Page 69 of Bait Wolf
“I’m sorry,” I whispered again. “You’re not in the way. You and me and Asha are family.”
Apparently, that was the right thing to say, because Ember took a shuddering breath and nodded.
“Let’s go home.”
ChapterTwenty-Three
Ember
Coal’s hand in mine was a warmth that I would never let go of again.
It was a shift deep within that started with all the jagged parts of me finding their matches and becoming smooth. It came with a confidence that everything would be okay. That together we were strong enough to take on the world, our pasts, and our futures. None of it would hold us back from the happiness we found together.
The whole ride home, our eyes kept finding each other, locking for moments that seemed to last forever.
“I love you,” I found myself saying. Like it was nothing. Like it was as simple as stating the weather, and it was.
The car jerked though, someone honked, and with red cheeks, Coal pulled onto the side of the road and put on the hazard lights before looking at me.
His eyes shone but no tears fell. I didn’t need that, but the warm embrace that Coal pulled me into, nowthat, I did need.
I clung to him, tense until Coal returned the sentiment.
“I love you too,” he said.
He kissed my cheek, but that wasn’t enough so I turned, angling for more and sighing in relief when our lips met.
It was just like all the others, warm and full of passion, and I realized then what had been weighing on my mind.
“You really don’t mind, do you?” I mused.
Coal parted only far enough to meet my gaze.
“Mind what?”
“What I did back there—what I used to do... I didn’t think you’d want to kiss me or touch me right away.”
“You said you didn’t—”
“I didn’t,” I confirmed. “Not even a kiss. I tried to get away before he even dragged me into that room.”
I shook my head, unfortunately remembering the other alphas I’d had the displeasure of knowing over my lifetime.
“Still, you’re not as possessive as I expected of an alpha that I’m mated to. I’ve heard stories of omegas not even allowed to beseenby other alphas.”
“Don’t get me wrong,” Coal said after a moment. “I don’t want that ever happening again but—the only reason you were out there was because I messed up. I didn’t share everything with you the way that I should have. I want to change that. I want us to be completely open with each other.”
Surprised and a little moved, I shook my head.
“You still say that, even though now you know the full truth?” I swallowed and forced the conversation we’d skirted around since meeting. Call me a masochist, but I was sure Coal would eat his words and prove me right about alphas.
“I fucked more alphas than I could possibly even remember,” I said. “When I was in heat, they wouldn’t pay me because they weredoing me a favor. The rest of the time, I did it for food or for a place to stay... I’ve been the bottom of the barrel, Coal. At least you did something with your life. I just became a whore.”
Coal was deathly still, his scent thick with anger and hurt. It made my head spin, but I waited. Neither of us pulled away.
“I wasn’t as bad off as you. I was an adult by the time my dad vanished and left me to fend for myself. I even had a job doing security overnight while Asha slept... You, on the other hand...”
He shook his head, the anger intensifying. I wanted to pull back, but I couldn’t bring myself to move.
