AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Anything could happen.
A wink from Slater shook me up and made me step back. But not from bashfulness or fear. I just knew if I stood with him here like this any longer that I was going to rip off all his clothes. I set my bag on the ground and stripped off my clothes, handing them to him once he was nude.
The way the moonlight danced over his skin made my jaw drop. He tapped my chin with a chuckle and accepted my clothes. “Easy, Ginny darling. We haven’t even shifted yet.”
“Hush.”
“Make me.”
Desire transformed into unmanageable lust, the kind that came to me on nights when I couldn’t see Slater immediately after sunset. Gods, he was just playing with me now. Whatever obstacles were ahead of us would get annihilated if they dared get in the way of our path to the clearing.
Once my bag was secured properly on my back with enough room for me to shift, I closed my eyes and called to my wolf. She practically snapped my skin off with how fast she responded. It had been too long since I’d let her out, a whine breaking the silence of the night as I shook myself silly.
Slater nudged me with his nose. Feelings of pure bliss exploded in my side, propelling me to push right back with my snout and snort happily.
He pawed at my face.Would you quit that?
No, I replied playfully.We’re supposed to race, remember?
I don’t see you running yet, he joked.You seem to just want to play with me.
So what if I do?I posed, letting a little heat drift through our connection.
The way he growled told me he wanted me just as much as I wanted him. Without waiting for him to reply mentally, I darted across the yard and into the shadows, letting my wolf senses guide me through the forest. Damp earth cushioned my paws. Swampy scents filled my nostrils, reminding me of my old home, making me yearn for things that didn’t exist anymore.
My parents had never approved of my relationship with Slater. That might have fueled my original intentions with him. But after that, we’d grown so close that it was impossible to keep us apart. Now that we were back together, now that we had finally shifted at the same time, I felt our bond explode with those memories, thousands of feelings resonating in a grand chamber where our connection had been hidden all these years.
Before that meeting, I had denied my feelings. I had tried to bite down on my desire to return to him. So many nights were spent wondering what would happen if I had gone up to his door, knocked, and thrown myself at his feet. Mercy would have been out of the question then, or I assumed as much considering the shock that tore through us during that meeting.
Stop thinking so much, Slater warned in our mind connection.If you don’t, we’ll never make it to the clearing.
Hush, I warned.
His chuckle echoed through my skull. I was happy to hear it, to welcome it into my brain. That was a sound that my wolf had longed to hear again. She had been dying to have Slater back. Why had I denied her for so long?
The trees broke open ahead and I skidded to a halt in a small clearing with a few patches of grass. Slater tumbled in behind me and crashed into my side, knocking me onto my back. I stared up at him for a while with my maw open and my tongue hanging out as I panted to catch my breath.
He huffed into my face and then licked my nose. I groaned as I wiggled out from under him. As soon as I was in my human form, I set my bag on the ground and zipped it open.
“What’s all that?” Slater asked while retrieving our clothes from his bag. “More clothes?”
I smirked. “A picnic.”
“And you’re setting it up before you get dressed. You must love me.”
Of all the things Slater had ever said to me, I couldn’t recall if he’d ever mentioned the L word. Yeah, he loved burgers. He adored working on bikes and cars. He slammed down a damn good cup of coffee every morning. But love for people? For, or from, me? That hadn’t been on the table.
Guilt wavered around the edge of my aura. Sweet gods, if he thought I had love for him, then he would beveryangry when I finally told him about the twins. As I rose and spun around to let the truth spill, he caught my waist and dipped me. The trees tumbled out of sight. The moon sputtered through the clouds above. The wind picked up.
Peace came over me, the kind that had settled in right after I had gotten my kids situated in our cabin built into the corner of the neighborhood by Blake’s father. Our previous alpha had died too suddenly for me to express my gratitude, so I made sure to show it to Blake by keeping my head down and not making any noise.
But right now? I wanted to howl my affection for Slater to the skies. Whether it was true love or simply infatuation didn’t seem to make a difference. It was a strong feeling—and I didn’t want to let it get destroyed by anything.
Not even me.
Slater kissed me so hard that my vision went black. If this was me passing out from being dipped too hard, I didn’t care. Kissing Slater was one of the best things in the world aside from taking a nice hot bath after a long day. The truth could wait a few more minutes, right?
But a few minutes turned into twenty when he released me and helped me set everything up. Wine, cheese, cherry pie—there were so many treats and snacks, delicious things made by Francine and Laurencia with love. Baked goods never were my thing. My kids were better at it than me, so I’d left it up to someone else to do the food.
