A Grey Wolves Howliday (The Grey Wolves #14) by Quinn Loftis

Adam bit his bottom lip. One of his legs bounced up and down while he continued to meet Costin’s eyes. He was a pretty dominant male to be able to hold the stare of Fane’s third-ranking wolf.

“How much do you crave her?” Costin asked again, more slowly. “Right now. What are you feeling?”

“I crave her like every breath is going to be my last if I don’t have her.”

“Good, keep going,” Costin encouraged, his voice rumbling a bit as his own emotions rose.

“When I’m in the same room with her, I can’t take my eyes off of her. The whole damn world could burn around us, and she would be all I see. I’ve even … damn this is embarrassing.”

“I promise you,” Fane said, “you’re safe with us. We’ve all done worse, I’m sure.”

“I seduced Sally in her sleep,” Costin said, no shame present in his face. “When she forbade me from touching her. Right in front of everyone. She was pissed.” He looked very pleased with himself.

Adam sighed. “A few times when she’s slept, I’ve used my magic to make sure she was in a deep enough sleep that she wouldn’t feel me. Then I held her. It wasn’t for long because her wolf isn’t as susceptible to my magic. The wolf would wake up pretty quickly, and then I’d have to flash from the room. Sometimes I would just sit there, close enough to feel her breath on my face.”

“Can’t you do that thing where people can’t see you?” Costin asked, a jealous look on his face.

“Yes, but don’t be envious. It doesn’t work on my mate. I’ve tried. The bond is too deep. Much of my magic isn’t very effective on her. She’s gotten curious in the past, and we’ve experimented.” Adam’s smile dropped as though the memories hurt too much to even think about. “I feel like I’m losing her,” he admitted. “For the past month, I’ve wondered if maybe our bond isn’t as… I don’t know. Maybe it’s not as unbreakable as the bond between two wolves. Maybe because we’re not the same species the bond is different.”

“If she left you, what would you do?” Fane asked.

“I’d follow her,” Adam said without shame. “I would be glued to her side. She would never be free of me because I never want to be free of her.”

“You wouldn’t let her go even if it was what she wanted? If she told you it’s what would make her happy?” Decebel asked, a hint of ridiculousness in his question.

Flames danced in Adam’s eyes, and his body hummed with power. “She’s mine. My mate. The other half of my soul. Why would I let the other half of my soul leave me when it would hurt us both?”

“I hear what you’re saying,” Costin said. “But let me put it in wolf terms for you. Words that Crina would understand. If Sally came to me and said she wanted to leave, if she said ‘Costin, I just think I’d be happier without you.’” His voice rose as he tried to sound like his female. “‘I don’t know if I love you anymore. I need you to give me some time.’” He stopped, and his eyes glowed with his wolf. “My response would be, ‘Sally-mine, I hear you. I believe your feelings are valid. But the only way you’re getting rid of me is by killing me, and baby, even then you’re stuck with me.’ I’ve done it before. She thought she couldn’t be with me after…” He cleared his throat as his voice tightened. Fane placed a hand on his shoulder. “After she was taken from me. She thought she was going to leave me. I’m not ashamed to say that I did everything I could to make her see that by my side is where she belongs. Did that include forcing her to accept my touch? Yes. I would hold her even when she struggled, because I could feel her soul crying out for me. Even when she told me to go away, I was ruthless in my pursuit of her.

“The way you crave Crina? She craves you just as badly. You need to exploit the shi—” He stopped and looked at Decebel.

“You need to exploit the shit out of that,” Decebel continued for Costin. If Decebel was cursing, then he was emotional indeed.

Adam turned to look at Fane. What did his alpha think? Fane could see the question in his eyes. “I’ve done the same with Jacquelyn,” Fane admitted. And he felt his wolf agreeing with him when he said, “I’d do it again. I’d do anything to keep her with me.” Fane felt his teeth sharpen as his wolf pushed at him. “Even now, I want to be with her. I want to watch her, touch her, kiss her, and I will, even if she decides she’s pissed at me for some reason. Because she needs me like I need her. My wolf understands that, and her wolf responds to the dominance in me.” He smiled. “She likes to push back. But in the end, she wants to be caught. She wants me to growl at her and chase her. But what she likes most is when I catch her.”

“What if she pushes me away?” Adam asked, allowing his vulnerability to come through. Being rejected by your mate was excruciating.

“You push back,” Fane said. “With your words, your actions, your love. With every breath, you endeavor to make her see she belongs with you.”

Long after Fane had finished speaking, the five males continued to sit in silence. Fane could feel the tension pushing at Adam, but he could also feel the fae’s fear. He continued to lean against Adam’s side, as did Decebel opposite him, so they could let him feel through their touch and through the pack bonds that he wasn’t alone. They would sit there with him for as long as it took for him to be ready to take the next step. It was one of their wolves’ better qualities—patience. It wasn’t until long after the sun had set and the moon was beginning to make its appearance that Adam spoke again. “Thank you,” he said simply.