Wolf Girl (Wolf Girl, #1)(64)

Sitting next to me, he pulled me onto his lap. “That book page I showed you about what you are … it said the split shifting only happens with Paladins. Then I looked up why your parents were banished and found out what your mom did … I put two and two together,” he confessed. “I’ve known for a while.”

Ahhh, well, that was smart of him, and shitty for me. “You should have told me sooner.” I hugged my arms and he pulled the blanket around us.

“Sorry, I was still trying to figure it all out.” He tucked me tighter into his body, his warmth pressing against me. “Look, it doesn’t matter to me what you are or who you are. I love you, Demi, all of you.”

“So is imprinting in that book you have?” I asked.

He chuckled. “No, that comes from stories my great grandmother told me as a child.” I leaned into him, looking up at him as he smiled down on me. “It can only happen with true mates she told me, and it’s a Paladin thing.”

“What does imprinting mean?”

“Imprinted true mates can speak into each other’s minds no matter the distance,” he told me.

I shrugged. “Kinda handy.”

‘Testing, testing.’ I tried.

His chin butt puckered as he grinned.

‘One, two, three…’

Whoa, that’s crazy. “What else?” I couldn’t help the smile that lit up my face.

He swallowed hard, reaching out to stroke my cheek. “They can feel each other’s feelings. Sense things.”

His fingers trailed down my neck and I shivered as they stroked the top of my breasts.

“What else?”

He shrugged. “That’s all I remember. I was young when she died.”

He lay back on his pillow and looked up at the ceiling as I snuggled in beside him, feeling completely at home in his arms.

“True mates huh?” I looked up at him.

He grinned. “Can’t argue with fate.”

A smile tugged at my lips. “No, we can’t.”

I lay there on his chest, listening to the rise and fall of his breath as the weight of sleep pulled at me.

“In the endless garden of flowers, I will always pick you,” Sawyer whispered in my ear and my eyelids fluttered.

“Who said that?” I muttered, my eyelids unable to stay open.

“A.J. Lawless.”

I grinned, thinking of how true I wanted that statement to be. Even though Sawyer said he was picking me early at the selection ceremony, I would still be nervous until it was a done deal. I wanted to be with him, and having all of these other girls after my man was making me stabby.





“How do you feel?” Sage asked me as she appraised the brand-new deep blue gown Sawyer had sent over for me.

“Nervous as hell.” I gulped, clutching her hand as our limo driver drove us to the lakeside country club where Sawyer was going to tell the entire selection of girls and their parents that he’d chosen me early.

I’d spent every night this week at Sawyer’s, and the mind talking thing was coming in really handy.

‘I feel like I’m going to puke,’ I told him as the limo pulled up to the country club entrance.

‘Not too late to back out,’ he jived playfully in my head.

‘I mean, I’ve only known you a few months and we are talking about marriage here. This is forever.’

‘I was kidding.’ His voice in my head was unsure. ‘Are you really having second thoughts?’

I laughed and Sage rolled her eyes, fully sick of the imprinting talking thing by now.

‘No, I’m fucking with you. I can’t wait to be your wifey. Hashtag True Mates.’

I could feel relief rush through him. ‘I mean, I know we’re young, and we can totally wait a few years to have kids—’

‘Sawyer, I want to be your wife,’ I assured him. He hadn’t technically asked yet, and there was no bling on my finger, but I gathered that this had to happen first before that could. There seemed to be a protocol with all of these events and I’m sure it was in the bylaws if I took the time to read them. On my to-do list. Really.

The limo came to a stop and the door opened. Sawyer was standing there with his arm out. “Good, because I wasn’t taking no for an answer.”

I grinned, stepping out and then leaning forward to kiss him. He pulled back and appraised me. “Damn, woman.”

“I know I look amazing.” Sage popped her head up beside me and did a twirl.

Sawyer grinned at her and nodded. “That you do, cousin, but I was speaking about my future wife.”

Sage grinned and looked at me. “See. Told you he calls you that.”

I’d never seen Sawyer look happier. There was a lightness to him. His brokenness was gone and I liked to think I had a small part to play in that.

“Sawyer!” an older woman shrieked and he winced.

It was Meredith’s mom. “Alright, I’ll meet you ladies inside. I … gotta deal with this,” he told us, swooping in to kiss my cheek.

Sage and I linked arms and walked into the building as I peered over my shoulder at Sawyer talking to Meredith and her mother. Meredith lifted onto her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, causing my wolf to growl.

Sage noticed. “It’s nothing. He’ll let her down privately before she can hear it publicly in front of everyone. Sawyer is a gentleman like that.”