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“It doesn’t matter,” I rasped. “I did what I did.”
“And I told you in Seattle if he brought you comfort or happiness, even for a minute, I wanted you to have that minute.”
“Reality is different.” My heart ached from an old, impossible wound.
“I knew when I walked away you might not let me come back to the den.” Sterling’s hazel eyes were rimmed with red and his hands trembled on my face. “And you’ve thought for even adayI wouldn’t forgive you? There’s nothing to forgive. Nothing to be ashamed of. I am the one who needs forgiveness. You didnothingwrong. I’m grateful he was there to help you when I couldn’t be there. Do you need time to think about if you want him instead?”
What? Of course not. “No.”
“You do not have to explain anything to me. I abandoned you in the end.”
“I know why you did it,” I whispered.
“That’s what caused the heat, wasn’t it.” Sterling looked at Demetrius. “She and I crossed paths.”
“That’s exactly what caused it,” Demetrius said. “You abandoned her, and it was her entire existence trying to summon you back. Just like you’d be driven to prepare the den or bring her prey and sing to bring her back.”
He gathered me close to him and hugged me with his one good arm, albeit not too tightly, because his ribs were a bit mangled.
I was past weeping, sobbing, or anything else. I’d circled right back toexisting.
He kissed the top of my head, raked his fingers through my hair, and released me. “Let’s try this again. She-wolf, I have returned to you having avenged the silver injury done to you and prevailing in the challenge. We’ve lost our den, we’ve lost our pack, we even lost each other. Will you have me back?”
Was he evenreal? I caught myself before I saidyes, we just had this conversation. Someone had taught Sterling a new trick. Demetrius? Malte? The shit-eating-grin Garrett just behind his shoulder? I pretended to look Sterling up and down. I looked at my nails, contemplated the ugly wallpaper in the shitty motel “conference” room. “I suppose it suits me.”
Sterling broke into a real smile. I threw my arms around his neck and held on tight.
Sterling whispered, “Came into heat and I had to miss it.”
There wasnothingfun about feeling like you were about todieif you didn’t get a cock inside youimmediately. “May it never happen again.”
“Butpups.”
I pushed back. “Sterling, I don’t need to be in heat to get pregnant.”
Being in heat only increased the odds I’d get pregnant... with multiples.
Marcella grimaced and fanned herself with her hand while Demetrius chuckled.
Sterling said, “But there’s a betterchance.”
“Oh no, donotstart making noises about wanting alitter. We’re starting withone.” Especially since we no longer had a pack. It was just the two of us now. We were a couple of lone wolves in a very unusual position of having extraordinary prestige... and no pack.
GranitePaw was still up there in New York. The SnowFang were still in danger, because the GranitePaw hadn’t been de-fanged. Private island it was for us, probably.
“One is a wise number,” Cerys said.
“Bullshit. At least three,” Garrett told me.
“You got to miss the puppy stage,” Cerys told Garrett like he was an idiot.
“Ibeggedyou for another,” Garrett told her. “My granddaughter will have to make up for it.”
Demetrius made ashut upmotion to Garrett, which he ignored, while Marcella mirrored Cerys’ expression.
“Don’t listen to him.Eitherof them.” Cerys pushed her son on his shoulder, causing him to release his grip. She extended her arms to me. I hesitated a split second, then embraced her.
“Thank you for seconding him,” I told her. She didn’t smell of MoonDark.
