Page 39 of Jacob

Tony arched an eyebrow, his lips quirking into a smirk.“Like I got mauled by a tiger.”

Jacob chuckled, and Tony couldn’t help but grin in response.He loved that he could make Jacob laugh.“You kind of were,” Jacob teased, his hand sliding down to squeeze Tony’s hip.“But seriously, no regrets?”

Tony’s expression softened.“None.”He reached up, his fingers tracing the sharp line of Jacob’s jaw.He didn’t think that would change.“You?”

“Never,” Jacob said firmly, his gaze locking onto Tony’s.

They lay in silence for a while, content to be close.The house was silent around them, and it was easy to imagine they were alone in the world.They weren’t, though, and they had things to talk about.“So, what happens now?”

Jacob tilted his head, his brow furrowing slightly.“What do you mean?”

Tony gestured vaguely toward the window, where the world outside awaited.“We’re bonded, but we don’t even live together.Where do we go from here?”

Jacob’s expression turned thoughtful.He sat up slightly, leaning back against the headboard as he considered Tony’s words.“Well, you could move here, but it’s not something most humans would want.”

Tony frowned.“If that’s what you want, I’m fine with it.”He liked his house well enough, but he wasn’t particularly attached to it.

“You’re my mate, Tony.My place is with you, and yours is with me.I don’t really care where we live.”

“You’ve lived here all your life.I don’t want to take you away from your home and your family.”

Jacob sighed.“What if I want to leave the pride?I mean, I’d still be a pride member, but I’ve been lost since everything changed after Gal arrived, and I’m starting to think that staying here isn’t helping.I love the pride and what it’s become, but maybe putting some distance between it and me would be good.”

“You want to move in with me?”

“It makes sense.You’re not used to sharing a home with so many people, and the pride house is further from town than your house.If there was an emergency, it would take you much longer to get to the station.”

“We could find a way around that.”

“I don’t want you to have to.We can always move in with the pride later if we find that’s what we want, but I want a new start, Tony.I’m not leaving the pride, just the pride house.”

Tony wasn’t going to argue any longer.Jacob sounded like he’d thought things through, and Tony trusted him to know what he was doing.Besides, he wasn’t wrong.They could move back in if Jacob ever felt the need to.“All right.You’ll move in with me.”

Jacob’s expression softened, and he leaned in to press a kiss to Tony’s forehead.“Good.Because if you’d fought me on this, I would’ve thrown you over my shoulder and carried you back to your house.”

Tony laughed.He still wasn’t used to this side of Jacob’s personality, but he liked it.“What about your job?You said you’ve been thinking about making a change.”

Jacob hesitated.“Yeah,” he admitted quietly.“Being a guard doesn’t feel fulfilling anymore.There’s not much to do now that the pride and the town are peaceful.I want to do something that matters and that lets me contribute more, but I’m not sure what that looks like yet.”

Tony reached out, his fingers brushing against Jacob’s.“You’ll figure it out.And whatever it is, I’ll be right there with you.”

Jacob looked up, his eyes searching Tony’s face.“You really mean that?”

“Of course I do,” Tony said softly.“We’re in this together, remember?”

Jacob didn’t respond immediately.Instead, he leaned in, capturing Tony’s lips in a kiss that left them both breathless.When they finally pulled apart, Jacob rested his forehead against Tony’s, his eyes closed.“Thank you,” he whispered.

“For what?”

“For believing in me.”

“You deserve more, Jacob.And I’ll do everything I can to make sure you get it.You’d be a good deputy, or if you want something different, I’m still looking for a receptionist.”

Tony was joking, but to his surprise, Jacob nodded.“I could try that.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.And maybe I’ll want to become a deputy later, but I think I need some time to settle down first.”

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