Hunting Season: Werewolf Bodyguard Romance (Guarded by the Shifter Book 1) by Kate Rudolph (new reading TXT) 📗

"Good morning." Why was her voice so high? What was he doing to her?

When she finally remembered that other people were in the room, she looked around and saw Vega, Rowe, and Andre all giving Owen huge grins, and she was sure there was some sort of teasing just about to erupt. Em looked just as pleased.

"So we're at the PDA portion of our relationship?" The question popped out without her meaning to ask.

Relationship. Was that what this was?

She didn't know what word to put on it, and she was kind of worried to take a step too far. What if this was all werewolf hormones? It didn't feel like something that was going to burn out in a few days or weeks or ever, but everything was still so new.

Owen's grin got huge. "You said relationship." He kissed her again.

Stasia groaned, and it wasn't in pleasure. "Go get your food." She gave him a playful shove and he backed away to grab pancakes and bacon of his own.

Boyfriend. Bodyguard. Something more?

There was a word at the edge of her consciousness, one summoned by all of the werewolf shit, and she wondered if that was the right one.

Was it possible that Owen was her mate?

Chapter Twenty-Four

Stasia excused herself to use the restroom, and Owen managed to stay in his seat for an entire minute before following her into the hallway. He knew she couldn't want him trailing after her every minute, and he considered it a great show of restraint when he merely waited in the hall for her to come back rather than following her and waiting outside the bathroom door.

He wasn't that attached.

Really.

Stasia raised her eyebrows when she saw him leaning against the wall outside of the kitchen. "What's up?" she asked. She stepped close, letting her fingers brush against his side.

It was a relief, a confirmation that he wasn't the only one who thought they were too far apart when they weren't touching.

"Just wanted to see you." His wolf felt a bit more settled last night, even if it still felt a bit like there was a second creature living inside of him, rather than the unified person he'd been before meeting Stasia. But if he got to keep her, he was pretty sure he could learn to live with it.

"You've seen me all morning," she pointed out as she leaned even closer so that her front pressed against his.

Owen wrapped his arms around her and pulled her flush against him. No more teasing. "I wanted you all to myself," he confessed. He could have cursed himself for not waking with her. They could have made love again in the sunlight of the morning, spent all day in bed. Or at least stayed there for as long as the others allowed it before bothering them. A few hours, definitely.

"Are you turning into mister possessive?" She smiled as she asked, but he had a feeling that she wouldn't be smiling if he kept it up for long.

Owen had never been possessive of anyone in his past. He'd never seen the need for it, no matter how much he cared. He trusted his partners, he knew they were with him because they wanted him. But he'd also never felt so much so fast for a person. It wasn't that he didn't trust Stasia. He'd lay down his soul on her word alone. He just wanted to hold her close and cherish this time for as long as they could keep it.

He cupped her cheek and kissed her, slanting his mouth over hers in a passionate declaration. His whole heart was in it, saying words with his actions that he couldn't yet voice.

And Stasia met him where he was, her tongue tangling with his as if they'd been made for each other.

Mate.

The word came naturally now, something to be cherished rather than fought against. Being turned into a werewolf had brought plenty of confusion, but Owen was no longer confused about this, about Stasia. She was his mate, whatever that meant and however it turned out. The wolf knew it and now the man accepted it.

He was keeping Stasia forever.

He slid his hands down her sides, holding her tight. He wanted to do more, wanted to strip her bare and slide into her again. He wanted to mark her so the whole world knew she belonged to him.

His fangs ached to shift, even as he kept his human form. Just a little nip, just enough to make the bond whole.

And if she had fangs and fur of her own, she could mark him as well.

Owen's cock swelled at the thought. She could be his mate in every way, his companion forever, and understand him like no one else. Was it selfish to want that? To celebrate that her life had been completely upended as she was dragged into his world?

She nipped at his lip and Owen groaned.

He thrust against her and it was its own kind of torture. They couldn't start anything here. Half of the team was only a few feet away and anyone could walk down the hall at any time. He didn't want them seeing him taking his mate, but the threat of exposure added desperate heat to the kiss.

He had to stop, but he couldn't. Not when her mouth was just as eager as he was.

He could almost smell her lust. His sense of smell in human form wasn't as sharp as it was when he was a wolf, but it was sharper, and he recognized all of Stasia's wants, or he was beginning to, and he was going to make it his life's work to know her every secret.

It was his job as her mate.

It wouldn't take much to drag her to an unoccupied room and have his way with her. He was sure she'd go with him. But it was hard to remember the layout of the offices when his mind was so focused on Stasia.

No matter how