least equally strong as him, claims you first, he won’t be able to mate you or tell you what to do.”
She gave him a doubtful look.“So claiming turns his penis off?”
“Well, no.” Tao shifted his weight from foot to foot, hands crossed over his broad chest like a shield. “But mating with another wolf makes it so you can fight him and keeps him from bonding to you even further. His power over you would be displaced.”
“Are you sure it would work?”
He shook his head. “No. It’s never been done, but it makes sense.”
She put the birdseed away and rubbed her good hand on her pants, dusting off the birdseed clinging to her palm. “Great. So the solution, which might not even work, is another werewolf. It’s hard enough for me to find a date with a regular man let alone snag a werewolf.” She glared at Tao. “Where do you suggest I find this werewolf?”
“Right here,” he said, looking her straight in the eye.
Audrey gaped at him. “You?”
He nodded. “You helped me when I was locked in that cage. Besides, we are not blameless here, the pack owes you a concession.”
“Just to be clear, when you say mate and claim, you mean that you and I,” she pointed at him and then to herself, “would be having sex? Or kissing? Or what exactly?”
“Mates are claimed through sex.” His voice remained steady as he spoke, but his gaze flickered from her to something behind her.
“What does it mean to be mates? Are we friends with benefits? Are we married?”
“Mating is more like getting married.” He continued to not look at her, as if afraid of upsetting her.
“I have to marry you?” She put a hand to her head, overwhelmed. “I mean, I like you, Tao, I really do, but I’m not ready to get married.”
“No, we won’t take it that far. I’ll claim you as mine and when this is over, we’ll just take it one day at a time. If we move on, we move on. If we stay together, we stay together.”
“Can we un-mate?”
“No, but it’s a bond that can be ignored.” He shrugged. “I’ve seen enough werewolf marital problems to know that.”
“What if you meet your real mate?” she asked. “You won’t be able to claim them if you’ve claimed me.”
He ran a hand through his dark, wavy hair. “Listen, don’t worry about me. I want to do this for you. I need to know you’re safe. You say you like me?”
She nodded.
“Then trust me. I want to protect you and I think I have a shot at being able to do that. Let me do this for you.”
“So you’re going to take one for the team?” She crossed her arms and glared at him. She’d said she liked him and he’d come back with ‘trust me.’ What kind of bullshit response was that? Did he even like her? She wanted to tell him he was crazy, tell him to get the hell out of her house, but werewolves were real. Nick was still out there, and she definitely wanted out from under his paw. Abject terror mixed with a bright burning rage at her situation, making her cold and hot at the same time.
He frowned. “Why are you angry? I’m helping you.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Audrey threw up her hands. “Maybe it’s werewolf PMS. Maybe I want to be more than a duty fuck.” She gestured to her body. “I know I’m big. I know you would never in a million years want me unless you had no choice.”
He held out a hand, his brow furrowed in concern. “Audrey.”
“Don’t Audrey me.” She stabbed a finger in the air. “How about this? You know where Nick is. Let’s just go take care of him and eliminate the whole mating issue.”
“I will take care of him, tomorrow. I have it all planned out. But tonight I want to be sure you’ll be safe no matter what happens.” Tao sounded frustrated, but Audrey was too worked up to care.
“What does that mean?” She didn’t like his ominous tone. “What else could happen besides Nick coming for me?”
He sighed. “For one, my pack alpha doesn’t like that there are bitten people up here.
She gave him a doubtful look.“So claiming turns his penis off?”
“Well, no.” Tao shifted his weight from foot to foot, hands crossed over his broad chest like a shield. “But mating with another wolf makes it so you can fight him and keeps him from bonding to you even further. His power over you would be displaced.”
“Are you sure it would work?”
He shook his head. “No. It’s never been done, but it makes sense.”
She put the birdseed away and rubbed her good hand on her pants, dusting off the birdseed clinging to her palm. “Great. So the solution, which might not even work, is another werewolf. It’s hard enough for me to find a date with a regular man let alone snag a werewolf.” She glared at Tao. “Where do you suggest I find this werewolf?”
“Right here,” he said, looking her straight in the eye.
Audrey gaped at him. “You?”
He nodded. “You helped me when I was locked in that cage. Besides, we are not blameless here, the pack owes you a concession.”
“Just to be clear, when you say mate and claim, you mean that you and I,” she pointed at him and then to herself, “would be having sex? Or kissing? Or what exactly?”
“Mates are claimed through sex.” His voice remained steady as he spoke, but his gaze flickered from her to something behind her.
“What does it mean to be mates? Are we friends with benefits? Are we married?”
“Mating is more like getting married.” He continued to not look at her, as if afraid of upsetting her.
“I have to marry you?” She put a hand to her head, overwhelmed. “I mean, I like you, Tao, I really do, but I’m not ready to get married.”
“No, we won’t take it that far. I’ll claim you as mine and when this is over, we’ll just take it one day at a time. If we move on, we move on. If we stay together, we stay together.”
“Can we un-mate?”
“No, but it’s a bond that can be ignored.” He shrugged. “I’ve seen enough werewolf marital problems to know that.”
“What if you meet your real mate?” she asked. “You won’t be able to claim them if you’ve claimed me.”
He ran a hand through his dark, wavy hair. “Listen, don’t worry about me. I want to do this for you. I need to know you’re safe. You say you like me?”
She nodded.
“Then trust me. I want to protect you and I think I have a shot at being able to do that. Let me do this for you.”
“So you’re going to take one for the team?” She crossed her arms and glared at him. She’d said she liked him and he’d come back with ‘trust me.’ What kind of bullshit response was that? Did he even like her? She wanted to tell him he was crazy, tell him to get the hell out of her house, but werewolves were real. Nick was still out there, and she definitely wanted out from under his paw. Abject terror mixed with a bright burning rage at her situation, making her cold and hot at the same time.
He frowned. “Why are you angry? I’m helping you.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Audrey threw up her hands. “Maybe it’s werewolf PMS. Maybe I want to be more than a duty fuck.” She gestured to her body. “I know I’m big. I know you would never in a million years want me unless you had no choice.”
He held out a hand, his brow furrowed in concern. “Audrey.”
“Don’t Audrey me.” She stabbed a finger in the air. “How about this? You know where Nick is. Let’s just go take care of him and eliminate the whole mating issue.”
“I will take care of him, tomorrow. I have it all planned out. But tonight I want to be sure you’ll be safe no matter what happens.” Tao sounded frustrated, but Audrey was too worked up to care.
“What does that mean?” She didn’t like his ominous tone. “What else could happen besides Nick coming for me?”
He sighed. “For one, my pack alpha doesn’t like that there are bitten people up here.
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