Page 57 of Trick Me
She smirks.
I’m already moving and heading outside until she’s ready.
“You’re acting strange,” Rickon notes, appearing at my elbow.
“Mind your own business,” I tease.
“You’re completely whipped.”
“Absolutely.”
He laughs, shaking his head. “Never thought I’d see the day. The great Alpha Ash, brought low by a woman who talks to ghosts.”
“She brought me back to life,” I say simply. “She woke something in me I thought I’d lost—the desire for a future.”
“That’s beautiful. Also nauseating. But mostly beautiful.”
Erynn returns before I can fire back, her cheeks flushed from the cold, a bouquet of frost-kissed winter roses cradled in her arms.
“The flower vendor insisted,” she says, eyes sparkling as she presses her face into the blooms. “They even smell like snow.”
She spins slowly, taking in the square again, where children dart between booths and old warriors haggle over honey and steel.
“I love it here already. It’s so alive. The city was loud, but I still felt… alone. This feels like community.”
“It is,” I say, sliding an arm around her waist. She fits there like she’s always belonged. “You’re partof it now. The pack’s been prepping for weeks. There’s even a committee dedicated to making sure you feel welcome.”
“You’re kidding?”
“Led by Meri. She’s eight. Very serious. Everyone has had to rehearse the welcome song.”
“There’s a song?”
“Always. We sing about everything. Victory, heartbreak, eating.”
She laughs, and it lights something in my chest that still feels new. Familiar but electric.
“Show me our room?” she asks, and that littleoursends my wolf into a purring frenzy.
“Suite,” I correct, lacing our fingers together. “And gladly.”
We pass through the great hall, where feast prep is already underway. Tables being arranged. Evergreens strung along the walls. The mouthwatering scent of roasted elk in the air.
The east tower suite is ready—bedroom, study, sitting area, a renovated bathroom with a soaking tub large enough to host negotiations. I watch her step into the room like she’s arriving in a dream.
“This is bigger than my place,” she murmurs, spinning slowly.
“Speaking of… Is Mr. Whiskers coming too?”
“Probably already here, scaring your warriors and rearranging furniture.”
I draw her close, breathing her in. Just us. No distance. No schedules. No portals.
“I missed you,” I murmur. “Every single day. My wolf lost his damn mind trying to get back to you.”
“Just your wolf?” she teases, voice low.
“Me too. All of me.”
