Legend Has It Book I ~{COMPLETE}~

Chapter 20 Dinner For Two

Phoenix surprised me back in our suite with a candlelight dinner. Supper was a busy time at the packhouse with residents out of school and work and he didn’t want me to overdo it. His siblings, Phillip, Parker, and Phoebe, were all old enough to have after school jobs, though, so I wouldn’t even meet them tonight. He promised an intimate family gathering soon.

He didn’t leave my side for longer than it took for one of us to use the bathroom. Leaning on him and having his presence helped boost me more than I could have imagined. I was emotionally excited to see my parents’ few remaining possessions tomorrow, but not out of control.

I remembered I wanted to ask him about Marking and brought it up without thinking about the drink he was taking. He nearly spewed it out and I couldn’t help but laugh while apologizing.

“I didn’t expect to catch you off guard with that topic,” I said genuinely.

“Not everyone takes Marking seriously, but I was raised to. It will not only enhance our Mate Bond, but it will allow us further into each other’s heads and the pack’s. You’ll be able to Mindlink me, my family, Conrad, Kelli, staff and some residents both here at the packhouse and the village, which is more like a small city. We do have guidelines, as I briefly explained before. It’s not a, um, power, to be taken lightly,” he got pretty serious then.

“In the event that one of us, uh, perishes, our chances of surviving without the other are seriously diminished. I think that’s ultimately what happened with your parents. Even though your pack was small, we both come from strong Alpha lines and we are quite difficult to kill,” Phoenix chuckled a little, “but premature death is not impossible. Unmarked werewolves who lose a mate have a higher chance of finding a second mate. This happens a lot with weaker wolves. Alphas, not as much, though your chances as a female are higher than mine.”

“And what if I never want another mate?” I interjected and was rewarded with a wide smile.

“Then that means my chances of you falling madly in love with me are doubled!” He laughed this time, but quickly turned serious. “You may find out about things with the access you’ll have to my thoughts and feelings that may make you hate me.”

I thought about what he meant by this and thought I knew.

“I know that you’re the Alpha of a powerful pack,” I said, choosing my words carefully, “and that you had to have killed many. I also know that, uh, you’re not quite as clumsy in bed as I am, but I realize the age difference and I know enough about, uh…” did I dare say? Eh, what the hell! “Blue balls.”

He had reached for his wineglass when I brought up clumsiness in bed and nearly choked again when I said blue balls.

“Phoenix,” I think that was the first time I had said his name out loud. “I’m ok with it.”

He slowly finished his wine and set the glass back down. He searched my face for a moment before looking me in the eye and saying, “I killed every one of them afterward. They weren’t my mate and I didn’t want pups with anyone but her. You.”

It only took me a moment to process. I was on my feet in an instant and around the table. The look of surprise on his face said he half expected me to try and snap his neck as I took his face in my hands.

“Phoenix McClaran,” I said, steadily holding his gaze. “I think I f*****g love you already!” And I crushed my mouth to his.

{~>*•**•**•*<~}

I awoke before Phoenix the next morning and for the first time, could study his slumbering face. We’d slept together literally and metaphorically for...over a week. I was pretty foggy on the number of days after having slept three days in a row twice, and a lot had happened during my time awake.

Phoenix, first and foremost. I still wondered how I’d gotten so lucky to have someone who was obviously a fearless leader be so tender. He wasn’t clumsy at tenderness at all, but I could tell it was all new to him—like he surprised himself.

I knew I’d grown up in a world full of divorce and that I was now in a world where very few never found a mate and mates died without each other. I knew it was all somehow connected to the story of our wolves and was not going to take that for granted!

Today was going to be huge and I was looking forward to this huge wolf of a man being by my side. We’d decided to shop first so if going through my parents’ things became too emotional, shopping would be out of the way. Phoenix had said Death Moon was not much different than Earth. I hoped there was a jewelry store. I had every intention of dragging Phoenix into one under the guise of “just looking.”

I felt myself becoming aroused just looking at him sleep. Would he think I was being too slutty if I woke him up by riding him? Or by taking him into my mouth if I couldn’t get him on his back? Maybe I should let him sleep?

I felt a yawn try to overtake me and decided to simply snuggle back up to him in the spoon position and see what happened. I wasn’t disappointed to reawaken with him kissing my neck as he entered me from behind again.