Page 148 of The Good Boys Club

At this, he burst into tears. Full body-racking sobs. I wrapped my arms around him and just held him as he bawled.

“She really said that?” Cian broke free from the hug and wiped his face on the back of his hand. “I’ve always wanted to cook professionally.”

“I know.” My chin wobbled with my speech. “Gods, I’m trying to tell you how much I love you and we’re crying over food.”

I located my sweaty, ripped T-shirt and spread it out on the driest bit of mud I could find. Cian sat down. I sat next to him.

“It’s happy tears, I promise,” he said.

I ran my thumb under his jaw, tilted his face up and brought my lips to his, because I couldn’t resist touching him any longer.

“I’m gonna get some banging Wi-Fi installed on the estate, and I’ll buy you subs for all the things you miss from the city. Coffee, cheese, wine, anything, you name it, it’s yours.”

“Mash, I—”

I broke him off. My stomach roiled with nerves. Shit, here went nothing. “There is one more thing. I dunno, this might be the deal breaker.”

“Okay?”

I took a deep breath. Held it there. Let it out again. “I want . . . kids. I want to be a father. I need a pack to continue this . . . legacy. At first, I didn’t know if I wanted that, but . . . I do. I really do. And I want to do it with you at my side.” I watched his face, waiting for clues. “If that’s something you can’t—”

“I want that too. A family. That’s . . . all I’ve ever wanted . . . And with you—” A fresh round of tears cut off his sentence.

I brushed them away with my thumb. Brought my mouth to his and caught the soft saltiness that had escaped to his lips.

“Bangers and Mash,” he whispered when the kiss ended. “You’ll make an incredible dad, by the way.”

“Is that a yes?”

Cian nodded, but a second later sat up straight, suddenly sobered by something. “But what about your pack? What are they going to do when they find out I’m not werewolf, that I was faking the ears and tail all along? Doesn’t there need to be some sort of vote?”

“Oh.” I breathed a sigh of relief. “They already know. Dee read out your email in front of everyone.”

His hand slapped over his mouth. “Oh, shit, I . . .”

I lifted it away. “Apparently, Nana knew the day we arrived . . . and Mam.”

“And they’re all okay with that? What about all the werewolf customs and traditions?” He looked sceptical, and I understood. I was feeling a little sceptical myself. But Nana had always done what was best for the pack, and if Cian staying meant I would stay—

“Oh,” I said, interrupting my own thoughts.

“What?”

Embarrassment rose up my gullet. “I just had the crashing realisation of how important I am to . . . everything. I’m gonna be the pack alpha.”

I had spent so long running from everything, I had not—even for a second—considered the realities of leading a pack. Twelve wolves, dozens of extended members, eight hundred and fifty acres, Harvest Fest, Wolf Moon, two hundred red and fallow deer, the house, the cottages, the outbuildings, all under my guard.

Cian cradled my face. “You are. You’re the big dog now. And you’re gonna be shit hot at it.”

Maybe. With my best friend by my side, maybe I’d be okay. “I love you,” I whispered.

Cian whispered it back. “I love you too.”

“I’ll be real. We’re gonna face opposition from some of the other packs, especially the ones with more . . . traditional values? That’s the nicest way I can put that. Times are changing, though. For everyone. Eventually werewolves will have to start mating with folk who aren’t our cousins-but-not-cousins.”

He snort-laughed. “That’s fine. I can handle people not liking me.”

That was the sad truth. We couldn’t convince everyone, but I wasn’t about to waste my energy appealing to a small number of closed-minded assholes. If they wanted to live out the rest of their days hateful and bigoted, that was up to them.

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