Page 21 of Secret Wolf Baby

Just the thought of Audrey being with someone else,anyoneelse, made me wolf snarl with rage, his claws flexing. The jealousy that slammed into me right then took me by surprise, and I had to force myself to keep my composure. Clearly, this guy wasn’t in the picture anymore. Otherwise, Audrey would have said something, wouldn’t she? Some male would have stepped forward by now and protested Claire leaving without the pack consulting him first.

Before I could think any more about it, the door opened again, and this time Audrey appeared, her father next to her.

She wore an elegant white dress, lacy and strapless with a small train. The way the fabric clung to her body emphasized both her petite frame and her curves. It looked worn around the edges, as if it was used, maybe by her mother. But that didn’t change the fact that she looked absolutely stunning, as if the dress had been custom-made just for her.

Saul had her arm locked around his. If I didn’t know any better, it looked like he was pulling her up the aisle. Audrey kept her eyes on the floor. She kept her gaze there as they movedtoward us. It wasn’t until Saul positioned her in front of me and moved back that she finally raised her head to look at me.

I was so used to a fire blazing in her eyes that seeing the almost blank, hollow look there took me by surprise. If I didn’t remember her so well, if her scent wasn’t already ingrained in my brain, I might have thought this was an entirely different woman from the one I had known all those years ago.

“Are you okay?” I whispered, keeping my voice low enough so it wouldn’t carry.

She hesitated, and I didn’t miss the brief glance she shot toward Reacher, hovering nearby. “I’m fine,” she muttered.

“She’s just shy and a little overwhelmed,” Reacher said, giving his politician’s smile. “I promise she’ll warm up once all of the excitement dies down. Won’t you, Audrey?”

I saw her jaw set, but she just gave a brief jerk of her head in affirmation. Her eyes darted first to Reacher, then to me, then back to the floor.

“Yes,” she said.

Reacher nodded in satisfaction. He began speaking, talking so rapidly that I could tell he was trying to rush everything, as if worried I would change my mind. I kept my eyes on Audrey, who kept staring at the floor. Something about the way she hunched made my stomach writhe with anger. She used to be so lively and vivacious. What happened to her?

“You may kiss the bride,” Reacher announced, startling me and pulling me out of my thoughts.

I pulled Audrey toward me, bending down to kiss her. I meant for it to be tender and gentle. But the moment our lips met, some primal urge flared inside me, craving more of her. Mygrip on her tightened, the kiss deepening as a craving for her and her alone washed over me.

She stepped away, breaking whatever spell had taken hold of me. Her expression remained unreadable. Before I could say anything, Reacher stepped forward.

“You got what you wanted,” he hissed in my ear. “Now get the hell out of here.”

Chapter 6 - Audrey

As bizarre as the last two days had been, somehow Jackson pulling the car to a stop in front of a sprawling three-story house seemed the most outlandish thing by far.

“This is yours?” I asked, unable to help myself.

He nodded, cutting the engine. “One of the benefits of being spec ops is the hazard pay. Come on, I’ll show you around.”

Claire and I clambered out of the car. I craned my neck up to look at the home. It was Tudor-style, the kind of house I had always dreamed of. Tucked away in the woods the way it was, it looked like something out of a fairy tale.

I hated how much I loved it at first sight. I didn’t want any of this—not this way, at least. But the house was undeniably gorgeous, and the garden enclosed by the woods was just as stunning. Everything about it looked straight out of a storybook.

I shoved those thoughts from my head as I walked around to the back of the car and opened the hatch to pull out our suitcases.

“I’ve got it,” Jackson said, standing beside me.

“It’s fine,” I muttered, not looking at him. Being this close to him still felt so strange. It was hard not to believe this was all an elaborate dream.

“I insist.” His hand brushed against mine as he pulled the case out of my grasp. I retracted my arm, trying to ignore the jolt of electricity radiating through my body just by touching him.

He guided us into the house. To my annoyance, it was as perfect as the exterior. It opened to a spacious foyer with a long hall that led to a two-story living room with towering ceilings,complete with a cozy fireplace on one wall and large windows that looked out on the forest.

“Wow,” Claire said, her eyes widening as she took in the massive living room. “This place is huge.”

“I hope you like it,” Jackson said. He nodded toward a door that opened onto a set of stairs leading downward. “There’s a whole basement area that I don’t know what to do with. Maybe we can set it up as your playroom or something. I’m not sure what kind of games or things you like to do, but maybe at some point you can help me figure out what to do with all that space that you can enjoy.”

Claire hesitated, looking first at me, then at Jackson, then at the door to the basement. She bit the inside of her cheek, a thing she always did when she was thinking hard about something and feeling conflicted about it. I could guess what was going through her head. She still didn’t know what to make of the situation. She didn’t know Jackson, she’d just been dragged into an unfamiliar town, and she missed her friends. But part of her was excited at the same time. Her bedroom at home—ouroldhome—had been barely big enough to fit a bed and a dresser, and she’d certainly never had a playroom or anything like that. She could see the possibilities in this new pack, but she still wasn’t convinced or entirely thrilled about the situation. I didn’t blame her.

“There are three bedrooms upstairs that you can pick from,” Jackson added. “Whichever one you want.”

---