Free Vivian Arend - Granite Lake Wolves 2 by Wolf Flight Page B

was hard to concentrate on her words. “Can you feel it? This
    isn’t just FirstMate, it’s more. You and I, we’re mates.”
    Tad froze. It wasn’t possible. She’d had a mate, yet for some reason she was
    getting the message they belonged together forever. Oh bloody hell, it was the
    frickin’ werewolf hormones again. Somehow she was getting a false positive.
    How could this happen? How could it happen without them having sex? She was
    going to think she was in love with him for the rest of her life and it would just be
    pheromones controlling her. He couldn’t do that, couldn’t treat someone he
    cared about in such a cold, heartless manner, especially Missy. Tad summoned
    strength he didn’t know he had from within and dragged himself away.
    They both cried with low moans as he stumbled across the room to put distance
    between them. The physical pain that shot through his body was unexpected and
    nearly drove him to his knees. His eyes blurred for a moment and the room spun
    as he grew light-headed.
    “I’m so sorry, I really am.” He would do anything to stop from hurting her. His
    limbs shook as he leaned on the doorframe. His body was on fire, even more than
    when he was touching her.

    She was pale, confusion written all over her face, and he ached for her. The
    situation was beyond her control and entirely his fault. “I thought, I mean…” She
    hesitated before closing her tear-filled eyes and starting to shake. “Don’t you
    want me?”
    A sound of agony ripped from his throat at the thought of denying his need for
    her. Bloody werewolf genes had messed up his life and now Missy’s. All he
    wanted was to hold her and make it all better, but it wasn’t possible. Everything
    he’d been told over the years meant she had to be mistaken and unless he
    stopped now she would suffer forever. He softened his voice and let his caring
    come through as he spoke. “Hell, it’s not you, it’s me. Don’t you see? I’m not
    triggered. We can’t be mates, it’s the pheromones blinding you. You just think I’m
    your mate. Oh, sweetheart, I wish it was true.” He wished it with everything he
    had.
    “It is!” Missy cried. She was on her knees now, her sweater askew, hair tousled
    everywhere.
    He’d never seen anything as beautiful. It was sheer torture to drop his gaze from
    her, his heart pounding fast, his ears ringing as blood roared through his head. He
    forced down his lust to try and reason with her. “I can’t be. You have a mate.” It
    never happened twice. A once-in-a-lifetime event and when they died, a piece of
    you died.
    “I had a husband, Tad. Not a mate. We were married but it was a political thing
    forced upon me.” She rose and reached for him.
    Tad held out a hand to stop her, his mind spinning. She’d never had a mate. She’d
    said they were mates. Could she be right? He sniffed hard. The only aroma that
    reached him was the faint scent of wood smoke. His sinus passages were plugged,
    his forehead felt hot. His body ached.
    Did he want her? Hell yeah, but there didn’t seem to be the irresistible
    connection that he’d been warned occurred when true mates met. He wanted to
    bury himself in her and protect her, but he’d felt that way since they were kids
    back in high school. The connection, the pull, he felt equally strongly with his

    human side. How could this possibly be a true mating if he wasn’t sure? The
    trickle of doubt that remained tied his hands.
    Tied his heart.
    Then for one evil, wicked moment Tad was tempted to continue. To take her and
    make love to her so she’d be trapped forever. He loved her, damn it. She would
    love him. Did it matter that it would just be chemicals on her side? His human
    morals fought a battle of epic proportions against the desires of the wolf raging
    through him. The lust, the need to be triggered.
    A cooling breeze flowed around him and in that brief second his heart broke.
    He’d nearly done the one thing he’d sworn he’d