Page 87 of Alpha Jax

Anders nods slowly, the realization of why I’m asking washing over him. Quinn stiffens beside me. This isn’t something I’ve discussed with her, partially because we didn’t do a whole lot of talking today and partly because I didn’t want to freak her out. And now, sitting beside me, she looks a little…freaked out.

“You think you’re mates.” Anders says slowly, more as a statement than a question.

Quinn’s fork clatters to her plate as she jerks her head up to look at me, eyes wide. I meet her gaze, setting a hand on her thigh under the table. “I do.”

Even though my own eyes are focused on Quinn, I can feel the heavy stares of the other three people at the table burning into me. For once, it seems that Quinn is actually speechless.

Anders leans back in his chair, his attitude seemingly shifting as he considers. “Wouldn’t surprise me,” he finally sighs with a casual wave of his hand. “Quinn’s a born Luna.”

Quinn whips her head around to stare at her dad. “What?” she breathes. “You really think…?”

“Sure, why not?” Anders shrugs. He’s playing nonchalant, but I don’t miss the pride in his voice for his only daughter.

She turns back to me. “And you really think…?”

I nod.

“Only one way to find out,” Theo pipes up from across the table, stuffing a piece of chicken into his mouth and chewing. He points his fork in my direction, swallowing. “Gotta come back for the run.”

I turn to Quinn again, searching her face. Fuck, I probably should’ve asked her before I invited myself. Better late than never, I guess? I take her hand in mine, staring into her hazel eyes. “Is that alright with you?”

She draws a breath, then gives a quick nod. “Yeah, I guess so. Might as well find out if it’s fate that’s been messing with us this whole time.” The corners of her plush lips tip up into a smile and a wave of relief washes over me.

I’ve never felt the mate bond before, so I don’t know what it’s like- but in that moment, I’m sure that it’s Quinn. It has to be. Growing up, the adults around me were always deliberately vague when I asked questions about the fated mate bond, warning that some people confuse the signs only to be crushed by disappointment when the full moon failed to confirm it. I suppose it’s one of those things that you can’t adequately put into words or describe. If I was a betting man, though, I’d put everything on me and Quinn’s connection as the mate bond.

After dinner, I decide to head back to the complex. As much as I’d love to stay here with Quinn, there are still two more days of recruit training this week and I’ve still gotta get back to Westfield to chat with my dad about missing our pack’s full moon run. That means suffering through the next three days without Quinn, but now that we’re leaving things on a good note, I feel better about it.

The driveway of the Summervale packhouse is illuminated by the moonlight as Quinn walks me out to my truck, both of us quiet as we approach the drivers’ side.

“Well that dinner went better than I expected,” she mumbles, spinning to face me. She leans back against my truck and starts twirling a strand of her chocolate brown hair around a finger, eyes downcast. “Guess my dad’s okay with you if you’re my mate.”

“Hey,” I growl, reaching out to cup Quinn’s face in my hand. At the gesture, her eyes flutter up to meet mine. “I’m sorry, I should’ve talked to you before asking your dad to join the run.”

“It’s fine,” she says quickly. “I mean we said we’d do this for real, right? There’s nothing more real than finding out if we’re actually meant to be…”

I lean closer to Quinn, pressing my forehead against hers. “Iknowwe’re meant to be,” I say, my voice gravelly. “You’remine, Quinn. I’ve known it since the first night we met.”

My mouth descends on hers, her lips pouting and twisting against mine. I kiss her deeply, savoring her taste on my tongue- it’ll have to last me for the next three days until I can see her again.

Quinn pulls back slightly, murmuring against my lips. “Mmm, you’d better get outta here while you still can.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I chuckle.

She wraps her arms around my neck, her body melting into mine. “You keep kissing me like that, I’m not gonna let you leave.”

I groan as she rubs her body against mine, her lips barely brushing my own. She’s gotta know how crazy she’s driving me, but that’s Quinn- she’s a goddamn instigator and she knows it.

“Okay,” I sigh, begrudgingly taking a step back. “Then you’ve gotta stop doing that or I’m gonna be riding back to the complex with blue balls.”

Quinn giggles, closing the distance between us again and placing her hands on my shoulders. She rises up on her tiptoes to press a chaste kiss to my cheek. “Drive safely,” she murmurs, releasing me and backing away from my truck. “See ya Monday.”

I smile at her wistfully, grabbing the door handle and pulling the drivers side door open to climb inside my truck. “Until Monday.”

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

Quinn

When you’re in a new, exciting relationship, three days apart feels like an eternity. As the days pass slowly, I start to get nervous that something’s going to go wrong and Jax isn’t gonna show on Monday. Of course, the thought is irrational- Jax is the best guy, he has a heart of gold! There’s no way he’d stand me up. Still, I can’t help but agonize about all of the ‘what if’s’ while riding the high of something that feels too good to be true. Guess I’m my own worst enemy in that way.

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