“Is that why you’re really here? To avoid it?”
“Maybe at first,” he admitted. “But now I’m here because of you.”
“Because of me?”
“Yeah, because of you. I scented you as my mate when I was walking by the alley.”
He scented me as mate. My parents hadn’t been true mates. They made that known, but growing up, I’d heard of fated mates—how you would walk by someone and instantly know they were your always and forever. I thought it was a fairy tale, but Gabe didn’t seem to think so. And looking back, the signs had been there for me too. I simply hadn’t known what to do with them.
“Is that why they backed off? Because I’m yours?” Gods, I loved the sound of that.
That entire situation behind the diner hadn’t made sense then and still didn’t.
“No, they backed off because I let them feel my power. They experienced that I was an alpha deep inside, and even though I wasn’t their alpha, they knew that I could end them. And I would’ve, make no mistake about that.”
They could feel his power? How did I not know this was a thing? Probably because we weren’t allowed on pack lands. What else didn’t I know?
“Shit. I’m so sorry.” My eyes fell to where I’d bitten him.
“What are you sorry for?”
“I bit you. Isn’t that like a wolf marriage without permission?” Talk about a misstep.
“Yes and no. I didn’t mark you. So, sort of.” He was making no sense.
“Explain.”
“First, let me be clear. I was ecstatic that you bit me. If you want to do it again and again and again, I would gladly wear your marks everywhere.”
“Don’t tempt me.” I looked him up and down. He was still shirtless. “Because I see a lot of places that look neglected.”
He slammed his lips to mine, effectively ending the conversation, at least the one with words.
Please don’t let anyone from the motel be taking a walk because we are about to give them a view.
Chapter Fourteen
Gabe
We needed to visit my pack. I wanted Temple to have a chance to see it and decide if it was what he wanted too for his life. We’d talked through so many parts of our lives before we came together, and Temple did know what it meant to be mated. He had not said anything about mating me, specifically, but he did not say he didn’t want to, and he’d been willing to meet my people.
After all, I’d met his. His brothers had been very hard on him, and while I did not approve, I suspected it was a habit of long history. Growing up, they’d been told that Temple ruined their lives. If not for him, they’d still be at their old pack, living happily together. Weirdly, they thought they’d been taking care of him on some level, and they had been. True, they had bullied him as well, but he’d never been on the street, which their alpha father had suggested. But they needed a real attitude adjustment before they were suitable for polite company.
We had a long drive to the pack lands, and a chance for Temple and I to talk more. I felt as if we could talk for our whole lives and never run out of things to say.
“My fathers are very anxious to meet you,” I warned him as we turned into the long drive to the lands. “They may be a little overwhelming.”
“That sounds kind of nice, actually, if you mean in a good way.”
“Oh, I think so. They certainly wouldn’t be unkind, and they have been wanting me to settle down and take on the alpha position for a while. But that means I will be needing an alpha omega, who would be my mate.”
“So you’re going to be looking for another wolf?” His voice sounded so tiny, I cursed myself for having been unclear.
“No, omega. I only want the person I love to be my alpha omega. I couldn’t just grab anyone because they can turn into a wolf. Fate doesn’t work that way.” I stopped a short distance away from the alpha house so we could finish this conversation. If Dad saw us, he’d be out the door and right on top of us in greeting. “What I am saying is that if you like it here, and if you like me, you would be my choice. If you do not, we will have other decisions to make because the only way you are going to get rid of me is if you tell me to go away.”
He blinked rapidly, eyes shining in the moonlight that filtered into the car. “I don’t even know what to say. I never fit in anywhere before, except maybe at the diner. So it makes me just a little nervous to be here. My last pack didn’t like me much.”
“They blamed you for being born. Something I think your brothers are just starting to recognize.”
