conventional.
“Come here.” He said through a clenched jaw. I took a step toward him. It wasn’t enough. He bent down a few inches, and dragged me against his hard chest. I could feel the indents and planes of his chest through his shirt. My bear demanded that I steady myself so that he could be okay. Breath by breath he came down from whatever mountain he was on.
“What happened? I don’t understand these things.”
I wished my parents had spent less time feeding me anti-clan propaganda and teaching me more about the bears and the honey.
So to speak.
“He touched you. He put his hand on my mate.”
His voice was chiseled rock and glass, setting me back on edge.
“So you’re going to do this every time a male touches me?”
“Not after you’re marked and mated properly.”
I attempted to bury the influx of embarrassment before it reached through me to him. How do you explain to your mate that you were never really taught about bear mating rituals?
“What is that? Embarrassment?”
He was truly confused.
I didn’t answer. He hadn’t let me go yet and I figured we should concentrate on one catastrophe before I told him about the catastrophe that was me.
“You’re okay now?”
I knew he was. I could feel the movement of his chest recede into normalcy. He kissed my temple once and rubbed my back before letting go.
“I’m sorry. It probably won’t be the last apology I make before everything is said and done. I’m gonna keep you next to me from here on out if that’s okay with you.”
“It’s more than okay. I kind of thought you were staying away for a reason.”
Pulling away, he hooked a finger under my chin and pulled it up so I was forced to meet his gaze. His brown eyes drove into me, causing my stomach to jump and my knees to waiver.
My damned legs refused to work around Tarrow Rivers.
“There is nothing you could do that would ever make me stay away from you. Is that clear?”
His proclamation was coupled with a pull of my waist, causing me to be flush with every part of his body.
“Yes.” One syllable—that’s all I could get out.
“Do you need to be home at a certain time or can I have you for a few more hours?” I knew exactly what he meant but having this faint-worthy male asking to ‘have me for hours’ caused all kinds of tingles in all kinds of places.
“I can be home whenever. I officially don’t have a job and I’m done with school.”
“Your parents don’t care?”
“No. I’m twenty years old.”
“Okay. I don’t want to piss off my in-laws already.”
His arms relaxed around me and when he released me, his eyes lied about his actions. He didn’t want to let go of me at all.
“Do we have to stay here?” I hesitated, not wanting to sound ungrateful.
“No. I think everything is pretty much over. I took care of that.” He wasn’t happy with himself about the whole ordeal. It sounded like something completely out of his control—and that’s what he hated most. “I have to bring my mom home. Is that okay? It’s just a short walk and then we can get out of here.”
I followed him inside, this time our hands clasped. The only people left in the house were the Alpha and his mate and Tarrow’s mother who looked more concerned than I was.
“Mom, are you ready to go home?” His voice had leveled out as well.
“I am. Alpha, Coeur, thank you for your continued hospitality.”
The older woman got up with Tarrow’s help and hugged both leaders of the clan before going outside. She’d asked me everything from my birthday to my favorite color while I was eating. I was sure it was an information gathering effort for Tarrow.
It was a sweet gesture, but I would’ve rather I conveyed the information directly to my mate.
While we walked through the clan houses, I took in the place. I thought clans were places with barefoot children ran amuck and women were forced to stay home and breed until their uteruses burst.
More like a backwoods
“Come here.” He said through a clenched jaw. I took a step toward him. It wasn’t enough. He bent down a few inches, and dragged me against his hard chest. I could feel the indents and planes of his chest through his shirt. My bear demanded that I steady myself so that he could be okay. Breath by breath he came down from whatever mountain he was on.
“What happened? I don’t understand these things.”
I wished my parents had spent less time feeding me anti-clan propaganda and teaching me more about the bears and the honey.
So to speak.
“He touched you. He put his hand on my mate.”
His voice was chiseled rock and glass, setting me back on edge.
“So you’re going to do this every time a male touches me?”
“Not after you’re marked and mated properly.”
I attempted to bury the influx of embarrassment before it reached through me to him. How do you explain to your mate that you were never really taught about bear mating rituals?
“What is that? Embarrassment?”
He was truly confused.
I didn’t answer. He hadn’t let me go yet and I figured we should concentrate on one catastrophe before I told him about the catastrophe that was me.
“You’re okay now?”
I knew he was. I could feel the movement of his chest recede into normalcy. He kissed my temple once and rubbed my back before letting go.
“I’m sorry. It probably won’t be the last apology I make before everything is said and done. I’m gonna keep you next to me from here on out if that’s okay with you.”
“It’s more than okay. I kind of thought you were staying away for a reason.”
Pulling away, he hooked a finger under my chin and pulled it up so I was forced to meet his gaze. His brown eyes drove into me, causing my stomach to jump and my knees to waiver.
My damned legs refused to work around Tarrow Rivers.
“There is nothing you could do that would ever make me stay away from you. Is that clear?”
His proclamation was coupled with a pull of my waist, causing me to be flush with every part of his body.
“Yes.” One syllable—that’s all I could get out.
“Do you need to be home at a certain time or can I have you for a few more hours?” I knew exactly what he meant but having this faint-worthy male asking to ‘have me for hours’ caused all kinds of tingles in all kinds of places.
“I can be home whenever. I officially don’t have a job and I’m done with school.”
“Your parents don’t care?”
“No. I’m twenty years old.”
“Okay. I don’t want to piss off my in-laws already.”
His arms relaxed around me and when he released me, his eyes lied about his actions. He didn’t want to let go of me at all.
“Do we have to stay here?” I hesitated, not wanting to sound ungrateful.
“No. I think everything is pretty much over. I took care of that.” He wasn’t happy with himself about the whole ordeal. It sounded like something completely out of his control—and that’s what he hated most. “I have to bring my mom home. Is that okay? It’s just a short walk and then we can get out of here.”
I followed him inside, this time our hands clasped. The only people left in the house were the Alpha and his mate and Tarrow’s mother who looked more concerned than I was.
“Mom, are you ready to go home?” His voice had leveled out as well.
“I am. Alpha, Coeur, thank you for your continued hospitality.”
The older woman got up with Tarrow’s help and hugged both leaders of the clan before going outside. She’d asked me everything from my birthday to my favorite color while I was eating. I was sure it was an information gathering effort for Tarrow.
It was a sweet gesture, but I would’ve rather I conveyed the information directly to my mate.
While we walked through the clan houses, I took in the place. I thought clans were places with barefoot children ran amuck and women were forced to stay home and breed until their uteruses burst.
More like a backwoods
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