Page 46 of The Wolf Guard's Mate

We both knew the opposite would be true, but when she asked me to go back up the trail with her, I would.

Because she was my mate, and I was fucking crazy about her.

Even if I sometimes thought she was fucking crazy herself. Mainly when she was making me jump off a massive cliff with her.

I reluctantly stepped up to the ledge, still gripping her tightly.

“You realize you’re going to have to let go of my hand, right Hun?”

“I’m trying not to think about it.”

Olive laughed again, going up on her tiptoes to press her lips to mine. I released her hand so I could capture her waist, but before I could grab her, she stepped back.

Then turned, and jumped.

Her loud whoops followed her to the water, and I watched in terror as she broke through the surface.

A few painstakingly-long seconds followed before her loud laughter filled the air, and I could finally breathe again. “Come on, Honey Bun! The water’s great!”

Shaking my head, I took a step back before I finally launched myself off the rock.

That woman really was going to be the death of me.

But she was right—I’d enjoy every fucking minute of it.

epilogue

OLIVE—TWELVE YEARS LATER

Groaning,I collapsed on my back on the grass, staring up at the clouds above me. There was a verifiable army of children running around, but the ones that were driving me crazy were kicking my poor ribs and bladder from the inside.

Hunter immediately lifted my shoulders from the ground, propping me up with the side of his thigh.

He was paranoid about all of the pregnancy rules. And he was always taking care of me, even though he’d gotten a little calmer and quieter about it over the years. All of our adventures had helped chill him out a little, though they’d just made me want to experience even more of life.

I was ready to experience babies, now.

Childbirth, not so much. I was still telling myself they were just going to magically pop out of my body without any medical assistance. Certainly without any blood. The last thing I ever wanted to see again was the inside of a hospital, even though I knew that was inevitable.

My mate was a worrywart. Homebirth wasn’t ever on the table for him.

And since my life would technically be at risk when I gave birth, I hadn’t argued.

I’d considered it, though.

A dart hit me on the face, and I laughed.

Then winced at the pain that followed when my babies started kicking me.

“Sorry!” two of Aspen and Enzo’s boys yelled at the same time.

The Alphas had quadruplets nine years earlier.

Yeah, quadruplets.

As in,fourbabies.

I teased her that she was an overachiever when she was pregnant, and she told me she’d happily trade places with me. Then our mates growled at each other.

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