinct punishes wolves who try to ignore it and you end up doing what it wanted anyway.”
She winced. Wyatt hadn’t complained when he’d torn his heart out, he hadn’t said a word when Anna had tortured him…if he said the pain was agonising it had to be something truly horrific. She didn’t want him going through that. I’d rather that didn’t happen to you. I can spend a day with a wolf.
Smiling, he squeezed her hand. “We’ll have to be outside.” He waited for the words of protest to come from her mouth. He had his counter arguments prepared and was ready for battle. None of the human women he knew had willingly gone into the woods even for the claiming. The men in his family had spent a great many months of his childhood explaining what he should say to his mate when this moment came. Drawing from a wealth of memories, he waited with baited breath for Kass’ response.
I thought as much.
“You sound pretty relaxed. You’re not going to tell me that you hate the idea of spending a day in the forest?”
I’ve had to spend nights outside before. Sometimes it was the only way to get away from Ethan. As long as you stay with me I’m sure it’ll be amazing.
“You’re amazing.”
Just because I don’t hate camping?
“Because you’re always surprising me.”
Things would be pretty boring if we could always predict what would happen. Her easy, relaxed smile chased away any of his lingering doubts. His mate wanted him and she wanted the claiming to happen. Life was good.
So you take me out into the woods for a day and then ravish me the next. She laughed, trying hard to make light of the situation. Wyatt’s hard stare quickly brought her laughter to an end. Wyatt?
“I won’t be waiting until the next day. As soon as the sun sets and the moon rises, you’ll be mine.”
His heated voice washed over her and made her shiver in anticipation. She squeezed his hand and forced a smile she didn’t really feel. “And then that’ll be it. We’ll be mates forever. No going back?”
The uncertainty in her voice made Wyatt tense. “Mating is permanent, it’s more permanent than the human equivalent of marriage. There’s no word for divorce in wolf speak. When we mate that’ll be it. The only way to end a mating is of one of us to die and as I have no intention of that happening any time soon then yes, it’ll be forever.”
She took a deep breath, her head starting to spin. Shaky hands reached for the almost empty glass of water and she swallowed the last of it in a single gulp. Her chest rising and falling quickly, she forced her throat to work. Her connection to Wyatt was her strength but having his mind merged with hers when she didn’t truly understand her own thoughts was a recipe for disaster. “I feel like we missed a step.” Her voice was raspy but it got stronger the longer she spoke and with her mind a mess, words spilled from her lips unimpeded by conscious thought. “Most people wait months, years, even before they even start thinking of getting married and starting a family. I’ve only known you a few weeks and in a few days there’ll be no going back. This, this thing between us will be forever. The idea of forever is too much for lots of people and they aren’t even going to live that long. We are Wyatt. When we’re talking about forever, we mean it literally. What if after a few weeks we feel differently about each other. Have you even thought about that?”
His smile was relaxed and it made Kass feel nervous. After all that she’d said she would have expected him to blow up and plough his fist into a wall but he’d never looked so calm. It was disconcerting. Clearly she wasn’t the only one capable of being surprising.
“Kass, even if I didn’t claim you in the next few days we’d still be forever. We’re mates and nothing can change that. If you run, I’ll chase you. If you die, I’ll follow you in a heartbeat. We’re destined and there’s no running away from this. I know why you’re nervous. You’ve been running from Ethan your whole life so you’ve never had the chance to really think about the futu
re and now, when you’re so close to being free I come in and tell you that we’re bound together for eternity. It must feel like you’re losing your freedom all over again. You’re not.” He leaned forward and rubbed his cheek against hers savouring her sweet scent. Soon their scents would merge and he’d be able to carry her around with him at all times…as long as he could convince her that the claiming was what was best for her.
We’ll do it, the wolf said confidently.
The wolf’s faith was contagious and Wyatt quickly agreed with his other half. He might not have spent years thinking about what he would say to his mate when the time came but he had the instinct on his side. He couldn’t fail. “I’ll be here for you in whatever you do and you’ll always know that I’m supporting you. I’ll be your safety net. You’re free to do whatever you want and you’ll know that there’ll always be someone in your corner no matter what you do. Even if you did something wrong I’d back you. I’d follow you to hell and stay there if that’s what you wanted. I love you Kass and you love me too. It’s scary I know but we’re stronger together.”
Her lips twitched in the beginnings of a genuine smile. With every word that he’d spoken her fears had melted away until all that was left was the warm feeling she experienced whenever she thought of her mate. The future was a daunting prospect for someone who’d never expected to live this long but she’d be able to face whatever the world threw at her because she’d have a loyal and fierce wolf in her corner. Sighing, she leaned her head against his. “I love you too. I’m sorry about that. You didn’t need that.”
“Never apologise to me. You’ll never have done something that I think is sorry worthy. You have every right to be afraid. You haven’t been thinking about this your whole life and I have. I’m your mate, if you have fears I want to know about them so I can make them go away. That’s what I’m here for.”
She nodded in agreement, took a deep breath and tried to get back to get Wyatt to relax. He’d done a lot better than she’d thought he would. Only a few days ago the very idea of her having second thoughts about the claiming would have sent him into a violent spiral but today he’d shown that she wasn’t the only one changing because of their mating. They were good for each other. “So you take me into the woods, we spend a day together with you as a wolf then you claim me when it gets dark? It sounds like a plan…a good plan. I can’t wait.”
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