Page 45 of The Tracker's Dawn: Sunderverse
“As you should.” There was no trace of disappointment left in him as he offered me a genuine smile. Whatever he’d expected from me, he’d renounced it, putting me and my needs first. A strange niggling stirred in the pit of my stomach. By focusing on doing what it took to break the pact, I thought I was doing what was best for our relationship. But was I? Maybe he needed my support more than he let on.
“You want me to come?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No, it’s fine. You’re focusing on the right things. Besides, it’s best if you’re out of this mess.”
I could sense his relief at the thought that I would be safe and away from the comings and goings of the Pack Rule and, by default, that psychopathic Midnight Witch. And yet, now I was second-guessing myself, thinking that I should be with him, that he needed me, that if we broke this pact and I joined him, he would need me by his side in all his affairs—the same way that I would need him.
I opened my mouth to say something as I reconsidered my earlier decision, but his mood flipped on a dime. His hand slid slowly from my shoulder all the way to my hand, his light touch making me shiver. He took a step closer, wrapped an arm around my waist, and pulled me against him. His solidity was delicious, and I immediately became aware of every peak and valley in his body.
“It wasn’t the Pack Rule meeting I wanted to talk to you about. It was something else,” he said, his voice a low rumble, that did unspeakable things to my insides.
“Yeah?” I said, a little breathless, finding it hard to concentrate when every cell in my body seemed to riot and demand that I focus on the sensation of his closeness.
“I was wondering...” He tilted his head to one side, his player charm full-on with the same intensity it had been the first night he noticed me. “Would you go out with me tonight? On a date?”
My mouth opened and closed as I processed my surprise.A date?Did we have time for that? There had been so much on my mind lately, and none of those things resembled anything as normal as the date.
“Aren’t... we too busy for that?” I asked.
He smiled a little sadly, then opened his mouth to say something but seemed to change his mind. He thought for a moment and finally spoke, leaving me with the distinct impression that this was not what he’d been about to say.
“Notthatbusy. We can make time.”
Then it hit me how obtuse I was being.
Yes, we werethatbusy. We only had two days to ensure Damien’s plan would work, and even though I would be nothing but a spectator during the cleansing, I was the one leading the charge, keeping everyone to a schedule and committed to doing what it took. So in truth, there was no time for a date.
Except... wehadto make time because it was possible this would be our last chance to be together in that way.
My breath caught as I realized how insensitive I’d been, how doggedly focused on succeeding that I wasn’t truly considering the possibility of failure.
“So what do you say, Toni? Do you want to be my date tonight? I promise you a good time, the best of your life. You won’t be disappointed.” His voice was sexually charged, and I understood his promise of a good time would mean ecstasy. My skin rippled at the thought.
I leaned closer, let my fingers caress his hard pec, teasingly. “I would love to be your date. Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise, but you’ll want to wear something girly and elegant.”
“Girly and elegant, huh?”
He nodded. “I can’t wait to see you. You clean up well.”
I laughed. “You clean up well yourself. Though I like this stubble.” I rubbed his jaw, enjoying the sandpapery feel of his scruff against my fingers.
“You do?”
“Hmm. I love it.” I closed my eyes, remembering how perfectly rough it felt against my thighs as he kissed his way to private places.
“I’ll make sure to keep it then.”
“You do that.”
He leaned forward and kissed me, his tongue penetrating my mouth, promising so much more.
“Are you two coming or what?” Eric screamed from somewhere down the hall.
We broke apart. Regret washed over me as I wished I could zip our world closed, leaving us in our own cocoon where no one else could enter. But we didn’t have that option. We couldn’t run away or hide. The unbreakable pact would get to Jake no matter what.
“Yeah, coming,” I yelled back and reluctantly took a step away from Jake.
