Mine was such a possessive word, yet coming from Bass, it sounded anything but.
“Queen?”
“Yes, Katalina Winter, you are a queen, a very beautiful one,” he said softly, brushing his thumb over her face. “Now, let’s get you home.”
“Do you think Jackson will come looking for me there?” she asked. “And your father, will he not wonder where you are?”
“I’ve taken care of my father, and as for Jackson, he’ll most definitely come looking, but as long as you’re with your family he can’t just kidnap you. We may live outside of the law a lot of the time, but he couldn’t get away with taking you in front of humans. I’ll figure something out, just concentrate on dealing with all that’s happened and I’ll worry about Jackson. Okay?”
“What do you mean, ‘taken care of your father’?” she asked.
“Katalina, stop worrying, okay,” he answered a little sharply.
Katalina nodded her response, wondering why he was being cagy.
He smiled at her warmly and Katalina chose to leave the subject. She trusted him. Sebastian Evernight made her feel whole. He was the missing piece she’d never realized she’d been searching for.
He’d rescued her. He was taking her home and he’d gone against his pack for her. He’d said she intrigued him. He’d also said she was beautiful, a queen; but what did all that really mean? She needed to understand what was between them; she needed a real answer.
“Why, Bass, why are you taking me home? Why are you helping me? And don’t say I intrigue you. That’s not an answer.”
He glanced at her briefly, smiling. “You’re mine.”
“What does that even mean, Bass? Talk like a normal human being, will you?”
He chuckled softly at her.
“What’s so funny?” she said, frustrated.
“You are. I’m not human, Kat. I’m a shifter, just like you, and I’m talking just like a shifter.”
“Well, I was raised in the real world.”
He looked at her, a sparkle in his eyes. “So you were, and in the ‘real world’, as you put it, I’d say, I love you, Katalina Winter.”
Katalina couldn’t speak, couldn’t breathe. He loved her, this gorgeous, sexy, boy, loved her! How was that even possible? They’d had a handful of meetings and stolen kisses, yet her heart raced when his words flittered through her.
“Your wolf was made for mine. They fit perfectly together. We were made for each other. You are mine and I am yours. You’re my mate, Katalina.”
She was mesmerized by his words. He spoke with such certainty that she found herself squeaking out, “Mate?”
“Yes, Kat, mate,” he chuckled again. “Can’t you feel it?”
There was a rightness to his words. “I knew you were coming. Before I even saw the truck. I knew it was you. I didn’t understand how, but deep down I knew.”
He took her hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing each of her knuckles. “Because you are my mate.”
Katalina moved closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. She soaked up the heat of him. “I love you, too, Bass.” Her words spilled from her without them even registering in her brain. She spoke from her heart. As soon as they filled the cab, she knew she had spoken the truth.
They drove on in silence, hands entwined, only stopping once to fill the truck with gas and to clean and bandage Katalina. Before long, Katalina dozed off, snuggled against Bass as he drove through the darkness. It had been a while since she’d felt truly safe, and with Bass she did. She trusted him.
She woke to Bass’s fingers stroking her face, his soft voice whispering against her skin, “You’re home, Katalina.”
She sat up, feeling suddenly wide-awake. It was still dark outside. A quick glance at the clock said it was one a.m.
“There’s a car parked out front.”
Katalina’s eyes scanned the drive, finding the car. “It’s my grandma’s. She must be here.” She leapt out the car, running for the front door, not caring about the sharp stones beneath her feet.
Bass was beside her in seconds, his dark eyes scanning all around. He positioned his body to protect. After a few loud bangs against the locked door, Katalina could hear feet shuffling toward the door. A light turned on above their heads, casting them in dim light.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me, Gram.”
“Kat?” She heard the startled whisper and then the sound of a key turning.
Crap, what am I going to say? Too late now.
Just before the door opened, Katalina quickly kissed Bass on the mouth. “No mate talk in here. You’ll freak Gram out.”