Wild (Wolf Ranch 2)

I was close to losing control right here in the kitchen. Ripping her clothes off and claiming her in the roughest possible manner. Showing her the fling would never end. Showing her it wasn’t a goddamn fling. But what could I say?

I’m a shifter, and I want to bite your neck and claim you so you can never leave me. Oh yeah, forget about college or any kind of dreams you may have had for yourself.

I cleared my throat. “What do you want to know?”

She washed her hands in the sink. “Everything.”

My heart never lurched. I swear to fuck, my heart had never lurched in my life, not even in combat or when my parents had died. I was a wolf and a Green Beret. I didn’t show nerves. But hearing that my little human wanted to know more about me seemed like a sign.

She was looking to fall in love. If she only wanted my dick, she’d have taken off that shirt and smeared frosting on her nipples and asked me to lick it off.

That was a fucking amazing albeit dangerous idea, but back to the point, her wanting love, I was well in the game here. Warmth seeped into my chest. Maybe we could… date. Shit. How did a guy do that?

“What’s your favorite food?” she asked.

“Steak,” I answered without thinking. “I’m a carnivore all the way. I grew up on a Montana ranch.”

She’d set out the layers of cake, then placed rectangular sheets of paper on the cake plate, then set one of the tiers on top. Grabbing the spatula, she began to frost the first one. “Chocolate or vanilla?”

“Vanilla.”

“Salty or sweet?”

“Hmm. Normally, I’d say salty, but you might change me on that.”

She laughed, her eyes focused on the task. I flipped the bacon. “Why?”

“Because right now, I’m dying to try your cake. Or your frosting. Or, hell, anything you bake.”

“Oh yeah?” she purred. She dipped her finger in the frosting bowl again and walked over to me, holding it out.

“Oh fuck,” I groaned, my dick throbbing. I couldn’t resist. What wolf could? I took her finger into my mouth and sucked it. “You taste so fucking sweet,” I said.

She laughed, and I’d never seen such a pretty sight. “That wasn’t me, but I’ll take it.” I wanted to pull her into my arms, but my pancakes needed flipping.

“Hold that thought,” I begged, turning back to the stove and flipping all four of the blueberry pancakes. I turned back to her.

“Have you ever—” She broke eye contact and cleared her throat. “—been married? Or had a serious girlfriend?”

My heart picked up speed. She was definitely looking to fall in love.

I shook my head. “Never got serious—” I broke off before I said before you.

She was going back to school. She was going back to school. I had to say it over and over to remind my wolf.

Curiosity gleamed her in green eyes. “Never?”

I shook my head. “No, but I, uh, think I could be ready. Soon. To settle down.” I looked away, turned off the burners and lifted the bacon onto a plate.

“What about the Green Berets?”

“Yeah,” I answered. “I have to figure that part out. As I said last night, it’s time to re-enlist, and of course, my superior officer and all the men beneath me are putting a shit-ton of pressure on me to stay, but I don’t know. I think I might be ready to come home.” I looked out the window over the sink, which had the perfect view of all of Wolf Ranch. “Especially with Boyd and Audrey starting the next generation of Wolf pups.”

I slid the first four pancakes on a plate and covered it with another plate to keep them warm.

“Pups?” she laughed.

Oh shit. I quickly forced a laugh to cover my slip-up. “Babies.”

“Pups is adorable. I just didn’t expect you to get cute.”

Cute. Christ. “It’s, ah, an old family joke.” I poured batter for four more pancakes and set the table with plates and silverware, all in the same places since I was a kid. The house had been Rob’s… and mine, I figured, since our parents died, but he hadn’t made many changes. He hadn’t wanted to, perhaps at first because it would have been hard but later because he hadn’t found his mate. I figured he didn’t give a shit about things like silverware placement, but if his mate wanted things rearranged, I had no doubt he’d go for it.

Dad had made this kitchen to Mom’s specs. I had no doubt Rob would bend over backward for his mate when the time came. I understood now.

Marina had already set the other two layers on top of the first and was frosting the whole thing.

“Would you work on the ranch?”

I nodded, although her back was to me. “Sure. Rob could always use the help.”