Page 17 of Caught By the Wolf

“Unmated males get a little upset when other unmated males get near their mates.” He studied her with those same gray-adjacent eyes all three brothers shared. “He hasn’t told you everything yet.”

“I assume he hasn’t. He’s very closed mouth.”

“And you’re finding it hard to accept.”

“Is that so surprising?”

“No.” Declan’s voice stayed low and even. “True mates are rare. When a wolf finds one, the bond starts the second the scent hits. It’s not a choice. The wolf knows. The man spends the rest of his life trying to catch up.”

He paused, glancing toward the dark windows. “Our entire pack was lost six years ago. Bad alpha. Worse war. Roman buried everyone he failed to save and walked away. We came here to live. Roman doesn’t feel as if he has the right to have a mate.”

“I have a feeling he’s not the only one,” Ella muttered. “And if I don’t want to be his mate?”

“The bond doesn’t break clean. For him it would be a slow bleed. Years of ache that never settles.” Declan’s gaze was steady. “He won’t force the claiming. The bite has to be wanted. But every hour he holds back costs him. You felt it tonight. That’s not restraint. That’s self-destruction on a countdown.”

She sat down hard on the nearest chair. “That’s a lot of pressure to put on a woman he met yesterday.”

“I know.” Something almost gentle moved through Declan’s expression. “For what it’s worth, I’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you.”

He straightened. “One more thing, and then I’ll go before he comes back and rearranges my face for being alone with you. We found tracks. Roman matched the scents to the ones who cornered you. They’d already gone back down the mountain by the time we scented them. The rain has washed away just about everything, but we’re still looking. It won’t be safe for you to leave until we find them. I’m sorry, Ella. Roman cannot let you go.”

“You mean he can’t let me go until it’s safe.”

“He’s here,” was his answer.

The front door opened and Roman walked in, dressed in the sweatpants he’d been wearing, carrying his shirt and shoes. The brothers nodded to each other and Declan left without another word.

Roman’s gaze moved over her. “You’re supposed to be sleeping.”

“Oh, and how am I supposed to do that with poachers threatening to knock on the door any minute. And you. Declan told me what happens if I walk away.”

Roman went still. “He should have kept his mouth shut.”

“I need the rest of it, Roman,” Ella said. “All of it. No more almosts. No more stopping in the middle of sentences. Tell me what claiming means. Tell me about the bite. Tell me why your wolf looks at me like I’m already his.”

For a long moment she thought he might refuse. Then he crossed the room, stopped in front of her, and cupped her face in both hands. His palms were cold from the rain. His eyes were not.

“A claiming bite seals the bond,” he said quietly. “It ties your life to mine. Longer lifespan. Faster healing. The ability to feel each other across distance—mood, pain, need. Once I bite you, you’re pack. You’re mine in every way the animal understands.” His thumb brushed the corner of her mouth. “And.”

“And what, Roman?”

“A wolf shifter knots his mate.”

“What? I’ve never heard that.”

“It’s not something readily discussed with humans. When I take you, my body will lock inside yours. It’s intense. It’s built to increase the chance of pregnancy.”

He moved away, scrubbing his hand over his face. “My wolf already wants that. Wanted it the second he scented you. So did I.”

Ella’s breath left her in a shaky rush. “Pregnant. Great. I haven’t even figured out my feelings about being claimed by a man I met yesterday. I don’t even own a plant, Roman.”

“You don’t have to figure out anything, yet. I just didn’t want to give you all the information. I won’t lie to you about any of it. If you say no, I stop. If you need time, I give it. But I won’t pretend this is casual. You’re not a woman I’m sleeping with until the danger passes. You’re the woman my wolf chose for the rest of my life.”

She searched his face. No games. Just Roman, rain-damp and deadly serious, waiting for her to decide whether she could live with what he was offering.

The smart part of her brain listed every reason this was insane. She’d accepted long ago that she did not get a forever. That she might get the quiet, fade into black kind of relationship. A companion if she were lucky enough. Not the passion, the possessiveness. But that common sense part of her brain didn’t control the other part. The part that made her want to run into his arms and tell him to never ever let her go.

“I’m scared,” she admitted.