Caged Heat(29)

So if she was Ry’s mate why hadn’t he bitten her?

As if she had read her mind, Sophia answered her. “I think he’s giving you the choice. Ry is one of the most thoughtful men I know. He would never take away your rights to choose. This isn’t marriage. This is a much deeper connection. It’s soul bonding. If you want to be his mate, you’re going to have to tell him to bite you.”

Sam was even more confused now. She ran her sweaty palms over her shorts. “But if it’s that deep and committed, how do I know that’s what he wants? What if he hasn’t done it because he just doesn’t want to?”

Sophia shrugged and gave her a small smile. “I can’t tell you what to do. I can only tell you that whatever your heart is telling you is probably right. Our brains tend to overanalyze things until we don’t know which way to go. Follow your instinct.”

Her instincts told her to stay with Ry. What did her heart say? That she loved the sexy, caring, and hot-as-hell wolf. Just thinking of him made her breath hitch, her heart do flips, and a warm marshmallow emotion run rampant in her stomach. The question was did he love her? She couldn’t ask him that… Could she? Oh who the fuck was she kidding? If she wanted to have a long-term relationship with him, which she did, she’d have to grab the bull by the horns. She’d have to pretty much tell him to mate with her, or he’d never do it. He probably thought he would infringe on her rights to decide. The stupid, thoughtful, sexy beast. God, she loved that man. And she was keeping him.

Sophia’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Can you do me a favor?”

Sam glanced up. The dilemma of her love life no longer seemed so confusing. “Sure. You’ve done so much for me today, what do you need?”

Sophia scrunched her nose in thought. “I’d like to find out more about your past and why you’re not a full-blown shifter, or it will drive me bananas. Do you have any family records you can rifle through? I would really like some details on your family history to see what has made you the way you are.”

Now that she mentioned it, Sam remembered Ginny had a trunk full of old family information she needed to go through. “Yes. That’s not a problem. I do have things to go through, so as soon as I find anything of value I’ll bring it over.”

Sophia sighed. “Thank you. I’ve just never seen anything like you before. It’s your right to know why you can’t shift and, more importantly, how you came to have the shifter traits. Plus, we’ll want to know if your future offspring will be able to shift.”

Sam nodded. “Thanks. I do want to know.” She stood and walked out with Sophia.

They found Chase and Ry in the backyard on their stomachs while the kids played horsey and bounced on the men’s backs. Sam grinned and couldn’t help laughing when Selena pulled at Riel’s hair and giggled. He’d make a great father. Her womb clenched as if in agreement. It was time to get him back to the house and have her way with her mate. Shifter or not, he was hers, and they both knew it. The link between them had been tangible since the first time their gazes met.

While he drove them back to the house, her thoughts centered on getting him to admit how he felt for her. If he was waiting for her to make the choice, then she was waiting for him to open his mouth.

When they reached his house Nat had been sitting down on one of his front steps and waved at them. He parked and walked both women inside. Just as they entered his phone rang. Moments later he pulled Sam off to the side and into his arms.

“I need to go see Kane. He’s got some information and can’t get to me. Don’t leave the house. I’ll be back shortly, and then we need to talk.” He lowered his head and kissed her until all she knew was the firm stroking of his lips and the sexy invasion of his tongue in her mouth.

Once he left, Sam turned to Nat. Her friend grinned from ear to ear. “So…when’s the wedding?”

“You’re out of your mind.” Sam laughed. “And what are you doing here anyway?” Her heart told her all she needed was for Riel to admit he loved her and bite her, claiming her as his mate. If he happened to ask her to marry him then she’d say yes. What woman didn’t want to marry the man she loved? But her main concern was getting her mate to claim her.

Nat gave her a sheepish smile. “I came to get the copy of my birth certificate you always keep for me. I can’t find the key to my lock box. I need the copy for some stupid human resources paperwork at my new job. Why? I don’t know but they keep asking for it, and I don’t want to get into trouble making them wait any longer.”