CHAPTER 33

He wished he could erase whatever bad experience she ever had before him. He could not do that but he swore to himself she was never going to have one as long as they were together, and that was going to be forever. He would protect his mate with the last drop of his blood.
Her eyes slowly opened then she looked around the dimly lit room in confusion. "Where am I?," she asked slowly.
"In my house, in my bed."
Shana realized it had all been a dream but it had seem so real. She could feel the hot tears drying on her face.
"It was a dream," she said to reassure herself, her throat feeling like it was on fire.
Asher moved out of the bed and came back with a glass of water. She murmured her appreciation and drank, all the while with his eyes not straying away from her. But she could not bring her eyes to meet his.
He was worried. What sort of nightmare could make a person so fearful? Was she abused as a child? She looked like he was not going to talk about it and he did not press her for any information. He went back into bed and wrapped her securely in his arms, wishing he could fend off the nightmares forever by doing just that.
"Are you OK?"
"I'm now," she said snuggling deeper into his embrace. She was surprised he was not bombarding her with questions and she was glad for that. How was she going to explain who she was? Asher was going to feel betrayed if he found out. He had revealed all of himself to her and she had done nothing but lie and hide the truth about herself from him and what more? She was the woman sent to ruin and take everything from him.
But how she loved him so, how she wished she could protect him. She did not realize she was crying until felt his finger wipe a tear trailing down her face. Still, he did not ask her questions she knew he was dying to ask.
She wanted to forget it all. "Take me," she whispered brokenly, lifting her head to look unashamedly into his burning bright eyes.
Asher was more than happy to help her forget the nightmare like he knew she wanted but he was no brute. He was not taking his mate when what she truly needed was sooting and comforting. He tightened his hold around her, shushing her and crooning beautiful nonsense into her ear. Minutes later, she giggled helplessly at something he said. "What did you just say?," she asked breathlessly, not quite believing her ears.
"I said this dog wants to mark you all over and he does not have rabies," he repeated with a straight face, making her laugh harder.
"This," she said rubbing her finger over the healed scar on his neck. "What is it?"
"You are my mate Kitty," he replied rubbing his finger over her own mark. "This means you are mine, forever." She watched his eyes change from the normal blue to fierce grey of his wolf's. She had never seen that before and it mesmerized her.
"But why me?," she asked in a soft undertone.
"I don't know how it happens, it just does. When you walked into that conference room, I just knew you were the one," he said dropping a kiss on her forehead.
"When I met you, it was the first time my he.....," her voice trailed off when she realized what she was about to say. He was looking at her expectantly, "It was the first time my heart skipped for a man," she filled in wisely.
Asher felt like his heart was going to burst with all the emotions he was finding difficult to contain as he watched her gasping for breath with her crazy laugh.
"Ours!," his wolf proclaimed proudly, making the smile bloom on his lips, reaching his eyes and lighting up his whole face.
Shana watched as the usually hard man before her transformed with just a smile; a real genuine and happy smile, and she stared openmouthed at night.
"What?," he asked awkwardly. "Do I have something on my face?"
"No. You are beautiful," she said, reaching up with both hands to hold his face in her hands.
"No, I'm not," he said shaking his head emphatically. "Beautiful is emasculating."
"No it's not," she said brushing her lips over his chin.
Asher knew women, a lot of them. He had been intimate with almost all of those lot but none had ever really touched him like Shana was doing. Truth be told, no one really ever touched him, never his mother and sparingly his grandmother. Not that he ever let anyone that close to become touchy. He had never cuddled with a woman the morning after either;never stayed around long enough to sleep after the act. That way, he was detached and secure in the strong walls erected around his heart.
But Shana's hands running all over his face affectionately just hits a spot inside him. The touch was not sexual; that did not mean his penis was not thinking otherwise, but it felt heavenly. And he had to confess he loved being touched. He loved the way she was looking into his eyes like she could see into his deep, dark soul.
"You said something about us being able to communicate in your wolf form. How?," she asked suddenly.
"The mating mark does that. You can let me into your thoughts and I could let you into mine," he answered.
Shana's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you saying I can read your mind and you can read mine?"
"Yes, that's it but it's only when you let me in," he said. "If you let me in," he added gently, just in case she was not ready to do that.
"That's...." Shana did not know what to day. She was still reeling from the news. In a normal situation, it was the best thing being able to know everything going on in the head of a man she loved so much. But their situation was not normal. In fact, the news was going to be a kink in her assignment. She could hold off letting Asher into her head right then but how about in the long run? Asher was smart and he was going to grow suspicious.
"Look, you don't have to," he said quickly when he saw the look in her eyes. He could understand her if she did not want to let him in. Before her, he had always believed it was weird to have another person in your head and thoughts every seconds of the day. It was intruding and unnecessary. But with Shana, he really wanted to know every thought of hers and he was more than ready to let her in.
"No, it's not that. I just...." She trailed off again.
"I get it," he said reassuringly, smiling at her. She smiled back at him hesitantly.
"Marry me," he growled suddenly. "I want you to marry me. Be mine before all mankind," he said in a gentler tone.
He was not sure if he imagined it but he saw a sad and guilty look enter her eyes before it disappeared and was replaced with joy. She nodded jerkily and replied in a shaky whisper "Yes I will marry you."
It was not as grand a proposal as he would have wanted with champagne chilling in a bucket, a million rose petals and candlelit dinner with a diamond ring sitting heavily in his pocket but it just felt like the right moment to ask her to be his wife. Besides, his mate looked like she was not the type that would like all the pomp of a grand proposal.
"I will marry you Asher," she said again, firmly this time.
Right there and then, she was supposed to be the happiest woman in the world. She had a beating heart liked always wanted, she had a man she loved been if they were yet to exchange the word but she only had to look in his eyes to see the abundance of love there to sweep her off her off and he just asked her to marry him.
Just like that.
He was not asking the beautiful Nicolette or the numerous beautiful women he had been associated with in the past but he had asked her, Shana Johnson, a crier nobody from nowhere and she could not be luckier but she had secrets.
And that made her sad.
She wished she had her grandmother to tell her what to do.
"What is it Kitty?" Asher had noticed the absent look in her eyes when all he wanted at that moment was to ravish her again but he was giving her time. She had been a virgin for goodness sake.
"Nothing. I'm just so happy," she lied looking into his eyes to see the hungry look he was giving her. She raised her lips to his for a kiss, then it turned to his hands roving all over her naked body and she forgot all about being a crier and all that laid before her.
"I want you. Now," she said breathlessly.
This time, he allowed his basal nature take over, forgetting about being a gentleman. He entered her in one long drive, making her cry out in ecstasy and after a few thrusts, he followed her down the pleasure cliff, releasing every drop of his seed in the mouth of her womb.
In that last moment, he swore he saw her heavy with his pup and it was not a figment of his imagination