Mated To The Alpha: A Standalone Wolf Shifter Romance, стр. 23

"Yes. You want me. Badly. Honestly, any wolf would do. As you get closer to your full heat, the need will get stronger. In a few days, it won't matter which wolf was near you, I'm sure you've seen animals in heat before."

Emma was offended, her quiet need flaming instead to indignation.

"I'm not an animal. I've had many 'cycles,' thank you very much, and I've never indiscriminately fucked my way through a wave of horniness. I can take care of myself, not that it's any of your business."

"You've never gone through a cycle in the company of others like you before. Your dad is human, your mother died way before you hit maturity. You have experienced human cycles, not a wolf's."

"So you're saying you guys just fuck like animals? That you're no better than dogs?"

She was trying to piss him off now, attacking as a defense.

He just laughed, taking it in stride.

"Sometimes, yes."

His deep, rumbled acknowledgement threw her. He wasn't ashamed, or even slightly embarrassed.

"Unmated females in heat cause quite a frenzy. Especially because we have so few. The drive, the scent, the need, becomes undeniable. The female is in charge, no one comes near her that she doesn't allow. But sometimes she allows..."

He broke off, searching for the words.

"Sometimes she allows plenty. Again and again. Until she takes a forever mate, of course."

The images in Emma's head as she filled in the blanks he left made the ache between her thighs even heavier.

Staring at a very sexy, very naked Elam, discussing the primal needs of his kind, factually, as if they were discussing the weather, after days of frustration and horniness that she didn't quite understand, was driving her crazy with her own confusing needs.

"Then what happens?"

"When she takes a forever mate? We are monogamous then. Her heat belongs to her mate, and no one else. It is much like in your world, dating versus marriage. Only, we don't cheat. Or divorce. It really is 'til death do us part' for us."

He was standing so close.

She found herself fighting the urge to lean in, to close the narrow gap, to rest her hands on his bare chest, lift herself onto her toes and softly kiss his mouth.

"These feeling will get worse? For me, I mean? In the next few days?"

She asked him the question, dreading the response.

"Yes."

"How do I keep from...?"

She couldn't bring herself to finish the question, but he had no such issues.

"To keep from taking plenty? Again and again?"

She closed her eyes tight at his response. The words teased something primal, deep inside her. She held her breath until she couldn't any more, and let it out in a slow exhale, using every bit of control she still had not to let the air escape in a heated moan.

"Yes."

She heard his soft laugh, and was glad her eyes were still closed tight. She was glad she couldn't see whatever expression he had on his face as he looked at her.

His answer though, made her eyes fly open in surprise.

"I will protect you, of course. We will stay here. I will guard the tunnel, and keep every other wolf at bay until your heat passes. You are to be mine, remember? You have seen the visions yourself. You recognize this place from 'seeing' it, do you not?"

He smiled at the panic in her eyes, trying to reassure her.

"It will take everything I have to resist your begging, your throwing yourself at me, your sight, your smell, but I will resist you, if that is what you want. You are meant to be mine, forever. I won't let any other male get anywhere near you.

I may need to recruit a couple of other females, to help. It will be hard to fight the males off and resist you, otherwise, but I can wait, until you come to me sure. Rational. Undriven by heat. If that is what you want."

She just stared at him, desire raging with rationality already.

She tried to absorb his words. She would want him more? Even more than she did right now? How could that be possible?

It was taking everything she had not to touch him now. It was starting to hurt her not to kiss him, and he was saying this would only get worse?

"Is that what you want?"

He asked the question, but her brain had trouble processing it.

"You know what happens when we touch." He was still talking. "That is the only reason I haven't kissed you again. I have the feeling that a decision like this is something you would rather make rationally, not driven by an animal instinct that you still don't understand. I get that. It is painful to be this close to you, to smell the aroused, heated scent you are giving off, to know you were meant for me, and not kiss you again."

"I have to decide now? All or nothing?" She finally forced the words out, the desire to know stronger than the desire for self-protection.

"I have to decide whether to take you as a mate, forever, barely knowing you, or have you stand guard over me, protecting me from a hoard of wild, sex craved wolves while I throw myself at you, and you and a couple of female wolves protect me from myself? Do I have this right?"

"Basically. There is a third option, though."

"Oh? And what, pray tell, is that?"

"You have a few days until you are mindless with need. Meaning your body won't take over completely just yet. And I can control myself, as well. We could try a little experiment. Another kiss. Here, now. And see what happens."

Her gaze dropped to his lips.

He was smirking, damn him.

Did he really think that one more taste of his kiss would... what? Answer all of her questions? Calm all of her fears? That was insane.

Even as her mind kept up a list of reasons why this was a bad idea, her body didn't seem to be listening.

Her eyes still