“Jesus fucking Christ,” Dorian murmurs. I glance at him, seeing an expression of sheer shock written on his features. He stares between me and the wolves with a mixture of awe and trepidation. His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows hard, giving his head a faint shake. “I thought I was going to die.”
“There’s a reason I didn’t want you coming with me,” I say drily. “What did you expect? A warm and cuddly greeting? These are wild wolves, Dorian. They had us surrounded. If provoked, they could’ve killed both of us.”
“I don’t think they’d ever hurt you,” Dorian says.
A few yips draw my attention away from him, and a wide smile spreads on my face as the pups of the pack come tumbling towards me. They’ve grown a bit since I’ve seen them last; at this age, they grow like damn weeds. They’re still adorably clumsy and eager for attention.
They clamber over themselves as they get to my lap, whining and yipping for attention. Their mom takes a seat nearby, watching me interact with them. She’s usually comfortable with me holding them, but I think Dorian’s presence right beside me is making her uneasy.
I take Dorian’s hand and gently guide him to the wolf pup who’s curled up over my legs. He’s the calmest of the three, and barely even stirs as I guide Dorian to pet him.
“Can’t say I’ve ever petted a wild wolf cub before.”
“Pup,” I correct.
“Pup,” he echoes, vague amusement coating his tone. “Christ, they’re cute.”
The alpha finishes with his fill of the cookies and trots up to me, butting his head against my backpack and releasing a whine.
“Sorry, my dude. I didn’t bring any more. What you see is what you get,” I say, smiling faintly.
He chuffs, spins in circles a few times to get comfortable, and lays down beside me, his huge body pressed up against mine.
“What thefuck,” Dorian breathes.
“Yeah,” I agree. “Honestly, I think he sees me as his pet. Cute, isn’t it?”
“I don’t know if cute is the word I’d use,” Dorian murmurs, clearing his throat. “How long do you usually stay?”
“An hour or two,” I reply. “Settle in, Dorian, and don’t forget that you asked for this.”
Chapter Thirty-One
“Ican’t believe he fuckingbitme,” Dorian says later that night. We’re back in the house of horrors, and we just finished showering together. The bathroom is all steamed up, and the mirror is fogged over.
“He didn’t biteyou,” I correct. “He bit your shirt—there’s a difference. It’s actually a good thing; it means he wanted us to stay.” I smile. “Besides, you have plenty of shirts to spare. If he ripped any more of mine, I’d go into debt buying new ones.”
“No, you wouldn’t,” Dorian corrects. “You’re my woman. I’m your man. I’ll take care of you. Want to go shopping? Clear out a fucking mall for all I care.”
I blink slowly, taken aback by the ease with which he offers me his money. “Um, thank you, but I can make my own money.”
“You spend all the money you make on necessities or stuff for your animal friends,” Dorian points out drily. “I have too much money; you don’t have enough. Solution is simple.” His brows furrow. “I meant to get you a credit card but forgot—I’ll have it to you by the end of the week.”
“Dorian, no,” I say firmly. “I don’t want to feel like a spoiled, kept woman. I want to make my way in this world.”
“You are and will continue to make your way in this world, but you will do it comfortably. I’m not asking, Mira. You work too hard, study too hard, do too much. If I can help you with some of your burdens, it would make me feel like I’m doing my job as your man.”
My lips twist as I grab a hairbrush and start working it through my hair. “That seems very old-school. Maybe a bit misogynistic.”
“No, it seems like a man committed to his woman,” Dorian corrects. “Don’t be too proud to accept help. When we get married, my money will be your money—”
“Woah,” I cut him off. “Marriage?I haven’t even agreed to be your girlfriend yet.”
Dorian’s eyes darken. “Youaremy girlfriend. You’ll be my fiancée before long, then my wife.”
I regard him with wide eyes. “You might actually be crazy.”
“Crazy for you,” he agrees. “Finish up—I want to fuck you on our bed before we go to sleep.”
