Page 13 of Burning Embers
Yet every fiber of my being wants to howl to the moon and declare her as my own. It’s an intricate need inside of me—this primitive facet of my personality that I didn’t even know existed until just now.
Mine. Mine. Mine.
Mine.
“Shit, man. Do you need help?” Jake extends a hand, and it only takes me a second to accept his proffered limb.
I allow the other male to haul me to my feet as I attempt to regain at least some of my lost dignity. I brush my hand down the store-issued, hideous red shirt, ironing out imaginary wrinkles. Anything is better than meeting the gaze penetrating the side of my head.
The gaze…of my fated mate.
No. That can’t be true, can it? She’s human, and I’m…not.
Even as I think that, another wave of heat washes over me. It feels as if a thousand pinpricks of blazing swords are being jabbed into my skin simultaneously.
“I suppose it’s too much to hope that both brothers got the athleticism in the family,” Jake teases, drawing my attention back to the grinning football player.
I try to laugh, but it comes out forced and jittery. “Yeah. Sports are definitely more Emery’s thing.”
Though it’s not like I would know.
Emery didn’t even tell me that he decided to join the football team. I had to hear it from Ashton the night before the first game.
Grief arrows through my chest. It’s not the first time I felt this emotion in regards to my very much alive brother, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. I can’t help but remember late nights laughing with him, exploring the woods with Ashton and Reid, swapping places to confuse our parents. But that was a different life, one I doubt we’ll ever return to.
We may be pack, but we’re no longer brothers. My twin is just as much a stranger to me as the woman standing in front of me.
The woman…
My mate.
Ourmate.
Slowly, cautiously, I allow my gaze to drift to her, studying her truly for the first time since she stepped inside the store. I’ve seen a lot of beautiful women over the years, but none compare to this goddess standing before me. And I’m not just saying that because she may or may not be my fated mate. Everything about her calls to not only the wolf inside of me but the man as well.
Golden hair, highlighted with darker amber strands, cascades around her shoulders in loose waves. Her brown eyebrows arch over chocolatey eyes that ensnare me as effectively as any trap hidden beneath the foliage in the forest would if I were in my wolf form. She wears a simple pair of jeans and a green sweater that accentuates the generous swells of her breasts.
She’s perfection personified, and I’ve never wanted a woman as badly as I want her. My skin quite literally prickles as if tiny fingers are poking and prodding at me.
Am I gawking? Fuck, I’m gawking, aren’t I?
Stop being a creep, Ethan! Say something!
“We sell phones,” I blurt like a total fucking dumbass, gesturing towards the pile of toppled devices at my feet.
Jake snorts from somewhere behind me, and his foster sister, Lissa, gives me a strange look. Hale is also staring at me curiously, but I try my best to ignore his inquiring gaze. If anyone is capable of seeing right through me, it’s him.
The beautiful girl shoves her hands into her pockets and rolls back on her heels. One of her dark brows arches.
“I can see that.” Her smoky voice skates over my skin like a physical caress.
“We’re actually here to get Izzy a phone.” Jake moves to walk around me and then slings an arm around the beautiful woman’s shoulders.
And I. See. Red.
Jealousy thrums through my veins—white-hot and potent—and my claws lengthen and my fangs begin to elongate.
Why is this man touching my mate?