Free Passionate Craving by Marisa Chenery Page B

fifty
years old. It seems when we bite our female human mates, we give them the
ability to heal. It cured Jaimie’s cancer in a matter of hours, and she’d been
on her death bed.” He met Tori’s gaze. “You’re my mate, Tori. I haven’t claimed
you yet. If I do now, your gunshot wound will heal. The choice is yours. Just
know I love you. There will never be another mate for me, even if you decide to
leave me.”
    “Sit me up,” Tori said. Memphis gently lifted her into an upright
position, then put his arm around her to support her. She looked from him, to
his dad and brothers, then back to him. “So I’ve been basically living with a
pack of wolves all week?”
    “Yes. And making love to one.”
    “I’m your mate? How did you know?”
    He pointed to his brand. “This is called a mate brand. When the
males of my kind reach thirty, they become marked. Once it happens a certain
part of him doesn’t work until he finds his mate. You did that for me.”
    “Lean down,” Tori said. Memphis did, and she gave him a kiss. “I
know I should be freaking out, but I think I’m going into shock from being
shot. I love you too, Memphis. I just didn’t want to admit it. Now it seems I
can love a man and a wolf at the same time. I always thought I couldn’t have
both.”
    “You still haven’t told me what your choice is.”
    “Bite me. And just so you know, I’ll be wanting wolf cuddles as much
as man cuddles.” Tori’s teeth started to chatter.
    His father squatted. “She’s definitely going into shock. If you’re
going to claim her, you’d better do it now.”
    Memphis met Tori’s gaze, and she nodded. His teeth shifted. He
opened his mouth to show her before he gently pulled the collar of her t-shirt
away from the left side of her neck. He bent his head and bit hard enough to
break the skin where it met her shoulder.
    She let out a yelp. “It’s done?” she asked.
    He lifted his head and nodded. “My bite mark is completely gone and
you’re marked with the mating brand too.”
    “Yours is colored now.” Tori’s brows drew together. “Something is
starting to hurt really badly.”
    She pushed his hand away from her wound. She stiffened, then held
onto his arm as she dug her fingernails into his skin with a whimpered cry.
Blood welled faster from her stomach as the bullet appeared at the surface. It
fell to the ground once it was all the way out. Tori went limp.
    Memphis used his shirt to wipe away the blood. The wound no longer
looked as deep as it had. It was healing. “It’s working.”
    “Memphis, take me home. I’m so tired.”
    Gage stepped closer. “She’s going to sleep as her body finishes
healing. That’s what happened to Jaimie. She’ll be okay.”
    Memphis scooped Tori up into his arms, then stood. “Sleep, mate.
I’ll be here to look after you.”
    “You’d better,” she said in a whisper, then fell into a deep sleep.
     
    * * * *
     
    Memphis and Tori had been mated for two days, and his life couldn’t
have been better. She’d slept until the following morning after he’d bitten
her. He’d stayed to watch over her for the rest of the day and then had climbed
into bed to hold her for the night.
    They’d woken up, and after he’d made sure she was completely healed,
they’d made love until the afternoon. In between rounds of lovemaking, Memphis had
answered all of Tori’s questions. He didn’t know if she was more excited about
learning there were actual wolf shifters out in the world or about being mated
to one.
    They now were at his parents’ cabin, along with the rest of their
family, for dinner. His mom had cooked a huge meal to celebrate his mating and
Tori joining the pack. There was plenty of food and drink to go around.
    When it came to Brad, Memphis had gone to see him the day before.
Brad had thought he’d missed Tori. The asshole had taken off so fast he hadn’t
bothered to see if he’d shot her. Memphis had told him if he came anywhere near
his