Chapter 46
Riley
Reid has gone impossibly quiet, but I feel his hand on my thigh shake just the slightest bit. He finds a place to pull over and stops the car before turning to me. “And how do you feel about me?” he asks in a low, solemn voice.
I take in his gorgeous eyes on me. “I didn’t think I’d get the chance to tell you—” Emotion clogs my throat, and I can’t go on. I feel a tear drip from my eye, and Reid growls low in his chest before unbuckling me and pulling me onto his lap. It’s a tight fit because of the steering wheel, but we make it work.
He braces his hands on either side of my face and tenderly wipes away my tears. “I’ve got you, Baby.”
I finally just push it out. “I love you so much. I’m sorry I didn’t mate with you. I should have. Mating is the most important thing, and I—”
“No, Baby, you’re the most important thing.” He lowers his head so he can meet my eyes. “Don’t you know? I’d wait for you forever.”
The tears drip down my cheeks. “I know, Reid; and that’s why I love you. But I want to mate.”
He watches me carefully. “Are you sure? You just came out of a really bad situation. I don’t want that to influence you and make you do something you don’t want to do.”
I shake my head. “Reid, I know what I want. I’m not Evie or Tessa; I’m not human. I’ve always known I’d mate with someone, whether it was from our pack or another pack.” He growls at that. “I just regret I didn’t do it sooner. That’s all Icould think about while I was in there. I love you, Reid. I want to spend our lives together.” I look him dead in the eye, so he doesn’t mistake what I’m saying. “I want you.”
His lips are on mine a moment later, and I return his kiss with all the desperation and longing I’ve held in the last few days. He’s just as desperate and kisses me hungrily. Eventually, though, the intensity eases and turns gentle. With no barrier between us, I feel his fierce devotion and loyalty to me and his protectiveness. But above all, I feel his love.I love you,I send to him.I think I’ve always loved you.
I love you too. You’re mine, Riley. You always have been; now the world knows it. I love every part of you.
I’m not sure how long we stay on the side of the road. But eventually, he settles me back in my seat and holds my hand with a promise to work out a way for us to complete the bond as soon as possible. “So, am I kicked off the team?” I ask, glancing at him.
He squeezes my hand. “You missed one practice and one game. I called your coach and told her you were too sick to play.”
“Was she okay with it?” I ask.
He shrugs. “It kind of worked; everybody just thought you succumbed to the virus that you were fighting against. Life happens. I’m sure you’re not the first player ever to get sick. It will all work out. It’s technically break now, anyway. So, you won’t miss much.” I hold his hand and look out the window. It’s quiet between us for a while. “Thank you for not asking about my time down there,” I finally say.
He squeezes my hand gently. “If you want to talk, I’ll listen.”
“I know.” I stare out the window again. “I need to talk to my dad and my brother. If it’s okay, I’d rather not rehash it twice.”
“Of course.” Thankful that he’s not pushing it, I stare out the window once again. “Can you just tell me...” he looks over at me. “You’re sure you have no injuries or anything else?”
“No. As soon as I shifted, I was able to start healing. How did you find us?” I ask, changing the subject.
“Your dad,” he admits. “He wasn’t getting anything, but once he felt you again, he was able to find you.”
I nod. “Yeah. That was after the bracelet broke. Thank you for lending me your power, by the way.”
“They put a bracelet on you?”
“Yeah. I’m sure it was like the one they put on Tessa. Only because I’m a wolf, it cut me off from the pack.”
He growls low in his chest. “Did the silver burn you?” He picks up one of my wrists.
“It did, but they’re almost healed now.”
“I want to bring them all back and kill them all again.”
I pat his leg. “Thanks, but no. They’re dead, and that’s how they’ll stay.” I stare out the window again. “We have a lot to work through with my family. There are...things you don’t know. My family’s going to have a hard time for a little bit, I think.”
“We’ll get through it,” he promises.
I nod. “Yeah. We will. But the man that’s terrorized my family and our pack is dead, Reid. He can never hurt another soul.” I take a deep breath. “And for that, I’m okay,reallyokay. I’m at peace.”
