Page 56 of Remington’s Mate

Fix her, his leopard demanded. Fix all the hurts.

For once, his owl said nothing.

He pulled her against him, gently so as not to hurt her more. Her body fit perfectly against his, her soft curves against his hard planes and angles. She made a little murmur of pleasure.

Remy gave himself up to exploring her mouth, tasting and touching, sipping at her lips and then kissing her deeply. He would never get enough of her.

His dick was hot and hard, throbbing with agonizing pleasure. He wanted to touch and taste all of her, to plunge deep inside her and heal her completely.

But he couldn’t. She didn’t understand.

Using all his willpower, he forced his lips an inch away from hers.

“We shouldn’t do this.”

“I hate to bring it up, but your boner says differently.” A smile curved her lips. “Hah. ‘Bring it up.’ See what I did there?”

He couldn’t help but laugh. “I love it when you make dick jokes. But things never go well when I leave my boner in charge.” He paused. “Actually, things usually don’t go well anywhere, when anyone’s boner is in charge.”

“I like yours, though.” She pressed herself against him. Remy stifled a moan. “If I were in charge, I would put your boner in charge.” She frowned. “Did that make sense?”

She was starting to sound loopy.

“No. I think the lack of blood to your brain is getting to you.” He scooped her up, towel and all, and carried her back to the bed, putting her under the covers.

When she reached for him, he said, “I’m not going anywhere. But I don’t think you’ve thought through the possible ramifications of you healing when I’m near you.”

He sat on the edge of the bed, and she ran her fingers lightly up and down his arm. Her soft touch gave him goosebumps.

“What do you mean?”

Remy bit his lips. This was the moment of truth, the do or die. Fly high, or get shot down.

He forced the words out. “It might mean we’re mates.”

Jaeda’s gorgeous dark-blue eyes opened wide. “Ohhhhhh.”

True mates had a magical bond. When it was first activated, it was hugely powerful. For alpha wolves like Jaeda’s father, it could bind a whole pack and the territory they claimed, putting powerful magic at his disposal.

For ordinary mates, that first surge of magic sometimes gave them the ability to speak mind-to-mind, or heal each other from life-threatening wounds. Even under normal circumstances, they could feel each other’s emotions and give each other strength. It had given his own father the power to track his mom through the spirit world and rescue her from a psycho kidnapper.

Jaeda said slowly, “So if we’re mates, and we have sex, then, boom. We could be bonded.”

Remy nodded. “And then we’re fucked. In more ways than one. We can’t take that back.”

Jaeda’s eyes dropped, and he suddenly felt a stab of hurt go through her and into his own belly.

“I understand,” she said. “You wouldn’t want to bond to a non-shifter.”

Wait, what? “It’s not that,” he said. “But I didn’t think—you want a human life. Not to live with the crazy shifters.”

She shrugged, still not looking at him. A tear dropped and splashed on the covers.

She’s crying. Make it stop! his leopard snarled.

He lifted her chin gently to get her to look at him, caressing her cheek with his fingers. “Talk to me,” he said.

She sighed, another tear tracking down her face. “I told you. I was always the odd one out. Not being able to Change with the others, to run in the woods with the pack or feel their bond.”