“My mate isn’t up there,” he replied, his voice catching on the words because she’s right here, holding my arm.
He needed to tell her, but he didn’t know how.
The crowd began to applaud as the featured couple stepped up to the fire. They were both dressed in robes in the color of their wolves … the man in grey, the woman in a brownish-red.
“Do you know them?” Sara asked.
“I don’t.” He may know their parents, but from this far away, he didn’t know. The pack had grown so much since he’d last lived here that while some faces were familiar, most were new to him.
They watched as the couple touched hands, palms facing each other, as they turned around in a kind of dance. Then, the man walked around the woman. Once he was done, it was her turn.
Then, the kiss.
Rhett heard Sara gasp when the couple embraced, and he couldn’t blame her. The passion and tension in the air were palpable.
Then, another howl sounded, and the two shifted into their wolf forms before everyone.
Again, they circled each other, sniffing, and when they were satisfied … or, more specifically, when they could no longer stand to wait … they sprinted off, away from the crowd and into the woods.
The crowd went up in tremendous applause and cheers, while at the same time, all the others hoping to become mated tonight shifted and ran into the woods, going in all different directions.
“They’ll meet in wolf form?” Sara asked.
“Some of them, yes,” Rhett answered. “They’ll shift into human form after that. And if they’re agreed, they’ll consummate their match out there tonight.”
“Sex in the woods,” she murmured.
“Does that seem lewd to you?” He hoped not because it sounded very much the opposite to him.
“Oh no.” Sara blushed. “I thought it sounded very pleasurable, indeed. As I said, I love the woods.”
Good, very good.
Now that the wolves had left, there was more room to get closer to the fire. As they did, Rhett watched in awe as she closed her eyes and let the heat of the flames hit her full force. Only then did he notice the dark red highlights in her hair. They danced in the light breeze, almost as if they had their own agenda.
“Beautiful,” he whispered, wanting to reach out and touch her hair, but he didn’t. He kept his one arm still and his other hand firmly holding hers in place.
“What’s that?” she asked, turning to face him.
“I was just commenting on the weather. It’s turning out to be a beautiful night.” The lie burned as it fell from his mouth. Why he felt the need to lie in this situation was beyond him, but he did. Maybe it was because even though every instinct in his body told him to pull her into his arms and kiss the hell out of her, he fought back, not wanting to scare her away.
The last thing he wanted was for his mate to have any reason to leave his side right now.