Page 43 of Moon Destiny

Hugh was waiting for us on the front porch when we returned. After a week away from him, I wasn’t prepared for the recognition—and longing—that slammed into me when I saw him. My wolf stirred forcefully, urging me to run up the steps and launch myself into his arms.

Forget it, I told her. He’d see it as more proof that I was nothing more than a bed-jumping slut. It was that dark thought that allowed me to rein in my beast as Tanner and I approached.

“Alpha,” Tanner said with a formal bow of his head.

Hugh descended the steps. “Thanks, Tanner. Scent anything interesting out there?”

“Nothing. I don’t think the rogues will risk venturing too close to the house. I’d like to move some patrols to town if it’s all right with you.”

“That’s fine. It makes sense to position our resources where they’re most needed.”

Tanner nodded. “I’ll make it happen.” He looked at me. “See you later, Brooke. Don’t forget: squirrel toes are closer together, and the claws usually press deeper into the dirt.”

I couldn’t control my smile. “Thanks.”

He left, and then it was just Hugh and me at the base of the steps.

“Brooke, I…” He cleared his throat. “I’d like to talk to you. Inside.”

Part of me wanted to snap, What, no metaphysical orders this time? But there was nothing to be gained from poking the bear—er, wolf—so I said, “Okay.”

He led me into a spacious home office with a wall of windows that overlooked the forest. It was as beautifully decorated as the rest of the house, but it had more masculine touches. The hardwood floor was covered by a plush oriental rug that probably cost more than all the furniture in my apartment. Big bookcases dominated the wall behind an equally big desk.

I expected Hugh to go sit behind it and preside over our meeting like a high school principal or the president in the Oval Office. But he settled in one of the two chairs angled before it and gestured for me to join him. “Please, sit.”

His scent twined around me, making my heart thump harder as I crossed the room.

“Your shoes are wet,” he said.

I sat and looked down at my feet. “Oh. Yeah. Sorry.” He was probably upset I’d tracked water on the carpet. My cheeks heated, and I couldn’t help feeling like a child who’d made a mess. “We went to the creek.”

Memory stirred in his eyes, and I knew he was thinking of our run together—and how it had led to the sex I was desperately trying to forget.

He leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees like he had when I’d first woken from the fever. Now as then, I was struck by his masculine beauty. His chiseled jaw and those mesmerizing green eyes. His thick, dark hair swept back in a perfect wave. It was so unfair that he appealed to me in a way no one else ever had. Pretty on the outside. That was all he was. He was probably readying himself to say something gross and awful.

“I owe you an apology,” he said quietly. Steadily. “You were absolutely right to call out my double standards. There’s no excuse for the way I acted or the things I said to you. I’m sorry, even though saying it feels woefully inadequate.” He swallowed thickly. “And I hope you’ll let me prove that I’m better than the man I showed you last week.”

Everything seemed to slow down. Or maybe that was just my brain refusing to work at normal speed. I licked my lips, and my heart beat faster when his gaze flicked there. My voice emerged as a rasp. “What are you saying?”

“I want to forget about rejection,” he said bluntly. “Fate brought us together for a reason. I think we should try to find out what that is.”

“But…Alex.”

His wince was almost imperceptible, but I couldn’t miss it sitting as close to him as I was. “I won’t lie and say I can forget about losing him. I think that would hurt more than help, to be honest.” He moved to the edge of his seat and took one of my hands in his. “We live long lives, Brooke. In theory, we could have an eternity. You’re new to all of this—the pack, the shift, everything. But I’ve lived with my beast for a long time and I’ve learned to trust its instincts.” He squeezed my hand, his emerald gaze holding mine. “And my wolf is absolutely enamored with you.”

Oh…wow. “This wasn’t what I was expecting you to say when you brought me in here.” I darted a look around the fancy office.

He smiled, and it was like all the sunshine in the room gathered around his face. “What did you expect me to say?”

“It’s probably best I don’t tell you that.”

His smile broadened. Then he looked down at our clasped hands. He brushed his thumb over my knuckles before lifting his gaze. “Stay here. With me. We’ll have the ceremony under the full moon. It’s short notice, but I can summon the pack. Everyone will want to—”

“Wait.” My brain snagged on the word ceremony, yanking me out of the hazy aura of happiness I’d been floating in. “What ceremony?”

“The mating ritual under the full moon. It seals the mate bond.”

Unease crept through me. In the back of my mind, faint alarm bells went off. “Seals?”

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