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speak to you, I heard your mum coming. I didn't want her to see me, so I ran away." His eyes

turned serious. "I grabbed your hand because I wanted to take you home with me."

"You left the squirrel on my bed, didn't you?"

He chuckled again. "Yes, I did. That's what pups do when they fancy someone."

We continued our walk, but fatigue bore down on me and I had the urge to turn back.

Riley didn't break his stride, nor was he out of breath. I wished I had his stamina.

I staggered from exhaustion, and panted, "How much further, Riley?"

He stopped and approached me, concern in his eyes. "It’s just a little further. Do you

want me to carry you?"

I looked at the ground and wondered how much further I could go without collapsing. I

hadn’t fully healed and my body protested against the long walk.

Riley spoke quietly. "Paige, forget about your pride and let me carry you. I'll get us there

quickly." He put his warm hands on my arms in a gentle touch. "Just count to ten and I promise we'll be there." My eyes widened in disbelief, but as I looked at him, I started to trust him. I

nodded, and he lifted me into his arms. "Start counting."

My arms encircled his neck as he took off with great speed. Wind swept through my hair

and trees passed by in a blur. When I got to 'three', I squeezed my eyes shut because I thought

he'd run into a tree. His reflexes were superior to mine because he zigzagged effortlessly through

the forest. I counted to ten aloud, but heard water rushing in the distance. Riley kept running and

the sound was getting closer and louder. True to his promise, when I spoke the number 'ten', he

put me on my feet. I opened my eyes and they fell upon a magnificent waterfall.

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The diminishing rays of evening's sunlight beamed on the granite rocks and the crystal-

clear water. The waterfall had to be at least fifty feet and cascaded over a tall cliff. White froth

bubbled and swirled in a spindrift as water crashed against the river. The river remained true to

its name, but the light reflected on the surface made the dark rippling waves shimmer as if

hidden diamonds lay beneath. Nature's breathtaking creation put me in a state of awe.

I took a few steps toward the muddy riverbank and squinted as I looked through the

waterfall. I could see a deep alcove surrounded by rock partially covered with moss.

This place had almost rendered me speechless, but my voice escaped in a whisper. "Wow,

I never knew how beautiful this place was."

I heard Riley’s low voice beside me. Neither of us wanted to disrupt the tranquility.

"There's a lot more you haven't seen. If you stayed with me, I could show it all to you."

His arm snaked around my waist and I looked up at him. His lips spread into a grin, his

eyes calm, green, and lovely. I was in the company of a wolf once again, but this time I wasn’t

afraid. Silence crept between us. The only sounds were rushing water and chirping birds.

I averted my gaze toward the ground and sighed. "Riley, I
have
to go home."

I looked at him again and his grin had twisted into a frown. He released me and I turned

to face him.

"I work for a fashion magazine in New York City called
Elle
. It's very popular, and my

boss just promoted me to Creative Designer. I've always wanted that job, so it's a big opportunity

for me. I get to oversee photo shoots and projects, and provide input for every issue we release."

I sighed heavily as I thought about the promising career I had before my father's death put a

roadblock in my future. "I have a great career and I don't want to give it up. I graduated from

college last year and I'm trying to build a life for myself. I hope you can understand. That's why I

have to convince your father to let me go."

Riley's expression remained unchanged. Rejection was evident behind his eyes and I

didn't know what to say to comfort him. I couldn't stay with him.

"Paige, I want you to know something. Two days after we met as children, I told my

father I wanted to claim you as a mate. He said eleven years old was too young, but I had made

my decision and told him I was going to ask you. Normally, a
Varulv
father would be ecstatic his Copyright © 2011 April Bostic

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son chose a mate so early in life, but he yelled at me and told me I couldn't have you because you

were human. His words upset me and I told him I didn't care. I asked if Xavier would make you

a member of the pack. He said your parents would never let you stay in Black River if they knew

wolves lived close by. Then he reminded me you couldn't know about our true nature. I started to

cry because I didn't want to accept what he saying. I ran out of the house and went to your cabin.

I planned to disobey him and ask you to come home with me. When I arrived in the woods near

your cabin, I saw you lot with your suitcases. I watched you get in the car and drive away. I

knew you were leaving for good and howled for hours after you left."

A lump caught in my throat at Riley’s confession. "I heard a wolf's howl on the day we

left, but I had no idea it was you." I stepped closer and placed my hands on his arms. "I'm sorry, Riley. I didn't want to leave, but my mother insisted."

"I know. I heard her yell at you about the dead animals on your bed." He cast his gaze

toward the ground. "It's my fault. I'm the reason you left."

I lifted his chin to make him look at me. "It wasn't your fault," I said sternly. "Don't blame yourself. My mother didn't like it here and she complained it was too remote for her."

He cocked his head. "What about
you
? Is it too remote for you?"

"I'll admit I'm a city girl and wouldn't know how to survive out here." I broke the

connection with our eyes. "Riley, I think you're an amazing guy. You're funny, considerate, and

kind, but we're too different. You're a wolf and---"

"What's wrong with being different?" He asked softly. I looked up at his dejected face. "I don't care that you're human. If you stay here, you wouldn't be alone. You'd just have to adapt to

this environment. My kind has done it for years.
Varulv
mate for life. If you let me claim you, I'd never abandon you or be unfaithful. It's not in my nature. I'm not immortal, so I'll grow old with

you."

