I am a man with half a heart.
As much as I want the Silent Canines, I don’t know if I can do it without her. I don’t know if I have the strength on my own to be who they need me to be.
Scarlett gives me the faith that I can conquer everything.
She gives me the peace I need to stay centered.
And then, just when I’m drowning in despair, just when I think things can’t get any worse, she starts to talk. I try to quickly prepare myself for the heartach
e I’m about to feel, but she surprises me.
“No,” she repeats. “Don’t keep going. You’re tired, and hurt, and you’ve had a long day,” I look up at her. What’s she saying? “I don’t want you to hurt yourself or overexert yourself anymore. I’m going to need you around for a long time and I’m going to need you to be at your best.”
“You mean-”
“Of course, I’ll marry you, baby,” she whispers.
Suddenly, my whole world is whole.
Scarlett kisses me and my eyes light up and go bright.
This was just what I needed. Everything she said, everything she’s talking about. We’re in this together and I don’t know why I doubted her because she is so freaking mine.
I fist her hair and pull her closer. I can’t get enough of this girl. I need her so much that it hurts. Knowing she wants the same thing I do, knowing she’s here to stay, it just lights up my world.
“It’s not going to be easy,” I warn her quietly. There’s a chance she might not want all the drama that comes with running a wolf pack. Jeffrey is gone, but he was an evil overlord for a long time. There are a lot of changes that need to be made and a lot of shifters won’t be happy about everything I plan to do.
Overhauls are never easy.
New management often sucks.
“I know,” she says. “I don’t expect it to be easy. I just expect us to be together through the hard times.”
“With you by my side? I know we’ll be able to get through anything.”
She kisses me again, softly this time, gently, and I pick her up, bride-style.
“Nash,” she laughs. “Put me down! You’re going to get hurt.” I start to carry her toward the entrance to the cave, but a pair of glowing yellow eyes catch my attention.
“Baby,” I set her down softly. “Do me a favor. Go on ahead in the cave. Wait for me in the lobby. There’s going to be a lot going on there. Have someone make you a drink, okay?”
“Nash?” She sounds worried. “Is everything all right?”
“It’s okay. I just have to take care of something before we go to my quarters.”
“Okay,” she whispers, and takes a few timid, but brave steps toward the cave. Once she’s inside, I turn back to the eyes and raise an eyebrow.
A man emerges from the darkness. He’s taller than me and more muscular. His skin is darker than mine, but just because we’re different, doesn’t mean we’re strangers.
No, this is a man I know well.
“You did a good job tonight,” he says.
“Thanks, brother.” I embrace Jordan in a not-very-masculine-hug and hold him tight for a moment before releasing him. “It’s been a long time.”
“Too long,” he agrees. He stands there for a moment and looks up at the moon. I join him. The idea that werewolves have to howl during a full moon is a myth, but damn, it sure feels good to let that line shine on me.
I know Jordan feels the same way. There were many times when we ran together as kids in the light of the full moon, making promises we’d never be able to keep.