Page 28 of The Wolf King's Demand

He hadn’t even considered that as something that would factor into her decision. But it made sense now. He knew about the people who had bullied her because of her inability to shift. The thought made his blood boil to see just how much it had truly affected her.

Tyler frowned. “You know you are not less because you can’t shift, don’t you? You are the strongest person I’ve ever met, and any child of yours would be proud to be like you.”

Her cheeks grew pink as she blushed, and she looked away. His wolf whined, wanting to make her know that she was perfect. “Maybe. But I’m still not sure. This is something I’ve thought about for a while, and it would take a lot to change my mind.”

“They don’t have to be our children by blood.” He hesitated for a moment before voicing his next thought. This might be a bit fast for her, but perhaps not because of how she’d been acting these past few days. “I’ve decided I’d like to keep the orphans. All of them.”

Addison stared at him in surprise for a moment before laughing. “I’ve been thinking the exact same thing,” she admitted.

SEVENTEEN

ADDISON

Without warning, Tyler grabbed Addison and threw her onto the bed. Startled by the sudden speed, she burst out laughing and spread her arms and legs.

“Well, someone’s feeling playful today.”

“Just one of us?” Tyler said, approaching slowly.

“All right. Maybe two of us.” Her eyes narrowed. “Wait a second. I don’t like that smile. What are you planning?”

Tyler stood at the foot of the bed. “What makes you think I’m planning anything?”

“That smile! Don’t try to hide it. That’s the smile of someone who’s plotting, and I don’t like it.”

“I can’t believe my own fiancée would accuse me of formulating a scheme and then lying about it,” Tyler replied, pacing back and forth, the grin on his face growing ever wider. “Don’t you trust me? Do you really think I would tell a mistruth to my own beloved fiancée?”

Addison realized this humor was new for Tyler. Even when he was open about his feelings, he had always been overwhelmingly serious and careful with his words. Now, he was being silly. Not witty or clever, but just goofy. She was glad that somewhere underneath all that talk about responsibility to the kingdom and the people, there was a guy who just wanted to laugh and play a little.

In fact, he wasn’t the only one who had been hiding his careless, childish side under a lot of adultness. She had certainly played herself as a grown-up, too. And it was a relief to let go of that with him. It felt comfortable, which was the last thing she had expected an arranged marriage set up by her parents for diplomatic reasons to be.

She pulled one of her legs close to her chest and extended the other one toward Tyler’s abdomen, wiggling it invitingly. “So since you don’t have any plans, there won’t be any risk if I simply allow my foot to remain here?"

“Of course. You tease me.”

“I sure do.”

“Absolutely shocking.”

“Uh-huh.”

And that was the moment Tyler pounced. The movement as he jumped onto the bed and seized her leg was unmistakably wolf-like. He was an alpha, taking down his prey, and he was also a cub, learning to hunt by playing.

The moment he landed, he ran his fingers up and down the side of her leg. Addison burst into giggles.

“I knew it,” he cried. “I knew you would be ticklish! From the moment I saw you, I knew you would be ticklish!”

“Noo!” Addison laughed. “Not tickles! My one weakness!”

Addison twisted and contorted her way around the bed as Tyler continued to tickle her. Finally, Tyler made a leap for her other leg, and she was able to pull both of them away from him.

“You’re pretty good at that,” he admitted.

“You’ve unlocked a dangerous can of worms here,” Addison said, raising her fingers. “He who lives by the tickle dies by the tickle.”

“Ha!” Tyler laughed. “What makes you think I can be tickled? Even if I could be, how would you know where?”

“You’re covering your sides with your arms.”

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