A howl sounds in the distance.
“The Christmas celebration’s starting,” he says. “We can still make it if you want, or head back… home.”
Home? He called ithome. My wolf’s jumping up and down, as am I. Then I sigh. “I promised we’d be there.”
He offers me his hand. “I wouldn’t want you to break a promise.”
“You mean another one. I promised not to seduce you.”
“And I promised not to hurt you.”
I clasp my hands around his neck. “You couldn’t hurt me if you tried.” His eyes go to where we just fucked. “No, my sweet shifter. You didn’t hurt me. You claimed me, and I claimed you. And if you’d like, we can ignore it, like it never happened.”
“No.” He doesn’t say more as he wraps the scarf around me, then takes my hand and leads me out of the woods to his pack.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
GARRETT
Angel and I are both quiet as we head towards the lake. I’m still not sure what happened back there, but I have to take her word that I didn’t hurt her. Either way, something changed between us. And no matter what she calls it… it was a claiming.
But not a blood-bonding. For once, my wolf remains quiet. I guess neither of us is ready to blood-bond. As for Angel, she’s all smiles again. Seeing her face filled with joy lets me breathe without regret and guilt driving a heavy boot into my chest.
This moment—alone on the path, just the two of us—is too perfect. Not because I claimed her, but because she’s still here with me. She hasn’t fled, hasn’t given up on me, despite all my trust issues.
“Come on,” she says, pulling on my hand. “Let’s get a good seat before they’re all taken.”
“Angel, I really do enjoy being with you. It’s not something I ever dreamed would happen?—”
“I gave in to temptation long before you did, shifter. That’s how we ended up… Let’s just say I never meant to tempt you. ”
“Oh, darlin’, you’ve been a huge temptation since the day I met you. But I wanted better for you.”
She stops short. “You don’t get to tell me what or who I deserve. And if I want some broken-down, old shifter with his head up his ass, that’s my choice.”
“Old? You think I’m old?”
“Thatyou object to? Not the ‘head up his ass’ part?”
“I know my faults, darlin’.”
“Do you know your strengths? And how they far outweigh your faults?”
She doesn’t see a broken shifter. That’s… interesting.
My fears press against me, and I have this desire to shake her until she wakes up and realizes why she’s better off without me. But when she looks into my eyes with complete trust, I can’t. I want that trust, that admiration, especially from a woman as strong as my Angel.
She’s put up with so much from me, including how I took her. Rough and suspicious of her motives. She deserved better.Deservesbetter.
My thumb brushes her cheek. “Next time will be better.”
“Oh, so therewillbe a next time?” she says in a low, breathy voice.
“I hope so.” Fuck, I hate sounding so uncertain. “I don’t want to hurt you, Angel.”
“You won’t.” She lifts up on her toes and kisses my cheek.
“Are you sure about me? Out there, rescuing shifters, infiltrating enemy territory, I know what I’m doing. But this… here… I’m a little lost.”
