Page 51 of Savagely Mated

“Fuck you,” I snort, punching him lightly in the shoulder.

He smirks at me. “You were cute,” he says. “Still are.”

I smile at him. Maybe he does like me.

“Darcy,” he says.

“Hm?”

“I’d like to fuck you.”

I feel heat rush through me. “Oh,” I say. “Uhm. Okay.”

“I know Einar’s probably left you sore, but…”

“I don’t care what he’s done. I want to sleep with you, even if it hurts.”

Kirin grins. “I can try to make it hurt less. Unless you like that…”

I blush deeply.

“Oh,” he chuckles. “You do like that.”

“No, of course I don’t,” I deny hotly, but it is partially a lie. There is something about the rougher handling I do like. In some weird way, it makes me feel safe. It’s like I’ve finally met someone who can really handle me, who isn’t going to spend all his time whining at me and trying to get me to be good.

I don’t think Kirin is going to whine at me to be good, either. But that’s because Kirin doesn’t care if I am good or not. Kirin is barely under control himself.

“It’s okay to like things a little rough,” he says. “Most wolves do.”

The sun is setting, and Kirin is gorgeous in the melting yellow orange light. He really has incredible genes and bone structure. I could stare at him all day long. There should really be portraits of him. I bet there are, somewhere in that big house.

“Do you miss your parents?”

“What?” He chuckles a little at what I guess is an unexpected question.

“You said they died. I never knew mine. Do you miss yours?”

“Of course,” he says. “Their passing was the reason I was sent to the academy. My family did not know what to do with aheartbroken teenage boy, so they sent me to live there, hoped that the place would straighten me out.”

“I don’t think the academy is for fixing anything,” I say.

“No. But I got into enough trouble that Einar picked me out, helped me be less of a little shit.”

“I kind of wish he’d been there when I was there.”

“I think he was, for a bit, when you first came. That’s how we knew how to find you. He knew that there was a female shifter at the academy, but he said he’d assumed you’d been moved to the palace.”

“Einar knew me?”

“I think so. Not for long. But. Yeah.”

I nod, feeling upset for a reason I can’t quite logically rationalize.

“Hey,” Kirin says, putting his fingers under my chin to tip my head up. “Don’t be sad. Your life’s just beginning now. And I don’t care what you do, or don’t do. I’m just happy we’re here together.”

That is the sweetest, most romantic thing anybody has ever said to me, and it tips me right over the edge into tears.

“Hey…” he says, drawing me into his lap and hugging me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”