Page 20 of Claimed By the Wolf
“Is it… forbidden?”
“No…” But I don’t know if that’s true.
The little I’ve gathered through covert measures, I would have to approach an elder for help, and going through the proper hierarchy would make it authorized. Elders are shifter advisors and revered in their roles within the packs. But that doesn’t mean it’s safe for me to do, or even that one would know what to do. Just because they’re old and wise from years of pack life, doesn’t make them automatically trustworthy or sage on every matter. But they still know more than the average shifter.
I try to explain further. “I’ll have to reach out to someone for help.”
“Like who?” Her golden-green eyes shine in the darkness, and I focus my stare on the trickle of the water, fidgeting with my hands that so desperately want to touch her. “You don’t mean someone dabbling in sorcery, do you?”
“No. An elder,” I respond.
Her pupils dilate in the darkness. She fully comprehends the danger of letting anyone else in on our secret, elder or not. “Oh. Which one?”
“I don’t know exactly, and that’s part of the problem. If I ask the wrong elder, we’ll be in an even worse place than before. It’ll make me look weak, like I don’t have control.”
She curls her lithe frame toward me. “Do you have control?” she asks quietly. “Because I don’t feel like I do.”
Her confession tightens my chest, and I suck in the cool springtime air. “We have to stop meeting.”
Again, I’m saying things I don’t mean, but I don’t have a choice. Just spitting the words out hurts, but they need to be said.
“We need to find a solution before the gathering at Emeric’s. The packs can’t get a whiff of this bond between us, Nox. Emeric will think we deliberately deceived him. Who knows how he’ll react.”
I agree silently. I don’t know the Alpha well, but if I were in his position, I wouldn’t take a slight like this lightly.
I eye her warily. “I mean…” I drawl slowly. “We could test out the theory.”
She returns my look uncomprehendingly. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, we haven’t been out in public together yet.”
Aghast, she gawks at me. “What are you saying?”
“We haven’t really seen anyone together. For all we know, no one can tell we are bonded.” I’m grasping at straws, but we’re running out of time.
“You’re not suggesting what I think you are…”
“We could go out in public and see if others notice,” I offer.
“That’s too risky!”
“We wouldn’t go out around here. We’ll go out of our territory, maybe into Stonecrest or Moon River. Some place where they don’t know us as well.”
She frowns lightly. “Who do you know out there?”
I shrug. “A few guys,” I admit. “But they’re not close enough to cause issues. If anyone suspects us, they won’t necessarily be able to track you back to Emeric.”
The idea falls apart on my lips. But she will be a powerful Alpha’s Luna. That could come back to haunt us. That’s not a good plan.
She shifts uncomfortably in her place. “It’s a big gamble. If they recognize us as mates, and it gets back to our pack…”
I throw up my hands in exasperation. “I don’t know what else to do,” I growl, whipping my head toward her, my eyes flashing.
Her breath catches as our lips land inches from each other. She reaches up to stroke my face.
“Don’t get mad at me,” she begs. “I don’t know what to do, either. I didn’t want to mate with Emeric in the first place.”
A stab of guilt slices through me, and I turn my head away. “Well, what’s done is done.” I jump up before I can act on the kiss. “The pact is formed.”
