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 Because after feeling the touch of your energy, seeing your
face, I couldn t go back to nothing.
It was a statement of fact every werewolf understood. A
mate was light, hope, a gift from God.
Precious. Teri reacted as if he d given her a prize. Her
energy surged over his; her mind thrust into his. Her scent
spiked with excitement.
 You wanted me.
He lifted her up. Her legs went around his waist. Her groin
pressed against the ridge of his cock. He growled in
frustration as the long skirt of the nightgown bunched
between them. There was too much keeping him from her.
 I ve waited centuries for you.
She smiled and tugged his tie out from his hair. The sting in
his scalp only added to the excitement of holding her.
 You re an old man.
Did that matter?  I am closer to the end of my life than the
beginning.
She kissed his chin. The darkness pressing in on him
lightened.  You re just ancient.
 Yes.
She smiled.  We have to work on your literal interpretation
of everything. I was joking.
 I was not. I offer you less time than Garrett offers Sarah
Anne.
 I was only looking forward to another sixty years anyway.
He brushed his lip over her eyelids. He could probably give
her a hundred and fifty.  Then maybe you won t be
disappointed.
 I think you were the one who was more likely to be
disappointed. You didn t know what I looked like.
 But I knew how I would feel when I was with you. I knew I d
no longer be alone. There could be nothing more beautiful
to me than you.
 And when you met me?
 You were more than I ever dreamed would be mine.
And he d almost lost her in the same moment. There was
no other word to describe the pain of that moment other
than anguish. He carried them to the chair and a half in the
corner of the room and sat, needing to hold her to abolish
the memory of the feel of her slipping away to the darkness
he couldn t see into. . . .
 Daire!
He winced as her gasp blew past her ear. He was holding
her too tightly.  I m sorry.
Her arms wrapped around his neck.  It s all right.
 I forgot myself.
Because he loved her, Teri realized, reading his mind. It
wasn t an emotion that came to Daire slowly. It was the
equivalent of love at first sight, something she believed in.
But more. So much more. She d been in his mind when
he d recalled the first time he saw her face. She d felt his
shock and wonder. His despair when he d recognized her
condition. The fierceness with which he d fought for her life.
My soul to yours, in this life and the next. We are bound.
The words welled out of memory, hoarsely growled, ripe
with emotion, the one clear recall she had amid the chaos
of that night. The spot on her shoulder burned hotter, as if it
absorbed the energy of his emotion. She touched it.  Will
you really die if I do?
 Yes.
 And if you die, I die.
 Yes. I m sorry.
She waved the apology away. He had nothing to be sorry
for. She hadn t been any more ready to die then than she
was now. He d given her back her life.  And there s no way
out?
 Do you want one? He was always doing that. Answering
her questions with another.
 I don t know. There was certainly a lot to admire about
Daire, but there was that one little sticking point she
couldn t get past.  I don t like that I didn t make the choice.
 You did.
 When?
 When my energy touched yours, you could have pushed
me away or let go anytime afterward.
 And if I had?
 You would have died.
He said it without inflection, despite the instinctive lash of
denial she felt from his energy.
 You couldn t force me to stay?
 The will to live is a primal emotion. Too individual to force.
He pushed the hair back from her cheek. His fingertips
lingered against her jaw.  The best I could do was try to
persuade you you had something to live for.
Him. The price for her life was a future with him. Handsome,
sexy Daire with the will of iron, the core of honor that went
soul deep, and the ability to love that was as deep anything
she could have wished for. And he claimed it was for her.
 For the record, it freaks me out that you can pop in and out
of my mind at will.
 I know.
Again that emotionless statement of fact.  I m also jealous
that you can be so certain about us.
That gave him pause. It might be small of her, but she liked
that she could do something to shake his confidence.
She started unbuttoning his shirt.  It s grossly unfair and
leaves me feeling like I m missing out on something.
leaves me feeling like I m missing out on something.
 Werewolves are born with the knowledge that they will
have instant recognition of their mate.
 News flash. The third button gave her trouble.  I m not
werewolf.
 I m aware of that.
She imagined he was. She imagined that, since he was
born with this knowledge, he d made quite a few plans on
what he d do when he found his mate, imagined a few
passionate scenarios that all led to happily ever after the
wolfie way. And she probably wasn t living up to any of
them.
The button didn t give.  This whole finding your mate thing
didn t go like you imagined, did it?
He smiled ruefully.  I did think it would go smoother.
She considered just popping the button off.  That s
because you re a control freak.
In the familiar way that heated her from the inside out, his
fingers slid around the back of her neck and pressed. Such
a sexy way to demand his kiss. Such a sexy man period.
 I think you re sexy, too.
If her smile was a little shaky, tough. What she was
contemplating was scary for her.  A good place to start,
don t you think?
His gaze searched hers, but to his credit, he didn t probe
her mind. She appreciated that.  What are you saying,
seelie?
She took a steadying breath. The button popped off in her
hand. She closed her fingers around it, unsure if it was a
good sign or bad.  I m saying I d like to start there and see
where it takes us.
Eleven
TERI held her breath. Daire didn t. He smiled, his
expression softening. Tenderness infused his touch as he
took her hand away from her mark and replaced it with his
lips. Heat suffused her body until she was burning.
 Thank you.
 For what? she managed.
His smile spread against her skin.  For giving me the
chance you need.
His lips slipped lower. Her pulse throbbed. Her breath
caught. A squeak destroyed her knee-jerk
 You re welcome as her breast swelled with anticipation.
 You won t regret it. Please. She arched her back, offering
him her breast, offering him everything.
 Please, don t let me regret it.
His lips closed over her pouting nipple, pressed . . .
 Daire!
 I m here.
For now. The thought popped into her head, a legacy from
the past where she d never been the one wanted for keeps.
The pressure released. Cool air wafted over her skin as the
bodice tore under the pass of his claw.
Forever.
The correction was immediate. She watched as he
separated the edges of her blouse, letting gravity dictate
the speed of its descent. Those deadly claws grazed her
skin as he slid the delicate lace to the side. She should
have been terrified. She wasn t. Being touched by Daire
was exciting, wonderful, different from anything else she d
ever experienced. He touched her with a reverence that
was so much deeper than passion, but the passion was a
close second. She closed her eyes and let it roll over her,
absorbing the wonder of the connection, the perfection of
his mouth closing over her nipple. Hot. Wet. Burning.
 Oh.
Daire s laugh vibrated down the sensitive nerve endings as
she arched up.  Yes, give to me.
She couldn t help but give. Whatever he wanted. No lover
had ever made her feel like this before.
As if she was the most desirable woman on the earth. The
only woman who could sate his passion.
The only woman he wanted.
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