“It’s okay.”
“No, you bit me. Am I a werewolf now?” She would have tried to stand, but her knees shook. A girl could only take so many surprises in one day.
“Maple, look at me,” he commanded, his voice deep and sure. “You’re not a werewolf or a wolf shifter, as we prefer to be called. The bites I gave you when we made love marked your skin. They marked you as mine, but they weren’t enough to change you. I’d never give you a claiming bite without your consent.”
She took deep lungsful of air in an attempt to keep the panic at bay. “But it can happen? If you gave me one?”
“It could. Not all humans who are claimed can shift, but many can. If you ever decided that you wanted me to claim you, we’d have to wait and see if your wolf ever emerged. That’s not something we need to decide now, though.”
What little energy she’d had left seeped out of her as she leaned back. Jaxon moved to the head of the tub, and she twisted to see what he was up to, her muscles tense. “What are you doing?”
Leaning forward, he placed a chaste kiss to her forehead. “Lie back. I’m going to try to work some of the kinks out of your neck, then I’m going to put you to bed. You’re done for the night.”
She should have protested his high-handed decision, but he was right. She couldn’t take anything else. At least, not tonight.
Twenty-Two
Once Maple had relaxed a little, Jaxon took over. He kneaded her neck and shoulders until she was limp and barely awake, then bathed her with a soft and gentle touch one would reserve for a newborn. As alluring as Maple’s body was, this was about taking care of her and maybe making up, even in this small way, for the part he’d played in the stressful day she’d had. He dried her with a soft towel, then pulled one of his T-shirts over her head to sleep in.
She mumbled a half-hearted protest when he scooped her up and carried her to his room, then another when he straightened and stepped back from the bed. Her eyelids drooped as she snuggled deeper beneath the covers. “I don’t mind if you stay. I won’t have sex with you, but you can stay,” she said, the last words ending on a yawn.
“I think it’s best if I don’t. After you’ve had a good night’s sleep, we can see how you feel, okay?” The last thing he wanted was to sleep in the guest room when he could have her in his arms, but she’d been through enough. Giving her some time and some space to sort through her feelings was a good idea. Right?
His wolf grumbled its annoyance with him at the prospect of being without her and fought to stay, but as Maple’s eyes finally closed, he knew it was the right decision. She hadn’t run away screaming yet. He’d give her some time to rest and digest what he’d told her, then all bets were off. He’d win her back.
He left her door open a crack, as well as his own, so he’d hear if she needed anything before settling himself into bed in the room next to hers. It was past midnight when he finally closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
The clock on the bedside table showed 5:47 when Jaxon woke with a start. One sniff and he knew what, or rather who, had woken him. “Are you okay?” he asked softly, not wanting to frighten Maple as he sat up to see her standing next to his bed.
Still wearing his T-shirt with her arms crossed under her breasts, she looked so cute he almost grinned, but her furrowed brows and scowl stopped him.
“You saw me shower.” She huffed. “You sniffed my ass. You licked it,” she accused.
He had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. He’d done a hell of a lot more than sniff her ass since that first day, but now wasn’t the time to remind her of that.
“Do you do that often? Sniff and lick women you don’t even know?”
If only she knew that scenting was part of the mating process. In that moment, his wolf had claimed her as his and would never accept another. “No, you’re the first.”
She squinted her eyes at him. “And I suppose being mates makes it okay to do that?”
Crap. In the shifter world, sniffing one’s mate was natural. For a human, not so much. “Not really. It’s normal behavior for a wolf, but I’m sorry if it offended you. In my defense, you smelled so damned delicious that I couldn’t help myself, so really, it’s your fault,” he said, teasing her, hoping he wasn’t pushing too far.
She turned her head to the side and covered her mouth with her hand as her shoulders shook. Her small giggle drifted between them, and some of the tension coiled tight inside him loosened.
“Is there anything else you need to confess to?” she asked, her voice not nearly as serious as the question demanded.
He paused, thinking back to their time together. Might as well make sure there were no other sins to atone for. “I think that’s it,” he finally said.
“Good. Now move over. I can’t sleep in that big bed alone, and I’m still tired.”
Hope sparked inside him. They still had things to work out, but she wasn’t pushing him away. Unwilling to give her the opportunity to change her mind, he scooted to the other side and lifted the covers.
“Keep your hands to yourself, wolf man,” she warned, but already, she was snuggling against him, her head resting on his shoulder.
He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close, settling his wolf for
