Page 67 of Secret Wolf Baby

“There was no way in hell I was going to let him take you from me,” I said. “You or Claire. I made the mistake of letting you go once already.”

She gave me a hesitant look. I took a deep breath and cupped her chin. My thumb stroked her cheek as she leaned into the touch.

“Audrey, I would move heaven and earth to keep you safe,” I said. “I love you. I always have. Since before you came to my house that night when we were kids, since the moment I met you. And I am so, so sorry for everything that I put you through.”

“I know,” she said. “And it’s okay. It’s all in the past, everything’s forgiven. You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“Yes, I do. If I could take it all back, I would.”

“I wouldn’t,” she said.

The words took me by surprise, and I blinked. She smiled up at me, her own hand resting against my cheek.

“Everything that happened, even when we were kids, led me right here, to you and Claire. And in the end, that’s all I really care about. I love you, too, Jackson.”

I broke into what had to look like a wild, moronic grin. Not wanting to wait another moment, I tugged her toward me and pulled her into a kiss. She leaned into the embrace, her arms wrapping around my neck.

After a moment, we pulled away to see all the Gold Wolves staring at us with smug, knowing expressions.

“It’s about time,” Nolan said to Claire.

“No kidding,” Claire fired back with her own broad grin. “I’ve been waiting for ages.”

“Watch it,” Audrey said, though without any actual malice.

I laughed, kissing Audrey on the forehead as I wrapped my arm around her.

“Let’s go home,” I said.

Chapter 24 - Audrey

For the first time since I’d arrived here, Jackson’s house actually felt cramped. Slightly. And that was only because all of the Gold Wolves, myself, Mira, a baby, and two kids were all crammed into the living room despite ample other space. Cheerful music blared through the stereo system as we all relaxed.

“Oh, I wanted to give you an update on Rowen,” Chris said.

Nolan groaned, throwing his head back. “This is supposed to be a party,” he complained. “Do you have to bring up work?” When both Chris and Will shot him an annoyed look, he shook his head in exasperation. “All right, fine.”

“What happened?” I asked, my eyes glancing over to Dani and Claire off in the corner. They were building something or another, both of them wearing identical expressions of joy on their faces. It had taken all of two minutes for the two of them to become fast friends.

“There’s no sign of your dad anywhere,” Chris said to me. “The Blood Moons kicked him and the rest of Reacher’s cronies out of the pack. They just put a new alpha in charge, some guy named Jamie.”

“I don’t know him,” I said.

“Well, the important thing is he’s a council loyalist. He’s got strong ties with them.”

I didn’t say anything at first, staring out the window in contemplation instead. On one hand, I should be grateful. Relieved, even. Reacher was gone, and I never had to worry about him again. But my father was still out there, and I wasn’tentirely sure how I felt about that. A tiny part of me worried that he might come after me, or worse, Claire. The thought alone was enough to send shivers up my spine.

Jackson seemed to notice because he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me against him in a side hug. “He’s not going to come anywhere near here,” he muttered to me, his thumb stroking my shoulder. “And if he does, we’ll be ready for him.”

“Him being out there scares me less than I thought it would,” I admitted. “It still makes me nervous, but not in the way I expected. More like I just want to keep my people safe.”

He chuckled, eyes sparkling. “And that alone should be enough to terrify your father. Your anger and protectiveness are one of the scariest combinations I have ever encountered.”

I shot him an annoyed look as he gave me a wide, playful smirk and winked. “You better watch yourself, or I’ll show you annoyed,” I shot back.

This time, his laugh came out full-throated, delighted, and utterly genuine. “There’s that fire I know and love,” he said, pulling me onto his lap. He kissed me on the cheek. “It’s good to have you back,” he muttered in my ear.

Smiling, I leaned over to his own ear. “Thanks for bringing me back in the first place,” I whispered.

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