Ice Blue [ Book One ]

2 // Wolves

Princeton stared down at me with narrowed eyes, his hand on my arm not leaving. "You're my mate," he repeated.

I raised my brows. "And your Luna and future mother of your kids, I get it," I said back, sighing. "Listen, I don't believe in mating ways like wolves do. Felines, as you know, are sun children, not moon children. Your goddess doesn't speak with us in our dreams or give part of our soul to another as a mate. We have our souls and we choose who we share it with." By the time I was done with my explanation, he looked frustrated.

"I know how Feline ways work," Princeton told me, reluctantly releasing my arm but not moving from the door. "However, our goddess chooses who we get to have as a mate and it seems she chose a sun child. We learned not to question how she works, and we can't control the fact that she chose you to be my other half."

"But that doesn't even make sense," I tried to argue, crossing my arms and moving my bare feet a bit uncomfortably. "The moon goddess leaves the sun children alone. She doesn't bother us and we don't try to question your ways or hers. Why would she suddenly choose a Feline? Isn't that like ... species crossing?"

"Not really." Princeton's lips twitched up in a half-smile, causing my heart to skip a beat. What the hell? "We have our beasts on the inside, and we shift into them. But in the end we are somewhat human, and we spend more of our lives human. The beast is a separate being that lives within us."

I pursed my lips as I thought over his words, then mentally scolded myself. I shouldn't be considering them, I shouldn't be even thinking about how he could perhaps be right. I didn't want any goddamn moon goddess, no offense to her, deciding my love life. She wasn't my matchmaker.

"Look ... I just got out of a serious ... thing," I muttered, not willing to delve deep into my already screwed up love life with a complete stranger claiming I was his mate. "I'm not ready to enter another one."

Princeton's eyes flashed with slight anger, but it disappeared. "You were with someone?"

"Not that it's really your business, but yeah," I replied, looking down at my toes. The blue paint Lucky had done a week before was beginning to chip off. It was a cruel symbol really. The paint on my toes was chipping away like the last of my hope to see my family again.

"I'm sorry you went through that," he told me, sounding surprisingly gentle and kind. My eyes drew back up to him. I eyed him suspiciously. "I don't want you to tell me why it ended because I can see the discomfort, but I won't deny my wolf or myself our mate, and I won't deprive the pack of their rightful Luna."

"I don't even know you," I said, licking my chapped lips and shaking my head. "I'm not ready for this commitment you're asking from me, Princeton. I'm not. My cat seems to like you alright, based on how little she's protesting to you, but my emotions differ from her. I can't just jump into this like you're asking me to."

"Then don't. Just ... " he hesitated, as if what he was about to say to me was something very important and needed careful wording and thought. "What if I showed you friendship? Just stay for a couple of months. Let me prove to you I can be your friend first, without any mentions of being your mate. You can't deny our beasts what they can't control. Us? We can just be friends for right now, no dating, nothing. Let me try to win you over. Give me, and the pack that will treat you like family if given the chance, a try."

His words, for some reason I couldn't comprehend, touched me. I was hesitant, but what kind of person would I be if I flat out said no and left? The idea itself didn't sit well with me. I bit down on my lower lip and nodded slightly. "Okay."

The grin on his face was unmistakable, joy lighting up his entire features like sunlight through a window. I watched as he nodded his head in comprehension and took my arm again, turning me to the door. "First thing you need to do is be introduced to the pack."