God, I hated it when they looked at each other that way. Like they did when I was a kid and had asked about Santa. “Saint will have a rougher time. Many male wolves will start to lose their minds. They fall into a frenzied state. Some abate that by shifting and remaining in their wolf form for the remainder of their lives. Others just… well, they go crazy and eventually blow their brains out.”
No pressure. Not even a little bit.
My entire body was shaking. “Oh. Okie-dokie. What now? I think his cover is blown.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t be so concerned,” Dad assured me. “Just use your magic to spin the responses. You can easily discredit thereporter who broke the story. There isn’t a wolf shifter alive today who hasn’t gone through some level of persecution. We’re people too and we have every right to live as we see fit.”
My dad was defending the situation so eloquently I was forced to pause and listen. He was… right? My head was thumping, the pain right behind my eyes.
“So, I should lie my ass off,” I repeated in my terms.
“Honey, there’s no need to curse,” my mother admonished.
I stood on shaky legs. “Okay. I won’t. Thanks for the information. I need to get to work so I can figure out how best to spin the insanity.” I headed toward the door, shocked my legs were even working properly.
Or my brain for that matter.
“Shifters are people too, honey. Just keep that in mind,” my dear father stated just before I reached the door.
“Oh, and Lily. Mayonnaise? Really?” my mother asked. “Try chocolate next time. Very sensual. Or champagne. The bubbles are spectacular when used in the right places. If you know what I mean.”
When my father growled, I couldn’t take it any longer.
The sound was far too close to the truth and exactly what I’d heard coming from Saint’s throat.
My fake fiancé.
My mate.
CHAPTER 29
Saint
The woman had me all hot and bothered.
And not in the best way.
My skin was itching all over, red patches forming on my thighs and upper arms. That had been a clear sign the feisty girl had gotten to me. Not only because of her saucy attitude and frank, if not brutal words, but because she’d all but ignored me.
When all I’d wanted to do was to jump her bones.
Something had to give since the first semi-final game was the next day.
So I headed to the wolf gym to blow off some steam. Only the race through the woods chasing a rabbit hadn’t brought any satisfaction.
There was only one thing that could.
Hot. Wild. Wanton. Sex.
With my mate. A person who remained in denial and worse, refused to have anything to do with me.
I rubbed my wet hair as I walked from the shower room, rubbing my arm where the damn little creature had bitten me. While the wound was fading, it certainly was not as quickly as in the days when I’d shifted more often. I’d been a kid with way too much testosterone and energy, determined to be the big man on campus even then.
That’s why dear old Dad had forced me into the local minor hockey league. The rest was history. Once I’d had a stick in my hand, I’d forgotten all about the joy only shifting had provided.
Sighing, I headed for my locker, shocked to see my father freshly showered and almost fully dressed.
“Dad. What are you doing here? You have your own home gym.”
