I laugh. “When I get back to the city, I want to try to work for Jessie’s sister full-time. Can you make that happen?”

“Absolutely,” he says. “Unless you want to open your own shop.”

I hadn’t even thought of that as an option. My own shop. Am I really good enough to compete with the designers of NYC?

“For now, I think I just wanna work at the shop. I’ll keep the idea of an independent business for later after I have some more experience as a designer in the city.”

“Makes sense. About the wedding, I have a radical plan. Hear me out before you make a decision, okay?”

“That sounds ominous.”

“It’s not, I swear. I want us to have the official marriage ceremony here—the handfasting as wolves and all the extras that make it legal and binding with the packs.”

“You don’t want a big party?”

“We can do that when we get back home, but it’ll take a year or longer to plan. I don’t want you to be left vulnerable during that time. It’ll be like living in limbo. But if we come back already married, no one can touch you.”

“I like that. One thing, though. I have to tell my friends here what’s going on.”

“About that…” he trails off.

“What?”

“Are you sure you want to tell themeverything?”

“Seriously?”

“Look, I know that wolves are known to many, and I’m sure you wouldn’t be friends with people who just reject you for who you are, but…”

“But what?”

“It’s one thing to know about wolves. It’s another to know that your friend actually is one.”

“It’ll be fine, I promise.” I’m a little annoyed, but I also kinda like the whole possessive-mate thing.

“Trey, they’re not going to accept that I met this guy and we’re getting married after knowing each other barely a month. But if they know you’re my mate, that’s a different story.”

“Do you think they’ll understand about mates?”

“It’s one of the few pieces of wolf society that has become widely known.”

“True.”

“Okay, so I’ll call them, and we can all meet for dinner tonight.”

“Tonight?”

“Yes. If we’re gonna get married and move back to the city, I need to get this over with before we start planning.”

“Okay then, tonight. You make the arrangements.”

“And you fret about meeting my best friends because they’re totally gonna grill you.”

“Oh, that’ll be fun.” He rolled his eyes.

“It will be for me.”

I smile at him, and his mouth is on mine in an instant, as if he wants to taste that smile. Any plans are gonna have to wait because I can tell he’s ready to go all over again.