She was already half asleep. “I’ll sleep on the couch,” he said. He hadn’t come there to jump right back into her life. He’d really intended to ease in. But his feelings had overtaken him. Hopefully, she would understand.
“No,” she said, grabbing his wrist. “Sleep here.”
He crawled under the covers, feeling exceptionally lucky. She was already asleep. “I love you, mate,” he whispered. He wasn't ready to say it while she was awake. But he was sure he would be soon enough.
Tomorrow night, he would take her on a real date.
* * *
Derek stayed for Christmas Eve,Christmas Day, and then New Year’s as well. He went home in mid-January, but came back for Valentine’s Day. Each time he came back without Kyra, the pack groaned in unison. It seemed that everyone wanted him to move forward.
But he was going to give this a real chance, and not rush it. In Kentucky, he and Kyra had the opportunity to talk, really talk, without pack dynamics getting in the way.
They celebrated each day that they were together, and he made sure to take her out on the town at least once a week.
He missed the pack, but this was more important. By May, he knew what he wanted to do. He wanted her to be his mate. And he wanted her to be his wife.
He thought she felt the same way.
He was going to invite her back up to the pack land in Anchorage, and depending on her reaction, he would decide how to proceed.
If her reaction was positive, then he would be a mated wolf shifter by June.