Page 23 of Wedding for My Werewolf

“I should get some sleep.”

“Wait. There’s one more thing we need to discuss.”

He stood as well and the moonlight cast shadows across his face, making his expression even more unreadable than usual.

“You remember that I told you I needed to scent mark you?” He held up his hands at her sharp intake of breath. “It just means we need some physical contact.”

Her heart hammered against her ribs in an odd combination of excitement and trepidation. “What kind of contact?”

“Just a hug, and I’ll rub my face against your neck.”

That sounded innocent enough. So why was her heart still pounding?

“Now?”

He nodded, taking a careful step toward her. “Yes. To start building my scent. The Pack will expect it.”

She swallowed hard and nodded. He moved slowly towards her, watching her face before he wrapped his arms around her. His chest was solid against her cheek, his heart beating steady and strong. The warmth of him seeped through her clothes, chasing away the night’s chill.

He dipped his head, nose brushing her neck. His breath fanned hot against her skin as he nuzzled the spot beneath her ear. A shiver ran down her spine that had nothing to do with cold.

His scent surrounded her—cedar and leather and something wild she couldn’t name. Her fingers curled into his shirt oftheir own accord. A small sound escaped her throat as his fangs scraped gently across her skin.

The sound jolted her back to reality. This wasn’t real. She couldn’t let herself forget that.

She jerked back, nearly stumbling in her haste.

“That should be enough, right?” she asked breathlessly.

Without waiting for an answer, she fled into the house, leaving him standing alone on the porch.

CHAPTER 9

Eric paced back and forth across the living room, but for once he was the restless one. His wolf was remarkably content, pleased by Robin’s scent mingling with his in their shared space. He looked over at the closed door to the bedroom, automatically noting that she was still sleeping peacefully. The thought of dragging her into Pack politics made his shoulders tense.

His mother’s reaction played through his mind again. If she’d been that hostile, the Pack would be worse. Wolves weren’t known for accepting change easily, especially when it came to humans. The last human who’d tried to integrate with the pack had left town within a month. Maybe it was too soon to introduce her.

He pulled his sheriff’s jacket from the hook and shrugged it on. As he adjusted his collar, he could detect her scent lingering on his skin from the night before. His wolf rumbled with satisfaction, but he pushed the feeling aside. This was about protection, nothing more.

“Morning.”

He was so lost in his thoughts that her voice startled him. She stood in the doorway, hair tousled from sleep, wearing an oversized sweater that made her look even smaller and more adorable than usual.

“Sleep well?” He kept his tone neutral, remaining by the door even though his wolf urged him to move closer.

“Better than I expected.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “Are you going somewhere?”

“Pack meeting.”

“Oh. Didn’t you say I should go with you?”

He went into the kitchen and poured the coffee he’d made earlier into a mug, handing it to her when she followed him.

“You don’t have to do this. I can make excuses?—”

“No.” She squared her small shoulders. “I agreed to this. I won’t hide.”

Pride and guilt warred in his chest. Here she was, showing more courage than he’d anticipated, while he plotted ways to shield her from his own pack.

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