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I let go of the steering wheel with my right hand. I know that made him a little nervous before, but he doesn’t seem to mind when my hand lands on his thigh, giving it a quick squeeze. “If you ask me, you did it just right. Well. Except for the whole rejecting me thing.Twice.”
Ryker lets out a mock growl at my blatant tease.
I laugh, feeling freer and more light-hearted than I have in a long time. “Hey. You gotta admit you walked right into that one.”
“Yeah, yeah. But only if you admit that it was one colossal misunderstanding. You’re mine, Gemma. Always have been. Always will be.”
“Fine. I’ll admit it, if you promise there won’t be any other ‘misunderstandings’ like that.”
Ryker lays his hand over mine, keeping it pressed to his thick thigh. “You got a deal, sweetheart.”
We drive the rest of the way up the mountain just like that. And though Ryker felt better earlier when I had both hands on the wheel, he seems just as content with my hand where it is now.
* * *
We head to his cabin.
Not the Alpha cabin; for all the rituals and the ceremonies and the traditions that I willfully ignore, not stepping foot inside of the Alpha cabin until we’re mated is one I stubbornly cling to. And though I have less-than-pleasant memories when it comes to the single time I was inside Ryker’s personal territory, I look forward to making better ones.
Before he took over for his father, Ryker had his own cabin. It’s a single floor, rustic structure with dark wood siding and a wraparound porch. From experience, I know that the single floor refers to what’s above the ground. Though it’s not obvious from the outside, Ryker’s cabin has a basement.
Claws crossed that—after tomorrow—he’ll never, ever have to use it again.
I have to park about fifty feet away from the cabin. His confession about never driving makes more sense when I notice that his cabin is set further back into the woods that cover this part of Accalia. I had to go the long way round to even reach his cabin, and thank the Luna my baby is a Jeep ‘cause I have to go off-road even to reach the clearing where I can keep my car.
Once I kill the engine, Ryker hops out. He starts to reach into the back of the Jeep.
“I got it,” I tell him.
The cozy camaraderie we shared during the car ride seems to evaporate in an instant. His lips thin, and I see that my old pal Duke’s starting to bulge a bit against his neck.
“Gemma. Please.”
I open my mouth to argue—then close it without a single word.
All right.
If there’s one thing I know, it’s that our mating’s going to be a give and take. Sometimes I’ll have to go against my own instincts, just like how Ryker goes against his every time I remind him that I’m also an alpha and I can take care of myself.
Can I bring my suitcases into his cabin myself? Of course I can. But will it kill me to let Ryker do it?
“Okay. Sure.”
His dark gold eyes seem to flare a bit, as if he can’t believe I’m willing to give in so quickly. At its face value, it’s just my intended mate offering to carry my luggage for me. Deeper down, though, this is Ryker’s alpha nature seeping out, eager to show he’s a capable mate.
Give and take, Gem. I don’t always have to be tough. I can accept help even ifmystubborn wolf knows that we can handle it.
I brought three bags with me. I purposely reach for the smallest one, letting Ryker take the two largest ones.
The last time I was here, I spent most of my time locked in his basement. Walking into the cabin, the door to the basement is built along the far wall of the front room, off the living room. I give it a nasty look, then head for the hall.
During the ride, he explained the layout of his cabin. He purposely avoided mentioning the basement for obvious reasons, but he told me how he has five rooms built into the space: a kitchen, the front room, a bedroom, a full bathroom, and a cozy living room with a fireplace.
Ryker takes the third bag off of me. “I’ll go drop these off in the bedroom.”
Hmm. Since my last trip into Accalia was a quick drop-off, this is only my second time in Ryker’s cabin. We haven’t had sex in his bed yet, a situation I’m more than ready to rectify.
I lay my hand on his arm, giving his bicep a squeeze. “You want me to come with you?”
