Page 2 of Secret Wolf Baby

I shot him an annoyed look even as I couldn’t hide my own smirk. That casual teasing was one of the things that had drawn me to him in the first place. Now was the time.

“I think I’m in love with you,” I admitted.

And there it was, finally out in the open. Just admitting it to someone was a weight off my shoulders. I had wondered about it ever since I had first moved to town and met Mira. I left my old pack years ago because I couldn’t take living with my parents any longer. The alpha who had taken over the pack wastoo brutish for my taste, and my father had cozied up to him. I left with no plan whatsoever and eventually found myself in this pack.

Mira had become nearly a sister, and the moment I had met Jackson, I had felt this rush of electricity and energy, a sort of undeniable need that I had never imagined possible. I had wanted him from the moment I laid eyes on him.

On top of that, Jackson had been good to me this entire time. Kind and considerate. He had helped me get settled in, had taken the time to check in on me and make sure I was doing well. Hell, he’d even helped me find a job. At first, I had written it off as just a guy helping his sister’s brother. But at some point, I started wondering if there was something more to his attentiveness. That was also when I finally realized that all I thought about was him.

At first, I tried to ignore the feelings. Not ignore, deny. I sensed how badly I wanted him, how much my wolf wanted him, too. I told myself the feelings weren’t real, or that I needed to ignore them. It was easier that way, especially considering Mira. How the hell was I supposed to tell her I was in love with her brother? That I suspected he might be my mate? So I pushed them down, trying to forget all about them.

But the more time I spent with him, the harder they were to ignore. At some point, I realized there was no helping it. The feelings, that need to be around him always, would never abate despite how much easier my life would be if they did. I was his. And now that I was eighteen, I could finally tell him.

Which was why I found myself standing in front of him now, finally admitting the truth I’d tried to kid myself wasn’t real.

Jackson stared at me, his face unreadable. I thought I caught a glimpse of something in his eyes, something that might have been surprise or excitement, but I couldn’t tell. The longer he stared at me in silence, the more anxious I became, not something that typically happened. But there was something about being this open, bearing my heart to him, that made my pulse thunder in my ears and my stomach clench in a way that wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

“I’ve thought it for a long time,” I admitted. “Only, I didn’t say anything because Mira’s my best friend, and I was only seventeen to begin with. I wanted to wait until I was positive before doing anything like that.”

He remained silent, his eyes locked on my face. He straightened, every inch of his body alert, all his attention trained on me.

“And I think I sense a mating bond, too,” I said. Those nerves dug themselves deeper inside me as I tried to read his face. I bit my lip, heat rushing to my face. It took a lot for me to feel self-conscious, but a rush of uncertainty washed over me. “But since I’ve never felt one before, I can’t be certain. But it definitely feels like one, or the way I imagined it to.”

More silence. My heart rate had doubled at this point.

“I understand if you don’t feel the same,” I said. “But I wasn’t going to be able to forgive myself if I didn’t tell you. And I couldn’t wait any longer. So, here I am.”

He continued to stare. I searched his face, the slightest hint of unease bordering on dread seeping into my bones as I tried to gauge his reaction.

Nothing.

“Do me a favor and say something,” I urged.

He blinked as if coming back to earth, his attention focusing on my eyes. “Is this really what you want?” he growled.

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t,” I retorted.

“There’s no going back once we cross this bridge. You know that, right?”

“I know,” I said. “I knew that when I walked over. I’m still here.”

He looked at me with undisguised longing. I could see him working through his own thoughts. I waited, heart pounding, in silence.

“All right, then,” he said.

He stalked forward, that hunger burning in his gaze as he came to stand in front of me. Before I could move or react, he pulled me toward him, pressing my body against his as he bent down to kiss me.

Fire burned through my entire body, and my wolf howled in triumph as his mouth claimed mine, his hand tangling in my hair to hold me in place. My mind went deliciously blank as my hand slipped under his shirt, my fingers tracing the hard muscles of his stomach. Ecstasy and lust blended together as he lifted me up, his mouth not leaving mine. My legs locked around his waist, and he carried me up the stairs into his bedroom.

After, we lounged in bed, his arm wrapped around me as he held me against his body. I nuzzled against him, resting my head against his chest. I smiled, relishing the feel of his fingers stroking my hair as I let my imagination wander. I pictured the future, what it would be like for the two of us in five, ten, twenty years. All I could see in those images was pure bliss. All my life, I had wanted to find a place where I could belong. I had finally found it.

“You all right?” he asked, breaking the silence and pulling me out of my reverie.

“Mhm. More than all right.” I angled my head so I could look at him. “So, what now?” I asked.

His muscles tensed beneath me. That should have been my first warning that everything was going to go to shit.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

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