Page 7 of The Artsy Girl’s Guide to Mating with a Werewolf (Mate Hunted #2)

six

STELLA

January flew past.

February did too.

I no longer had any idea what my wolf was waiting for. Three months was a long time to hunt someone. I was already convinced that Graham was a good guy, so I didn’t know why she didn’t just bite him.

March went by slowly.

The pajama-loving bastard was still filling all of my shop’s orders and replying to emails for me on top of working his usual job. Luckily, the business wasn’t insanely time consuming when I wasn’t running a sale.

His job was pretty laid-back, too. It didn’t need to be stressful. The guys were plenty effective while taking it easy. And I’d seen the Feral Pack’s approach work so many times that I no longer wondered why everyone in town loved them.

They’d figured out werewolfism in a way no one else ever had, and instead of keeping it a secret, they shared it. They did so for way less than they were worth, too. People donated more, hence the cabins they’d built, but they’d never asked for much.

Whatever had gotten the rest of them rejected, it wasn’t abuse. I was pretty sure even Maya would like the feral guys if she ever gave them a chance.

Which was unlikely, but still.

Since I’d literally disappeared, Jade was worried out of her mind for me. She had even gone to the police in our town and in Moon Ridge a handful of times, but the werewolves knew how to cover disappearances during a mate hunt.

So, she got nowhere.

I felt horrible for that, but I had no way to help. I couldn’t even get my wolf to bite a man who was clearly good for us.

Halfway through April, Graham disappeared into Austin and Enzo’s cabin, leaving my wolf on the porch with the mated pair.

She was more comfortable around them than anyone else in the pack, even though she’d reluctantly come around to everyone.

She growled at the door when Graham didn’t emerge immediately.

Enzo gave her a supportive smile, but she grumbled at him, remaining on high alert.

Graham came back out a minute later, holding a cake in one hand and a pair of s’mores pajama pants in the other.

He grinned. “Happy birthday, Furball.” He set the cake down on the porch in front of my wolf.

She stared at him.

Then at the cake.

Then at him again.

He must’ve gotten my birthday from Abby, or Maya. Our friend group always went out to eat when birthdays came around, so we all had a list of the dates.

“Chocolate doesn’t hurt werewolves,” Graham clarified.

I knew that.

My wolf did too.

But somehow, she was still stunned that he was being a good, thoughtful guy.

After one last look at the cake, she finally lifted her gaze to him again. And stared.

“The pants are for your human,” he explained. “So we can match after you shift back. I thought it was funny. Ethan sent me the link.” His expression was a little sheepish. His face was reddening a little as he reached up and scratched the back of his neck. “If it’s not funny, just—”

He cut himself off when my wolf stepped forward and, without further drama, bit his arm.

It wasn’t a dainty little nibble.

It was a massive, possessive chomp that clearly declared:

THIS ONE IS MINE.

I heard Enzo & Austin’s front door close as the shift began.

Closing my eyes, I tried to breathe through it. To focus on respecting and surrendering to the wolf, the way Graham and his friends had taught everyone else to.

My shift wasn’t instant, and it still hurt—but the pain was over much faster and hurt significantly less by the time my bony knees replaced my wolf’s back paws on the porch.

Looking up as I sat back on my heels, I found Graham kneeling in front of me. His eyes were bright and his lips were stretched in a relieved grin.

There was no way for me to reject him now. Not that I had any interest in doing that.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hi.” I dragged a hand through my hair, pushing it out of my face.

Graham’s gaze dipped to my breasts for a moment before he forced it back up while redness spread over his cheeks.

Amusement had me biting back a smile.

He was at least a little attracted to me. That was good, because I was definitely attracted to him, and he was the one with the power to reject me in this situation.

I didn’t think he would, but still.

“I don’t have a shirt, but we can grab your clothes from my house,” Graham said. His face was getting redder by the moment.

He was flustered. By my nudity.

Hopefully that was a good thing.

I was pretty sure it was. Or at least kind of sure. Sureish.

“That’s fine.” I took the pajama pants he was still holding out from his hand.

“You don’t have to wear them,” he said hastily. “It was a joke. I—“

“We’re mates, right?” I started to stand. He quickly offered a hand and helped me to my feet as he straightened too. My muscles were weak, and exhaustion was setting in fast. “Or halfway mated, at least.”

“A lot more than half. My wolf isn’t going to reject you.”

I stepped into the pajama pants. Graham started to let go of my hand when I did, but when I nearly went down, he recaptured it. He held my elbow lightly too, balancing me.

“Thanks.” I wobbled a bit as I pulled the pants into place. My limbs grew heavier as the months without sleep slowly began to weigh on me. “Wow, I’m tired.”

“I can imagine. Your wolf did her due diligence.” Graham’s voice was light.

I snorted. “She should’ve bitten you months ago.”

“She had to make sure I was a safe choice.”

“Compared to the abusive fucker I was fated to before, you’re a sexy teddy bear,” I mumbled, starting toward the steps that would lead off the porch.

I was still topless, and though my hair did its best to hide my tits, I wasn’t a mermaid. It wasn’t covering anything.

“Wait one second.” Graham put my hand on the porch railing before stepping away just long enough to grab the cake he’d left at our feet. “It’s still your birthday.”

“I think I’m going to sleep through most of it.”

“I’ll wake you up for cake.” He balanced the cake on the railing before scooping me unceremoniously off my feet.

“Oof.” I collided with his bare chest.

Yeah, those were some solid muscles.

“Sorry. I should’ve been more gentle. I—“

“You just caught me off guard. Don’t worry about it.” I leaned my cheek against his pec, closing my eyes.

Wow, that felt good.

My tongue darted out before I could stop it, and horror crashed into me when I realized what I’d just done.

He snorted. “Did you lick me?”

“I think I did.” I sighed. “Sorry.”

“You can put your tongue on me any time you want, Stella. Don’t apologize for it. I’m dying to do the same to you.”

“When I’m not so tired, I’ll have no problem with that.”

His chest rumbled.

He grabbed the cake with his free hand, adjusted his hold on my body, and carried me off the porch.

I drifted in and out of sleep while he hauled me back to his house.

Every time I woke up, I saw him looking pointedly away from my bare chest. My hair was swaying everywhere, so I was definitely exposed.

We’d need to talk about that at some point—his worry about offending me by checking me out.

But the conversation would have to wait until I was less asleep.

Sleep overwhelmed me completely, and I was pretty sure I’d started snoring against his chest before I was even fully unconscious.