She wanted to say yes. She wanted to yell at him for making her feel this way, for not explaining what was happening to her body, for being so damn patient, seeming completely unaffected, when all she wanted was to crawl into his lap and never leave. Katy also wanted to ask whyhewas bothering to ask when he could no doubt feel all of the emotions rolling off of her, not to mention scent exactly what her body was hungering for. Plot twist—it’s not chocolate.
Instead, she blurted, “Is this normal?”
He blinked. “Is what normal?”
She waved her hands, flustered. “This! Me. Wanting to—never mind.” Gah. Why was she struggling with just speaking up? Katy wasn’t usually one to get flustered or out of sorts. Usually, she was comfortable in her own skin and spoke hermind quite articulately. But after one night in Gage’s bed, she’d devolved into a blubbering ignoramus with no self confidence.
Gage leaned in, his voice dropping to a dangerous rumble. “Wanting to what, Katy?” Again, there was nothing playful in his tone. He was deadly serious, and by the command in his voice, he expected an answer.
She bit her lip. “You know. You.”
His eyes darkened, and for a second she saw a flash of wolf—hungry, possessive, fiercely protective. “Yeah, it’s normal. You’re my mate, remember?”
She groaned and dropped her head to the table. Katy considered banging it over and over until maybe she knocked herself out. But that felt a bit dramatic. “I’m your mate, yes. And I’m attracted to you. But this is like feral, unnatural, unhealthy, unhinged, and any other words that begin with ‘un’ that make sense in my description. What I’m experiencing cannot be good for me. I feel like a dog in heat.”
His laughter rumbled through the room, warm and wicked. “That’s because you kind of are.”
Lifting her head, she shot him a look. “You were getting points for being so sensitive about the topic until just then,” she pointed at him. “Now I’m removing said points and you’re back at zero. Go into the negative and you’ll be the one panting from lack of gratification.”
He grinned, all teeth and trouble. “First,” he held up a finger, “using sex as a weapon or form of punishment on me will always end badly for you. Second,” another finger went up, “if you think I’m not already panting for lack of gratification, as you put it, then you’re not paying attention.” He tapped his nose. “And third, you’ll get used to it.”
She stared at him, her mouth dropping open as she blinked, attempting to work through all the words he just said. He had a point that she shouldn’t use sex as a weapon. That was justimmature and cruel. However, he shouldn’t tease her about something that was obviously distressing to her. “I apologize about the threat. I’d appreciate it if you’d be less flippant about how this is making me feel. I don’t want to get used to it. I want to be normal. I want to be able to have a conversation with you without wanting to engage in endless coitus that would most likely kill us both eventually.”
“Sounds like a great way to die.” Gage’s hand slipped under her hair, cupping the back of her neck. “I like you this way. You smell positively edible. Your skin is glowing, your eyes are vibrant, your cheeks are flushed. And when you look at me, it makes me want to do wicked, wicked things to you. And I will, whenever you want or need. You don’t have to be embarrassed, Katy. Wolves are very affectionate creatures. Touch is not just a need, it’s a want. And I have been touch-starved for a very long time. I’ve been trying to give you time to adjust. But please know, this is what being mated feels like. The pull, the need. It’ll settle. Eventually.”
She looked up at him through the curtain of hair that had fallen forward, partially blocking her face. “And until then?”
He shrugged, casual, but his eyes were hot. “We deal. Together. You need me, then tell me. And I will do the same. Denying the feelings only makes them stronger.”
Katy sighed and let herself relax into his touch, even as her mind spun with questions. Was this really her life now? How long was she going to feel like she was about to jump out of her skin if she couldn’t get her hands on Gage?
She thought about Maddie, about how her best friend would probably make some crack about her being a walking cautionary tale, and she felt a pang of longing so sharp it hurt. She hoped Maddie was okay. She hoped Roan was being his usual grumpy, overprotective self and not getting them into trouble. Then she couldn’t help but wonder if Lola was going through somethingsimilar, or if shehadgone through something similar. She might not be a wolf, but she was still part animal.
The door opened and Otto came back in, arms full of firewood. He shot them a look that was half amusement, half exasperation. “We not need the wood in winters if two you keeps making its hot.”
Katy flipped him off without looking up. Gage just grinned.
They settled into an uneasy routine for the day—Gage cooking breakfast, Otto making sarcastic comments, Katy trying to keep herself from crawling over the table and into Gage’s lap. Every time he touched her, even accidentally, it was like a spark that ran all over her body and made her heart beat race and her stomach dip in delicious ways. She was embarrassed by how much she wanted him, but even more embarrassed by how little control she seemed to have.
By midday, Katy had convinced herself she was losing her mind. She’d snapped at Otto, burned the toast, and nearly started crying when Gage brushed her hair back from her face. She was officially a mess.
Gage must have decided he’d had enough. He came over, cupped her face in his hands, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Come on. You need to meet Nox and his mate, Everly. If I don’t take you, they’ll come here, and that will piss me off.”
“Everything pisses you off,” Katy pointed out.
“Not everything,” he winked at her.
Otto perked up. “Trip in the field?”
“It’s called a field trip, you lizard Neanderthal, and you’re lucky I love you,” Katy said as she knelt down and tapped his nose affectionately.
Gage shot him a look. “Stay here. Guard the place. And try not to burn it down.”
Otto saluted with two fingers and flopped back into the recliner. “Finally the peaces and quiets.”
Katy followed Gage out the door, grateful for the change of scenery. It was a testament to how messed up her mind was that she wasn’t even thinking about being nervous to meet the alpha of the Kingdom of Fangs and his mate. Instead, she was thinking of every obscure word in her vocabulary to keep her more lascivious thoughts at bay;apricity, petrichor, susurrus. Gage opened the door to his black truck. Once she was seated, he reached across her to buckle the seat belt. Her breath caught as his scent bombarded her, and the slight scruff of his jaw grazed her cheek.
“I can buckle myself in, Dire,” she said with a bite in her tone.
