Free Wolf Line by Vivian Arend

about not knowing. I have a bit of a secret you need to hear—”
    Her eyes widened, shining with hope and a bit of sadness.
    Sadness ?
    “You can tell me anything, Mark. I’m your mate, and I promise to support you through anything.”
    The sheer determination in her voice was curious, but he was distracted by the Mark/Jared thing. “You can’t tell anyone, please?”
    She squared her shoulders. “I will do what is best for us, for you, even if it’s difficult.”
    “It’s not really my fault, you see.” Jared dragged a hand through his hair and wanted to slap himself for starting this now. He was still naked and she was right freaking there and naked, and he was rambling about what wasn’t the most important issue they had? “Never mind.”
    Keri caught her hands in hers. She stared him directly in the eye and squeezed his fingers, water rebounding off her shoulders and covering his with a fine mist. “I am your mate. And whatever it is that troubles you, I’m there to help you get out of it. No matter what the reason, I won’t abandon you.”
    Okaaaay…
    After her little support-you-through-anything spiel, he was a trifle discombobulated. What did she think he was going to share? That he liked to bathe in moose blood under a full moon?
    “I can’t smell.” The words shot out.
    Her jaw dropped.
    He hurried on. “In my human form. I smell fine in my wolf, which is why I finally figured out that we were mates. But all those times earlier? I wasn’t ignoring you on purpose.” He thought back through all their encounters and felt like kicking his own ass. “Man, you must have thought I was a total jerk. I’m so sorry.”
    Her changing expressions were nearly comical. Shock, bewilderment, a glimmer of understanding and then a smile, although one that barely reached her eyes. “That makes a lot more sense now. I didn’t think you were a jerk, although I was confused.” She glanced at the walls nearly bumping her on either side. “You know what? Let’s go to my suite. The shower is bigger and we can talk for as long as we need.”
    Jared grabbed his towel and held it up as she stepped out, all wet and slick, and holy moly he wanted to jump her again this second. He wrapped the fabric around her, his knuckles skimming the tops of her breasts as he tucked the ends of the towel in.
    She laughed. “What was that sigh for?”
    “Did I sigh? God, woman, what you’re doing to me.”
    Keri stepped back and pointed. “You rinse off then come find me. I need to make a few arrangements so we can spend the rest of the day together.”
    The involuntary drop of her gaze over his body didn’t do anything to slow the blood flow to his cock. He caught her fingers in his hand and kissed her knuckles briefly, somehow managing to not drag her back into his arms. “I’ll be there in a few minutes. And together sounds wonderful.”
    Keri winked before she turned away, and he stared at her ass and tatt in happy shock as she returned to the bedside and dressed.
    His mate. He’d really and truly found his mate.
    He reluctantly stepped into the shower, his wolf sniggering in delight. “Yeah, yeah, you know everything, don’t you? Then tell me how I’m going to explain why I’m on this ship in the first place?” he muttered to the beast.
    The fiend settled, still smug, as if to say that was a human concern and not his. The wolf had found its mate, and all was right in the world.

Chapter Six
    Her hand shook so hard she was afraid the heavy jeweled brooch resting on her palm would once again end up on the floor. Keri curled her fingers over the surface until the gems spiked into her flesh.
    Heaven and hell, that’s what the past hour had brought. Getting to finally be with her mate had turned her inside out with happiness. The sex was fabulous, and his confession about his missing sense of smell made the previously confusing situations understandable.
    Only when she’d rolled to pick up the dislodged tool belt and