Beside him, Aaron pivoted to stare. “You did? Really? You’re sure?”
“Oh yeah. There’s no question about it when you meet her. You just know. Your wolf heart knows. Your whole body knows.”
Aaron studied him for a long moment, then nodded. “I believe it. The way you smell right now… You’re more excited than I’ve ever smelled you before. But you’re also more settled.”
“Exactly!” Jeremy leaped to his feet and spread his arms wide under the canopy of oak branches. “It’s like the excitement’s bigger than my whole body, and I’m constantly holding it in so I don’t break out howling. And it’s like Iknowmyself now, this big piece of myself that was a question mark before. Would I be a bachelor wolf like George, like William? Would I be a mated wolf like Patrick, a dad someday to a pup like Nathan? And now here she is, and all those questions just disappeared.”
“Well, tell me about her,” Aaron said.
Jeremy told his friend how he’d met Lucy, what sort of woman his mate was—levelheaded, persistent, sure of her own heart and mind, willing to tackle tough questions and listen to his answers. He didn’t tell Aaron about Lucy’s willingness to stick beside him when his blood phobia reared its stupid head. That was not only embarrassing but also felt private between him and his mate.
“I can’t believe she accepted it all,” Aaron said when Jeremy had told all he could think to tell.
“Well, like I said, she had some pointed questions. But yeah. She didn’t break up with me. For a minute I thought she might.”
Aaron winced and looked away.
“What?” Jeremy said.
“What if shedoesbreak up with you, man?” A tang of worry rose in Aaron’s scent.
“Why would she?” Jeremy shrugged. “Seems like we already got past the worst of it. I can’t possibly do anything more off-putting than announce she’s my life mate.” He grinned.
Aaron didn’t grin back.
Oh. Of course. Jeremy should’ve expected this. Aaron wasn’t always a worrier, but when he was, he really committed to the role. Jeremy sat on the ground again and bumped his friend’s shoulder.
“I’m not Trevor.”
“Obviously.”
“Of all of us, who else would get deathly ill over a breakup? Nobody but Trevor could pull that off with a straight face.”
“So if Lucy breaks up with you, you’ll—what, catch a cold instead?”
Jeremy fidgeted. He needed to assuage Aaron’s worry, but he didn’t want to talk about this either. His wolf heart gave a pitiful whine inside him at the very thought of Lucy leaving. Now that he’d met her, he could almost understand the severity of Trevor’s reaction to breaking up with his long-time girlfriend Kelsey last year. The poor wolf had been feverish and miserable for more than a week. But he’d recovered just fine, so Jeremy would too. If it came to that. Which it wouldn’t.
“Okay, look,” he said. “Let’s say you’re right and any wolf whose mate breaks up with him gets lovesick for a minute. Do you seriously think the chance to love Lucy isn’t worth the chance of losing her? Because I’m telling you right now, Aaron, it’s worth it to me. She’s worth it. I don’t even have to think about it, man. I know she is.”
Aaron swallowed hard and stared down at his broad hands. He rubbed his left knuckles with his right thumb. Finally he looked up. “You still smell the same, even talking about this. Excited and settled.”
“Yep.”
“Guess I can’t argue with that.” Slowly a grin took over his face, and the concern faded, allowing his pine scent toward the forefront again. “Wow, Jeremy. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
“So have you told Trevor and Ezra and Mal, and I’m the last to know?”
“Nope. You’re the first.”
Aaron’s eyebrows shot up. Then he grinned again. “Let’s go. I want to see their faces.”
Epilogue: Eight Years Later
Jeremypacedaroundthehouse with a two-year-old twin under each arm. Tori and Gigi giggled and kicked their legs, but Jeremy kept pacing as if he’d forgotten he carried them. It was part of the game their girls loved, but at the moment Lucy was pretty sure he wasn’t playing, instead carting the twins around out of an experienced father’s reflex and habit.
“He’s got to be the most clueless wolf in the pack.” Jeremy shook his head.
