Page 11 of The Runaway Mate

Then, without warning, Jem strode forward and pulled me into a tight embrace. I felt his strong arms wrap around me, and I breathed in the familiar scent of him. It was a mix of coconut and earth, with a hint of something that was uniquely Jem.

I forgot about everything else. I forgot about the pain in my leg, about Seth and the fact that he was still out there, about why I left in the first place. All I could feel was the warmth of Jem’s embrace, and an overwhelming sense of relief washed over me.

“Mai,” he said softly. “I’m so glad you’re back.”

Tears were prickling at the corners of my eyes. I had missed him so much. All those lonely days when I didn’t know when my next meal would be or if I’d find somewhere to sleep that night, I’d think of Jem—there was no way I’d let my thoughts go to Ryan, there was too much hurt there—and wonder if he was okay. When I heard the rumors that the Three Rivers Pack had a new Alpha pair, I knew it was Jem, and he’d finally done it. Jem was always the strong one. He’d plotted and prepared, he’d kept us safe, and when the time was right, he and Hayley had challenged Oliver. Me? As soon as things got hard, I’d run.

I took a deep breath. I didn’t want to break down in front of him.

Jem must have sensed my hesitation. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “You’re safe now. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“I can’t stay,” I mumbled the words into his shirt.

“We can talk about that later.” Jem pulled back. “What did Doc say?” he asked, looking at Ryan.

“Broken arm, two ribs. Twisted knee. She’ll be fine in a couple of days.”

Jem looked at me again. “Who?”

I stared back at him. “This isn’t why I came. It isn’t your business. I’m handling it.” I had to set the boundaries now, before I fell into being his kid sister again, one who needed protecting.

Jem’s eyes bore into mine, and I knew he was not happy with my answer.

“Does that trick work on all your minions?”

Jem’s jaw clenched, and then he sighed. “Normally, yes. I glare. They spill. That’s how the whole Alpha gig works. Apparently, it doesn’t work on sisters, though. I’ll have to come up with something different just for you.”

I grinned at him. Man, I’d missed him.

Jem grinned back at me. “You must be exhausted. Why don’t we get you settled in your room?”

“What room?”

“You can’t stay in our old apartment, Mai. I haven’t seen you in four years. Please, stay here with me so we can catch up properly before you leave again.”

He had me. He knew he had me. I couldn’t go back to the apartment now.

“Is Hayley—?”

Jem cut me off. “Don’t worry about her. She’s hardly here these days.”

That didn’t sound good, but I wasn’t going to dwell on it. Spending some time with Jem actually sounded good. Maybe we could catch up; maybe I could get some closure before I moved on. Maybe we could even get to the position that when I did get settled somewhere else, I could call him once in a while and hear his voice.

“My stuff—”

“Sofia packed it up and brought it all here while you were at Doc’s,” said Ryan.

Oh, did she? She and I were going to have words.

“I have to move a couple of meetings, Mai. Ryan can show you around, and then you can rest. I’ll see you for dinner, okay?” Jem leaned down and kissed my forehead, gave Ryan a look that I couldn’t decipher, and then strode out of the room.

Chapter nine

Mai

Ryan led me out of the living room and into the rest of the house, walking slowly so I could keep up with my crutches. I hobbled through a gorgeous kitchen with a large island in the center. The countertops were made of dark granite, and the cabinets were in a light wood. There was a huge oven designed for people to do proper cooking.

“The fridge is always stocked up.” Ryan pulled open the double doors on the biggest fridge I’d ever seen. “Everyone helps themselves. You hungry?”

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