“Like all of them?” He nodded smiling at me. Oh my god the things I’d thought about him, my face flamed red with embarrassment. “Like even in the alley?”
“Yes, even in the alley way sweetness. It was hard to block out your fear.” He ran his hand through his hair, and I could feel the fear rolling off him, at me. “If I’d only been there sooner, or found you before the wolves did, I wouldn’t have had to…shit.” I narrowed my eyes at him as regret shone in his eyes.
“You wouldn’t have had to do what? Kill him? Because I’ll be honest, the things he had planned for me were not going to be pleasant. There were moments where I contemplated making him angry just so he would kill me before he could take my body.” A low whining sound came from his direction.
“That’s just it, you did piss him off enough, that’s why I had to do what I did.” He raked his hands down his face before looking at me with regret. “You aren’t human anymore Angel, I gave you a cat.” Confusion swam in my head, what the hell was he talking about he gave me a cat. As if in answer to my question a low rumble came from my throat.
“Like a pet? Please tell me you gave me a pet cat Wraith, because otherwise I’m dead or dreaming right now.” He let out a humorless laugh, shaking his head before he hunched into himself. The room started to feel heavier somehow, as his limbs started to change shape. I scooted back on the bed as a giant snow leopard took the place of Wraith. He was beautiful, fluffy white fur with black circles and spots peppering his body. When he sat, he patiently watched me with his head tilted to the side. “Soooo…I guess shifters are real.” I squeaked out as I slowly moved closer to the edge of the bed, I somehow knew he wouldn’t hurt me, but that didn’t stop me from being cautious. Touching his fur was what I imagined touching a cloud felt like, so soft it made me want to bury my face in it. When a deep rumble of approval came from Wraith I bent forward and nuzzled my face against his chest, memorizing his scent. He smelled like home, like I was supposed to stay right there with him for the rest of my life.
Something whined inside of me, like it wanted out, but no sooner did it whine then Wraith buckled in on himself and changed back. “Shhh…I just wanted to show you so I could explain.” He pulled me against his chest and ran his hands through my hair. “When I say I gave you a cat I mean that.” He almost sounded apologetic about what he’d done. Meanwhile I was trying to wrap my head around the fact that I had a cat inside me and as I did flashes of what I’d done jolted me.
“Oh my god what did I do?” Jumping up from the bed, forgetting all about my nudity, I ran into the living room and threw myself on Stonewall sobbing. “I’m sorry, god I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it. I swear I didn’t mean it.” Stonewall wrapped his arm around me and patted me on my back. He was already moving better than he had when they stitched him up. All of his wounds they were my fault, I’d given them to him, I was a monster.
“You’re not a monster sweetness, your cat is just dominant and didn’t understand what was happening to her.” Wraith tried to explain from the spot on the couch he’d taken while I clutched at Stonewall.
“I ain’t mad atchu Miss Angelique, you didn’t know no better is all. I’ll heal up right quick and you won’t even be able to tell you fucked me up. We’ll be good friends me and you now.” Wraith let out a growl of warning towards Stonewall when he hugged me to him. I dried my tears and looked at the honesty written across his face.
“Come on sugga, let him get some sleep, he needs sleep to heal and we need sleep to recover.” Then he turned and glared at Stonewall. “And you stop snuggling my mate, especially while she’s naked, before I add some of my own marks Stonewall.” As Wraith lifted me off the floor, and carried me back to the bedroom, I wished Stonewall goodnight and something settled inside me, telling me we were going to be okay.
166
Wraith
When we got back to the bedroom, I wrapped us both up in the blankets and snuggled against her ass spooning her. The happy purr that emanated from her matched my own. Two halves of a whole, was what we were, and I still hadn’t told her that part yet. How did I add that on top of her already full plate I’d just heaped on her? It wasn’t fair to her, none of this was fair to her. She’d been human for Christ sake and in a matter of seconds I’d taken that from her for selfish reasons. When I told her, I was so sure she’d run, so instead of telling her the whole truth I was being a coward. All I wanted was one night to feel her body next to mine, to have one night of peace with her, and then I’d deliver the final blow to her. The one where I told her she was tethered to me for life, that nothing could break the bond we had, and that I’d taken away her choice in the matter. Damn, if I wasn’t the shittiest mate ever.
Sleeping next to Angel was
