SEVEN
That pattern continuedover the next week, until neither of us could fall asleep after our meals. That day, Zed told Elliot that we could feed ourselves.
We didn’t get out of bed for a few more hours, though. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what we’d do when we did.
“How’s your wolf?” Zed asked me, as he finished eating.
“Still an ass,” I said, trying not to sigh afterward. Zed seemed to ignore my dramatics or play along with them, which made me both like him and hate him at the same time. And that made me uncertain of how to act around him.
“She’s really attached,” he remarked.
“Mmhmm.” I tried not to glare at the ceiling.
“If we let our wolves run together, she may decide she’s ready to end the mating process already,” he said.
“Already?” I snorted. “It’s been more than a year.”
“Not for her.”
He had a point, I supposed.
“Sigma females typically have short chases. And as hellish as the climax would be, at least we’d be able to be more than a couple inches apart.”
I made a face. “What the hell is the climax?”
He blinked at me.
“I didn’t read the mate manual,” I grumbled.
“There are three parts to the mating process. The hunt, which was my wolf chasing you all over the damned country.” He ticked one off his finger. “The chase, which is this.” He gestured between us, before ticking the second one. “The hunt was about my wolf trying to convince you to be his. Which I assume is why he was satisfied when you gave up on running from him and ordered him to bite you.”
I made a face.
“If your wolf is already certain that me and mine will be good mates, then she’s just waiting for the opportune time to bite me. I’ve never heard of a female biting her male without making sure he can track her scent, though, so even if she’s ready, she’ll wait for that.”
“And the climax?” I prodded.
“The climax comes after the chase ends. It pushes us to seal our bond through sex. We can ignore it, but it’ll last longer and be more painful.”
“What kind of pain are we talking about?” I checked.
“The kind where you’re really, really, really horny.” He didn’t so much as hesitate, and he didn’t look embarrassed about it. The bastard had probably slept with dozens and dozens of women—supermodels, probably, given the way he looked.
“Ugh.” I made a face. “I’ll buy a vibrator.”
He snorted. “If that worked, there would be a lot more single men in Moon Ridge.”
I scowled, and he ran a hand through his hair, grimacing when it caught on the tangles. “I need to shave this shit.
“Don’t,” I blurted.
Crap.
Didn’t mean to say that.
“Don’t tell me you’re serious about the climax thing,” I revised, trying to catch myself.
It was way too late, but Zed didn’t acknowledge the screw-up.