Page 15 of Twist of Fated Mates
“I miss them.”
“We’ll figure it out. You should drink from me before we go, right?”
As if cued, the thirst gnaws at the back of my throat anew. “Are you sure that’s okay?”
“Of course. I’m your mate, so you drink from me now.”
This privilege is beyond my wildest dreams. He tilts his head, revealing the tender column of his throat. My mouth waters. I lean in. Charlie wraps his arms around me and doesn’t even flinch when I bite. His soft sigh ghosts across my ear. Feeding from him is a great pleasure. Easy in a way I wouldn’t have imagined possible. I swallow enough to sate my thirst, lick the wounds closed, and place a kiss on top for good measure.
He moans and sinks deeper into my embrace. “I wish we had time to go back to bed.”
“Me too.” I could stay in bed with him night and day. I chuckle against his cheek, loving the insatiable side of him. I can’t wait to get to know all sides of him.
He grabs my hand. “Come on. My pack will be waiting for us.”
Outside, the rain is steady. Hardy and Slater slink down from their vantage points on higher ground, both in wolf form. Slater noses at a pile of discarded clothes, now soaked, and Charlie scoops them up to bring along.
We’ll be drenched in no time, but I’d rather arrive soggy and clothed than furry and naked. I can still shift, but I don’t like to risk it. The wolf has even less control of the thirst than I do.
A thirty-minute walk brings us to the edge of their village. Ahead of us, Slater pauses, tilts his snout high, and sniffs like he’s caught a scent. He bark-snaps, and Hardy runs from behind us to join him.
Now they’re both alert, noses twitching. As if I wasn’t nervous enough already, the last thing we need is our guards all prickled and wary.
Charlie bumps my shoulder. “You smell anything?”
I shake my head. Shifting wind and rain can make scents scatter and dissipate unpredictably. “Too wet.”
“Same. It’s probably nothing.”
We push forward to an enclave of modest homes tucked together in a small valley and enter a communal building at the center of the village. My stomach flip-flops. Meeting a whole pack at once is a lot. But Charlie holds my hand, and that helps.
Marina greets us, throws a comforting arm over my shoulders, and leads us into the spacious room. The atmosphere is relaxed, with folks lounging on cozy couches and chairs arranged in a wide oval. Curious glances take me in, so I do my best to look friendly and nonthreatening. Iamfriendly and nonthreatening, so it shouldn’t be this hard.
Marina guides us past the throng to a private room off the main gathering spot. Slater and Hardy pad in behind us and shift.
She gestures to a clothing rack full of generic choices: soft gray pants, lined shirts, wool socks. “Help yourselves.”
We ditch our wet clothes for dry ones.
As our guards dress, Charlie asks Slater, “What scent did you catch earlier.”
“Blood.” He shrugs. “Not much. Normal enough, except I couldn’t be sure it wasn’t human.”
A flare of unease squeezes my spine. “Human?”
“Doubt it. Probably some lucky predator caught an early dinner.”
We can only hope.
We rejoin the group and sit, Charlie next to his mother and me next to him while the crowd chats. Multiple quiet conversations at once become loud background noise.
I’m properly introduced to her second, Oaks, who grins and winks at me. “You clean up decent. Better than naked and drooling.”
The teasing heats my cheeks, but I don’t mind. Mostly I’m grateful no one seems angry at my presence. In fact, Oaks isn’t the only one smiling. As I scan the pack, friendly face after friendly face greets me. My nerves begin to settle.
Marina clears her throat, and the chatting dies away. “Before we get to tonight’s discussion, I have a special announcement. If it’s okay with you, that is.” Her gaze lands on us.
Charlie nods enthusiastically, so I follow his lead and bob my head too.
