Suddenly, I get radio silence from everyone. I know it’s her**she told them not to respond to me. She’s learned how to use her command, and it’s frustrating as hell. And the worst part? This is my fault.
I change quickly and head to my office to work, but I don’t last an hour before I find myself striding onto the practice field where the young pups are training.
There she is, laughing with Danny, Bennet, and a bunch of the kids. Without hesitation, I approach her, gently cup her face in my hands, and pause for just a moment. I need her full attention, her eyes locked on mine. The instant our gazes meet, I press my lips to hers. Judging by the giggles and quiet chuckles from the kids and the low laughter from the warriors nearby, this probably isn’t the most appropriate place for a kiss in front of pups. But two can play the flirting game**I just need to decide how much I care about winning.
I pull back just enough to meet her eyes again.
“Such a little tease,” I mindlink her, a smirk tugging at my lips.
“So you remembered that was an option, huh?” she replies with a playful sparkle in her eyes.
“I needed you to remind me. And I need to remind you**don’t forget this before you leave.” I kiss her again, softer this time. “Next time, I might not be so controlled.”
“What if I said that’s okay?”
My wolf growls low and deep, a sound of both warning and desire. To distract myself, I ask what the pups are learning. The little girl I saw with Kennedy on her first day of training steps forward confidently, like the pied piper leading the way.
“The Luna is teaching us how to stay safe if bad guys come around and we’re all alone without a grown-up,” she says proudly.
I crouch down to meet her at eye level. “Is that so?” She nods enthusiastically while the other kids hang back a step, content to let her take the lead in talking to me. I don’t usually work with the little pups**being this close can be intimidating for some of them. “Can you tell me how you stay safe when you’re all alone?”
“Yeah! We played hide and seek, and she had to find us. We have to watch where we walk, and then we have to make our smell different to confuse them. The last one found wins!”
“Who won this time?” I ask, already guessing the answer.
“Me! But we had help. I don’t think the Delta’s very good at this game**all his team got found first.” I can’t help but laugh at that.
“Did you hear that, Danny? You need to practice more. I’m sure…” I glance down at the little girl. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”
“Emily, Alpha.” She giggles, and I realize I should have known her name already.
“I’m sure Emily could give you some pointers.” The warriors laugh, and the kids join in, even though they don’t really understand what’s so funny.
I stand up and turn back to Kennedy. “Will you join me for lunch when you’re done here?”
“I promised Sarah I’d have lunch with her, if you don’t mind the extra company.”
“I haven’t had a proper meal with my mother in a long time. Think she’d mind if I crashed your girl’s day?”
“I highly doubt it.” She smiles warmly. “Go work. I have things to get done if I want to be on time.”
I lean in to kiss her once more. Now that we’ve opened this floodgate, I don’t want to stop.
Ryker
I have never paced so much in my entire life. It’s not that I’m anxious or worried**actually, I don’t even think I’m nervous. Still, the restlessness is undeniable. Kennedy has been willingly spending time with me outside of training sessions and pack business, and it’s something new. She’s showing a genuine interest in the pack, just like a Luna should. For the first time, this relationship feels real. I want her. Not just in the physical sense, which has always been true, but now she means something deeper to me. She’s important.
“Ryker, sit down. You’re making me itchy,” my mother scolds, glancing up from the stack of books she’s been engrossed in. We’re sitting in the cozy dining nook of the house she and my father chose when they moved out of the packhouse. It’s just a few minutes away, nestled quietly in the woods**private, peaceful.
“I can’t. I have no clue what I’m doing, and I can’t afford to mess up anymore. What do I do?” I ask, my pacing growing more frantic.
I give her a quick rundown of everything Kennedy and I have shared since she arrived. Of course, my mom already knows most of it from Kennedy’s perspective, and naturally, she sides with my mate. She proceeds to remind me of all the ways I’m being an idiot, in that uniquely maternal way only a mother can.
“Well, she didn’t flat-out reject you when you mentioned kids yesterday, so I’m still hopeful,” she says with a teasing giggle. “Maybe I’ll get grandkids one day after all. I was worried for a bit there.”
“Mom!” I groan.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.