Page 103 of Wolf's Reckoning
“Go to bed, Rowen,” he said. “I’ll sleep here tonight.” Then he walked past me like his whole body wasn’t on fire.
And I let him go.
Because if I didn’t, I wasn’t sure who I’d be when the morning came.
I hurried to the bedroom and wished the door locked. I wished I could chain myself to the wall. My body was crawling with lust once more.
I couldn’t breathe. It wasn’t panic. It wasn’t even my heat.
It washim.
His scent lingered in the air like smoke after lightning struck—wild, electric, undeniably his. My legs wobbled under me, the heat rolling low and sharp in my belly, an ache starting to spiral.
No.
No, no, no.
I gripped the windowsill tighter, knuckles bone-white as I stared out over the small yard, where Wolfe was shirtless again,of course, and driving a post into the ground like it had personally insulted his ancestors.
My wolf was no longer curled up quietly. It was pacing now, tail high, ears twitching. Waiting.
Pining.
It was sickening.
I shoved the window open and gulped fresh mountain air, but it didn’t help. Not when the breeze carried his scentstraight to me—tangy pepper, the deep richness of oakmoss, and something deeper. Something dark andmine.
Heat.
Real heat. Spiked through me.
This wasn’t like last time. Last time I’d survived it. Just me, locked in my quarters, teeth gritted, body wracked, refusing to let instinct win. But this? This was different.
This was him. His scent. His voice. Hisdominance.
A firm tug in my core felt like nothing else, and I stayed bent over as a sense of certainty settled over me.
He had resisted the need to claim me. His will had been so strong.
Will.
“No.” My denial was a whisper of horror, and I felt what he’d so carefully hidden from me since his return.
The power of an alpha.
I stumbled back from the window, chest heaving, skin damp.
My wolfknew. It knew what I’d been denying. What I’drefusedto consider. And now, cornered by biology and fate and the cruel twist of whatever cosmic joke Luna was playing on me…I finally saw the truth.
Wolfe wasn’t just a pack leader.
He was analpha.
And worse? He wasmyalpha.
Mymate.
I dropped to the floor, shaking, lips parted on a gasp. He’d known.
