Chapter 50

(Isabella’s POV)

The pack doctor asks me to sit down. He has received all my test results. All I knew before arriving is that they came back “abnormal.” I sit next to Santiago in the doc’s office.

Santiago reaches over and holds my hand.

“You have genetic markers that suggest you may not be a pure werewolf. We have never seen DNA results that differ in this way. Typically, werewolves are either born of two werewolf parents or are, less commonly these days…human in origin and turn after receiving a bite.”

“Does this have something to do with my alleged healing ability?” I ask.

“Possibly,” he says. “I want to do some more detailed genetic testing and a complete examination. Elder Elias seems to believe that you are this Healing Gem, but we know nothing about such a thing in our history. I do have a theory regarding Santiago’s feral issues.”

Both our eyes widen. “What is it?” I ask.

“Are you too mating?”

My eyes go wide as saucers, and I feel my cheeks heat.

“We’ve had sex once,” Santiago says curtly. “Why?”

The doctor lets out a deep breath. “Were you in control or feral?”

“Feral.”

The doctor nods and pauses in contemplation. “What was the outcome?”

“Fucking, excuse me?” Santiago asks incredulously.

“Alpha, I’m not trying to be intrusive. Please, let me rephrase. Usually, you are feral until the sun rises the following day. I am getting to my theory, but I need an honest answer. Did you rape Isabella?”

For the first time since meeting him, Santiago is stunned and stammers as though he isn’t sure.

“No, he did not rape me. It was consensual. I offered myself.”

“I see. Thank you. Did Santiago remain feral during the entire act?”

“No, he did not start off in control, but finished in control and after, he was loving and carried me to his bed. We slept in there together.”

The doctor nods. “I think with your healing abilities, being near you calms his wolf. When he went feral, the wolf was in withdrawal mode. Allowing him to have you in that way brought him out. My theory is marking him, may cure the condition for good.”

“Let’s get out of here. Take him to his room. Fuck him crazy and mark our mate!” My wolf screams.

My face turns as red as a ripe tomato. I feel my skin heat to my ears and down my throat.

We leave in stunned silence.

As we walk through the forest and approach the river, I suggest we shift and let our wolves run. To my surprise, Santiago agrees.

We strip. The cool Autumn air hardens my nipples as a breeze hits them. Gooseflesh forms across my arms as I shift.

Santiago does the same.

My wolf pounces around in a circle, turns, and shows him her ass by bending all the way over, then wags her tail.

He chases her, jumps on her back, then off again. She does the same.

She turns on a dime and chases him. He’s faster than she is, but slows down so she can catch him. She tackles him, and they roll around in the leaves together. She licks his face.

I don’t know what they communicate with each other as I stay in the back of her mind so she can spend time with him, but at the exact same time, they shift back.

The shift leaves me lying on top of Santiago’s muscular chest. One of my hands rests on his marble sculpted pec while the other holds his chiseled jaw.

He wraps his arms around me and pulls me tight, skin to skin against his hard body. Before I can react, his mouth is on mine.

My lips part as his tongue invades me. I run my hand up to his hair and let my fingers run through it. My tongue aches to explore him. He opens his mouth, allowing me entrance.

We deepen the kiss. Heat radiates through his flesh, which makes mine feel as though I’m on fire. If I were wearing panties, they’d be soaked through.

His cock hardens and feels like the red pine that surrounds us, against my swollen womanhood. My entrance heats and aches to feel him inside me.

He keeps one arm wrapped around my waist. His other hand runs down my ribs, sending shivers up my spine as they trail between his chest and mine, then descend my stomach to my waiting core.

“I never apologized for the other night,” he whispers as his hand grabs me.

“No, you didn’t,” I reply breathlessly.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers with his lips against my earlobe.

“Do you regret fucking me?” I ask, intentionally striving not to sound as scared of his answer as I feel.

He slides a finger inside me.

I moan.

His breath his hot on my neck. He takes my earlobe in his mouth, nibbles, then trails kisses down to my collarbone.

“I regret how it happened, but not that it happened, Bella. I wanted you then. I want you now.”

I didn’t think it was possible to become wetter…he slides a second finger inside me, then rubs small circles around my clit with his thumb.

His mouth quickly explores my skin back to mine, our lips crash together with need.

I moan into his kiss.

He pulls me closer to him, then pulls away. “I need to ask, Bella. Do you want this to happen?”

I nod, wrap my arms around his neck, and nip at his lip until he raises to kiss me.

I run my hand down his chest to his six-pack and reach for his cock. I take it firm in my hand and pump him back and forth until he moans into my lips and thrusts his hips forward.

Then I line him up at my entrance and slide down until every inch of him is inside me. The way he stretches me makes me moan and grip the sides of his abs. I let my body adjust to his size and then ride him.

As we both get closer to cumming, I ask if he wants me to mark him. A deep growl escapes his lips as he begs me to.

A heartbeat later, I let my wolf’s fangs elongate, lean down to the sweet spot where his neck meets his shoulder, and bite down, piercing his flesh while marking him as mine.

At the same time, we both hit our climax.

My wolf howls with joy in my mind. Mate.

He’s still hard inside of me. I slowly inch my way up and then stand up and walk to the river.

“I’m just going to wash up,” I say. “You want to join me?”

I slowly wade into the water. It’s cold but refreshing. I pinch my nose and drop backward, wetting down my hair.

Santiago’s muscular Greek God arms pull me back up and into his embrace. He kisses me. Then he pulls back and says, “You are my mate.”

I nod slowly, “And you are mine.”

My wolf prances in my head in celebration, chanting, “I told you so.”

I can’t help but smile at her joy, at our joy.

“What’s your wolf saying?” I ask him.

“Gloating that he told me so, and yours?”

I laugh. “Same.”

He takes my hand. We cuddle in the grassy field, talk, and let our bodies dry before getting dressed.

“Do you think the doctor’s theory is right?” I ask on the way back to the pack house.

“It seems like it. When you marked me, my wolf settled for the first time in a long time; he was…content.”

By the time we arrive, it is already nightfall. I’m not sure what to do, so I go to my room. I turn, kiss Santiago’s cheek, and tell him goodnight.

“Bella?” He asks. “Would you be willing to join me in my room?”

I smile at him and agree.

As the weeks go by, we fall into a comfortable routine. We eat breakfast and dinner together every day. A few days during this time, Santiago surprises me by showing up for a lunch date. When he does, he brings me bouquets of sunflowers.

Some nights, he asks me out on dates. We go to dinner and the movies. Other nights we hang out at home. Sometimes spend time with Ariana and Levi.

Tonight he surprises me with a picnic—and he prepared all the food for it.

“Grilled chicken breasts, potato salad, warm dinner rolls, and fruit—you made all this? Everything is delicious.”

He smiles, oh my moon goddess —a genuine smile; one that reaches all the way up to his icy blue eyes. “Yeah, my mom taught me how to cook.”

“She did a marvelous job,” I say with a full mouth.

He chuckles, takes his thumb, and wipes the corner of my mouth. “You’re beautiful, Bella.”

I reach for his hand, and he pulls me into his lap so we can watch the sunset together.