My wolf yips in alarm, while my heart hurts for him.
He’s suffering.
He frowns, dipping his head among the shadows to see me better. “Savannah?”
I give an answering bark.
Damn.I need to regain my human form, but my wolf won’t relinquish it easily. I push hard at her, calling her back inside me.
There’s a series of cracks and crunches, and at last I stand naked in front of Beau in the middle of the forest.
“Here I am,” I say, and I hold my arms loose at my sides. Not embarrassed or humiliated as I was before. But ready for whatever will come. Because now I know I’m worthy of a good mate. I understand that Beau has protected me all this time. And that he didn’t run away because he didn’t like me enough.
“You came.” His white teeth flash in the dimness of the forest.
With a deep growl, he takes one more step towards me, and I’m in his arms. He draws me up, lifting me right off my feet, and he kisses me fiercely, his mouth crashing against mine. Relief sweeps through me and I open to him, welcoming him in. Wanting him to take all of me.
After a long time, he puts me down on the forest floor, but stays close, holding both my hands. “You came,” he says again.
“I couldn’t leave you alone out here,” I say simply.
“You were brave.” His thick brows knit together. “Thought I was going to lose control of my beast for good.”
“But why?”
“A long time ago, I went feral for two whole years. Lived in the wilderness, trapped inside my beast. All crazed and destructive. Felt like it was going to happen again.”
“What happened to you, Beau?” I say softly, knowing his words won’t come easily.
His massive chest rises, and I hear him take a ragged breath. “I thought I met my mate when I was young. We grew up together. And I just assumed… thought that was enough. But when we came of age, she chose another. An enemy of mine. Just about drove my wolf insane. I almost destroyed my pack—” He breaks off, takes several more slow breaths. “It’s been… difficult ever since. That’s why I’ve had to live alone all these years, never getting too close to anyone. It took all my control to keep my wolf at bay, stop it from going feral.”
I gather myself, sympathy and jealousy warring in my chest.
“But you’re not like that anymore—”
Something shifts in his eyes. They’re his usual cornflower blue again, but full of ferocity.
“No, I’m not. But I’ll be that and much more to protect you, Savannah. You’re mine, and nothing is going to get in the way of that again.”
Butterflies flutter in my stomach. “You want to be with me?”
He lets off a groan of anguish. “Of course. You’re my mate. I’ve known that since the first moment I saw you.”
I bite my lip. I can’t believe I’m about to ask such an egotistical question. “With your last mate, did you feel like…like you’d been struck by lightning around her?” My cheeks burn.
His gaze turns fierce again. “No, not once. I was naïve then, still a kid. I had no idea how it’s supposed to feel when you meet the one. Then, that day, when I pulled you out of the riverbank, I finally got it. Lightning. Fireworks. Annihilation.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Still, you rejected me.”
“No, Savannah.” His voice cracks. “I’m so sorry I made you feel like that. I was never going to let you go. But I thought holding back, not mating you was the right thing to do. I didn’t understand that was exactly what was turning my animal feral again. This is what I’ve figured out—after these crazy days in the forest—” He draws my hand against his chest and I feel his big heart beating, strong and slow beneath his massive ribcage. “With you, my animal is calm. In harmony with yours. You’re my mate, and it’s no longer my enemy.”
I close my eyes, feeling dizzy and overwhelmed. “But will you be mine and only mine?” I say, in a trembling voice.
He frowns. “What do you mean, Savannah?”
“I don’t want to be part of a harem.”
“W-what?” He laughs. “There’s not gonna be a harem. Where did you get that idea?”