I shook my head, squeezing her hand. “You won’t. I promise you. If you ever feel uncomfortable, you tell me and I’ll stop. No questions, no pressure. That’s how it’s supposed to be.”
She looked at me like I’d offered her the sun and the moon. “That’s not how it works where I’m from.”
“Then we’re making our own rules,” I told her. “From scratch.”
I brought her hand up, kissed the back of it, then traced her knuckles with my thumb. “You’re braver than you give yourself credit for, Aspen. You walked away from everything you’d ever known. That takes more guts than most people have.”
I watched the shyness fade from her face, replaced by something fierce. “Can I ask you something else?” she said.
“Anything.”
“If I tell you to kiss me again, will you?”
I smiled. “No. But if you ask, I might.”
She rolled her eyes, then took a steadying breath. “Will you kiss me, Jonas?”
I leaned in, slow, giving her all the time in the world to change her mind. When our lips met, it was so goddamn sweet it almost hurt. She sighed into my mouth, fingers threading through my beard, pulling me closer.
This time, I didn’t hold back. I kissed her like I’d never get another chance, and maybe I wouldn’t. The world was dangerous, cruel, and full of people who would tear her down for daring to shine.
But not tonight.
When I pulled back, she was breathless and smiling, her cheeks flushed and her eyes half-lidded.
“You’re good at that,” she said, voice barely above a whisper.
“Practice,” I said. “And maybe a little fate.”
We sat in the golden glow of the living room, her feet tucked inside my legs, my hand cradling hers so careful I could feelevery tiny shift of her pulse. The urge to pull her closer, to wrap her up and claim her in every way a man could, fought with the need to make this slow, memorable, and right. I’d spent a lifetime wrestling monsters, but tonight the only monster in me was hunger, and I didn’t want to let it win.
Aspen finally broke the hush. “Papa, can I ask something kind of stupid?”
“There’s no such thing as a stupid question,” I said, and meant it.
She stared down at her lap, fingers fiddling with the hem of the oversized t-shirt. “I saw those women at the bar. Maddie and the others. They’re all—” She made a motion that was more curve than straight line, but the meaning was clear. “They’re just so fit and…well, perfect. When I look in the mirror, I see someone who’s never been perfect in her whole damn life.”
The tremor in her voice made me want to shake the earth until it explained itself. Instead, I sat back, let her finish, and marshaled every ounce of gentleness I had.
“I want you to listen to me,” I said, the chaplain tone slipping in without warning. “There’s a thousand types of beauty in this world, Aspen. You might not be built like a wolf runner, but every time I see you, I swear it does something to my blood.” I hesitated, searching for the right words. “All my life I’ve been surrounded by women who could deadlift a tractor and run fifty miles before breakfast. Strong, yes. Beautiful, sure. Some of their bodies are firm and toned, but some are softer. Butyouwalk into a room, all curves and sass; it’s like the air gets heavier. All I can see is you.”
She didn’t look convinced, but she did look up. “You sure you’re not just saying that to be nice?”
“Why would I lie? I simply wouldn’t waste my time saying anything at all if it weren’t true. Instead, I’m sitting here hard as a rock because of the way you look in those pajamas.”
She went, the blush rising from her collar to the tips of her ears.
I waited, letting her process it, then added, “I’ve wanted you from the moment you gave me that first smartass reply over the pastry case. You have no idea how much you affect me.”
She let out a laugh that was part disbelief, part relief. “That’s… good to know. I guess.”
I had to make sure she understood the depth of my feelings. “Aspen, there is one more thing. Before we take this step in our relationship, you need to know that this cannot be a one and done deal with me. I feel way too much for you. I don’t know how things work in the witch world, but for a wolf, at some point in our lives, if we are very blessed, fate brings one person made specifically for us into our lives. I knew the moment I met you that you were my mate. My wolf shouted it to me even as I was being an ass to you. I wanted to get to know you first. That’s why I’ve tried to spend so much time with you. I wanted to know you as a person and for you to get to know me too. The more I know you, the more I love you. If you don’t feel you share these feelings, we need to wait before we take this any further. If this is only physical for you, let’s wait a bit longer.”
A tear ran down her face. “I never hoped to hear these beautiful words from any man, much less from the most amazing man in the world. And I don’t know what it feels like to have another part of me telling me who my mate is; all I have is my heart and my soul telling me that without you I will never know complete happiness or joy. All I know at a soul level is you are the other half of me, and I love you deeply.”
She drew in a breath that sounded like a prayer. “I’m nervous, but…I want this. I want you.”
I stood and pulled her up. “Good,” I said, and led her down the hall.
