Page 4 of Rescued By The Wolf

She’s still shaking, and I wonder if she’s shivering from more than just the cold. She has to still be freaked out.

“Thanks for stepping in,” my mate says, and I nod.

“Let me talk to you for a minute,” I tell her, pulling her away from the tent a few feet.

We stop, and she looks up at me, her green eyes sparkling in the light from the moon and the few lanterns that are still going. My wolf paws at me, wanting to claim her right here and now, but I grit my teeth.

Now is definitely not the time, I yell at him.

He snarls and starts to pace back and forth inside of me.

I stare down at her, and I wonder how the hell I’m going to do this. How do I comfort my mate while also explaining that we’re fated mates and that I’m a shifter? Oh, and I need to convince her that she should stay here with me.

Yeah, tonight is going to be a long night…

THREE

Sophie

It was so strange, but as soon as I stumbled into this man, I knew that everything was going to be okay. I felt safe as soon as his arms wrapped around me.

Normally men put me on edge. I mean, I haven’t had a great history with them. My dad was a workaholic who was never around and never really cared for me, all of my mom’s boyfriends were jerks, and even the boys in my class seemed so immature. I never paid them any attention.

College was supposed to be different. I figured I would finally find someone I was attracted to there. I thought that maybe the boys would be more mature and I would finally get a boyfriend, but it was just more of the same.

Two seconds with this man, and it’s like all those feelings I should have had when I was a teenager are hitting me all at once. I was attracted to him, turned on, and all I could think about now that the issue with Roger was over is finding out more about this man.

“Thanks again,” I tell him quietly, and he nods.

“Of course. I’m happy that I could help. Does he… has he done that before?”

“Not really? I… I don’t know. He’s been creepy for the last few months, but this was a huge escalation.”

“Creepy, how?”

I try to focus on his question, but it’s like my brain revolts. When I think back to my stepdad, I start to panic. There’s no way that he mixed up the tents. What would he have done if I hadn’t woken up? Or what if I hadn’t been able to get away?

I shudder as I think about it, and the man pulls me closer to him.

“We should get you inside where you can warm up,” he says, and I swallow hard. “Do you feel safe staying here?”

I want to tell him that I’m sure I’ll be fine here. I want to believe that my stepdad wasn’t really trying to do anything to me, but deep down, I know that’s not true. I also know that my mom doesn’t have my back. I mean, she’s already proven that. The truth is that I don’t feel safe here.

I hesitate in answering, and that seems to be all the answer he needs.

“Listen, I know that you don’t know me very well—I’m Flint, by the way—and I can stay here with you. I can stand guard outside your tent,” he offers. “I’ll protect you in case he tries to come by again.”

“You’ll freeze,” I tell him, like he can’t feel how cold it is.

“I’ll be fine. Do you want me to stay?”

“Yes.”

I take a moment, wondering what it says about me and my life that I feel safer and trust this stranger more than I do my own family.

“Come in the tent though. You’ll be warmer,” I say before I can chicken out.

“Are you sure? I’m not sure that we’ll both fit.”

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