Page 81 of Who Let The Wolves Out?

“It’s beautiful,” she says, voice cracking slightly.

“It’s for you.”

We sit.

She clutches the mug I hand her like she needs something to hold onto.

“I needed a way to say something,” I start, rubbing my arm. “Something big. But also real.”

She watches me with those soft, sea-glass eyes, and I swear I lose all sense of cool.

“You saved me, Alice.”

She blinks. “Jason?—”

“No, listen.” I shift so I’m fully facing her. “I was fine being the chaotic, mostly-shirtless wolf man at summer camp. But you—you—you made me want roots. You made me wantmore.And that scared the crap out of me.”

She laughs a little, tears already welling.

I swallow hard. “But I’m not scared anymore.”

I reach into the little basket and pull out something wrapped in linen. Slowly, I unwrap it.

A silver charm bracelet.

Nothing fancy. Just hand-carved wood and a single tiny wolf tooth inlaid with a crystal Alice gave me on our first night hike.

Her hand flies to her mouth.

“I love you, Alice. Full stop. No conditions. No take-backs.”

I take her hand, press the bracelet into her palm.

“And I want you to be my mate. My partner. The woman I howl for.”

She’s full-on crying now.

I pull her hand to my lips. “Will you?”

She doesn’t say anything.

Shelaunchesinto me, wrapping her arms around my neck, kissing me so fiercely I forget how to breathe.

“Yes,” she whispers against my mouth. “Yes. A thousand times yes.”

We sit there for a long time, tangled together on the blanket in the glow of our little lakeside world. I’ve still got one more surprise tucked in my hoodie pocket, and my fingers brush against it as she curls into my side, cheeks still damp with happy tears.

“I, uh…” I clear my throat, suddenly nervous again. “So, shifters don’t really do rings. Traditionally, we kind of just… mark our mates in different ways.”

Alice lifts her head, blinking up at me. “Like with teeth?”

I cough. “I mean, sometimes. But that’s more of a private ritual.”

She snorts and buries her face in my chest. “Okay, okay. Go on.”

I pull the little pouch from my pocket and hand it to her.

She opens it carefully—and laughs.

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