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Sasha only mentioned the stupid bird in passing, so maybe I’m way off base, but it sounded like it meant something to him.
He pulls back, head tilted to look up at me. “What is it?”
I point to the table, and Sasha follows my gaze. As soon as he sees it, his shoulders bunch up. “Jimmity?”
“Yeah, your goose.”
“I … I don’t know—”
“I sewed his wing back on,” I explain. “I hope that’s okay.”
“You did?” Like that’s what he was waiting for, he hurries over and picks the stuffed animal up. I watch as he tugs at the wing and then buries his face into the feathers. “It’s perfect.”
Pride lights me up. “Like you.”
He turns to me, eyes shining, and tucks the goose under his arm. “How did you know?”
“What do you mean?”
“Jimmity’s the only thing that’s always been mine. I thought that I lost that.”
“Sasha …” I walk forward and cup his face, loving the way it fits so perfectly in my palm. “You have two things now. And you’ll never lose either of us again.”
Something about that makes him cry, but I’m only too happy to hold him through it. Anything that brings us close will never get a complaint from me. “You’re amazing.”
“I’m—” Not confident with compliments, but I need to try. “Learning.”
He hugs me tighter. “I love you so much.”
He’s said that more times than I can count, and every time, it makes me feel like I’m on top of the world. I’ve never said it back, and he says that I don’t need to, but the word is so foreign to me. I’ve never said it to anyone other than my family, and that was so long ago, I struggle to remember how it felt. I know how it feels now though, and I know there’s no denying that’s what this is.
Love.
It’s a horrible emotion. Turns you into a useless, pathetic, pining piece of waste.
And I never want it to go away.
“I love you too,” I whisper, so low he might have missed it.
The immediate way he freezes makes it clear he didn’t though. He sniffs wetly and buries his face into my chest. “Thank you.”
“No, thank you.” I run my hand over his hair, overwhelmed by how easy it feels to just hold him. He’s weaseled his way into my heart, and now that I know how good it feels, I can’t imagine my life without him.
I’ve always thought my cubs and my pack were all I needed. That my whole life was worth nothing if I couldn’t protect them.
But I failed at that, and Sasha still loves me anyway.
He’s teaching me things I didn’t want to learn, and while it’s scary, I know I’ll be better off because of it.
So long as I have him.
EPILOGUE
LYNX
“Okay, you heathens, enough.”
My cubs retrieve their weapons that have scattered all around the area and get ready to leave. It’s been a good day of training, and ever since that moment with Antonio, Sasha’s been joining in as well. He’s paired with Leo, since they’re on the same skill level.
