Page 29 of The Alpha Option
Jace stared at her for a moment, taking in the smooth curve of her cheeks, the dark line of her eyelashes at rest, her face serene and peaceful. A dark-haired beauty standing and trusting him implicitly.
His heart gave a kick, and he wanted to shout and roar and howl in delight.
Instead, he reached out to her with the other part that lived inside him. “Listen. Feel. Learn.”
11
They stood with the sun washing over them. A gentle heat brushed her shoulders with a kiss that refreshed and promised a beautiful day.
As Cassidy closed her eyes, her senses sharpened. The birdsong grew brighter, and the springtime scent of green growing things, sharper. Under her hands, Jace’s heart pulsed over and over, hard enough that her hands moved in rhythm.
Listen. Feel. Learn.
The words had been spoken with his deep sexy voice but also something other. A wildness sprinkled on top. Something earthy and primal, and while she knew she still stood there, sunlight prickling on her skin, she was moving.
On four feet, low to the ground. Rushing through the trees, darting high, shifting low. Rich scents in her nostrils, blood pounding in her veins.
A wolf. She was—awolf.
Running through the woods, exploring her territory. Feeling the connection with the land under her feet and the air rushing through her fur.
It was astonishing. It was unbelievable, and yet it felt so right.
She stopped. Four feet planted firmly as the brittle rock underneath dug into the pads of her paws. She stood on the ridge of a mountain, looking down over the valley. Timberwolf Lodge sat beside the jewel-bright blue waters of the lake. Her land—theirland.
Their home.
“How?” Her voice sounded rusty, her throat dry as if she hadn’t spoken for years.
“Some humans can connect. You can’t physically shift—not ever. There’s no virus or anything that will affect your body and make you into a shifter. But you’ve got wolf in you. You need to learn how to let her out.”
Cassidy opened her eyes. She stood where she’d started, on a trail under a massive tree. Her palms remained pressed to Jace’s firm chest. He’d wrapped his arms around her shoulders, cradling her to him.
“Is this because of you?” she asked.
He looked reluctant but then answered, “It’s because of us. I’m a catalyst, but so are you. Putting us together makes the magic happen.”
“Me and any Alpha wolf?”
Admiration flared in his eyes. “You are so damn smart. No.”
She thought about everything he’d said, between the conversations this morning and the sensations she’d experienced during the time Del had been there. All those thoughts whirled together as she added everything up. “You’re an Alpha. That’s what you and Blue said. That you should be Alpha instead of Del.”
“And I’m going to be. I need to figure out a way to do it that doesn’t involve having to put Del six feet under. He’s not a bad guy, he’s just…”
She made a face. “He’s in the way.”
“Pretty much.” He brushed his knuckles over her cheek. “You and I are both here because my auntie decided to shake things up around Timberwolf Lodge. There’s a lot we need to accomplish, and every step of the way, you get to make choices. But here’s one thing I can guarantee you. I’ve made my choice, and that’s to do what needs to be done. Not only for the pack but for you. I’m in it for the long haul.”
A slow tremble rocked his body as if he still held back. So much information, most of it incredible, and yet all of it somehow connected and looped in a way that tangled her up with him.
With Jace.
Cassidy stepped back. It took far too much physical strength to make that small move. “This thing—this incredible thing—it’s not going away, is it?”
He shook his head.
She took a deep breath. “Then as much as I want to rush in and experience everything all at the same time, let’s slow down. Let’s do the next thing because you’re right. There’s a lot we need to accomplish. I need you to warn me, though. If I’m stepping off the rails when it comes to the pack. To what needs to happen with Del. Because I agree. I’d really prefer for him to not be dead.”
