Page 113 of The Thief

Bear wasn’t one to draw attention to himself, let alone wear his heart on his sleeve, but his impassioned speech broke down the cage I’d built around me.

He looked up unapologetically. “What do you say?”

I rested my hands on his shoulders. “You give me strength I never knew I had, and I’m a tough cookie.”

A few chuckles sounded around us, but I never averted my gaze from Bear.

My thumbs stroked over his beard. “I’m not afraid to love you. I never was. You put so much love into everything you do. Your cooking, your guitar, your friendships, and even us. I kept trying to fix everything and make it perfect, but love is messy. My wolf knows who she sings for. She knows it’s you.”

His spirit wolf stared back at me in the depths of his irises.

“It’s always been you,” I whispered.

“Kiss her!” Virgil shouted.

“Kiss him!” Melody said even louder.

“Jesus fucking Christ. Kiss each other,” Calvin called out from the bar.

The instant our lips touched, tumultuous applause erupted around us and Patsy Cline turned back up. Bear wrapped his arms around me and broke the kiss.

“It’s you and me from here on out,” he said against my ear. “I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.”

That promise made me squeeze him tighter. Bear’s declaration made it okay to have uncertainties. His powerful embrace reinforced the promise that he would always put me first. Maybe that wasn’t a big deal to some, but to a girl who’d spent her whole life being used by people who supposedly loved her, it was everything.

He lifted me off the chair and set me down. Melody excitedly hugged me before plopping down in Lakota’s lap and curling against him. The rest of the bar quickly went about their business.

Bear took the seat across from Tak, and they met eyes. “Where do we stand in your pack as a couple? Not to put you on the spot, but I’d rather have it out in the open. Mercy and I want to stay. This isn’t temporary.”

I nervously gripped his shoulder, and that’s when Bear corralled me to sit on his lap instead of the chair next to him.

“But if you decide that’s not in the pack’s best interest, we’ll respect your decision,” he continued. “I want everyone to know we won’t hold any hard feelings.”

Bear was being overly diplomatic. The wrong words could inadvertently turn packmates against their alpha if Tak chose to let us go and they thought it unfair. Neither of us held any ill will toward him, and I sure wouldn’t want people fighting if we had to leave.

Tak folded his arms on the table and narrowed his eyes. Everyone watched with bated breath as the Packmaster and Bear had a stare down. Tak finally lowered his head and let out a slow-rolling laugh. “I knew something had changed when we got back from our vacation. I could see that little twinkle in your eyes.” Tak’s smile receded. “My tribe honors love above all else. As long as what you have is a mutual commitment and not a roll in the hay, you both have a place in my pack.”

I breathed a sigh of relief as Bear squeezed my thigh.

“You didn’t know,” I said, certain Tak had never caught us looking at each other. “We were staying apart until we had things figured out.”

Tak hooked his arm over the back of his chair and gave us a cocksure grin. “Everyone here thinks I’m blind. You may have fooled some, but I see what others don’t. I’m still waiting for someone to actually surprise me.”

Hope played with the pendant around her neck, a smile hovering on her lips. “I’m pregnant.”

All conversation ceased.

Tak’s jaw muscles twitched. “You shouldn’t joke about such things.”

Hope stood and faced him. “I’m not. Your baby grows inside me.”

After a deafening pause, Virgil exclaimed, “No wonder! I couldn’t figure out why I kept wanting to bring you something to eat. That totally explains?—”

“Shut up.” Krys elbowed Virgil. “Nobody can tell if a woman’s pregnant when she’s not showing.”

Virgil crossed his arms. “Maybe I’m psychic.”

Hope brushed her hand over her tan blouse, the untied drawstrings on the neckline hanging to her stomach. “I thought your wolf sensed something, but maybe it’s too early. It’s just a tiny bean in there.”

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