Page 23 of First Love

Amelia’s lips turned up at the corners. “Of course you do. That’s how werewolves make the mating bond official.”

“So you’ll let me bite you?”

“Let you? I’m dying for you to bite me.”

I scooped her up, doing my best to ignore how much of my blood was on the kitchen floor, on us. I turned my head away from the dead intruder in the living room too. Instead, I carried Amelia to the bathroom. Whimpering, however, made me duck into Sammy’s room first. My poor dog was cowering at the back of his crate, his big blue eyes radiating fear.

“That asshole scared him,” Amelia said as I set her down and kneeled by my dog’s crate.

“Scared me too.” I glanced down to my chest. Dried blood covered it, but nothing hurt there and no fresh blood flowed.

“He was part of the group of wolves that killed my uncle and the rest of my pack. They’re wandering wolves who come in and take over a territory. They don’t often succeed because most packs have Scouter wolves who detect these types of threats.”

“How did they get the jump on your pack?” I asked as I poked a hand into Sammy’s crate and stroked his fur. His nose worked overtime as he sniffed at the blood stains.

Amelia’s head lowered. “It was my fault. I was my pack’s Scouter, but I was too wrapped up in a landscape project I was working on. I fucked up in my duties to the pack and they all paid the price. I escaped their fate because I was at work at the time they were ruthlessly attacked.” She arrowed a thumb to the hallway. “I failed in Scouter duties here too actually. I sensed a threat, but I didn’t check it out properly. You lost your humanity because of that mistake.”

I coaxed Sammy out of his crate, doing a quick scan to make sure he was all right. When he presented his belly to me to rub, I knew he was fine. When he sniffed me all over the place, I knew he recognized I had been changed into something else.

I got to my feet and faced a very naked Amelia. Even with my blood staining her flesh, she was stunning.

And a werewolf.My werewolf.

“Don’t feel one ounce of guilt about turning me, Amelia.” I took her hands in mine. “Even if my life hadn’t been in danger, and I found out you could make me into a werewolf, I would have chosen that. There’s no doubt in my mind.” I pointed to her, myself, and Sammy. “And now we have our own pack going here.”

I’d meant it as a joke, but her eyes got glossy and her chin wavered as if she might cry.

“Hey, what’s wrong? I told you, I’m cool with being a werewolf, with being your mate.”

“But no established pack will accept us now,” she said, her voice full of despair. “I broke two important werewolf rules. First, I fell for you and we made love while you were a human. Wolves and humans aren’t supposed to mix. Second, I turned you. That’s never done without the express permission of an Alpha or Lunai, the Moon Goddess, herself. I didn’t have permission from either. I no longer have an Alpha. I came to Vermont because the Sinclaire pack is one of the strongest in the country. I’d hoped to gain entry into that pack.”

“So you didn’t come because you have a cousin here?”

She shook her head. “I was hoping Archer Sinclaire would give me asylum with his pack, but he won’t do that now.”

“We don’t know that yet,” I said. “So we’re not going to worry about it right now. Instead, we’re going to get clean and finish off this mating bond properly.”

Her eyes flared with a golden fire I felt burning deeply inside me. She took my hand and dragged me into the bathroom where she plunged a hand into the shower and turned it on.

Sammy took up residence on the fluffy rug I had by the sink. The poor pup wanted to be near us.

Without saying a word, Amelia peeled off my sleep pants and boxers, letting them both drop to the tiled floor.

I stepped out of them and now we were both naked. I slipped into the shower behind Amelia, and we let the steamy water wash away all the blood. I grabbed the bar of soap and lathered up my hands until they overflowed with bubbles. Coasting my sudsy hands all over Amelia’s perfect body gave me a great thrill. Knowing that body could change into a magnificent, golden wolf gave me a bigger thrill.

“How do I change?” I asked when not a speck of blood remained on Amelia.

She took the soap from me and generated a good froth before laying her hands on me. Her touch was gentle at first, as if she wasn’t convinced her turning me had actually healed my gunshot wound.

I closed my fingers around her wrists and brought her hands up to my chest. “I’m really okay, Amelia. You made me okay. Your quick action saved me.” I kissed her knuckles.

Nodding then applying more pressure, she washed me more thoroughly, more aggressively, and I enjoyed the slippery massage.

“I’ll show you how to change when we’re done here.” Her hand glided down my chest and abs then her fingers wrapped around my erection. She gave me a few slow pumps, her gaze locked on mine.

“You keep doing that and we’ll be done here in seconds.” I cupped her cheeks and descended upon her mouth as if she was a decadent treat and I was a starving man with a sweet tooth.

The kiss went wild, untamed, in an instant. Our tongues tangled, and before I knew it, Amelia was in my arms, her legs firmly wrapped around my waist, her arms around my shoulders.