His wolf had never shown any interest in a female before and it baffled Torren. Not even when he’d been mated to Gwen had his wolf cared one way or another about the female in his life. Why did the beast react to this small human? His fangs lengthened, making Torren jolt. Fur sprouted along the backs of his hands and he felt his muscles swell, nearly bursting the seams of his shirt and jeans.
His Omega moved closer, his gaze locking on Torren’s extended fangs. Excitement flared in the other wolf’s eyes.
“Bite her, Alpha,” Jaxon said. “You can save her. And maybe she’ll save you too.”
He focused on the other wolf and saw hope blazing in Jaxon’s eyes. Was it possible? Was Olivia his mate? His fated mate? Yes, he’d claimed Gwen, but it had been an arranged mating. They’d never actually bitten one another, but had a mating in name. They’d been intimate on occasion, but there had never been any true passion between them. When she’d gone into heat, she’d practically begged him for relief, and he’d granted it. But not once had they ever touched one another out of more than obligation. At the age of thirty, he’d assumed he’d never find the one female meant to be his, the one who called to his wolf, so he’d settled when the opportunity presented itself. It seemed impossible that after all this time, he’d found his mate. And she was dying.
Torren leaned over Olivia, lapped at the blood along her shoulder, and growled as her taste exploded on his tongue. His vision sharpened and his pulse quickened.Mate. His beast became excited, nearly spinning in circles in Torren’s mind, like an overenthusiastic pup. If he’d had any doubts, he didn’t now. Without any hesitation, he bit, his fangs digging deep until they hit bone. His saliva entered her body, mixing with her blood. Torren growled again and released her. He licked his lips as he sat back and looked down at the woman who now belonged to him. For however long she’d live.
It was too soon to tell if she’d survive both her beating and his bite. Torren realized he may have claimed yet another female destined to die, but he hoped the fates wouldn’t be that cruel. All he could do was wait and see if she began to heal. His enzymes would bond with her cells, and her body would have slight alterations from his claiming, as well as rapid healing. But only if she lived through it. It wasn’t often his kind claimed a human, and he’d heard tales of the females not surviving the bite. He could only hope that Olivia was a fighter.
“Take your mate home, Alpha,” Jaxon said softly. “She should be in your bed when she wakes.”
“If she wakes,” Torren muttered.
“She will,” Jaxon said. “She has to.”
Torren nodded and stood. Slowly, he reached for his new mate and lifted her into his arms. He had no idea how she’d react if she woke in a strange place with a strange man, but it couldn’t be helped. Jaxon was right. She needed to be in his bed and not the Omega’s. If she truly knew about wolf shifters, then maybe she wouldn’t completely freak out. He didn’t know if she’d feel the mating pull since she was human. If she’d been a shifter, then she’d have sensed that he was her mate when she woke up. As a human, she’d likely be scared. He’d just have to prepare as best he could, and hope that things went well.
Torren wasn’t sure he could handle losing another mate.
