Page 9

9

JAMIE

It was the first morning I’d woken up next to someone, and I actually thought they’d still be there. Before my eyes even opened, I reached out for my alpha, expecting to find warm skin covering thick muscles, but there was nothing.

Just cold sheets where he’d been the night before.

Panic quickly set into my gut, gnawing at me to accept that it was all just a fantasy in my head. Did any of it actually happen?

I began to question whether the alpha was real or just a figment of my imagination, even though there were signs of him all around the room. “He was here.” I sat up, determined to find the man who had stolen my heart and saved my life, when the door to the room swung open.

And there he was with his arms full of takeout bags and a carrier of coffee balanced on top.

“Morning.” Cameron kicked the door shut behind him and then put everything on the table before approaching me.

The smile on his face was infectious, so I smiled up at him as relief filled my body. “You’re still here?”

“Of course I am.” He leaned down and kissed me. “Figured you’d be hungry, so I got breakfast.”

My wolf whimpered, urging me to get some answers. We were both confused and afraid as I blinked back tears. “I thought you left me.” I was pathetic, but I didn’t know how to hide my emotions. Just because he did and said things in the spur of the moment during sex didn’t mean he meant it. I was probably just a job to him. A stray he was paid to track down.

“Jamie.” His tone was a low rasp, and I wasn’t sure if he was hurt or angry by that. Maybe both. “Why would you think that?”

I shrugged my shoulders and stared at the sheet gathered in my lap. I didn’t trust myself to speak, but I couldn’t sit here and wonder what it all meant. I needed to know what happened next. “I know I’m just a job to you, but you’re not just a job to me. What happened last night… Did it mean anything to you?”

He sat on the bed and pulled me onto his lap, enveloping me in his big arms as he blew hot air on my head. “It meant everything to me.” He tilted my head up and forced my gaze to meet his. “You mean everything to me. You’re my mate, and I’m not going anywhere without you.”

Relief and joy warred for dominance inside me as I collapsed against his chest. “I knew it was true. My wolf kept calling you mate, and I wanted so badly for you to feel it too.”

“I do, sweetheart.” He kissed me gently but held his lips against mine for a long moment. “You’re it for me.”

My wolf was as happy as I was when I wrapped my arms around Cameron’s neck and held on tightly. He was so solid and real against me, I truly did believe I’d always be safe with him.

“Thank you for getting breakfast.” My stomach chose that moment to growl almost as loud as my wolf. “It smells so good.”

Cameron repositioned me beside him and stood up. “The diner across the street was packed, so I took that as a good sign.”

We sat together on the bed with a variety of breakfast options spread out around us. Cameron didn’t seem bothered by my panic, but I knew the conversation wasn’t over.

I picked up a slice of bacon and took a bite. “So, what happens now? What will you tell my father?”

Cameron chewed a big bite of his egg sandwich then shrugged. “That’s up to you. You have some options, and I’ll support any one of them.”

I went still, not sure I wanted to know what kind of options he might suggest. “Like what?”

“Well, I can tell them you’re gone. That I didn’t find you.” He put his arm behind my back and held me close enough that I could feel his breath against my neck. “Or I can tell them you met your mate and aren’t coming back.”

I grinned, loving that idea. “That sounds good.”

He kissed my temple and then took a sip of his coffee. “Or I can take you back and tell them we’re fated mates. We can live there or at my place, but if you want to have a relationship with your family, that might be the only way to do it.”

I swallowed hard and thought about each of those scenarios.

Cameron was right. I did want some contact with my family, especially my little brothers. They were alphas, so I didn’t worry about them in the same way I would have worried if they were omegas. But I still loved them and wanted to have them in my life. “I’m okay with that if you are.”

“I am.” Cameron nodded and kissed me before holding a piece of bacon to my lips. “Keep eating. You burned a lot of calories over the past few days.”

There was so much I wanted to say, but I didn’t know where to start. I kissed him instead, trying to physically tell him what I couldn’t say verbally. He tasted like coffee and safety and…forever.

“You really want to live together?” I wasn’t sure if I heard that correctly or if my mind was just projecting what I wanted him to say.

Cameron stroked my hair and pressed his lips to my mouth. “You’re my mate, Jamie. I meant what I said, but if you need some time to process everything, I understand. I just don’t think my wolf or I can handle being too far away from you while you do it, so yes, I’d like to stay as close to you as possible.”

“Inside me?” I smiled up at him. “As often as possible.”

He growled and kissed me harder. I thought he was gonna push all the food aside and take me right then, but he pressed his forehead to mine and took a deep breath. “Eat first and drink lots of water. Then we can talk about me being inside you again.”

I sighed and turned back to the food, so happy we both felt the same need for each other. He was the only solid thing in my whole world, and I couldn’t imagine a single day going by without him close to me. “Can we stay here a few more days before we deal with my family?”

“Well, we kinda have to. I stopped by the garage and they need to order a new transmission. They can’t get it before Thursday, so this is kinda like our first apartment together.”

I looked around and gave a nod of approval. “Yeah, that works. Not big or fancy but definitely works for us.”

I took a bite of the pancake that had been calling out to me. Mmm, it was delicious. My wolf was also a ball of joy and relief, and for the first time since we left the pack, we were safe. “My wolf knew right away.” I stabbed another piece of pancake and popped it into my mouth. “I just didn’t know if you’d want an omega with so much baggage.”

He shook his head, like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Jamie.” He brushed his lips over mine. “Of course I want you, baggage or not. I know what I’m signing up for, and I can’t wait.”