Page 93 of The Tracker's Revenge

“Not that I’d blame him.” Jake’s clear eyes met mine again, a wealth of emotion inside them. “It’s ironic, isn’t it?”

I cocked my head to one side, unsure what he meant.

“Allison... she’s also in love with someone else. Four people’s lives will be ruined if we can’t figure out a way to break the pact. I’ve gone through all those books, and I’ve found nothing.”

“All of them?!”

He nodded.

How?!He must’ve gotten absolutely no sleep in order to do that. I’d barely perused a few, and he’d had his grandfather’s funeral to worry about.

“I think I would rather die than marry her,” he said in a barely audible whisper.

I shook my head. “Don’t say that. We’ll find a way.”

He lowered his head, a muscle jumping in his jaw as he clenched his teeth. Anger radiated off of him like heat.

“What’s the matter?” I asked.

“It’s Allison’s father. He wants to move up the wedding.”

“What?! Why?!”

“He says the unrest doesn’t bode well for any packs that are considered weak. He’s not wrong.”

“Gah!” I clenched my head between my hands as if I could somehow eject all the bad things that, lately, seemed to plague my every waking hour, my dreams, and certainly my nightmares.

“I’m sorry, Toni. I’ve been such a fool for so long. So misguided in my attempts to do what’s right. I thought I should honor my father, my family, and didn’t realize that by accepting this pact, I was doing exactly the opposite. My father never meant for me to be unhappy. Yes, he wanted me to continue the legacy, but I’m sure he never meant for any of this. I could blame Walter. He lived through the prime of the Knight pack. It was on top when he was a young alpha, and he enjoyed a lot of power and prestige. He and his father are responsible for amassing the large Knight fortune. When my father showed no interest in upholding the legacy and chose to marry for love and not pack, Walter was very disappointed. They didn’t see eye to eye until my brother showed signs of great leadership. He had all the qualities my father didn’t. He was Walter’s perfect candidate to take his place.”

Jake’s shoulders sank a couple of inches as if weighed down by sadness. “Then Neil disappeared and everything came crumbling down. My father, my mother, the entire Knight legacy. After that, I don’t know, I just... lost sight of what really mattered.”

“You don’t have to explain yourself anymore, Jake. I understand.”

And I did. I’d made my own share of mistakes—not least of all moving in with him right after high school. It didn’t matter that we’d been crazy about each other. It didn’t matter that I hadn’t been able to picture a future without him. What had mattered was that we’d been too young to make those types of decisions.

If I’d listened to my mother, if I’d gone to college instead of playing house with him, he might have stayed. He might’ve never left to go to New Orleans. Moving in together made him feel pressured, torn between his responsibilities and his feelings. We had rushed into things when what we’d needed was time to grow up, to get to know ourselves as individuals. Not as “us”, but as a separate Toni and separate Jake.

The almost two years we’d spent apart had given us some of that. Even if Jake had still needed a little extra time to find his path, a path that led tohishappiness, not Walter’s or anyone else’s. Only his.

“Whatever happens,” he said, turning to me with the most serious expression I’d ever seen on his face, “you should know that it is you I want. It is you who has my heart. It’s always been you. Since the day I saw you at that party, I never wanted anyone else. Even then, I knew deep in my bones that you were the one for me. I love you, Toni.”

He pressed his forehead to mine and caressed my cheek, running his thumb back and forth. His gaze dove deep into mine as if he meant to fall straight into my very soul. Slowly, he leaned closer to kiss me.

His chest rumbled, making me shiver. “My love. My reason for being. My m—”

Blaze made his presence known again.

“Damn cat,” Jake growled.

I, myself, was on the verge of agreeing with Jake when I noticed that the cat was sitting on top of something.

I frowned. “What is that?”

Jake blinked and looked down. “It’s... a book.”

“Where did it come from?”

“One of Eric’s books,” Jake added as he took a closer look.