Dark Fates (A Paranormal Anthology)(7)

She smiled, trying to put those thoughts away before she went crazy and jumped him. Nope, this was just a casual date. No jumping or moaning allowed.

Oh goddess, who said anything about moaning?

“You okay, Em? You look flushed.”

She blinked then shook her head. “I’m fine. Really. Uh, must be the air.” Oh good, because that wasn’t the most idiotic thing she could have said. It was as if she hadn’t been on a date in a century or two.

Okay, so she hadn’t been on a date in a century or two.

Whatever.

Noah squeezed her hand and started moving toward the tree line at the edge of the Jamenson property within the den.

“You don’t need to be nervous, Em. It’s just a meal and a hike. Nothing too scary.”

“You would be nervous too if this was your first date in over a century,” she blurted out then immediately wanted to take her words back. Noah didn’t need to know that. She already thought he felt sorry for her. That would just be icing on the cake of pity and shame.

“A century, huh?” Noah jumped over a fallen log, releasing her hand in the process. As he turned back to help her over, she raised a brow then leaped over it herself. She was a werewolf after all. Chivalry might be nice, but she wasn’t about to show her belly to a dominant wolf when she was dominant as well. Maybe not as dominant as him, but enough that she just needed to remind them both that she was a predator capable of defending herself.

It was so odd to think about that since she’d locked herself away for so long. Dominance games and courting were so far out of her recent experience she felt as though she was floundering, but from the laugh that escaped Noah at her act, maybe she wasn’t as rusty as she’d thought.

“Touché, Em. You’re a strong wolf. I’ve never forgotten that. I was just trying to help.”

“I know. For some reason my wolf needed to show you she was there too.”

He brought her hand to his lips, gently brushing a kiss against her skin. Again she wanted to moan or rub up along his side, cover him with her scent so everyone would know he was hers and hers alone.

She pulled back, stunned at her own thoughts.

What on earth had that been about?

“I know. I’ve always known.” He cleared his throat then pulled her along the trail toward wherever he had set up their lunch. “Okay, so back to the century thing. How have you not been on a date in that long? You’re gorgeous, funny, and loyal as hell. What the hell is wrong with our Pack that you haven’t dated in that long?”

She almost tripped over a stray root at his words but kept going. “You really think all that.”

He stopped them both, turned, then cupped her face. She sucked in a breath at the warmth of his skin and the look in his eyes.

“Of course I do. I’m here aren’t I? Em…” He trailed off then sighed. “You keep selling yourself short, and I think that’s because you’ve cut yourself off for so long. You’re an elder so you think you have to act staid and remain alone. That’s not the case. All of the elders could have moved into the other areas of the den and blended. We all age the same way and look to be in our twenties or thirties. Our bodies only ache from fighting or being too lazy to get off the couch. You’re thriving now that you’ve left the elder area. Why didn’t you do that before?”

“That’s a lot to take in, Noah. We stay in the elder area because that’s how it’s done. Or at least, that’s how it’s been done in the past.”

“But you moved out.”

She smiled then, and he ran his thumbs along her cheekbones as he pulled back. “Yes. I moved out. I didn’t want to be shut in anymore. Researching and finding a way to send Caym back to hell after all those years took a toll on me. Not only physically but mentally and emotionally as well. I wasn’t the same person after everything that happened.”

“I don’t think any of us are.”

“We’ve all changed, and despite what Meryl—she’s one of the lead elders if you can call her that—wants, some of the elders are starting to move on and spread out.”

“So it’s this Meryl who didn’t want you to move away?”

She almost said no, then thought about it. Meryl had been the one who told her to stay for as long as she had. And since Emeline had no other family, it had been the easiest decision.

“I suppose so. But it doesn’t matter now. I’m out of that area and trying to be the wolf I used to be. Or at least a wolf that I can be proud of.”

“You should be proud of yourself no matter what, Em.”

“Thanks for that.” She turned toward the trail, gesturing in that direction. “Should we keep going?”

“Sounds like a plan to me.” He took her hand again, this time tangling their fingers. Her wolf gave a happy sigh and she had to refrain from doing the same aloud. “As for dating? Are you going to answer that?”

How to answer that…

“Well, since I never left the elder area, there really wasn’t much to choose from.”

Noah’s neck pinked, and she blushed as well. “So, uh, it’s been a hundred years since you’ve…”

Emeline froze then faced him. “Uh…no…There was a man named Edgar.” She closed her eyes, wondering how on earth she’d ended up in this conversation. “We didn’t date per se, it was more of… scratching the itch. We’re wolves after all. We need touch.”