Page 9 of Alpha Wolf’s Arranged Bride (Rose Hollow Wolves #1)

After checking out a few more stalls, we swing by the jumping castle to pick up Jarrod, then head to the ice cream stand. Old Johnny and his wife, Maeve, are overjoyed to meet Jarrod and make him a triple scoop on a waffle cone with whipped cream and fudge.

“Whoa,” Jarrod mutters as Maeve hands it to him. “I think this is more ice cream than I’ve ever had in my life.”

“Don’t get used to it, Jarrod,” Scarlett says. “That’s definitely not an everyday kind of treat.”

“That being said,” Maeve says mischievously, “our doors are always open, and we’re right by the school.”

She gives Jarrod a wink, and he winks right back. I can tell by the smile on Scarlett’s face that she isn’t bothered at all by the idea of him getting free ice cream every day.

“Well, I’ll let you two have your secrets, but I’m going to make sure you have plenty of veggies every night, okay?” Scarlett says to her son.

“Okay,” Jarrod says, attacking his ice cream with both tongue and spoon. Maeve serves up a couple of cones for us, and we go and sit at a nearby table.

“Sorry about my sister,” I say. “I know there were far nicer ways of being introduced to each other.”

“It’s okay,” Scarlett answers. “It might take me a while to get used to her sense of humor.”

“I don’t know,” I reply. “I’ve had forty years, and she still shocks me.”

Scarlett tilts her head, narrowing her eyes. “I didn’t think you were that old.”

Fuck. Another lie. I can’t move without tripping over them.

“Not important,” I mutter, shaking my head.

For a few moments, we focus on our ice cream, and my anxiety settles. The warm sun filters through the leaves above our heads as a cool breeze teases the branches. A sense of peace slowly flows over me.

What if it could be like this all the time?

I look over at Scarlett, and she’s watching me, a little smile on her face. I can’t help it—her expression encourages me a little.

I can make her happy, I know it. I just don’t know what to tell her about my past, and I have to tell her something.

“That was awesome,” Jarrod says, finishing his ice cream and wiping his hands on a napkin. “Can I go play now?”

“I don’t think you should be bouncing on the jumping castle after all that ice cream,” Scarlett says.

“Not the jumping castle,” Jarrod replies. “But the kids are gathered just over there, and I want to see what they’re doing.”

“Okay, then,” Scarlett says. “You can go, but come and find us soon, okay? It will be time to go home in a little while.”

“Thanks, Mom!” Jarrod calls, running off to join the other kids. I watch them all turn at once to greet him, then they all start running through the trees, screaming like maniacs.

“Is that normal kid behavior?” I ask dubiously.

Scarlett shrugs. “Yep. Perfectly normal.”

“Are you sure he isn’t going to throw up his ice cream, bolting around like that?”

Scarlett laughs softly. “He might. That’s the thing with kids—it can go either way, full throttle, at any time.”

“I’ve got so much to learn.”

Scarlett chuckles. “Don’t worry. I’ll let you step in for every single serious mishap.”

“Sounds fair,” I laugh, trying to make a joke out of it.

To my surprise, Scarlett turns away from me, her shoulders tense. I clean up our wrappers and napkins, trying to break the serious mood that has fallen on us seemingly out of nowhere.

“Did you want to check out some more stalls?” I ask, holding out my hand to her.

“Sure,” she answers, taking it. She smiles as we walk back to the stalls, and I start to worry I misinterpreted our awkward moment.

Maybe it wasn’t awkward at all. When I said I had a lot to learn, I didn’t mean just about kids.

Scarlett keeps hold of my hand as we go through the stalls, smiling and laughing as she leans into me and clings to my arm. I start to feel bold and put my arm around her, relieved that she’s warming up to me.

I want this… I want her. And not in that selfish, possessive way I did before. No, this time, I want to be there for her, take care of her, and really love her—forever.

The depths of my feelings come as a slight shock, but it really throws my previous actions into perspective. As we go through the last stalls, I snuggle Scarlett against my side and nuzzle her hair, taking in her sweet, luscious scent.

This proves I still have a chance, that I can make it up to her. Obviously, she wants to make this work.

As the sun begins to set and the market packs up, we find Jarrod and go back to the car. I notice that Scarlett immediately puts space between us, but I don’t dwell on it.

We still have a long way to go. I’m going to take her behavior today as a sign that she’s willing to let me in, and that I have a chance to make this right.

The second we arrive home, I start to doubt my conviction. Scarlett keeps at least a few feet of space between the two of us at all times and completely avoids conversation with me as she gets Jarrod into a bath and then pajamas.

We all go to the dining room for a light dinner, and I try to engage Scarlett in conversation, but she focuses on Jarrod. Her cool attitude unsettles me even more.

