"—because I LOVE YOU!?"
Julian's words rang out in the clearing, and I felt a flush creep up from my feet to my face. I'd never run from a battle, no matter how dangerous or how badly the odds were stacked in my favor, but I suddenly wanted nothing more than to turn on my heel and run for the hills. Julian's admission hit me harder than any blow I'd ever taken, and I had no idea how to process it. My wolf was howling with excitement inside me, but the human half of me was frozen.
There was a murmur of voices around us, and I suddenly became aware of the dozens of eyes on us. "I, uh," I started but stopped when I realized I had no idea what I was going to say.
Julian opened his mouth, probably to apologize for his outburst, but instead turned to glare at the group of wolves from the Red Canines. "Don't you all have something else to do?" he growled.
I took advantage of the distraction to duck out of Julian's arms and head toward the house. Of course, it was pointless because he grabbed me immediately and pulled me close so he could speak into my ear. His voice was low and desperate when he spoke. "Please don't run from me again."
His words hit me in the gut, and I knew that he wasn't just talking about physically. He was talking about our bond—about my stubborn refusal to admit what I felt for him, and the way I ran away every time things got too intimate between us. I'd tried to tell myself it was for my own good—that I was protecting myself by being tough and pretending that I didn't want him or need him, but it was all a lie.
"I'm not running," I said, turning to face him.
"Then prove it." His hazel eyes were blazing, and I could see the frustration in his handsome face. He reached out to touch me, and despite my reservations, I swayed into his touch. Carefully, as if he was afraid to break me, Julian slanted his lips over mine, kissing me sweetly.
My resolve melted away, and I gave in, wrapping my arm around his neck. As we kissed, tears came to my eyes, and I laughed through them, thinking about how crazy this whole situation was. The bad-boy wolf who'd mocked my ideals, who drove me insane, had confessed his love for me. And I loved him right back.
"I'm sorry," I whispered when we broke apart. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. That I hid the pregnancy."
"We'll talk about that later," he said, brushing a tear off my cheek with his thumb. "I know you had your reasons."
I nodded, unable to say anything else. Julian released me, and I stepped back. We stared at each other for a long moment, the silence stretching between us.
He reached out and took my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I love you, Whitney. I don't know how we're going to make this work, but we will. Together."
My heart thudded in my chest, and I nodded again, not trusting myself to speak. When I finally managed to find words again, they came out as more of a squeak than anything else. "I love you too."
He smiled then—the first genuine smile I'd ever seen from him—and the effect was dazzling. My breath caught in my throat, and I had to remind myself that he was still Julian, the same man who infuriated me and pushed all my buttons. No matter how handsome he looked when he smiled, I couldn't let him walk all over me.
I swallowed hard and took a deep breath, trying to settle myself. "This doesn't change anything, though. Not really. I'm not going to be part of some degenerate, drug-dealing pack. We're going to talk about this, and it's going to be an honest discussion. Not just you telling me what we're going to do."
Julian's smile grew even wider, and he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me tight against him. His lips were at my ear, and his voice was low and rough when he said, "Fine. But I won't apologize for being an asshole and not treating you like a delicate princess. I know you're strong enough to handle it."
"You think?" I grumbled.
He chuckled, but before he could say anything else, a familiar voice called out, "Okay, seriously, you two need to stop making goo-goo eyes at each other before I puke."
I stepped back from Julian just in time to see Laura coming up to us. Her hair was a mess, and she had blood all over her clothes and face, but she was smiling ear to ear. She stopped beside us and glanced between us.
"So this is really a thing?" she asked, pointing to me and Julian. "Because if so, you're going to have to deal with that," she said, nodding in Danny's direction.
I turned to look where she was pointing and saw Danny and the rest of his pack gathered together a few hundred feet away, watching us. The tension in the air was palpable, even from that distance. "Oh boy."
Danny had every reason to want to kill Julian, and considering my personal feelings for my mate, I couldn't let him do that. Julian wasn't a bad man—at least not anymore.
"He only wants Julian," Laura clarified. "We're supposed to give them some space, apparently. And no more interruptions."
"Yeah, I don't think that's going to happen," I said, walking past her and heading toward Danny.
I heard Julian call my name, but I ignored him, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. The distance between me and Danny was closing, and I could feel his gaze on me. He was angry, that much was obvious, and I knew he wouldn't hesitate to kill Julian if he thought he could get away with it.
I stopped ten feet away from Danny, looking up into his dark eyes. They were like a mirror, reflecting his anger back at me. He was covered in blood, just like everyone else, but unlike the others, his blood was only from demons.
"How's Naomi?" I asked, trying to break the tension.
"Don't try to change the subject," he snapped, crossing his arms. "If he can't stand still and talk to me like a man, I'm going to kill him."
"No, you're not," I said, glaring right back at him. "You're going to talk to him like a civilized person, or at least as civilized as two Alphas can be."
Danny frowned, and I could practically see him debating whether or not he could actually kill Julian and get away with it.
I reached out and poked him hard in the chest. "I know what you're thinking, and the answer is no. No murdering of my mate."
He looked down at where my finger was jabbing into him but didn't move a muscle. "You're really going to claim that low life as your mate, huh? And here I thought you were smarter than that."
"I'm not looking for your approval or anyone else's. Swear to me that Julian will come back to me in one piece after your little chat. If not…well, all I can say is that I'm not an enemy you want to make."
Danny's eyebrows raised. "Oh really? You think you could take me on?"
I grinned. "Not one-on-one, but I've got one hell of a team. Especially that one." I nodded toward Laura.
"She has a mean swing," he agreed, letting his arms fall to his sides.
"So…are we good? Or are you going to go all cave-wolf on me?"
"We're good." Danny sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I still can't believe you're with Julian. It's so…not like you. I know we don't know each other well, but Naomi talks about you all the time. You're some demon-hunting folk hero in her pack.“
"People change," I replied.
"They do," Danny agreed, but there was a note of uncertainty in his voice. "I hope you two will be happy."
"Thanks. I appreciate that."
With that, I turned on my heel and went to find my mate. It was time for him to really speak to Danny, and I hoped at the end of it, there would be the hope for peace—if not now, in the future at least.