smile. “Ye foolish lass. Normally humans who go through the Athrú grow up here and have heard stories and fairytales of The Chosen. But ye?” He chuckled softly, nudging her. “It’s like yer a newborn bairn . I’ll have to teach ye everything.”
She sat up and suddenly felt the room start to spin. He pushed her back down on the pillow. “Too fast, Freya. I told ye it takes time to get used to yer new body.”
She looked up at him gratefully. “Teach me, Bryn. I want to learn everything about you and your pack.”
A troubled look flitted across Bryn’s face.
“What’s wrong?”
He said with a look of regret, “The pack will not be pleased. This may end badly fer us, Freya.”
“You didn’t go tell them when you left?”
“Nae, I kin what they would say. I went to Sacred Point and prayed to the Mistress fer wisdom. It was she who gave me the courage to come back fer ye.”
Freya wrapped her arms around him, and said with a heart full of gratitude, “Thank you, Bryn.”
He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips. With that kiss, a whole new world opened up! All at once, in equal measure, she smelled his masculinity, tasted his gratifying lips, felt his possessive aura, heard the increase of his heartbeat and connected with his spirit.
She pulled away, amazed by it.
He gazed into her eyes, looking just as stunned.
“Bryn, I’ve never felt anything like that…”
“Nor I.” His eyes glowed with an inner light that drew her in and held her captive. He explained huskily as he leaned closer, “I’ve heard when ye find yer true mate it’s like this.”
“True mate?”
He kissed her again, groaning the moment their lips made contact. This time when he pulled away his eyes shone with a possessive need that was intoxicating. She’d never felt so cherished or desired by another.
“I spent my youth growing up with fairytales of it,” he explained. “The story goes that a wolf knows the moment he meets his true mate because the connection is instantaneous and unbreakable. However, I’ve never felt that with anyone, not even ye—until now.”
She looked at him, her mouth open in blind admiration. “I can’t stop staring. I can’t get enough of your kisses, your touches. I. Need. More.”
He cocked his head. “What a compelling craving I feel fer ye. I can smell it on ye, I taste it in yer kisses, I feel it in yer touch. Yer meant to be mine .”
She touched his chest just to feel the thrill of the connection. “The Moon brought us together using my visions, Bryn. It was meant to be.”
“Aye, I suppose yer right. The Moon brought ye to me in human form, but it took the Athrú fer me to finally recognize her gift.” Bryn took her hand, guiding it over his naked body. Both were entranced by the fiery power of the contact.
“Kiss me again,” she pleaded.
Bryn swooped down and plundered her mouth. Even his kisses were different than any she’d experienced. His tongue was alive with electricity as he teased her lips and skimmed the ridges of her teeth before exploring her mouth.
She had to pull back, the feeling too intense. “You make me lightheaded.”
He chuckled, laying her head back on the pillow. “I need to remember you’ve just completed the Athrú .” He growled in frustration, abruptly moving away from her. “The first order of business is to introduce ye to the pack so that we can officially become Everlasting. I will not touch ye again until the ceremony. It seems I have zero restraint.”
Bryn opened the window and threw back the shutters, howling at the Moon in his human form. It was a glorious, emotionally uplifting cry. He turned back to her, his naked body outlined by the pale caress of the moon. He stared at her lustfully. “Yes, I need to stay far away from ye until then.”
He ignored his own declaration, striding back to her. As he lay down beside her again, she took in his masculine form. Her eyes picked up every ridge and muscle, every bump
Marguerite Henry, Bonnie Shields