little time, but not much.”
“And in the meantime we try and figure out what you did to piss someone off so much they threaten to kill your supposed mate.”
He growled. Supposed mate? He really needed to work on correcting her stubborn impression that somehow he’d gotten the wrong woman.
She patted his head. “Down, Fido.”
He took her hand in his and leaned into her. “How can you deny the magic that coursed through you when you touched the ring?” He kept his voice soft so Mrs. Evans wouldn’t hear them arguing.
“How would you feel if a complete stranger walked up to you and said congratulations! You get to spend the rest of your life with me whether you like it or not!” Lana was also keeping her voice soft, yet still managed to sound like she was yelling at him.
Goddess, she was so cute when she was pissed. “That’s not true.”
“Yes it is!”
“You could walk away from me.” His heart was pounding. Please don’t walk away from me.
She raised an eyebrow at him in disbelief. “Really?”
“Yes. You could throw me out and declare that you want nothing to do with me. Eventually, if you held strong, I would have to give up and go away.”
“And then what?”
He knew what would happen then, but he didn’t want to guilt her into staying with him. He wanted her to stay because she wanted to. So he remained silent, ignoring her deepening glare.
Finally she blew her bangs out of her eyes, glaring at him. “You are so stubborn.”
He couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m stubborn?” He stroked her cheek. “What is the worst that could happen, Alannah? You fall in love with a man completely devoted to you, who will never cheat on you or leave you. A man willing to lay down his life for you if need be.” She had that deer in the headlights look again. He stroked his thumb across her full lips, teasing them both with the promise of a kiss, hoping to soothe her. “Give me a chance. Learn me, get to know me. I may surprise you, despite the fact that I’m a wizard.”
“A wolf wizard.”
He frowned, his heart sinking. Had she lied about it not bothering her? “I thought that didn’t bother you.”
“It doesn’t, not really. But it’s a part of you I’ll need to get to learn if I’m going to go through with this.”
“Do you want to see me change?”
She blinked. “Here?”
“Well, we could take it upstairs…”
She was glaring at him again. “Here’s good.”
He raised his voice. “Mrs. Evans?”
“You can call me Annabelle, Christopher.”
“Thank you. Would you mind staying in the kitchen for about ten minutes?”
Silence. “Only ten?”
“Grammy!” Lana buried her face in her hands but not before he caught sight of her reddening cheeks.
He took pity on her. “Lana wants to meet my wolf.” There was a difference between that flight in the woods and what Lana wanted now. She needed to meet the wolf, touch him, possibly bond with him. It would be another rite of passage for both of them.
“Ah.” Annabelle’s voice was knowing. “Very well then. I’ll have another cup of coffee.”
“Thank you, Annabelle.”
“You’re welcome.”
He tipped Lana’s face up. “Are you ready?”
She nodded.
Christopher stepped away and made sure that the windows were covered. Satisfied, he began stripping. He chuckled when Lana turned away. “You’ve already seen, touched, and felt everything, Lana.”
“Don’t remind me, wolfman.”
He stepped out of his pants, fully nude. “You can turn around now.” He waited for her to be fully turned before calling his wolf to him.
He hated the word summon. It implied that his wolf did his bidding. It was more than that; it was a blending of souls, a partnership where each met the needs of the other. So he called his wolf and invited him in.
His wolf answered. They flowed together, the change overtaking his body, the wolf becoming dominant. He opened his eyes, almost afraid of what Lana’s reaction would be.
She
“And in the meantime we try and figure out what you did to piss someone off so much they threaten to kill your supposed mate.”
He growled. Supposed mate? He really needed to work on correcting her stubborn impression that somehow he’d gotten the wrong woman.
She patted his head. “Down, Fido.”
He took her hand in his and leaned into her. “How can you deny the magic that coursed through you when you touched the ring?” He kept his voice soft so Mrs. Evans wouldn’t hear them arguing.
“How would you feel if a complete stranger walked up to you and said congratulations! You get to spend the rest of your life with me whether you like it or not!” Lana was also keeping her voice soft, yet still managed to sound like she was yelling at him.
Goddess, she was so cute when she was pissed. “That’s not true.”
“Yes it is!”
“You could walk away from me.” His heart was pounding. Please don’t walk away from me.
She raised an eyebrow at him in disbelief. “Really?”
“Yes. You could throw me out and declare that you want nothing to do with me. Eventually, if you held strong, I would have to give up and go away.”
“And then what?”
He knew what would happen then, but he didn’t want to guilt her into staying with him. He wanted her to stay because she wanted to. So he remained silent, ignoring her deepening glare.
Finally she blew her bangs out of her eyes, glaring at him. “You are so stubborn.”
He couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m stubborn?” He stroked her cheek. “What is the worst that could happen, Alannah? You fall in love with a man completely devoted to you, who will never cheat on you or leave you. A man willing to lay down his life for you if need be.” She had that deer in the headlights look again. He stroked his thumb across her full lips, teasing them both with the promise of a kiss, hoping to soothe her. “Give me a chance. Learn me, get to know me. I may surprise you, despite the fact that I’m a wizard.”
“A wolf wizard.”
He frowned, his heart sinking. Had she lied about it not bothering her? “I thought that didn’t bother you.”
“It doesn’t, not really. But it’s a part of you I’ll need to get to learn if I’m going to go through with this.”
“Do you want to see me change?”
She blinked. “Here?”
“Well, we could take it upstairs…”
She was glaring at him again. “Here’s good.”
He raised his voice. “Mrs. Evans?”
“You can call me Annabelle, Christopher.”
“Thank you. Would you mind staying in the kitchen for about ten minutes?”
Silence. “Only ten?”
“Grammy!” Lana buried her face in her hands but not before he caught sight of her reddening cheeks.
He took pity on her. “Lana wants to meet my wolf.” There was a difference between that flight in the woods and what Lana wanted now. She needed to meet the wolf, touch him, possibly bond with him. It would be another rite of passage for both of them.
“Ah.” Annabelle’s voice was knowing. “Very well then. I’ll have another cup of coffee.”
“Thank you, Annabelle.”
“You’re welcome.”
He tipped Lana’s face up. “Are you ready?”
She nodded.
Christopher stepped away and made sure that the windows were covered. Satisfied, he began stripping. He chuckled when Lana turned away. “You’ve already seen, touched, and felt everything, Lana.”
“Don’t remind me, wolfman.”
He stepped out of his pants, fully nude. “You can turn around now.” He waited for her to be fully turned before calling his wolf to him.
He hated the word summon. It implied that his wolf did his bidding. It was more than that; it was a blending of souls, a partnership where each met the needs of the other. So he called his wolf and invited him in.
His wolf answered. They flowed together, the change overtaking his body, the wolf becoming dominant. He opened his eyes, almost afraid of what Lana’s reaction would be.
She
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