“The day aftertomorrow,too?”
“Yes,mylove.”
“A year from now, even though I’ve already asked you to say iteveryday?”
“Without fail,LittleDove.”
“Okay.”
Dalton knew the moment was but a small reprieve. There would be more breakdowns and more tears. There would be more doubts that he would need to defeat with the truth, and he would gladly do it over and over, forJewel.
* * *
Gustavo was practically shakingwith the need to touch her. But he refused to give in to what his wolf wanted because he knew how frightened she must be. They’d come a long way in their relationship from the time they’d spent simply talking through the bond, but that didn’t mean she would welcome him withopenarms.
Anna was looking up at him with narrowed eyes and a furrowed brow. She chewed on her bottom lip as she stared at him as though she was dissecting him. She hadn’t woken up until Dalton was already carrying Jewel from the room, and even then she’d still been groggy. It wasn’t until she saw him that she sat up and looked around and then back to him. He hadn’t said anything because he wasn’t sure if he had complete control of his mouth. He had a feeling if he opened it, his wolf was going to declare her his own and demand she let him mark her. Instead, he waited. He would wait for eternity if it meant he could be in herpresence.
“Gustavo?” When he didn’t respond she looked over to where Peri, Lucian, and Jezebelstood.
“He’s holding it together by a thread,” Peritoldher.
Lucian took a small step forward, and Gustavo growled. “Peace, wolf,” Lucian said. “I will not harm her, and I do not want her for my own. She does not understand.” Lucian looked back at Anna. “His instinct is telling him to mark you, to make it perfectly clear to every wolf or other supernatural that you are his. He is fighting that instinct right now. You’ve been in danger. He’s been unable to protect you, and the fact that he’s standing there instead of sinking his teeth into you is a testament to how much he is willing to do to keep you from being afraidofhim.”
Anna looked back at Gustavo, and he felt his wolf back down a bit. It had wanted to tear apart Lucian, who had captured his mate’s attention, even for ashorttime.
“Can you leave us alone, please?” sheasked.
When none of their audience made a move to leave, Gustavo’s wolf forced his hand. “Leave!” He snarled, turning his eyes away from Anna and meeting the eyes of each of those who might think to keep them apart by some misguided need to protect her. She was the only creature on earth that didn’t need to be protectedfromhim.
Lucian held his gaze as he pulled his mate from the room and ushered Jezebel with them. The door closed, and their footsteps moved further andfurtheraway.
“The dream didn’t do you justice.” Her voice caused his head to snap back around, pinning her with his glowing eyes. His head titled slightly as his wolf tried to understand her meaning. She breathed out a laugh. “I mean you are much more handsome in real life.” When he still didn’t move, or speak, she stood up and walked toward him. The smell of sweet spices and ocean air hit him like a freight train, and the need to touch her grewtenfold.
“Lucian is right. I don’t really understand what’s going on in your head right now. But you seem to be in a tough spot, and I’d like to help. Just tell me whattodo.”
Anna tooka step closer to the man she’d gotten to know over the course of several months simply by talking through the supernatural mate bond. He was a stranger in many ways, but in many others, she knew him and she wasn’tafraid.
“Gustavo, I’m your true mate,correct?”
Henodded.
“And you won’t everhurtme.”
He noddedhishead.
“Then I trust you. You aren’t going to scare me.” One more step and she was less than a foot from him. “I get it. You’re intense. I can feel what you are feeling right now, and it’s off-the-charts confusing but that’s okay. If I’ve learned anything through this whole massive mess, it’s that life is much too short to live in fear of the unknown. So, yes, I don’t understand much about you or the mate bond or all the other stuff that goes with it. But I do understand what I feel for you. I do understand that no one else will ever fill the void that you have filled. I do understand that I sure as hell don’t want some other female being on the receiving end of your attention or affection. Please,” she said quietly, “let go, Gustavo. Itrustyou.”
“I don’t want to scare you,” he ground out through his tightly grittedteeth.
“I’ve faced Volcan and a sadistic vampire. Gustavo, you won’tscareme.”
He closed his eyes, and when they opened, they were glowing even brighter. Maybe reminding him of what she’d been through wasn’t the best strategy. After several heartbeats, she realized he wasn’t going to move. His fear of doing something that would send her runningimmobilizedhim.
Anna closed the small distance between them and looked up at him. She raised her hand and pushed her fingers through his black, wavy hair. It was as thick and as soft as she imagined it would be. She let her hand trail down the back of his head to his neck where she wrapped her small hand around him. With her other hand, she ran her fingers across his creased brow and down his clenched jaw. His features were classically handsome, and he was the perfect specimen of a Spanish male—tan skin, dark brown eyes, a natural sensuality that came through in the cadence of his speech. He was temptation wrapped up in the form of a male Canis lupus. And hewashers.
“I’m going to be honest. I’m pretty clueless when it comes to the whole relationship thing, but the lack of reciprocation of my touch is a tadinsulting.”
“Mujeres no saben lo què estánpidieñdo.”
