Free Chasing Seth by J.R. Loveless Page B

cabinet he held onto for dear life. “Not because you truly want me.”

    “I don’t think you are my mate, pup. I know you are. My body craves you like sustenance. My mind craves to hear your sweet voice like the oceans lapping at the shores. My hands need to feel your skin beneath them.” Kasey carefully turned Seth to look at him, locking their eyes together. He traced the line of Seth’s lips with one finger as he spoke. “I can only imagine what brought you to where you are now, pup, so afraid and unable to recognize me as your mate. I will bide my time, Seth, and woo you at every chance I get, but one day I will claim you.”

    Seth bit his lip as he strained his body away from Kasey’s. The damned bastard made him feel things he’d never felt with anyone. The slightest touch of the sheriff’s fingers drifting over his skin made Seth’s stomach muscles clench; his heart began to pound inside his chest at just a simple look from those amazingly dark eyes. The gentle treatment left him confused and torn. Taggart had never treated him so carefully. A small sound of dismay broke free at the thought of that name. He’d learned not to think of him, to lock those thoughts deep inside his mind, because they made him feel ashamed, weak, and useless.

    It was taking every ounce of control Kasey had not to ignore the little voice in his head demanding he go slowly with the slender male in front of him. He could feel and smell his mate’s desire for him. He knew if he pressed he could override the smaller wolf’s objections, but he wanted Seth to come to him willingly, to want to be claimed by him. There would be no sweeter reward than to see Seth submit to him without fear or reservation.

    A sound from the vet distracted him from his thoughts. “What is it?” he asked softly.

    “N-nothing,” Seth stuttered, seeming to withdraw into himself.

    Reluctantly, Kasey stepped away from the smaller form, knowing he was crowding the other wolf. He reached down and gently took Seth’s hand in his. “Come on, pup. I’ll walk you to your car and follow you to make sure you get home all right.”

    “I’ll be fine,” Seth insisted, but Kasey just ignored him.

    It pleased Kasey when Seth didn’t draw away from him. He waited patiently for the blue-eyed doctor to lock up the clinic before capturing Seth’s hand in his again. A light rain began to mist down to the dry ground during the short walk to the car. When they reached Seth’s small sedan, Kasey found himself hard-pressed to let him go. He lifted Seth’s hand to his mouth, brushing his lips over the backs of his knuckles. Lust slammed into him when he saw the most becoming blush flood his sexy mate’s cheeks. Stifling a groan, Kasey released him and opened the car door for him.

    “Good night, pup,” Kasey said huskily as he shut the door once Seth slipped into the front seat. He jogged over to his truck and started it, following his mate from the parking lot. The drive didn’t take long, and he pulled up to the curb, watching as Seth hurried into the house. It brought one corner of his lip up into a soft smile when he saw his gorgeous mate glance at him one last time before closing the door.

    Rain trickled down the front windshield in rivulets, growing harder with each passing mile that Kasey drove toward the station. A deep-seated instinct told Kasey that there were many dark secrets in Seth’s past, secrets that he needed to know to keep his mate safe, and the only way to do that was to know the details of what had caused so much pain.

    It was obvious that Seth wasn’t going to tell him anytime soon, and even though the sheriff knew the dark-haired vet would be furious if he ever found out what he was about to do, Kasey couldn’t ignore his instincts to dig beyond the surface. He hadn’t been elected sheriff just because he was the Alpha’s heir. His instincts ran deep and true, and he’d found that if he followed them when they were kicking up