Page 21 of Cherished By My Mate

We spend the morning watching a movie neither of us follows. I feel his attention on me whenever I shift. Every time my knee brushes his, he inhales sharply, but he never moves closer unless I do first.

After lunch, he takes me for a walk because I need something to distract me. We don’t go far, just down the trail behind the house. His hand hovers near my back when the ground gets uneven.

“You can hold my hand,” I tell him.

“I don’t want to make the heat worse.”

“I want you to hold my hand.”

That’s all I need to say. His fingers close around mine immediately. The contact sends warmth rushing up my arm, but beneath it is something calmer. Something that feels like safety.

We talk about nature for a while as we walk before I ask, “What happens after you mark me?”

Pyrce stumbles over absolutely nothing.

I catch his arm before he can fall. “Careful. A rogue branch might attack you.”

He gives me a look. “You can’t ask me something like that without warning.”

“I thought we were talking.”

“We were talking about birds and plants.”

“Now we’re talking about mating marks.”

He drags a hand through his hair, clearly trying to steady himself for this conversation.

“The bond will become permanent. We’ll be able to feel each other more clearly. Not read each other’s thoughts, exactly, but you’ll know when I’m close. You’ll feel that I’m alive and safe. Strong emotions can sometimes pass through the bond too. You’ll get some of my abilities. You’ll heal faster, and your eyesight and hearing will get better.”

“Will you be able to feel me?”

“Yes.”

“And your wolf?”

A small smile touches his mouth. “Yes.”

“Will it hurt you if I say no?”

He looks away.

“Pyrce.”

“Yes,” he admits. “But that isn’t your responsibility. I won’t let my pain make your choice for you.”

I stop walking.

He turns back, instantly worried. “What’s wrong? Are you dizzy? Do you need to sit down?”

“No. I’m okay.”

I stare at him, at this big, powerful man who could carry me through the forest without breaking a sweat. Yesterday, he turned into a wolf nearly as tall as I am. He could scare me. He could push. If he were the kind of man my parents wanted me to marry, he would see my fear and use it.

But he doesn’t.

Pyrce sees my fear and gives me space.

“Thank you.”