“Let Ramsey know that if you two ever want to leave Timber Ridge, you have a place with my pack.” His glance slid toward the cabin. “After all the shit she went through, she deserves to know that she’ll never be a loner again. Not as long as I’m the head of this pack.”
I couldn’t imagine ever taking him up on the offer, but I appreciated it nonetheless. “Thank you.”
“No gratitude needed.” He jerked his chin toward the cabin. “Just take good care of your woman. Fate paired you with a good one.”
Truer words had never been spoken. I was damn lucky.
10
Ramsey
Aero and I stayed in the wilderness for another week. He’d insisted I needed the extra time to heal, but I had thought his desire to remain there had more to do with the privacy we enjoyed to the fullest. With so few shifters nearby, there weren’t many interruptions.
Rome had taken off the day after that man had shown up and didn’t return until last night. It wasn’t until he’d told me that my captor had died that I realized where he’d gone…and why Aero hadn’t wanted us to leave yet. I was in awe of what the wolf shifter had done for me, but he’d waved off my gratitude as though it wasn’t a big deal that he’d murdered the bastard who’d tortured me. I didn’t care what he said, I was naming our first son after him. Something my mate readily agreed to because he felt indebted to Rome too.
Our first stop when we arrived in Timber Ridge was Kace’s house. My hands were trembling when Aero helped me out of the car. “Don’t be nervous, bright eyes. My alpha is looking forward to accepting you into the pack.”
“This is a big deal for me,” I confessed, my gaze darting toward the door. “I’ve been on my own for so long.”
“Not since you found me,” he growled, his mouth crashing down on mine for a kiss of pure claiming.
My wits were scattered when he finally lifted his head, and my knees were so weak that I had to grip his shoulders to remain standing. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
“Yeah, but it was a hell of an excuse to remind you that you belong to me.” He tugged me closer. “And nothing’s ever gonna change that.”
“Not even if Kace decides he doesn’t want me to be a part of his pack?”
I had planned to keep my worry to myself because I didn’t want Aero to think I doubted his devotion to me, but that would’ve been a disservice to our mating bond. It wasn’t even that I thought he wouldn’t leave with me if things went wrong during our meeting with his alpha. This small niggle of fear kept whispering in my brain, born from the betrayals I had suffered from my former tower. With my parents gone, there had been nobody to stand at my side and try to make my alpha listen to the truth, but that would never be true again. My mate would always have my back.
I just didn’t realize others would too until he said, “My alpha already told me how much he looked forward to you joining the pack when he let me out of the holding room. And again each time I asked him where you were. He’s not going to change his mind.”
My sigh was shaky before I whispered, “Okay.”
His falcon flashed in his eyes as he stared down at me. “But if things go to shit somehow and he fucks up by deciding he doesn’t want to add the most amazing woman I’ve ever met to his pack, then you and I are outta here.”
“Okay.” My voice was firmer this time.
He flashed me a cocky grin. “And we won’t have to worry about where to go.”
My brows drew together. “We won’t?”
“Nope.” He brushed his lips over mine. “Keane wanted me to let you know that we’re welcome to join his pack any time we want.”
My eyes widened as I gasped, “Really?”
“Yup.”
“Wow.” I shook my head. “With how small he likes to keep the pack, that’s a huge compliment.”
“And a well-earned one since you’re fucking amazing.”
My cheeks filled with heat at his compliment. He was always saying such nice things about me, but I still hadn’t gotten used to all of his praise. Not after spending so much time with everyone viewing me as a threat because I was a loner. “When did you talk to him about it?”
“Last week.”
I narrowed my eyes and planted my hands on my hips. “And you waited this long to tell me about his offer?”
“I saved it for when you needed to hear it the most.” He tugged me toward the door. “And I knew you’d be nervous today.”
I couldn’t argue with his logic. “How is it that you know me so well already?”