“What? You’ve got to be kidding me. You saved children. It’s not like you were out cavorting with the enemy or something.”
“I don’t know that they will see the difference. The master who is training me told me the consequences could be severe. He was extremely concerned.”
Gray stood up and closed the distance between them. He pulled Simon into his arms and held him tight. “So the fact that you saved Garon last night is going to make it even worse for you.”
“Yes. But I don’t regret it, Gray. I swear to you I wouldn’t change a thing. Your son is amazing, and so are you. I hope it doesn’t come down to me losing the thing I’ve dreamed of since I was young, but if it does… well, I don’t know what I’ll do, to be honest. I wouldn’t change my decision, though. I wouldn’t walk away from any child in need.”
“They’ll understand that. They have to understand that.”
Simon sighed and laid his head against Gray’s chest. “I hope so.”
They stood there for a long moment, Simon squeezing Gray to him, seeming to relish his strength. After a moment, Gray raised his hand to Simon’s face and tilted his head back. “There is another way.”
“What? I’m open to suggestions here.”
“I can claim you, make you a full member of my pack. Then you’ll fall under my protection, not the Conclave’s.”
Simon pulled back farther. “What? I don’t understand.”
“Look, I know we’ve only known each other a week, but I know there’s something between us, Simon. I felt it the first moment I saw you, and I feel it even stronger now. I will make you my mate, right here, right now, and we’ll go to the Pack Council for protection.”
“Gray, no.”
Gray grabbed his arms, forcing him to stay when Simon tried to pull farther away. “Listen, I know this sounds crazy, but I don’t want you to sacrifice everything because of me, because of us. What you did was the most incredible thing anyone has ever done for me. You brought my son home and saved his life not once, but twice. Simon, please, just consider it.”
“God, I don’t even know where to start. I don’t even know what it means to mate with a wolf. I mean, it’s not like it is in the fairy tales, is it? You don’t see your mate and immediately know that they are the one.”
“Don’t I wish. No, we meet and fall in love just like everyone else. The difference is that once we choose our mate and our mate accepts, it’s for life. That’s it for us; there is no going back.”
Simon shivered and placed his arms on Gray’s sides. “I can’t believe you’re willing to do that when you’ve only known me for a few days.”
“I can’t either. It’s crazy. I’ll admit it. But I’d rather take a chance on us than risk you losing everything.”
“You are amazing. God, I don’t even know anything about you, like your favorite color—”
“Gray, obviously.”
“Or what kind of music you like—”
“Classic rock, but it varies depending on my mood.”
“Be serious! We don’t know each other well enough to make this kind of commitment. I love that you offered. I’m blown away. But I’m not ready to make that kind of decision, and I don’t think you really are either.”
“Simon—”
“No, Gray. You have to stop and think about this. I made the decision, and now I have to face the consequences. Maybe it won’t be so bad. They might understand. This might just go away after a hand slap. I don’t know.”
Gray lowered his forehead and rested it against Simon’s. “You don’t believe that. Don’t lie to me.”
“I won’t. I promise you. And you’re right, I don’t really believe that I’ll get off without any type of punishment. But Gray, I still have a chance of becoming a mage. It’s what I want. What I’ve dreamed of for so long, and I’ll know in the next week whether it’s going to happen or not anyway.”
“They’ll decide that fast?”
Simon shook his head. “No, I doubt it. My twenty-fifth birthday is coming up. If I haven’t reached full mage status by that time, then this is all pointless anyway. My apprenticeship will be over. I want to try, though. No, I want to do more than try. I have to fight for this. Please tell me you understand that.”
“I do. If someone told me I wasn’t going to become an alpha, I would have fought for it. It’s what I’m meant to be.”
“Exactly. But it doesn’t mean that I don’t care about you. I do, more than I understand. Your pack, your family, has made me feel something I never thought I’d feel. If you had asked me a week ago if I would fall for a werewolf, I would have laughed at the idea. Now, I look at you and see something I want very much.”
