Page 37 of Wolf's Midlife Bite

“Give them a minute, and they’ll be wrestling on the floor again, just like they always used to back in the day,” Dawn commented with a smile.

“I won every single one of those,” Max reminded her.

“Only when I hit my head on the hearth and almost blacked out,” Rex pointed out.

Brody nodded. “That’s probably true, but don’t forget that you two had to gang up to have any chance of beating me.”

“All right, all right.” Rex pulled Brody in for a one-armed hug and thumped his back. He let go and came over to Robin, leaning down to take her hand. “I think it goes without saying, but welcome to the Glenwood pack. I can already tell you fit in perfectly.”

She blushed and smiled. “Thank you.”

The teary-eyed moment moved on to more congratulations, bragging, and eating. When Brody made his way back to Robin, she touched his knee and leaned in close where only he could hear. “There’s something I’d like to talk to you about. Privately.”

“Then let’s go take a walk. There’s not going to be anything private here tonight.” Brody took her by the hand and led her outside.

Selene shone brightly over them, silvering Robin’s hair, reminding Brody of just how gorgeous she looked in her wolf form. “Are you sure you aren’t too tired for this? I mean, after tonight.”

She slipped her hand into his as they made their way down the path and into the woods, where strips of moonlight skipped across them every few steps. “I’m completely exhausted, but it doesn’t matter.”

“Well, of course it—”

“No, it doesn’t,” she insisted. “It doesn’t matter because what I have to tell you can’t wait any longer. I’ve wasted enough time already, and I’m not going to waste another second.”

Rex’s announcement had turned out to be a good one, but Brody knew there was no guarantee that this would turn out the same way. He waited, trying to be patient.

“What we did tonight…” she began. “I don’t even know exactly how to describe it. I was fighting for my life, those of the women Dr. Watson and Edith had already killed, and those of you and your family. I did things I never would’ve thought I’d be able to do, things that were visceral, powerful. It makes me feel like a completely different person.”

“Is that bad?” he dared to ask.

“No.” Her answer was followed by a gentle laugh like starlight. “I wondered at first. I didn’t know how to be a wolf. There’s still a lot more I have yet to learn, but I like knowing that I have the pack behind me, ready to stand with me. I’ve always been close to my family, but this is different. I also like knowing that I’ve got you by my side.”

They stepped into a small clearing, and Brody pulled her close. He felt the pressure of her body against his, and his wolf let him know that it still went just as crazy around her as it always had. “You don’t know how much I like hearing you say that.”

“I was hoping you would.” Her breath was soft against his lips as she spoke. “Brody, I just wanted you to know that I’ve come to accept what I am. I’ve also realized that what comes along with being your mate isn’t as scary as I thought. I was so worried that I was getting trapped again. I can see now that this isn’t about being controlled by you or being subservient to you. It’s about being your partner, about the two of us going through everything together. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.”

“Me, neither.” Brody pressed his forehead to hers. “So you’re saying you’ll accept me as your mate?”

“I wouldn’t want anyone else,” she whispered.

Brody kissed her lips, feeling the warm velvet against his own. His wolf had calmed, no longer raging within him, but satisfied to know that Robin was right there with him and always would be.

Slowly, regretfully, he pulled away. This was all so incredible, but he couldn’t leave it at that. Not when he knew what he knew. “Robin, you absolutely took my breath away tonight. You fought so passionately, and you were so brave. You had every reason to leave that place and let us take care of the rest of it, but you refused.”

She put her hands against his chest and looked away as she smiled. “You’re going to have to stop praising me, or it’ll start going to my head.”

“You deserve that praise, but I want to tell you the other thing I noticed tonight.”

His tone made her look back up at him. “What is it?”

“I’ve told you I can hear your thoughts when we’re in our wolf forms,” he started.

“Right. I’m sure they were a hot, jumbled mess tonight.”

“Not as much as you’d think.” She’d been focused on her fighting, as had he. “The thing is, there are other matters I can sense about you when we’ve shifted. Like the baby.”

“What?”

“You’re pregnant, Robin.”

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