Everly led her into the kitchen, already putting on a kettle for tea. “So. Tell me what’s going on. And be honest—I can smell a lie a mile away.”
Katy stared at her hands, cheeks burning. “I, um . . . I think there’s something wrong with me. I can’t stop . . . wanting Gage. It’s like, this heat inside me, and it’s embarrassing, and I don’t know if I’m supposed to feel this way or if I’m just—broken. Gage says it’s normal, but he’s a dude and therefore I don’t feel like he can tell me what is normal for a chick.” She let out a deep sigh. “I just feel so out of my depth, and I’m not usually someone who gets discombobulated.”
Everly’s smile was gentle. “You’re not broken, Katy. You’re just mated. It’s overwhelming at first, but itisnormal. The bond is new, and your bodies are figuring it out. All that need? That’s love, magic, and biology. Give it time. And don’t be afraid to talk to Gage about it. He wants what’s best for you. Even when he’s being an overbearing barbarian, your needs will always come before his own. It’s the way he’s been wired by Visata. He also might tease you a bit because he’s feeling all sorts of studly at knowing how badly you want him. We females are usually better at hiding our desires.”
Katy let out a shaky laugh. “He’s definitely enjoying it, though he hasn’t teased me too much.” Which was a good thing because she probably would have kicked him in his wolfy balls.
Everly squeezed her hand. “You’re not alone. And though it’s similar to an animal’s ‘heat,’ it’s not the same because we aren’tjustour beast. I wish I could give you a time frame on when it will improve, but it’s different for every mated couple. Gage is a Dire wolf, which means he’s different from us, and that could also affect how you respond to your mating. Regardless, if youneed to talk about anything, you can call me.” She held out a piece of paper with her name and number written on it.
Katy pulled her phone from her back pocket and immediately put Everly’s contact info in. Though she didn’t know the woman, she could sense that she was genuine. She cared about her pack members, and even about Katy. “Thank you,” she told her. “Don’t be surprised if I call you in the middle of the night when I’m having hot flashes and worried I’m going to molest my mate in his sleep.”
Everly laughed, a beautiful, light sound. “Oh, believe me, he wouldn’t complain.”
Katy felt something inside her unclench—a knot that had been growing tight and tighter. Maybe things weren’t as bad as she thought. She knew in her gut that she was exactly where she was supposed to be–at Gage’s side. And if that was true, then whatever she was feeling for him wasn’t wrong. Uncomfortable? Yes. But not wrong.
She took the offered cup of tea and smiled at Everly. “So, what’s it like being the alpha female of a wolf pack?”
Everly gave her a sly look. “You met Justice, what do you think it’s like?”
Katy grinned. “Corralling a bunch of middle schoolers hopped up on sugar, caffeine, and hormones?”
“That’s just the males,” Everely smiled. “And thankfully, Nox deals with them. The females are my domain, and mostly, I just have to keep them from clawing out the eyes of said males. Personally, I think it would be hilarious to blindfold the single males, put them in a big, completely dark warehouse and then set the females loose on them.”
Katy laughed as she leaned against the counter. “If they’re all as cocky as Justice seems to be, I’d pay to see that.”
“You feel up to meeting some of those females?” Evelry asked, her brow raised.
Katy downed the tea and shrugged. “There’s no time like the present, and I need a distraction.”
The alpha female chuckled. “Hate to break it to you, but you’re mated to the ever mysterious Gage. The girls are going to swarm you with questions.”
“Like if he ever smiles?” Katy said, rolling her eyes.
Everly motioned her to follow. “Yup. And fair warning, she-wolves are very comfortable in their sexuality. They don’t have any boundaries when it comes to wanting details. Especially about a male as elusive as your mate. Put them in their place, show them you’re dominant to them, and they’ll back off.”
“Bitch slap them,” Katy gave a sharp nod. “Got it.”
Chapter Two
“In all my long existence, nothing has tested my control like the scent of my mate’s need. I’m like a dehydrated man, and she is an overflowing glass of water. But she’s so damn stubborn that I’m still over here parched as hell.” ~ Gage
Gage had never enjoyed waiting. He especially hated it when the waiting was for news that made his mate look like she might unravel at any second.
He stood in Nox’s office, arms crossed, jaw tight, trying to look like he wasn’t about to snap the legs off the desk just to have something to do. The room was all dark wood and clean lines, the windows open to the late-morning light, but the energy was tight and suffocating. Justice lounged on the edge of a battered leather chair, flipping a pen between his fingers. Nox stood behind the desk, radiating alpha calm that was about as real as a three-dollar bill.
Gage could feel Katy on the other side of the house—her anxiety a low ache in the back of his mind, her scent clinging to his clothes, her worry for Maddie like a storm cloud shadowingevery thought. It was more than just empathy. The bond he shared with Katy was a live wire, and right now, it was burning him alive. He ached to go to her, to haul her into his arms and bury his face in her neck, to touch and claim and reassure until the only thing left in her was the need for him, and the only thing left in him was the taste of her skin. It was primal and raw, and it was taking everything he had to keep it on a leash.
He didn’t know Maddie well. They’d been around each other a handful of times under stressful situations, but she wasn’t his friend—she was Katy’s. That was enough. If Katy hurt, he hurt. And right now, he’d do anything to erase the fear in her eyes, even if it meant tearing KOS apart with his bare hands.
“So let me get this straight,” Justice drawled, voice just a hair too casual. “Roan and Maddie fly out, send a check-in as they’re boarding, and then poof. Nothing.”
Gage shot him a look. “You want to repeat it a third time, or maybe you need a diagram?”
Justice grinned, unbothered. “Just making sure I’ve got the facts. You know I’m a details man.”
Nox cut him a look, which for most would mean shut up before I rip out your tongue. Justice just grinned wider.
Nox turned his attention to Gage. “I’ve put out feelers. Lyric, the Silk shaman, claims she hasn’t seen or heard from them. Says if they’d arrived, she’d know.” He folded his arms, gaze sharp. “But the Pride’s plane landed in Silk territory. That’s confirmed.”
