Rachel laughed and stood up, helping Bethany gather the plethora of feminine products she’d been loaded down with, courtesy of the singing Alpha female. Bethany found an empty drawer and stuffed it all inside. Along with the feminine products, Jen had also brought the younger girl a change of clothes. After pulling these on, Bethany was now wearing a skirt with a very high slit up the side and a dark blue shirt.

Just as they were about to exit the bathroom, Jen stopped in front of her. She grabbed the skirt and tugged on it until the slit was on her right side, clearly revealing the markings.

“It looks better with the slit on that side. On the other side, it looks like you have it on backward or something,” Jen explained.

“Okay.” Bethany shrugged. Bethany remembered how Jen had mentioned that males can get jealous when other males see the mating markings, but she figured that there wouldn’t be anyone in their suite so Drake shouldn’t have a problem with them showing. And she was secretly hoping that seeing the markings would distract him from the whole screaming over the period thing.

They stepped out into the quiet suite and Rachel gave Bethany a quick hug. “If you ever need anything and don’t want to deal with Jen, my door is always open.”

“Be glad you aren’t in my pack, female, I would so order you to be my sparring partner. Every. Damn. Day.” Jen bit out at the older woman.

Rachel simply pulled Jen into a hug and then on her way out looked back at her over her shoulder, “Remember that I’m headed back to the Romania pack mansion, so if you need me quickly you’ll have to send the fae to get me. Oh, and I’d wipe the floor with you, Alpha, no disrespect.” Rachel winked at her just before the door closed.

Jen was speechless. Bethany had a feeling that Jen was rarely, if ever, rendered speechless.

“Well,” she finally said after several minutes. “That was unexpected.”

Bethany laughed. “She tells you she can kick your butt and all you have is ‘That was unexpected?’ ”

“If a woman has enough backbone to trash talk me, then I will give her the respect she’s due,” Jen said as she headed toward the door. “My duty here is done. Jacque and I will be having hot chocolate and Oreos around midnight in the library if you’d like to join us,” she told her.

Bethany thought about it. It would be nice to get out a bit and stretch her legs. Midnight seemed late, but then again it wasn’t like she had to be up at a certain time the next day. “I might take you up on that.”

“Good, I’d hate to drag you from your room by your hair” —she opened the door and stepped out— “but I will,” she added just before pulling the door closed behind her.

Bethany walked over to the couch and sunk down into it with a sigh. What an evening. She turned onto her side and shifted down lower until she was laying with her head resting on the end pillow. Her eyes began to drift closed and the events of the past hours slipped away.

Drake took in the sleeping form of his mate as he stood, freshly showered, at the doorway to the bedroom. The run had been much needed and he felt relaxed, or at least he had been. But as he stared at the exposed thigh bearing his marks, that relaxation was quickly turning into something else entirely.

She was lovely regardless, but she was especially lovely laying there peacefully asleep with her legs stretched out and the slit of her skirt falling open to reveal the creamy flesh. Drake felt like a creeper and yet he couldn’t look away. The markings called to him. They cried out to his wolf to come and lay claim to what was his. His feet were moving before he even realized it. He’d crossed the room in less than four strides and was kneeling next to his sleeping female.

Drake’s hand inched out, longing to trace the skin bearing his marks, but not wanting to cross a line she wouldn’t be comfortable with.

“You can touch me,” a breathy, sleepy voice caused his head to jerk up.

“What?” he asked, his voice barely recognizable as his wolf pushed to get out.

Bethany’s eyes met his. “I said, you can touch me.”

That was what he’d been afraid she’d said. She was giving him permission, but it still felt wrong. She couldn’t possibly understand what a simple touch could lead to, what he wanted it to lead to. And that made him sick.

He felt her small hand on his pulling it from his lap and lifting it until she could place it on the thigh that taunted him. Her flesh seared him and his fingers flexed against her. She felt like silk, warm silk. Drake knew he was playing with fire and oddly enough he wasn’t scared of being burned. Rather, he was scared of frightening his young mate.

“Bethany,” he practically groaned as he pulled his hand away. He felt as though there should have been some sort of applause or fanfare of music cheering on the amount of self-control it had taken in order to stop touching what his wolf believed to be rightfully theirs.

“Am I repulsive to you?” she asked. Though her words were calm and seemingly asked without emotion, he felt her turmoil through the bond. “We are supposedly true mates, destined to spend our lives together. And I assume we are supposed to get married or whatever Canis lupus do and eventually have babies. But how can any of that happen if you won’t touch me?”

He didn’t know how to explain it to her without insulting her, but Drake could tell she wasn’t going to let it go. “You’re mistaking my reluctance with a lack of desire, Beth, and I assure you that I don’t hesitate because of lack of desire. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. I want you. By all that is pure and good, I want you like I’ve wanted nothing before but I don’t think you’re really ready for that.”

“How can we know that unless we try?” she pleaded.

“Try what?” Drake demanded. His words were harsher than he intended but he needed to make her understand. “Do you even know the things that happen between mates? Aside from kissing, Bethany, do you have any idea of the things they do together in physical intimacy to show that love to each other? Can you name one damn thing and if you can, can you say it without giggling or blushing or acting like a child?” Drake had stood up at some point during his rant and was standing over her. His need to dominate her, to make her submit to him, was riding him hard and it was only verification that he still wasn’t in control of himself. He took a step back from her and glared down at her prostrate form. “Do you have even the tiniest clue of how I want to touch you? I don’t just want to hold your hand, Beth. Mates do more than kiss and hold hands and usually it involves clothes coming off. Are you ready to take your clothes off in front of me? Are you ready to be touched somewhere other than your shoulder or back?” When all she did was stare up at him, mouth hanging open, it only made him angrier. “ARE YOU?” he bellowed.