“I think you’re my mate,” Carter said. The words came out fast, like saying them was scary.
“Your mate?” John didn’t know much about mates, beyond the fact that Owen was Luke’s. He’d had the impression that mating was like getting married—in that you could mate with anyone. Carter was making it sound like some kind of preordained thing.
“I think you’re it for me. I’m in love with you, and I want to claim you and never be with anyone else.”
John blinked. That was quite the step up fromI love you. It almost sounded like a proposal.
Was it a proposal?
“You’re not saying anything,” Carter said. He sounded stressed.
“I’m just processing,” John said. “What do you meanyou think?”
“I know,” Carter amended. “I want to claim you and never let you go. I want you to be mine.”
John swallowed. He was sitting down but it felt like he was floating. He didn’t know what to think. On the one hand he wanted to screamyesand throw himself into Carter’s arms, but on the other hand, they’d only known each other for a few months. They should at leastlivetogether before they committed to forever.
Looking at Carter, John could see that the werewolf was freaking out by his lack of a response.
“I want you to be mine, too,” John said. “But how would it work? It’s not like I could come live with you in Forest Hill.”
John hadn’t wanted to have this conversation, but now it felt like they needed to.
“I want to move here and live with you. My wolf… it already considers you pack. I wouldn’t be like Luke or Elijah. Even when I’m with my pack I want to be with you.”
“How about we give it a year?” John asked, and Carter’s expression twisted into one of distaste.
“What do you mean? Like only stay together for a year?”
John shook his head. “No, I mean. Let’s live together for a year. If it still works—with your pack and us—then we can say forever.”
“But I want to claim younow,” Carter said, the arm around John’s shoulders pulling him and squeezing him against his much larger body. “It’s so hard not to bite you.”
John had forgotten about that part of a werewolf claiming someone. He pictured Luke’s claiming scar, and rather than feel grossed out he felt a frisson of want run through him.
Now he knew why Carter was so obsessed with his neck.
“I want you to be sure,” John said, voice muffled. His face was smushed into Carter’s muscular pecs. “I’m scared you’ll regret it if we rush into it.”
Carter took a deep breath and let him go, nodding decisively. “Okay. One year. If we’re still together and still happy—which we will be—I get to claim you and we’ll get married. Deal?”
John smiled. “Deal.”
***
