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Jess let go of me and I fell into Greg’s arms instead. The scent of him surrounded me, comforting and familiar. For the last few weeks, he had been my only friend, my only confidant, and to Esme and me he smelled of safety. We knew he would guard us even in our weakest moments. And man, this was ourweakestmoment.
‘Greg,’ I sobbed. ‘They’re both dead.’
Esme was upset, but she was trying to respect my feelings so she was keeping her overwhelming desire to kill something as quiet as she could. She’s good like that.
Greg lifted me up and walked us both to the sofa. He settled me on his lap. ‘I’ve got you,’ he murmured. ‘Let go.’
We’re here,Esme said quietly.
I planned to joke that I’d let it go already, but something in his words and Esme’s support unlocked me and I cried again, like I was broken. Some small part of me took comfort in the fact that, broken as I was, Greg and Esme would help fix me.
I woke next to Greg, fully-clothed and wrapped around him like a pretzel. I shifted against him and his arms tightened around me. ‘Don’t go,’ he murmured, his voice thick with sleep. ‘Let me enjoy you a moment longer.
I felt ridiculously shy. I’d spent all of last night sobbing on him and no doubt I looked a complete mess. And I couldn’t quite remember how we’d ended up in my bed together.
Greg opened his eyes and looked at me. My confusion must have shown on my face. ‘You cried yourself to sleep, Peaches,’ he explained. 'I couldn’t leave you. My wolf literally wouldn’t let me. I tried to sleep on your sofa over there—' he gestured to the sofa in my suite ‘—but you kept making little upset noises in your sleep. It was killing me, so I came to give you a cuddle and then you stopped making the sad noises.’
‘I – uh – thanks.’
‘You wouldn’t let me go. I swear your eyes flashed gold and you clung to me so hard I couldn’t have left if I’d wanted to. And I didn’t want to. Leave you, that is.’
‘Thanks for staying with me.’
‘Nothing happened,’ he promised, searching my eyes to make sure I believed him.
I grinned at him. ‘I believe you. ‘Esme would have killed you if you’d tried to take advantage.’
‘I would never take advantage of you. Even without the threat of Esme.’
‘I know,’ I agreed. ‘But right now, I would very much like you to take advantage of me.’ I’d worry about the consequences and what it meant for the pack later. At that moment, it was whatIneeded.
‘Are you sure? You’ve had a big emotional upset and I don’t want—’
‘Greg Manners, I have wanted you since the moment I met you, and it’s only got worse the longer I’ve known you. I can’t stop thinking about you. You’re honourable and kind, funny and kick ass. Fuck it, I love you, Greg. And if you don’t—’
Greg silenced my rambling with his lips. ‘Thank God,’ I murmured against him. I felt him smile, then he drew back and looked at me tenderly. ‘Lucy, I’m not a man of romantic words. I won’t say this often, but that doesn’t make it less true. I love you. I’m a man of action, so let me show you.’
‘Yes,’ I purred. His lips pressed against mine again, and that was the last comprehensible thought I had for quite some time.
Chapter 26
Iwasn’tquitereadyto face the pack, so Greg and I had breakfast in my sitting room. We’d eaten and were snuggling on the sofa when Jess joined us. It was still the ass-crack of dawn, but neither Greg nor I required much sleep. That was something we’d taken advantage of last night, or rather early this morning.
Jess gave a massive grin when she saw us, and Gato barked.
I blushed. ‘Yeah, yeah. Move on.’
‘I’m so happy for you both. Really.’
‘Thanks,’ Greg said. ‘It’s nice to see you, Toots.’
‘You too, Manners. You took your sweet time making your move. Emory said you two would get together weeks ago.’
‘Perfection can’t be hurried,’ he replied languidly, kissing me lightly on my neck.
I was feeling a million times better. My birth parents were dead and that sucked; it wouldn’t stop sucking for the rest of my life. I’d never know them and nothing could change that. But I had Mum, Dad and Ben. I had Jess and Greg. Hell, I even had the pack. Bobby was home safe, and nothing bad had happened to the kids. So yes, I was in a positive place. As Dad always says, you can’t make a cake without breaking a few eggs. I was feeling a little bruised, but I was going to whip up a Victoria sponge.
‘I didn’t quite finish de-briefing you last night,’ Jess said.
