Page 54 of Reign of the Beast

“You’ve got a cute laugh,” he commented.

I waved my hand dismissively. “Cute really isn’t a word anyone would use to describe me.”

“That’s their loss then, because it just means they never got the opportunity to know you.”

“I couldn’t let people in.”

“I know. Because of your true heritage.”

“At first, yes. But then keeping myself closed off became a part of me. I didn’t know how to reopen myself.” I grinned at him. “Until the other night when a stubborn Alpha asshole wouldn’t accept anything less and ruled my mindandmy body in one fell swoop.”

He reached out and tucked a loose strand of my hair behind my ear in a sweetly intimate gesture that had me basically swooning. God, what was he doing to me?

“You know, it was far from one-sided? You brought out some stuff in me too.”

“I did?” I’d thought he was already open and free, like wolves were known for being.

“As Alpha, the leader of the most formidable wolf pack, I had to keep myself in check to a real intense degree.” He winced and murmured, “Hadto? It’s still so fucking weird talking about it all in the past tense.”

“I know. I’m so sorry.” I wrapped my arms around him and held him against me. “They will be avenged. I promise you.”

A soothed sigh emanated from him, making me realize that my touch was actually comforting him and easing his pain somewhat.

He nuzzled my shoulder and murmured, “If it hadn’t been for you, I’d be dead alongside them all. Or used by that monster.”

I winced. “I should’ve been better. If I’d been in greater control of my magic, then—”

He pressed his finger to my lips. “No. Don’t do that. You did everything that you could. None of us were prepared for him. If Cornelius hadn’t kept so many secrets, we could’ve been. We could’ve all been united and ready for what he threw at us. Instead, we were all just pawns, Mia. Toy soldiers for him to fuck over and manipulate for his own ends.”

It was my own father that he was talking about, my father that I knew was suffering so much right now under Draco’s wrath. But I couldn’t deny the truth to Jaxon’s words. I couldn’t come to my father’s defense, because there was none to be had. He’d gone about this all wrong and it had cost us all in different ways.

Trying to rectify it now seemed insurmountable in my weakest and most disillusioned moments, and a hell of a tall order in my stronger, more optimistic moments.

I eased Jaxon’s finger from my lips. “He violated our free will. Especially when it came to you and me.”

A low growl emanated from him. “He denied our mating bond and kept us apart for so many years.”

I slid my hand into his hair and told him gently, “We can’t change any of that. We can only go forward. We’re togethernow.” I brushed my lips over his, kissing him softly, tenderly. What sounded a lot like a purr emanated from him.

I smiled as I pulled back and saw his eyes rolled back in his head, all blissed-out. “Is that all it takes?” I teased. “A little peck.”

“It was more than that. I could feel your love and adoration seeping into me.”

“I’m glad. I’m sorry it took me a while to get to this point with you.”

“I get it. Like you said, it’s about the here and now, right?”

“Yeah. Yeah, it is.”

We pulled apart and resumed eating from the picnic basket I’d prepared, which had been filled to the brim with an assortment of foods.

“When did you make all of this?” he asked, devouring a roast beef sandwich like it was nothing at all. Wolves had voracious appetites… in more ways than one.

“I conjured it.”

“You… what?”

I shrugged. “I used my magic.”

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