Page 58 of Hunted

She leaned against him, her arms automatically going around his waist. “I never cry. I should be punching you, not crying.”

She felt his little huff of amusement. “I know. You’re badass as fuck.”

She gave a choking laugh. He felt so good—his warmth, his strength, the way he somehow made her feel safe, even when everything looked like it was going to hell.

“You’re getting soaked,” she murmured, lifting his sodden hoodie away from his back.

“You think I fucking care about wet clothes? I care about you.”

He’d said it before, and she realized that even though she’d hoped it was true, she’d never quite believed it. Never believed he wouldn’t realize what a pain in the ass she was and take off while he still could.

She said, “But you told Thanatos to let me go. And that you would go back. Why the hell did you tell him that?”

Now she was angry again. She pulled back and smacked his chest with her fist. “You had no right to make a deal like that without consulting me! What the fuck even was that?”

He said, “I had to tell him something. Honestly, I don’t know what the hell to do. I can’t leave them, and I can’t live without you.” He touched his forehead to hers.

He tilted her head back and touched his lips to hers. “I had to protect you. But I'm not giving you up. Not again. Whatever it takes, I’ll be with you. We’ll find a way—together.”

It was like coming home—fire and heat and a feeling of belonging. Stronger than she’d ever felt, even when they were together before.

They’d both been holding back—neither of them had been willing to face what was between them.

Mate.

This time she knew it was true.

She could feel his wolf rising up, strong and fierce and proud, dominant and protective. Her wolf rose to meet him, wild and ferocious, always wanting adventure, craving something she’d never quite been able to find.

This. This wolf, this man. Waiting for her, all this time. All these years.

For the first time, she could feel what he felt, and she believed it. His need to hold her, protect her, even sacrifice himself for her. To lift her up, to make her life right, to somehow fix the broken pieces of her with his love. And a kind of helpless desperation—he didn’t know how.

She raised her hand to the side of his face, stroking his cheek. He had such a great heart, and he didn’t even know it.

Gunn lifted his head and stared into her eyes, like some of what she was thinking—what she was feeling—was getting through to him.

He said, “You're my heart. I never wanted to be an alpha. And the pack never really wanted me. I don’t have to go back.”

Happiness surged up in her—a joy that was bittersweet. Because he was wrong.

She touched the golden amulet lying on his chest, and steeled herself. She didn’t want to say this, but she had to. “I think you do have to go back,” she said. “Just like there’s fated mates, some people are fated to be alphas. Gregor—and all the alphas before him that bonded to this amulet—chose you. What are the odds that you of all people would be in that place at that time?”

“I figured that was just Thanatos, manipulating me.”

“Maybe. Or maybe fate was manipulating both of you. But one thing I know for sure—those wolves need you. You’re their anchor, the heart of the pack. You have to go back.”

He shook his head. “I’m not leaving you. Not again.”

She kissed his chest. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing that. That’s why I’m going with you.”

His mouth dropped open. “Mikey, there’s no way—”

She put her fingers over his mouth, and then turned off the shower. “Shut up and get me a towel. I have things I need to tell you.”

Gunn kept trying to talk to Mikey while she was getting dressed, and she just kept holding her hand up and making ‘don’t even’ noises, which pissed him off.

Finally, he just quit trying. He stripped off his wet clothes, toweled himself off, and stalked out to the living room to get dry things.