Page 25 of Unbreakable Bond
“Idon’t.”
“Me either.” His face softened fractionally, “The bond is there between us but it’s only half formed until my other half claims you as well. I could’ve done it tonight, in the heat of the moment, but I wanted you to have a clear head and know what you’re getting yourself into. I want you toagreeto it instead of just having to acceptit.”
Zoey blinked but remained quiet instead of asking the dozens of questions on the tips of her tongue. Because Rafe was hurting. It was right there on his face but deeper than that, she could feel how worried he was. He had more to say and he didn’t know how she would take it so she waited for him to find thewords.
Rafe finally sighed again, “Do you know what happens when a werewolf bites a human,Zoey?”
“I… uh… a werewolf bite is lethal to a human nine times out of ten.” She shook her head, “But not if the human is mated to thewolf.”
“Right. If the human is mated, whathappens?”
“Well, um…” She chewed her bottom lip and shrugged, “I become likeyou.”
Rafe’s eyes glowed gold with his wolf and he smirked, “Yeah, you become like me. That’s the shorthand. You get a wolf, Zoey. Our bond will create a new wolf inside of you. You’ll be dual natured. You’ll change every full moon. You won’t be humananymore.”
Zoey was still confused, “I know all that,Rafe.”
“Okay… well…” He dropped his head into his hands and didn’t look at her, “What you don’t know is that if the wolf doesn’t do it right, it can be extremelydangerous.”
“Dangerous?” She was about to ask what he was talking about again but he pushed to his feet and pacedaway.
Rafe was rubbing his face. Scratching his head. His shoulders were tense and everything inside of her told her that he was contemplating walking out the door. Walking away from her because of some perceived threat that she didn’t even knowabout.
“Rafe!” She stood up too even though she felt a little dizzy when shedid.
“Damn it, Zo.” He spun to face her and was instantly at her side, guiding her back down onto the couch and tucking the blanket back around her, “Your body is still recovering from the mating. You need torest.”
“What I need is for you to tell me what’s going on.” She held onto him so he was forced to sit down beside her. “Why is finishing the bond dangerous,Rafe?”
“Because my wolf is dangerous.” He admitted softly, “Michael was right. My wolf is feral. He’s dangerous and I don’t trust him with you. I’m afraid he’ll hurtyou.”
Zoey softened, “Rafe, I’m your mate. You’d never hurtme.”
“Mywolf…”
“I’m his matetoo.”
“Not yet. Not until he bites you.” Rafe pulled her into his lap and Zoey could feel how much he needed her touch, just as much as she needed his, so she cuddled against him and let him wrap her up tight, “Zo, in an ideal situation we’d have more time. More time for him to get to know you, to adjust to the idea of having his mate so close and to know that we finally found our home. But we don’t havetime.”
She nuzzled under his chin, “Because the full moon istomorrow?”
“Yeah.” He was stroking her hair softly, “The full moon is tomorrow and I don’t know if I can control him. He’s liable to go crazy and attack you just to sink his teeth in you and claim you and I’m not sure he’ll know when tostop.”
Zoey’s heart hurt with affection for this man. He was so scared that he would hurt her he was actually considering leaving her. Silly wolf. He wouldn’t hurt her. She trusted him. Even if he didn’t trust his wolf. Poor man. He was so broken but she could see it now, see that this was the first step in putting him backtogether.
“Rafe. He’ll stop. He won’t ravage me. I’m hismate.”
He rubbed his cheek against hers, “You can’t knowthat.”
“I trust you.” She tilted his face until they were eye to eye and she could see the worry in those fathomless depths, “I trust both ofyou.”
“Zo…”
She kissed him. She didn’t know how else to shut him up. And she wanted to kiss him. So she did. She pressed her lips to his and jolted at the spark of electricity that flared between them. The bond, it had to be. Attraction and lust and something deeper, something that she knew without a doubt would turn into a deep and unending love if they were open to it. She kissed him and he groaned slightly before taking control fromher.
His lips devoured hers as if he’d been starving for another taste and she wrapped her arms around him. Dominant man. Her dominant man. Her mate. He kissed her just as passionately, as deeply, as he had when the heat was between them and she melted for him all over again. She was silently cursing the clothes he’d put on while she was sleeping when he nipped her lip and pulledaway.
“Zo…” He groaned her name this time as if he was struggling. “I have anidea.”
