Oh, how his heart betrayed him. “Liar,” I said hoarsely.
He stood from the bed. He had a determined look on his face. He stalked toward me before thrusting his hand out, shoving the wolf against my chest. “I don’t know how to do this,” he muttered. “Take it.”
“Wow, romantic. Thanks. I’ll remember this moment for—”
“Stupid Carter. Take it.” He poked it against my chest again. “Now.”
I took it.
He frowned. “That’s it?”
I shrugged. “That’s it.”
“Huh. That was dumb. Why do we have to do that? Don’t need wolf. Have scar. That’s enough.”
“Tradition,” I told him. “It’s tradition.”
He blinked. “Like Sundays?”
I nodded.
“Oh.” Then, “Where’s mine? Give it to me. Tradition.”
I sighed. “It’s in the nightstand drawer. Go get it.”
“No. You have to give it to me. Tradition.”
“Pain in my ass,” I muttered, and I stumbled when he said, “Not yet I’m not. Time for that later.”
I opened the bottom drawer. There, lying in the back on its side, was my own wolf of stone. I said, “My father gave this to me. He said I’d know in my heart who it would belong to. I didn’t understand then what he meant. I got older, and I never met anyone who made me feel that way. I watched Joe find his own path. Kelly. Gordo. And even when you were there, right in front of me, I still didn’t know. But I figured it out eventually.”
“When?” he asked.
I stood u
p. “When you left to save us all. I knew in my heart because my heart was breaking.” I turned around and showed him the wolf. It wasn’t as nice as his. This had been my father’s first. It was clumsy, more a lump of quartz than an actual wolf, but the intent was there.
“I won’t leave,” he said.
“Never?” I teased him. “Even when I piss you off?”
“You always piss me off,” he retorted. “Still here.”
And I said, “Promise me.” It wasn’t fair of me to ask, but I was beyond caring.
He didn’t hesitate. “I promise.”
I gave him the wolf.
He held it as if it were something precious. He inspected it closely, turning it around to see all sides. He looked back at the wolf in my hands. “That’s it?”
“That’s it,” I said, my heart beating rapidly.
“Oh.” Then he grinned.
And tackled me.
We fell onto the bed and he kissed me like he was never going to stop.