Page 33 of Midnight Bond (Wolves of Midnight #5)

I tried one last time, one last ditch effort to make him see me before he plowed me over like a stalk of corn.

ONYX!

He froze, and I held my breath, hoping, praying.

After a long moment, his gaze wavered, then slowly dropped to me.

Faced with the full might of those intense eyes for the first time ever, I shoved down the need to cower.

He was utterly terrifying, no doubt about it.

But the longer I looked at him, at the confusion and desperation in his piercing gaze, all I saw was an oversized puppy in pain.

“Mate,” I said in hushed tones, out loud this time. “Mate is safe.”

He stared at me for the longest time, so long that I didn’t think he understood me. Then a low whine left him. It was so sad, so pitiful that my heart instantly melted.

“Mate is here. Mate is safe,” I whispered to him, taking a small step forward.

He tracked the movement, his body eerily still as he watched me approach.

I took another step, then another, trusting that he wouldn’t hurt me.

He might be feral, but even wild animals possessed a strong instinct to protect their mate.

When I was finally standing in front of him, my head tipped back to maintain eye contact, I threw caution to the wind and reached out to touch him.

His fur was stiff with blood and sweat, but that didn’t stop me from stroking my hand down his arm.

I did it again and again. On the fourth time, another low whine left him.

“Mate,” he said in that deep guttural voice of his.

“Mate,” I confirmed.

He violently shuddered, then stepped forward and folded me into his massive arms. As his body curled over mine protectively, he wedged himself into a corner and hunkered down, holding me against him.

“It’s okay,” I soothed every time he released a whimper, running my fingers through his matted fur. “Mate is safe.”

He lowered his big head to gently lick my cheek where Beady Eyes had backhanded me, and I felt approval warm our bond. Jagger’s approval.

Tell Onyx to shift, he spoke into my mind, his rage from earlier nowhere to be found. Tell him I need to hold my mate.

Tears pricked my eyes, the need to be held by him making my exhausted body ache even more. You think he’ll listen to me? I asked, speaking to Jagger through our bond for the first time. It felt like breathing, like the most natural thing in the world.

You just talked him down from a blind rage. You treated him like a scared pup instead of a dangerous beast, Jagger replied, pride evident in his tone. I think he’ll do whatever you ask him to.

A tear rolled down my cheek and dampened Onyx’s fur, the full extent of what I’d just done hitting me. I’d reasoned with the feral creature who couldn’t be tamed. Me. I wasn’t a powerful hybrid or even an alpha, and yet he’d listened to me. He’d trusted me despite his pain, terror, and confusion.

The wolf in me puffed out her chest a little, pleased that a mighty beast such as Onyx had submitted to us. We both recognized the significance of that, and I felt even closer to my wolf in that moment, not to mention Onyx.

“You did so good, Onyx,” I praised him softly.

“You fought hard, and I’m safe now because of you.

” It was true for the moment, but I knew even he was aware of how dire our situation was.

Still, it felt right to reassure him before asking him to relinquish control.

Continuing to speak in hushed tones, I added, “But it’s time to shift back now. My mate needs to hold me.”

Not a request. A command. But respectively given.

He made a chuffing noise and nuzzled my neck before rumbling in my mind, Kind mate. Lovely mate.

Despite my pain and exhaustion, a faint smile twitched my lips.

With one final lick to the spot where Jagger had claimed me, Onyx allowed the shift to take over.

His bones cracked, and his fur receded, transforming his beastly body into that of a man.

The second Jagger was back in control, he wrapped me up impossibly tight, holding me closer than he ever had before.

I melted into him, needing the contact as much as he did.

It was still hard to believe that only a few short weeks ago, we’d been so distant toward each other that I didn’t think it possible for us to experience this kind of closeness.

According to everyone who knew him, Jagger Montgomery didn’t do hugs, yet here he was, squeezing me to him like his life depended on it.

Suddenly feeling guilty, I whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

“For what?” he murmured against my hair, his breath warming my scalp.

“For getting us into this mess. If I’d been stronger, none of this would have happened.”

His chest rose and fell as he heaved out a sigh.

“You’re not to blame for any of this, Brielle.

If anyone’s responsible, it’s me. I shouldn’t have kept our soulmate bond a secret from you.

I should have told you the truth about who I was and let you make your own decisions.

Instead of protecting you, I left you vulnerable to attack.

I was a fool to believe that rejecting our bond would keep you safe, and you have no idea how sorry I am for that. ”

But I did know. I could feel how sorry he was, and the shame he felt just about broke my heart.

Not wanting him to feel like that anymore, I pressed a kiss to his heart and whispered, “I forgive you, Jagger.”

His chest sharply rose and fell as he heaved another sigh, this one filled with so much relief that I felt it all the way to my toes. As the shame faded away, he gruffly whispered back, “I love you.”

I blinked, certain I’d heard him wrong. “You love me?”

“Yes. So desperately that I can no longer exist without you.”

Tears of joy sprang to my eyes. Just like that, the cage imprisoning us melted away. It was just him and me, two bonded souls locked in a heartfelt embrace, sharing an infinitely precious moment. Allowing my tears to fall, I responded without an ounce of doubt or hesitation, “I love you, too.”