She nodded and wondered how she could pose the question without stuttering and going beet red.
“What about mates? I don’t understand what you mean about us. Kim seemed to think it had really strong significance or something.”
“Hey,” he said, cupping her cheek. “Never be embarrassed about talking to me. I would never treat you any differently.”
“O–okay,” she stuttered.
“When Brandon threatened your safety that night four years ago, he demanded I mark you with my scent. You had no knowledge of who or what we are. You weren’t claimed. Kim put your life in jeopardy by bringing you to my bar. Brandon demanded I mark you and thus protect you by pack law, otherwise he was free to take you.”#p#分页标题#e#
He stopped and took a sip of water.
“In the process, I managed to claim you as mate. I fed you my blood, and I took yours, and through it, I marked your body as my own.”
“Marked my body? That doesn’t make sense. I’m not hurt or injured, and I didn’t sustain anything from that night. How is it possible?”
“Because every single wolf who comes into contact with you will scent my wolf. Not only will they scent my wolf, they’ll scent my pack and the strength within it. You’ll forever be protected, and other wolves should steer clear of you or risk increasing my wrath.”
Charlotte touched her neck where he’d bitten it earlier. Already the puncture wounds had healed.
“So, if you’re a werewolf with a pack, does that mean vampires and zombies and stuff like that exist as well?” she teased.
“Not even close. No documentation or proof has been found as to whether other monsters walk this planet. As far as I know. The wolves are all that exist. Maybe you should get some rest. You’ve got a long day tomorrow when we land.”
Charlotte nodded and turned to gaze out of the window. She was curious as to why she wasn’t running away or panicking. She didn’t know what her future held, but right now she was happy and content where she was.
* * * *
Micah watched her fall asleep. Soon her tiny snores could be heard, and he heard Cade and the others snicker. She sounded so cute.
He didn’t know how long he sat and listened to her, too happy knowing she was okay and coming back home to care about anything else.
“She took that rather well,” Jordan called from over the book he was reading.
“This is the beginning. Let’s see how she adapts to life inside the pack,” Micah said. He leaned over and pulled a strand of hair off her face.
“Maybe you should take her to a more comfortable spot. Get better acquainted,” Paul suggested from behind him.
The other men snickered, and Micah chuckled. They were all just being men, and with Charlotte asleep, she couldn’t hear their easy banter.
“You men will be the death of me. Don’t ever let me catch you treating her with anything but respect,” he told all of the men.
He lifted her up in his arms, delighting in the shape and size gracing his arms. She moaned and then curled up against him, snuggling down. Micah carried her to the back of the plane where the separate room with a bed lay. He eased her down, removing her shoes. He kissed her lips and neck before pulling away. More than anything, he wanted to join her on the bed.
Instead, he pulled the blanket over her and left her to rest. She might be taking all of the werewolf talk well at the moment. If it became too much for her, he feared the reaction and stress on her body.
“How long until we land?” he asked the pilot through an intercom system as he moved to take his seat.
“Another couple of hours, sir.”
Opening his laptop, he winced when he saw the cracked screen. Fucking thing. He didn’t know his own strength some days.
“We need a new one already?”
“No!” he shouted at Cade.
Cade simply sniggered and settled back for the plane ride.
Chapter Nine
Someone was shaking her to wake up. Charlotte swatted at the hand in the hope the owner would leave her alone.
“Come on, baby, rise and shine. Time to get ready.”
She moaned and turned away, grunting for whoever it was to leave her alone.
“I need to sleep,” she called.#p#分页标题#e#
“Shall I strip naked and join you in bed?”
Charlotte jerked upright. Micah stood with his hands by his side and an arrogant smile on his face. “Is the invitation still open?”
“It was never open,” she replied. Charlotte rubbed her eyes and tried to focus on the clock.
“What time is it?”
“The time doesn’t matter, but we’ll be landing in half an hour, and then we’ll be going to visit the pack—”