“I’m human and I’m just…I don’t look like the wolf females here, Nash. I’m different.”
“I like you different,” I kiss her hair and stroke her back softly.
“I’m curvy.”
“I like your soft curves.”
“I’m fussy.”
“I’ll kiss away that fussiness,” I murmur, kissing her forehead.
“Nash! This is serious.”
“And I’m seriously in love with you, Scarlett.”
Her whole body relaxes as I hold her, but there’s still more to be said.
“Baby, you can’t run again.”
“I know.”
“There are going to be lots of times when you feel like you aren’t good enough. There will be wolves who want to destroy us, wolves who want to tear us apart. There will be humans, too. People will say nasty things to pit us against each other, but we can’t let them win.”
“You’re right, Nash. You’re totally right.” Red nuzzles her cheek to my chest and it’s all I can do not to throw her on the bed and ravish her right now, but we need to finish this first.
“What happened when you left?”
“I ran until the rain started, then I hid in a cave.”
“Scarlett! There could have been predators in there.”
“You’re a predator,” she points out. “Besides, it’s better than getting pneumonia from the cold rain.”
“What happened next?”
“I just started thinking, Nash, about all we’ve been through. I thought about how you kept me safe after my grandmother died. I thought about how you took care of me when I had no one else. I thought about how you confided in me about Elise’s death.”
Red sits very still. Her head is still on my shoulder and I’m still stroking her back, but she lifts her wrist and holds it to me.
“With this mark, I promise to be yours forever, Nash. I won’t run again. When I was in that cave, I realized that I might not be a wolf, but I love you more than anyone else ever will.”
“I love you too, baby.”
“I know things will be tough for us, Nash, but I want to try. I want to have a family with you. I want to raise our babies with you. I want to have adventures with you. I want to fucking grow old with you.”
“I want that, too, Red. Forever, baby.”
“Forever,” she murmurs. “I’m sorry I ran.”
“That’s okay,” I grin, picking her up and carrying her to the bed. “Now I get to punish you.”
“What?” She squeals, and I just laugh.
Twelve
Red
“A punishment?” The words come out in a squeak.