After we put Jarrod to bed, my feelings are a confused mess. I loved being so close to her today. It made me realize how much I’ve missed her, and what our life could be if she lets me into her heart again.

At the same time, even though I’m frustrated by how her feelings seemed to cool after we left the fair, I know she has every right to hold back her trust.

Even if I explain everything, I had a good reason to leave—I had to protect her—but sleeping with her right before I left? I can never live that down, and I probably shouldn’t try to.

As she walks into the bedroom ahead of me, I realize I can’t go to bed without saying something. This is only our second day together, and already, unspoken sentences are piling up between us like a graveyard of words that could bury us both if we don’t deal with them.

“Scarlett?” I say softly.

“Hmm?” she turns towards me, her face blank but not exactly calm.

“We have to talk.”

“Yeah,” she agrees, her eyes widening a little. “I’d agree with that.”

“Today, at the fair, you seemed—well. You seemed happy to be with me.”

She turns to face me, even taking a step closer. “We were out in public, with your pack. The marriage has to look genuine, or the treaty won’t work.”

“Is that the only reason?”

She stares at me, and I see intense feelings flashing behind her eyes. I can’t even guess at what they are, though. All I know is that she’s on edge, almost ready to break.

Me too.

“James,” she says. “I mean, Rex—”

Hearing the name of my alias on her lips is a horrific, jarring moment for me, and I realize that the nasty shock it makes me feel must be a million times worse for her.

“Scarlett,” I say gently, moving towards her. “I’m sorry—”

“No!” she yells, pushing me away. “Don’t you fucking dare say you’re sorry! How dare you? You come at me now, wanting to be all loving and sweet, after you took everything I had and left me all alone?”

“I wanted to tell you—”

“Tell me what?” she snaps, squaring her shoulders and glaring at me. “Who the fuck are you, really? Why were you sneaking around in my pack in a fucking disguise? If all you wanted was to fuck me and disappear, I think there are easier ways of doing it.”

“Scarlett—”

“No, you answer me this right fucking now! What is your real name?”

“My real name is Rex Stanton. I was born here, in Rose Hollow.”

“So, what the fuck were you doing in Eccles, pretending to be James Drent? Why the hell did you leave me—and where did you go? Not even your own pack seems to know where you went!”

Her questions sink into me like physical blows, and I close my eyes, hardening my heart. I can’t tell her about Wolf’s Shadow and my mission. I don’t want to compromise the operation, my pack, or her and Jarrod’s safety.

There is also a righteous anger of my own rising in my chest, and it’s fueled by the images in my mind of her being with another man.

I have no right—I left her.

I don’t fucking care! I’m still jealous!

“I’ve answered one of your questions,” I say. “Now it’s your turn. Who is Jarrod’s father?”

“Excuse me?” she says, taking a little step back.

I follow, keeping our faces inches apart. “Who is his father? You must have hooked up with him not long after I left. Is he still around? Does Jarrod know who he is? What kind of family do you have? For all I know, Eccles isn’t serious about this deal, and his real father might come and claim him!”

As the words leave my mouth, I realize I’m terrified of losing the boy. It’s completely nuts, but after only a couple of days, I can’t imagine my life without him.

“Oh, don’t you dare,” Scarlett snaps. “Don’t try to make this about me. You’re the one who fucked me over. I’ve done nothing wrong!”

“Maybe not!” I shout, moving even closer to her. “But I deserve answers just as much as you do!”

“I don’t care—”

Scarlett’s temper finally peaks, and I know she’s about to yell at the top of her lungs.

I know her so well that I can see her anger crackling in her eyes, like fire is leaking through her soul to dance across her skin.

She looks incredibly beautiful, and her scent is getting stronger and stronger, engulfing me and blurring all my senses.

I don’t want her to wake Jarrod, and I don’t know what to do, so I just obey my instincts.

Not a great plan, but all I’ve got right now.

I grab her arms and yank her against my chest, pressing my lips to hers.

Every inch of my skin seems to scream with absolution as I feel her pressed up against me.

At first, she struggles a little, but then her hands grip my arms, her body bends against my chest, and she tilts her head back, opening her mouth to my kiss.

All my anger and uncertainty rush away, replaced by the intense thrill of having her in my arms again. I didn’t truly realize how much I’d missed her until this moment. I’d been keeping my own feelings at bay to protect myself, and I’d done far too good a job at it.

Now there is no denying that it isn’t just my body that wants this woman—it’s my heart and soul, too. I deepen the kiss, tightening my grip on her as I tease her lips with mine. All the pain and hard questions fade, and there is nothing except the bliss of having her with me again.

From the way Scarlett squirms against me, wrapping her body around mine, I know that she missed me, too.