Chapter 23 WANT
The wolf in her purred. _Mate_.
The human in her _burned_.
Heat. Low. In her belly.
Not wolf heat. _Human heat_.
_Want_.
Mia shifted on her feet.
Alex noticed. Of course he noticed.
“Are you alright?” Alex asked.
Mia nodded. But she could not speak.
Because the wolf wanted _him_.
Because the human wanted _him_.
Because for the first time in her life, she wanted someone and was not afraid of it.
Alex saw it. In her eyes. In her scent. In the way her pulse jumped under his hands.
He stepped back. Instantly.
“Stop,” Alex said.
Mia blinked. “What?”
“Stop,” Alex said again. Voice rough. “Do not look at me like that. Not yet.”
Mia frowned. “Like what?”
“Like you want me,” Alex said.
Mia’s face went red. _Human red_.
“I do,” Mia said. The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Alex closed his eyes for a second. _Pain_.
“I know,” Alex said. “And I want you too. God help me, I want you more than I have wanted anything in five years.”
Mia’s heart stopped.
“Then why...” Mia said.
“Because you are new,” Alex said. “Because you are not in control yet. Because if we do this now, it will not be _you_. It will be the wolf. And I will not have you thinking you want me because of the bond. I want you to want _me_. Mia. Not Luna. Not mate. _Me_.”
Mia stared at him.
The heat in her belly did not go away. If anything, it got worse.
_His control_.
_His restraint_.
_His love_.
It made her want him more.
It made her _fall harder_.
Mia reached out. Put her hand on his chest. Over his heart.
“It _is_ you,” Mia said. “Not the wolf. Not the bond. _You_. I want you.”
Alex’s eyes opened. Black. _Feral_.
He took a shuddering breath.
“Mia,” Alex said. Warning.
“I am not asking you to bite me,” Mia said. “I am not asking you to mark me. I am asking you to hold me. Because right now, I am scared and I am new and I am _yours_ and I need you.”
Alex broke.
He pulled her into his arms. Held her tight. Not sexual. _Protective_. _Possessive_. _Mate_.
“I have you,” Alex said. Against her hair. “I have you, Mia. I have you.”
Mia wrapped her arms around his waist. Buried her face in his chest.
The heat did not go away.
But now it was _okay_.
Because he was holding her.
Because he was _choosing_ her.
Because he was _hers_.
They stood like that for a long time.
Until Mia’s knees stopped shaking.
Until the wolf settled.
Until the human felt _safe_.
Alex pulled back first. Put his hands on her face. Tilted it up.
“Tomorrow,” Alex said. “Tomorrow we start training. We start with running. We start with hunting. We start with you and me and the wolf and nothing else.”
Mia nodded.
“And in 72 hours,” Alex said, “we make the fake mark real.”
Mia’s cheeks burned. “You do not have to remind me.”
“I do,” Alex said. “Because I want you to be ready. Because I want you to choose it. Because I want you to _want_ it.”
Mia smiled. Small. _Real_.
“I do,” Mia said.
Alex’s eyes flashed gold. For one second.
Then they went black again.
“Good,” Alex said. “Because in 72 hours, Mia De Luca, you are going to be _mine_.”
Mia’s pulse jumped again.
Mine.