The Wolf Lord's Mate

Chapter Six

When Isa showed me the room Nathaniel had prepared, I had hardly been able to say a word. Even after she left, I just stood there in the doorway, staring at the open space.

The work room that Nathaniel had provided me was larger than the size of my entire apartment back in town, with large windows that spilled beams of natural light into the room. I would have no need for candles here, squinting my eyes in the dark as I tried to keep my stitches straight.

A long workbench stretched out under the windows, the surface clean and smooth. Dress models had been set up in the corner, and a large cubby system was placed on the wall, containing carefully sorted fabrics, swatches, buttons, and thread. It was a seamstress's dream, and well beyond my wildest imaginings.

"What do you think?" Nathaniel's deep voice rumbled behind me. I whipped around, startled that he had been able to approach so silently, especially for someone of his stature. He was leaned against the doorframe, oaky hair swept back out of his face. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows, exposing strong forearms.

There was no part of this male that wasn't pure muscle.

"I think that you could employ a team of seamstresses out of this space."

"I assure you, I only need one." Nathaniel's eyes were glued to me, occasionally roaming over my figure. I don't know if he thought that I couldn't tell, or if he simply didn't care, but his obvious glances made me want to fidget. The way his throat bobbed with every swallow, that strong jaw as sharp as a knife, lips soft and full. His tongue flicked out to wet them, and a tingling started between my thighs at the idea of what he could with that tongue.

"Tell me," I cleared my throat, collecting myself, "Your old tailor," I spoke carefully, observing him for any reaction, though he gave none, "Do you have a copy of his measurements?"

"Measurements?" Nathaniel looked confused, and I bit down on my lip to keep from smiling.

"For your clothing. I have to know your sizes so that everything fits correctly."

"Ah," Nathaniel rubbed his hand over his jaw, strong fingers flexing, "I see. You might as well just take new measurements, rather than try to dig up the old ones."

I studied him carefully, fully aware that there were no old measurements. There was no old tailor. Why had he felt the need to lie? Was it to make me feel more comfortable about him hiring me? The thought was sweet for a moment before it soured. It only aroused another question–why did he care about making me feel comfortable?

He did have a surprising number of humans on his staff, so that could have been part of it. Perhaps he felt bad for us–for me specifically, after seeing how I lived. That was a somewhat practical explanation, even if it went against everything I knew to be true about Wolves. We were tolerated by them, and there were very few Wolves in town who had spared as much as a single glance in my direction.

I knew that there were humans who, in theory, were treated well by their Wolf mates, but that all stemmed from instinct to protect what they considered to be theirs rather than a personal desire to show kindness to humans. And yet, Lord Nathaniel seemed to treat the humans in his care with a great deal of respect, and from the way Isa had spoken about him, it seemed that that respect was returned in kind.

Yes, Nathaniel was certainly defying my expectations, and if there was any Wolf who I would have thought could do such a thing, the last person I would have picked was the Wolf Lord.

"Are you free now?" Nathaniel asked, drawing me out my spinning thoughts.

"I'm sorry?" I said, swallowing as he stepped into the room.

"To take my measurements," Nathaniel gestured at himself, "So that you have everything you need. I intend only to please."

"Strange to find a Lord so interested in the pleasure of others." I took a pad of paper from the stack of supplies on the workbench, looking around for something to write with.

"Only the pleasure of some," Nathaniel appeared behind me, moving from the doorway so quickly, I hadn't even realized he was there until he spoke, "I think you'll find that I am most adept at the art of providing pleasure," Nathaniel looked down at me, eyes darkening as they swept across my face, "And I intend to keep you very well satisfied."

Nathaniel leaned down, close enough that his arm just brushed against mine, sending tingles across my skin. Plucking a pencil out of a box in the corner, he held it out to me, a smirk on his lips. I could only imagine what I looked like, wide eyed and dry mouthed from his ridiculous flirting.

"I need nothing more than this," I clenched my jaw, moving away from him and his enticing warmth, "You have done quite enough, I think."

"Is this fine to be measured in?" Nathaniel began to pull up the hem of his shirt, exposing a sliver of bronze skin on his torso, "Or would you rather I disrobe?"

"No," I said, a bit too quickly, and a smile pulled at the corner of his mouth, "What you're wearing is perfectly fine."

"Whatever you need." Nathaniel dropped the hem of his shirt, the carved lines of his abdomen disappearing behind the cloth.

"You must tell me what you like," I turned around, hoping to hide the color that I'm sure was blooming across my face, "Collared or uncollared, loose or fitted, buttoned up or tied up?"

"Tying up sounds rather enticing."

I choked on my own breath at his response, turning around to face him with a glare, "For your shirts, My Lord?"

"I thought I told you to call me Nathaniel." Nathaniel was all cool composure, a complete opposite to myself, who was growing more and more flustered the longer I stood in his presence.

"My Lord," I glanced up at the ceiling, trying to maintain any amount of professionalism that I could while in the vicinity of this alpha male, "You're saying that you would enjoy ties on your shirts rather than buttons?"

"To be honest, Mira," Nathaniel cocked his head to the side, watching my every movement with acute precision; those green eyes of his conveying nothing but steady calmness and control, "I enjoy most things when offered by the right person."

This male was going to be the death of me. 

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