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

Adam carried Crina into their suite and set her back on her feet, but he didn’t let her go. She tried to pull away, but her mate wasn’t having it. He locked his arms around her waist like a steel band. She kept her eyes down for fear of what she might see there. Disgust, anger, confusion? It was all because of her. She kept the bond closed enough that he wouldn’t be able to feel the shame running through her.

“Crina.” Her name rolling off his tongue was a caress. “Look at me.”

She shook her head. Crina knew they needed to talk, like Jacque had said. But saying something and doing something were two very different things.

“We can stand here all night.” Adam’s voice was gentle but resolute. “But I’m not letting go of you. Not until we’ve talked about what’s wrong.”

Slowly, the fingertips of his right hand traced up her spine. Then his left hand slid across her waist from one side to the other. He pulled the back of her shirt up until his hand could meet her flesh and ran it again from one side of her waist all the way to the other. He was caressing her markings, the ones that matched his own.

Crina’s eyes closed as she felt her wolf practically purring. It had been too long since she’d let him touch her like this, too long since the beast had felt flesh on flesh, and it was her fault.

“No,” Adam said firmly. “It takes two people to make a relationship work, just as it takes two people to let it fall apart.”

He heard that thought. Crina had been so relaxed by his touch she hadn’t even realized she’d loosened her end of the bond. “Is that what’s happening?” She opened her eyes and finally looked up at him. Her voice trembled as she spoke. “Are we falling apart?”

His eyes narrowed, and she felt his fae powers pulse around him. He released her and stepped away. Crina felt the rejection hit her, nearly knocking the breath from her body. She forced herself to stay on her feet, and she bit her lip to keep the tears from falling. To her surprise, he didn’t turn and march out of the room, or say, “Yes, we’re falling apart.” Instead, he pulled his shirt over his head and stood before her in all his chiseled glory. Mine, her wolf whispered inside of her head.

“These markings,” he said, pointing to the black tattoo-like design that traveled down the right side of his neck to his shoulder, down his arm, and down the right side of his back. “Would I have these if we could fall apart?”

Crina stared at him, dumbstruck, as she often was when he started undressing. He was tall, like Canis lupus males, but his muscles were long and lean. He was what Jen would call eye candy.

“Crina, eyes up here, beautiful,” he said. And when her eyes returned to his face, there was a smug smile waiting for her. “Would I have these markings if we could fall apart?” he asked her again.

There was only one correct answer. “No.”

He stepped up to her again, his bare chest even with her face. Crina could feel the heat from his body, and with her wolf’s senses, she could hear the steady pounding of his heart. She wanted to touch him, to reestablish the bond between true mates. Only she had the right to touch Adam freely, just as only he had the right to touch her freely.

“Then touch me,” he practically growled, having heard the thoughts through the bond. “Because we aren’t leaving this suite until we’ve talked, touched, and kissed … not necessarily in that order. Frankly, I don’t care what order it happens in, but it is all going to happen.” Adam took her face in his hands and tilted her head back. His eyes roamed over her face, stopping on her lips several times. He’d told her many times in the past that he loved her lips. Several moments passed. “I need you, Crina. You are mine, and I am yours. Yes?”

She nodded, afraid if she spoke she would word vomit all over him. Why was this so hard? They were true mates; they shared souls. Didn’t that mean something? Wasn’t it supposed to make their relationship at least a little easier? Crina’s mind spun as she stared up at the man who’d stolen her heart.

“Please,” Adam begged, “talk to me.”

She reached up and placed her hands over his. The instant their skin touched, relief flooded over Crina through Adam’s side of the bond. Her eyes widened as she stood frozen, looking up at him. His side of the bond was completely open. Crina felt his fear of losing her, his longing to hold her at night, his need to reestablish the bond through the Blood Rites. She sensed his anger at her because she wouldn’t tell him what he’d done wrong. She felt the pain her withdrawal had caused. To him, it was as if she’d taken away his right to touch her, even though she was his mate. Crina saw his desire for her. It had never wavered, only grown stronger the longer they were together.

She started to drop her hands, but Adam grabbed them. “Don’t stop.” He pressed her hands to his bare chest. “I would do just about anything for your touch right now. Whatever you do, just don’t stop touching me.”

Crina ran her hands up his chest, over his shoulders, down his arms, and then back up again. She watched his face as she touched him, skin on skin. Adam let out a slow breath and leaned into her touch as if he couldn’t get enough.

Suddenly, he swung her up into his arms, causing her to let out a startled yell. “I lied, I do care what order we do this in. Touching and kissing first. Talking after.” He headed for their bedroom. His head dipped down while hers turned up so they could kiss one another.