Riley walked away and took a few steps toward the river. With his back facing me, he

stood looking at the waterfall. It was a beautiful scene: his tall, shirtless body with his blond hair tousled and gently blowing in the wind. He took another step, and surprised me by kicking off

his boots. Then he leaned down and rolled up his pant legs. He jogged over to a cluster of large

rocks, his footing quick and poised, and sat with his bare feet dangling in the water.

I yelled out, "Is it safe to do that?"

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He looked at me and laughed lightly. "Yeah, it’s safe. Do you think there are piranhas or

crocodiles in the river?" He continued to chuckle and a toothy smile broke free on my face.

"Don't worry, there isn't anything deadly in these waters, just harmless fish, frogs, and Northern Water Snakes. They won't hurt you." He beckoned to me. "Come over here and join me. The

water is nice and cool." He kicked his feet, making splashes in the water.

I was hesitant to join him, but the water intrigued me. I decided to trust him, so I walked

over to the rocks. They were flat, smooth, and slick. My steps were wobbly because I tried to

avoid getting a foot stuck in the cracks or slipping on the moss. Once I stood next to him, he

looked up at me with a wide smile. I removed my sneakers, peeled off my socks, and rolled up

my sweatpants. Riley was right, the water was pleasantly cool and refreshing.

He kicked his feet again, this time making a bigger splash. I tried to one-up him, but my

smaller feet were no match for his large ones. We laughed together, but the rushing water

overpowered the harmonious sound.

I stole a glance at him while he looked at the river. He leaned back casually on his elbows,

and I couldn't help but to admire his six-pack abs and toned chest. Little brown moles spotted his

torso and I imagined playing connect-the-dots with my tongue. His skin enticed me, and I

wanted to run my hands all over it. A lustful feeling washed over me and I swallowed thickly,

averting my gaze.

Riley chuckled low in his throat and I knew he caught me staring. His hand touched my

lower back and I looked at him over my shoulder. A grin spread across his lips as he tugged the

shirt hem.

"This is my shirt, isn't it?" My eyes widened and I whipped my head around. In less than

two seconds, my face flushed with heat.

"Um, yes," I mumbled. "Sorry. I borrowed it because most of Quinn's clothes looked too

small for me."

"No worries, I don't mind," he soothed. "You can borrow whatever you want. What's

mine is yours, love."

I turned my head slightly to peek at him, grateful his focus was still on the shirt. I recalled

the words he spoke earlier, and expressed my thoughts aloud. "Let's say hypothetically I
did
stay here with you. How would we be together when I'm human and you're a wolf?"

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"If you're referring to us being biologically compatible, Máni and Freyja blessed us so we

can procreate with humans."

His foot brushed against mine under the water. It came back a second time and then a

third. He sat up and scooted closer to me until our thighs were touching. I looked over at him and

almost fell into his seafoam pools. I had to regain control before I did something I would

regret...like lean over and kiss those bee-stung lips.

I was lost in Riley’s eyes and struggled to find my voice. "You said you wanted to claim

me." My face scrunched in confusion. "Do you mean like property?"

He grinned, and looked at his lap as he scratched his head. "I know it's archaic, but yes, I

would announce to my father I intend to claim you as a mate. Then we'd make love and I'd mark

you."

He made it sound so simple, but I knew there had to be more to it. "Mark me? How?"

"It's a special bite."

My eyes went round and I put up a hand to stop him. "Whoa! Okay, I kind of understand

the whole male possessive thing, but I'm not feeling the biting." Riley chuckled. "Biting hurts!"

He laughed louder. "If you bite me, will I turn into a
Varulv
? Can you turn humans?"

He shook his head. "No, the only way to make a
Varulv
..." He leaned over and whispered in my ear, his breath warm and teasing. "Is to make a baby
Varulv
." I gasped and pulled away, only to see him give me a charming wink. "It's not a normal bite. When we're making love, a

sexual hormone becomes concentrated in my saliva. There's a gland on the roof of my mouth..."

He paused and tilted his head back. Then he opened his mouth and tried to talk as he pointed to

the gland. "It's...right...there." I leaned closer to peer into his mouth, but all I saw was his long finger. When he closed his mouth, he continued. "So when I bite you, the hormone enters your

blood stream and intensifies your---"

My hand flew up again. "Okay, I get it." I chuckled and shook my head. "So, you've

marked someone before?"

His voice lowered. "No, I've never had a mate, but I've been taught how to mark and what

happens."

I wasn't expecting us to have this type of conversation so soon, but there we were, sitting

on the riverbank discussing
Varulv
sex. He didn't seem embarrassed to talk about it, and I was getting more curious.

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"Have you ever made love to a human?" I asked timidly. My ears felt hot and I looked at

him through shy eyes. I hoped I wasn't overstepping the boundary of personal information.

He answered quietly. "No."

His revelation came as a surprise, but I was still curious. "What about a wolf?" I don't

know why I asked. I knew there was no possible way this extremely attractive man was a virgin.

He hesitated this time. Seconds ticked by before he replied, "Pack law says we can only

make love after we claim a mate and the leader recognizes our union."

His indirect answer caught me off-guard and I couldn't keep the sarcasm from my words.

"You're not one to follow the rules, so I'll take that as a 'yes'."

I looked away and lifted my feet out of the water. With my legs bent, I pressed my knees

against my chest and wrapped my arms around them. I thought the conversation was over, but