#Chapter 73: Tender Touches

Alexander & Ella Alexander Ella’s scent hit me like a freight train the moment I pulled her into my arms. Cherry and vanilla—but stronger now. The fear that had been threading through it was already beginning to fade, replaced by something else. Something that made my wolf go wild. “Mark her,” he growled. “She’s ours. She’s right here. Mark her now.” The urge was so strong that I nearly gave in. Every instinct I had was screaming at me to sink my teeth into the delicate curve of her neck, to finally complete the bond that should have been sealed years ago. My canines actually extended somewhat, their sharp points pressing against my lower lip. But I forced my canines to retract. No, I would not mark her. Especially not here and now, in the middle of an abandoned barn in the woods, a dead body going cold beside us, and sirens blaring in the distance. “Alexander?” Ella’s voice was muffled against my shoulder. “Is he really dead?” I glanced at t