Kathleen nodded. Other wolves were this way? She wasn’t alone?
“Sometimes. Your father isn’t a very dominant man, but lots of men are. Especially shifters. There are a lot of humans, though, that experiment in the world of domination also. Am I reading you correctly now?”
Kathleen nodded. She would have choked if she’d attempted to swallow.
“Some people and or wolves like to role play a bit in the bedroom. It can be very powerful to let your partner command your body’s responses. It doesn’t make the other partner weak. You actually have to have a very strong personality to give up control to another. It can even bring the two parties closer together.”
Kathleen held her breath and stared at her mother. She scrunched her forehead. The woman didn’t quite get her dilemma. “What if they assume that role permanently?” She laid all her cards out on the table. To hell with it. What did she have to lose?
“Well, that depends. On a lot of factors. Most importantly, almost anything is acceptable as long as both parties agree. A dominant person might operate on any of several different levels. Anywhere from occasional role-playing to demanding complete submissiveness in the bedroom to expecting total submission twenty-four seven, even out in public. The question is how does that mesh with that person’s mate? It’s rather unlikely that fate would align two wolves together that would be unable to agree to the terms of the arrangement.
“Just because Gabriel might have been overpowering the first time he claimed you, doesn’t mean he always will be. And, if he is, you need to talk to him about it. Negotiate. Come to an agreement you can both live with.” Her mother smiled warmly.
The suggested negotiation was the part Kathleen hadn’t considered. Gabe didn’t seem like the kind of guy one would negotiate with. Did he expect her compliance outside the bedroom? Or just when they had sex? She wasn’t sure. He’d said he was demanding in bed. He’d warned her. And he’d made her body hum.
The reality was they had no other experiences to compare to yet. She had no idea how he might treat her in public. She was afraid to find out.
“Kathleen, what you really need to ask yourself is how he makes you feel? If you felt belittled and used, that’s not good. If you felt sexy and loved, you can build on that.”
She certainly felt sexy and loved. There was no doubt about that. She’d just thought there was something wrong with her for enjoying his domination.
She questioned her sanity.
“I’m going to leave you alone to think, but if you need me, just let me know. Okay?”
Kathleen nodded again and rolled back toward the wall.
As her mother closed the door behind her with a soft snick, Kathleen envisioned her day with Gabe. She missed his presence already. She loved his warmth against her skin.
She closed her eyes and tried to breathe slow and easy to gain some sort of control so she could think. She needed a list of pros and cons. Hell, she needed to have a long heart to heart with her mate and air out her concerns. Would he be open to that? Or would he shut her down and tell her as the Dominant wolf he was, she could keep her opinions to herself?
She shivered at the possibility.
Gabriel paced the kitchen floor after Kathleen left until his legs ached and the floor surely had a rut worn into it.
As the evening light waned and the weekend visitors dispersed, his parents stepped into the kitchen through the back door.
“Gabe.” His mother sounded startled. “What are you doing?”
“Waiting.” Essentially that was as true as it got.
“For what?” his father asked.
“For my mate to think.” He ran his hands through his hair and stopped strutting across the floor.
“She left?” His mother looked around.
“Yep.”
“What’d you do to her?” His father’s words would have cut to the quick if he hadn’t said them in a teasing lilt.
“I might have pushed her too hard too fast.” That was the truth of it. Could he repair the damage?
“Why are you standing here in the kitchen then?” His father patted him on the back. “Shouldn’t you be at her house making nice?”
Gabriel glared at the man. “She needed time and space. That’s what I’m giving her.”
“Or maybe,” his mother added, “she needs explanations and details.” She sighed. “I’ve seen you in action over the years, Gabriel. I know you’re a bit dominant, if not a lot. If you dumped too much of that on her plate all in one day, I’m not surprised she ran scared.
“Go to her. Talk to her. Don’t make her feel like she’s going to become a slave to your every whim. You need a balance. It’s different when you’re just dating a girl you aren’t going to marry. When it’s the woman you’re claiming, you need to ensure her emotional needs are all met all the time.”