Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Owen cleared his throat. “Brock, son, I’m not ignorant about the call to claim a mate. I have my own, you know. When I first set a hand on your mother, all bets were off. I remember it like it was yesterday. Vividly. It was as though I transformed into a new man, someone I did not know and had not expected. She brought me to my knees. I too felt as though I may have rushed her those first few hours, but the truth is she felt the same sense of urgency. I’m positive your mate felt it, too. The magnetic need to grasp onto you and never let go.”
Brock found himself nodding even though his father couldn’t see him. He’d described it exactly as Brock had felt it. “She had no idea what mating an Alpha Protector entailed. I shocked her over and over.”
“They never do, son. That’s the way of our people. We Alphas live apart from the valley. We have heightened senses that keep the townspeople safe. We are also far more dominant than the males of our pack who are not of our bloodlines. That dominance is powerful and potent. When we claim our Fated mates, they sense it. They can feel the power. It pulls out a deeper submission than they expected or have ever witnessed. That driving need to submit is so strong that they are helpless to deny it for very long. Although our customs are foreign to your new mate, she will adapt quickly. It’s unavoidable.”
Brock listened to his father’s every word. Wise advice. “Thank you.”
“Of course. Now, as for the ceremony, I think we should perform it tomorrow morning.”
“In the government building as originally planned for today?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think that’s wise? What if her abductor is watching, waiting for an opportunity to attack?”
“If he’s so desperate to have her, he would not have left her alone in that cave so close to town. He would have continued on with her, making it impossible to track him. You never would have found her.”
Brock inhaled deep and slow. “You have a point. You think he simply took Suzette to prove that he could?”
“That’s my suspicion. It’s only a gut feeling, though, so I wouldn’t let your guard down.”
“Why take the risk of descending into town tomorrow for the sake of a formality?”
“For the very reason you voiced. If the ceremony will soothe your mate’s sense of propriety, it will be worth it, but the reason I say this is because I think you should consummate your union sooner than later.”
Brock flinched. Physically, he would have liked to have claimed her the moment he’d had her in his arms. There were a few reasons why he hadn’t mounted her like a wild man as soon as they’d arrived at his home. One was because she’d been through a terrifying ordeal and deserved some time to heal emotionally. Two was that there were bruises all over her small body. He’d rather not hurt her more than she was already injured by grabbing her arms or legs where another man’s rough fingers had dug into her sensitive skin.
As a wolf shifter, she would heal quickly. By tomorrow, those bruises would fade to almost nothing. The emotional scars might take longer to heal.
But the most important reason he hadn’t claimed her was that she hadn’t been ready. It was common for the Alpha Protectors to give their mates some time to adjust before they consummated their union. Brock hadn’t wanted to rob his Little doll of that time.
Being claimed by an Alpha Protector was no small matter. New mates were usually shocked to learn the level of submission that would be expected of them. They often rebelled against the customs at first, trying to hold on to some level of who they had believed themselves to be.
Eventually all Alpha mates relaxed into their new roles and existence, embraced it, and lived out the rest of their days under the blanket of love they would forever receive from their Daddies. But that took time, and rushing them was never wise.
Brock would not want to risk alienating his mate, though he also believed the chances of that were very slim. She may have more hesitations than him, but he knew she felt the strong bond as deeply as he did.
“Son,” his father said, interrupting his thoughts. “I think it would be wise for her to shift sooner than later.”
Brock inhaled sharply at the suggestion and rubbed his chin. His father was right. He stared at his precious sleeping mate before dropping his head and squeezing the bridge of his nose.
Suzette would undergo her first shift only after the two of them consummated their union. Was she ready to take him into her body?
“I won’t rush her,” he declared.
“It may mean the difference between protecting her and leaving her vulnerable, Brock. She’s unable to defend herself as long as she can’t shift. If she were able to transform into her wolf form, at least she would stand a chance at escaping a would-be attacker.”