Page 149 of The Good Boys Club

“We’ll deal with those twats when we have to, but from now on, I only want you to be you. No more pretending, okay?” I said.

“When did you realise?” he asked.

“When did I realise what? That I was in love with you?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, honestly, from the moment I met you, I knew there was something different about you. I couldn’t put my finger on what, but you smelled . . . you smelled somehow like . . . mine. Idon’t know how to explain it, werewolf instinct I guess, but the more time I spent with you, the more inappropriate my thoughts about you became.”

“My thoughts about you have always been filthy,” he said.

My thumbnail was in my mouth. “But honestly . . .” I pushed away the images flitting through my head. There was so much I wanted to do to him as soon as we got back to the house, but the middle of a mud pit in the forest with my mam, sister, and the woman they attempted to set me up with nearby wasn’t the right place. “I think it took almost losing you to realise we were always meant to be together.”

“Did you know?” he asked. “How madly in love with you I’ve been since we met.”

I pushed the hair off his face to better gaze into his blue eyes. “Fuck, say that again.”

“I love you, Mash Cassidy. Have loved you for fifteen years. I will always love you. If you want me here with you in Howling Pines, I will gladly accept. I would follow you anywhere. And . . .” He broke off, glanced over my shoulder. “I really wish your mum wasn’t about to see me naked for the third time.”

“Boys? You’re not um . . . being intimate are you?” came Mam’s voice from somewhere behind me.

I turned to look. Mam was walking towards us, one hand covering her eyes, the other reaching blindly in front of her for trees or shrubs. Her footsteps were tentative, testing each new patch of ground before she shifted her weight.

“Hi, Mam. No, we’re not being intimate, but Ci is still naked.”

“Oh, I have his clothes here.” She shucked a backpack and held it out.

I bounded over and collected it. Mam kept her eyes locked tight.

“Is he staying?” she asked in a whisper, which no doubt Cian heard.

“Yes. He’s staying,” I said, looking back over my shoulder at my mate.

All Dogs Go to Heaven

Present Day

Cian

We rode in the bed of Kimmy’s truck because Clem and Dylan were in the cab, and there were only four seats in total. My new boss, the woman I shamelessly begged for a job, and Mash’s mum. It could have been so much more awkward than it was, but it also could have been a lot less. At least I was finallydressed. And Kimmy remembered to bring my glasses so I could see.

We’d left my car in the lay-by and would come back tomorrow with some petrol. I’d taken all my valuables out, including my suitcases, which were now rolling around near our feet with a bunch of chopped up bits of wood.

I couldn’t keep my hands off Mash, and he couldn’t keep his hands off me. We sat with our backs against the rear window, our legs stretched out in front of us. Mash cupped my face and kissed me. And kissed me. And kissed me. Long slow wet kisses, soft quick butterfly kisses, kisses that weren’t even kisses, that were simply Mash holding his open mouth against mine while he caught his breath.

All the while I couldn’t help but feel how much sweeter, hotter, better it was, because alongside those kisses was the underlying knowledge that he was finally mine. All mine. And probably had been for some time.

Mash was mine.

“If you’re . . .” Kiss. “Okay with it, we could . . .” Kiss. “Exchange mate bites . . .” Kiss. “After I’ve accepted the call of the . . .” Kiss. “Alpha, next full moon,” he said.

“Ye—” Kiss. “That’s—” Kiss. “Good with me—” he eventually let me get out, before he locked his lips onto mine for the rest of the journey home.

“Right, we’ve come up with a plan,” Kimmy said, lowering the truck’s tail so we could hop out easier. “We’ll just walk straight into the post-shift brunch and make an announcement.”

I looked at Clem, and the realisation hit me. “Oh my gods, you’re here and not there. What’s happening with the brunch? I mean . . . the food?” In my head there were a hundred hungry wolves banging on the banqueting tables with their cutlery singing“why are we waiting?”

Clem glanced at her watch. I glanced at mine. Just past midday, the brunch would have started only moments ago. “Alpha’s giving everyone cereal.”

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