Page 59 of The Wolf Lord's Mate

Nathaniel

Mira rolled her eyes at me, but she couldn't hide the flush that crept up her neck, nor the quickening of her heart. My little rabbit, so delicate and sensitive; she could try and hide her emotions from me all that she wanted, but our bodies were one.

The bond bound us together, our souls twinned. There would be no one in the world who could ever know her as well as I did, who could care for her or understand her the way that I could.

Mira sighed, resting her head against my chest. There was no feeling like holding her in my arms, to be able to rub her back and stroke her hair.

The feel of Mira on my lap satisfied one urge as much as it created another. On one hand, there was no greater sense of satisfaction than knowing that she was on my lap and safely tucked away in my arms where no one else could reach her.

On the other hand, that deliciously round ass of her's was settled directly on my cock, and every little movement she made only stirred the beastly urges inside of me. The very same ones that constantly drove me mad with lust, and would be very happy to keep her in my bed for every hour of every day. To have her at my mercy, laying on her back as she stared up at me, whimpering as I stuffed her full of my cock.

"You're sure you're not hungry?" Mira shifted on my lap again, and I had to stifle a groan, burying my face in her hair. "Nathaniel?"

Gods, I would never get tired of hearing her say my name. "Ravenous," I whispered into her ear, watching Mira shiver slightly at my words, and enjoying the goose flesh that raised along her arms in response.

"And not for food, my love. But I think you've had enough for tonight, don't worry—I want to push you to try, but never past your limits." Mira gave a small nod and buried her face into my chest.

Teasing her was simply too easy, and I couldn't deny that it brought me a great deal of satisfaction to make her so flustered. My little mate was so responsive, it didn't take very much to rile her up.

I held back from saying anything further, sensing how tired she was through our ever-strengthening bond. My female was exhausted, both emotionally and physically, and I had meant what I had told her; I would not push her farther than what she could take.

Instead I simply held her, rubbing circles on her back and pressing my thumbs against the pressure points of her spine. She hummed, practically purring in my arms as she relaxed against me, her body slowly going limp in my hold.

We stayed like that for a long while, tucked together in front of the low light of the crackling fireplace.

Mira was half asleep when I first heard it; the slightest rustle in the trees outside, a branch breaking underfoot. Her human ears would have no way of picking up the sound, but it was clear as day to me, and every one of my senses focused in on the only thing that mattered.

Protect Mira.

Protect Mate.

Keep Mate safe.

Mate is mine.

No one touches what is mine.

I held still, keeping Mira tucked tightly against me as I took a steadying breath in. I would be of no use to my Lady if I went manic, and I needed to stay calm for her sake. There was as much of a chance of it being an animal as there was of it being an intruder, but if either of them gave me any reason to believe that they were a threat to Mira, then they would be treated as such.

They would be dealt with.

Keeping Mira safe was my greatest honor and privilege, and I would not fail her. The issue was deciding how to deal with whatever the problem might be.

I was torn between staying by Mira's side and seeing who was venturing too near to the cabin. I didn't want to leave my mate alone, but I also didn't want to potentially expose her to danger by staying. If I went to go see what it was, then I could scare it away without her ever even knowing it was there.

My poor little mate was already under such a great deal of stress, and I had no intention of making it worse. I would take care of the problem before she awoke, and she would never have to know that there was anything wrong in the first place.

The last thing I wanted was for her to feel unsafe here with me, and the likelihood of it being anything more than an animal or a lost hunter was small. Still, there was an odd feeling in my gut, a strange sense of knowing that something wasn't right.

There were rumors that the mate bond could heighten a Wolf's senses more than in just physical ways. That an intuition could develop, one designed specifically to sense danger in order to protect our mates.

If it was real, and the knot in my stomach was more than my usual overwhelming need to keep Mira safe, then it couldn't mean anything good.

Outside, the noise came again.

It was closer this time, if only by a few feet, but it was definitely closer.

And far too close to my mate.