Page 94 of Wild Games

"I can hear you overthinking," Jax says, tapping my forehead gently.

"Kitchen? I'll cook for you."

"You can cook?" I'm sceptical. In all our time together, I've only seen him eat at the pack dining hall.

"I lived alone for years before Dean dragged me back here. I can manage basic breakfast without poisoning us." He pauses, suddenly uncertain. "If you want. We could brave the dining hall instead…"

No. I want Jax all to myself.

"Kitchen." I decide quickly. "Definitely kitchen."

We dress slowly, hunting for clothes that got scattered in our desperation last night. My shirt is nowhere to be found, so I steal one of his, rolling up the sleeves. The way his eyes darken when he sees me in his clothes sends heat pooling low in my belly.

"Don't look at me like that." I warn. "I need food before round... What are we on now? Four?"

"Five," he corrects with a wolfish grin. "But who's counting?"

The kitchen is mercifully empty when we emerge from the basement. Through the doorway, we can hear the chaos of the dining hall—laughter, conversations in multiple languages, the clatter of dishes. But in here, it's just us.

Jax moves around the familiar space with easy confidence, starting coffee first, which is badly needed, before pulling eggs, bacon, and bread from the fridge.

I hop up on the counter to watch, swinging my legs.

"This is weird." I observe as he cracks eggs into a pan.

"Which part?"

"All of it. The fact that we're about to leave everything behind." I pause, studying him through our connection. "Are you okay with that?"

He considers it while flipping bacon with surprising skill. Through the bond, I feel the complex swirl of his emotions—sadness at leaving Dean and the pack, excitement about the future, and underneath it all, a deep relief that surprises me.

"I'll miss Dean," he says finally. "Jamie, the wolves I've treated. But this place..." He gestures around the kitchen, but I know he means more than that. "There are too many ghosts here. Too many memories of my parents, of what I was before. Maybe starting fresh somewhere new is exactly what I need."

"What about me?" I ask quietly. "What do I do? My whole career is here, my life?—"

He turns off the stove and moves between my legs, hands settling on my thighs. "What do you want to do? I won't ask you to give up everything for me."

"I want to go with you." The words come without thought, straight from my heart. "To Kain's pack. I'll talk to Zane about shifting my role, maybe something with less travel. We'll make it work."

The joy that floods through our bond nearly takes my breath away. He cups my face, thumbs stroking my cheekbones. "You'd do that? Change everything?"

"Jax, I'd follow you anywhere." I lean into his touch. "Besides, I want to see what this beta role looks like for you. A fresh start sounds good for both of us. New pack, new opportunities..."

"New life," he finishes softly.

He kisses me then, deep and thorough, and I forget about breakfast entirely.

I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him closer, and his hands tangle in my hair as I feel his desire spike to match mine.

"You definitely need to get that under control before you join my pack."

We spring apart like guilty teenagers when we find Kain leaning in the doorway, looking deeply amused. Heat floods my face, but Jax just grins, unrepentant.

"Morning, Kain. Want some eggs?"

"Already ate." Kain moves into the kitchen, his presence immediately shifting the atmosphere from intimate to businesslike. "Came to talk timeline. When can you be ready?"

Jax glances at me, then back to Kain. "A few days? I need to help Dean with cleanup here, say some proper goodbyes and get packed."