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Jacob’s mother managed to schedule time with Dr. Butler the next day. When Jacob said she did nothing in half measures, I hadn’t realized how true that was. Then again, she carried the same cool professionalism I’d seen during the Council meeting.

The dean was almost comically apologetic—a complete one-eighty from how he’d treated me before. He insisted there must’ve been a misunderstanding during our previous discussion. For a moment, I’d been curious about his demeanor, but the pleasant, almost bored look on Jennifer’s face told me everything I needed to know. Somehow, she’d gone over his head, and his boss likely demanded that all of this get swept under the rug.

At least, that was my assumption.

We could take our final exams and register for our spring semester classes, which was an enormous relief. If any professors gave us trouble, we were told to contact him directly. The make-up finals would need to be completed soon. Not ideal, but I believed in us. We’d get through this.

Once we stepped out of Dr. Butler’s office, the relief I’d been holding in broke free. A grin tugged at my lips, and when I glanced over at Jacob, his smile mirrored mine. Maybe his grin was just because I was happy. It didn’t matter, not one bit.

He took a step toward me, but something about his demeanor seemed off. Or more accurately… seemed mischievous. He lunged, and I gasped, flinging my arms around his neck as he swept me up and spun us in a circle.

“Jacob!” I let out a small yelp of laughter and clung tight. “What are you doing?”

“Mmm… Just celebrating with my beautiful girlfriend.” A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, and his gaze dipped to take in the heat spreading from my neck to my cheeks. He set me down, letting my body drift over his. Thank goodness I wasn’t wearing a skirt as I’d originally planned. “What do you think?”

“Well, all I know is your mom’s a saint.” Maybe that was an exaggeration, but I didn’t care. She saved my dreams from crashing and burning. I beamed up at him.

He chuckled and lifted an eyebrow. “I bet she’d love to hear that.”

We turned toward Jennifer and Dr. Butler as they spoke in the doorway of his office. Their voices were low, but I caught the words ‘large donation.’ Jacob sighed beside me. Money made the world go ‘round. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I even cared. We could resume our studies. That was the most important thing here… and our life together.

I brushed my fingertips over Jacob’s cheek, drawing his attention back to me. “Is everything okay?” I glanced back at them before eyeing my boyfriend. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, babe. Absolutely nothing.” A sexy smirk slid across his lips. “Although, I believe we should plan some study time for our make-up finals. I don’t know about you, but I can’t even remember what we learned this past semester.” He tilted his head to one side. “My bed would be the best location.” My eyes widened, then I grinned. “Big enough for all our textbooks, you know, and if we need a break, well…”

My eyebrows rose, and I was more than a little enraptured by the idea of study breaks. Finally, I’d get to experience what I’d missed the night we’d made a terrible mistake. “You might be right. Good thing my backpack is at your place. We won’t need to run by my apartment to pick it up.”

The moment I said those words, it reminded me that I wouldn’t be able to stay at Jacob’s forever. Eventually, I’d have to rebuild my own life. He might eventually miss having his own space.

“Exactly. Besides, some of my supplies aren’t in great condition.” He’d told me his car had been totaled, then the mercenaries tried to destroy it, along with most of his belongings. His backpack was charred, but at least we’d survived. Maybe living together was helpful for both of us. Sharing my car and all… “Hey.” He cupped my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “You okay?”

“Oh, um… Yeah, I’m fine.” My gaze dipped to his polo shirt. I’d never seen him in anything so polished. “I’m always happy to share with you.” My fingers trailed over his collar, savoring this moment together.

“Speaking of that…” He furrowed his brow, as if he wasn’t sure how to continue.

Oh no… Last night felt like a total reconnection and reclaiming after what happened with the Pack. We were in love. I knew that to be true, but maybe he needed his independence back. Was he having trouble putting that sentiment into words? How should I even react?

Don’t get pissed. Keep your cool.

It made some sense. Maybe the danger had passed, but that didn’t feel quite right. Not after seeing the Alpha’s face as he read from the research. Still, I was stronger now. Jennifer had arranged for me to learn from one of the Pack’s best teachers to help me master my new abilities. It’d take more for the mercenaries to capture me again.

Granted, they’d overcome Jacob’s strength with their tranquilizers. Maybe I shouldn’t be quite so cocky yet.

“Yes…?” My brows knitted together, feeling a wave of panic roll through me at his extended silence. “What is it, baby?”

He opened his mouth before closing it again. His hands rested on my shoulders, and he cleared his throat. I’d never seen him struggle with his words like this. He drew in a breath, then released it. “Move in with me, Kelly. Permanently.” The words flew from his mouth so fast it took a moment for them to make sense.

I blinked at him. “W-what?” All logic fled my brain. From the corner of my eye, I saw Jennifer turn in our direction with a surprised look on her face. At least that made two of us.

This relationship meant so much to me. I couldn’t believe my dreams were coming true. The thought of not having Jacob by my side was more than I could bear. I’d gladly give up my apartment to be with him.

“Earth to Kelly?” Jacob frowned at me, waving a hand in my face. “Is that a no?”

“N-no! I mean…” I squeezed my eyes shut, needing to focus hard on pushing the words from my lips. My fingers fisted in his shirt. “Yes. Of course, I want to move in with you. But…” I looked up at him, and my lower lip trembled. “Are you sure? This isn’t too much? Too fast? I mean?—”

“It’s not too fast.” He rested his hand on my shoulder. “This is the right step. I want to share my days and nights with you. Let me pamper you. You mean the world to me, Kelly.”

I placed my shaking hands over his. Tears ran down my cheeks. “I feel the same way, Jacob. I love you.”

He leaned his forehead against mine, and we stared into one another’s eyes. “I love you too, babe.”

A soft sniffle from the secretary’s desk pulled my attention. Miss Denise dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a tissue. “Sorry for interrupting. That’s the sweetest thing I’ve seen in so long, especially between people your age.” She waved the tissue in our direction. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll take my break now.” With another sniff, she stepped away from the desk and rounded a corner.

A grin tugged at Jacob’s lips. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Good idea.” I stared in the direction where Miss Denise had disappeared. It hadn’t occurred to me we’d have an audience. Somewhere nearby, someone blew their nose in the distance. I glanced up at him with a giggle. “Let’s grab something for lunch on the way home. I think cooking might be out of the question, especially with how ridiculously thrilled I’m feeling now.”

“Hmm… That sounds promising. I’ll have to make sure you remain in a great mood.” He waved to his mom, and I followed suit, deeply grateful to her.

After we left the university, we skipped getting food since we had much to celebrate, and both of us knew exactly how we wanted to do that—by curling up in Jacob’s bed and making love all night long. Only when our stomachs began rumbling did we tear ourselves away from each other long enough to have some Chinese food delivered.

Whatever came next, I was ready to face it with Jacob by my side.

* * *

Looking for more sexy werewolves and vampires …