The corner of his lip quirked. “Definitelynotmurder, but I can’t promise there wouldn’t be a little death or two.”
The terrain got a little rockier, the slope a little steeper, and soon we were standing on a bluff overlooking half the island. Way down and to the right twinkled the lights of downtown Darkaway, while slightly behind us and to the left, you could see the lights of the ski resort. Straight ahead, beyond the misty foothills barely visible in the darkness, was the Pacific Ocean.
“This view is incredible,” I breathed, stretching my arms out and taking it all in. “It’s like I’m on top of the world.”
When Travis said nothing, I turned. He had a faraway look in his eyes. “I used to come up here after I had it out with my father, when I needed the clarity to think. Sometimes I evenbrought a sleeping bag when I couldn’t stand to sleep under the same roof as him, and unrolled it right over there.” He indicated a flat spot near a large boulder.
“Alone?”
He nodded. “I’ve never brought anyone else up here until now.”
Warmth bloomed in my chest that he wanted to share this special place with me.
He spread out a small blanket he’d grabbed from the porch, and we laid down on the tall grass. I snuggled into him and together, we watched the night sky. Turned out, he knew the names of all the constellations without having to resort to a phone app. Not surprising given his obsession with the moon.
A shooting star blazed into view and my breath hitched. I’d lived in the city for so long that I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen one. I tracked it until it fizzled out, while his hand lightly stroked the back of my arm.
“I realized something recently, but I didn’t think it was possible, so I told myself I was imagining things. Which is why I hadn’t said anything.”
I waited patiently for him to continue, my ear pressed to his chest.
“I confided in Matthew to get his opinion, and the bastard told Jada.”
A terrifying thought occurred to me and my stomach bottomed out. “Are you ill, Travis?”
A chuckle rumbled through his chest, and he gave my arm a reassuring squeeze. “No, nothing like that, my love. Quite the opposite, in fact.”
What was theoppositeof sick? Being ultra-healthy? I couldn’t see how that was a problem.
“I don’t know how much you know about werewolf lore, and there’s a lot of horseshit out there, but some of it says that when the Alpha meets his fated mate, his inner wolf becomesabsolutely feral for her. The rutting urge dominates his thoughts.”
He’d called me hisfated mateat the final charm ceremony, and yes, we were having a lot of sex, but what did that even mean? Irritation snaked up my spine at how male-centric it was. “And what does werewolf lore say about the female in this scenario? Or is she just a vessel for the Alpha’s potent seed?”
Travis snorted. “I told you it was horseshit.”
“So why bring it up?”
He took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “Lore says that during a full moon, the Alpha not only wants to mate with her, but the goal is to impregnate her.”
I stiffened. Was he bringing this up to broach the subject of wanting to keep me barefoot and pregnant so I could birth his ten children? A litter of pups that carried his DNA?
No, I told myself. He wasn’t like that. He gave off none of those vibes.
“If that’s what you’re concerned about, Travis, you know I’m on birth control.”
While the thought of having a mini-Travis or two running around the island was pretty appealing to my overactive ovaries, I certainly wasn’t in any hurry.
“No, that’s not it,” he blurted. “I’m not sure I even want to be a father. I didn’t exactly have the best example.”
I relaxed. We seemed to be on the same page after all.
He propped himself on his elbows and stared into the valley. “The only reason I’m bringing this up is that I’ve...noticed some things. Things that make me think that some of the lore may be legit.”
I frowned. “Like what?”
He sat all the way up and ran a hand through his hair. “So those ridges you feel when we have sex?”
A laugh burst from my throat. How could I forget them? “Travis, it’s one of your best features.” Just the thought of itrubbing against my clit made all my girly parts tingle now. “So how is that lore? I thought you told me that all male werewolves had them.”
