25. Morgan #2
Jet leaves as soon as he starts the engine, but the rest of us watch until Grey drives out through the gates and out of sight.
“What does that mean for us?” My voice catches on the last word. It’s still weird referring to the pack, the club, as us . I didn’t earn my place among them, not that any of them treat me like that, and I feel like... I don’t know how to explain it.
I’m also not particularly good at shielding my emotions, not from Lynx anyway, and his head snaps around, tilting at whatever he can sense.
Taking my hand, he leads me away from the others until we’re at the clearing with the huge tree. “You belong,” he says softly. “With me. The pack. The club.”
“Do I?” I blurt out and hurt flares in his eyes.
Fuck . I pull him close and wrap my arms around his neck.
His scent floods my lungs, settling that nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“With you? Yes,” I concede, because with the ever-present warmth of our connection within me, I can’t dispute that.
“But with everyone else?” I shake my head. “I’m not so sure.”
Lynx cups my jaw and tilts my head back until I’m looking at him.
“We were all strays at one point. Either escapees from the ring or other situations that left us alone. Your father was tortured into giving up your house, leaving you homeless. Then you were turned into a shifter against your will, kidnapped, and forced to fight in the ring against the same fucking man who started it all.” He strokes my face, expression softening to something so tender my heart stutters.
“I’d say you belong here as much, if not more than any of us. ”
When he puts it like that . . .
“Thank you,” I whisper, then kiss him.
His mouth opens under mine at the same time as a surge of heat hits me behind my ribs. My breath hitches and Lynx chuckles between kisses. “That never gets old, does it?”
“No.” I hope it never does.
He nudges me back against the tree, deepening the kiss and sliding his thigh between mine. It’s easy between us, effortless. I’ve given up wondering if we’d have ever done this if I hadn’t been turned into a shifter, because it doesn’t matter. I am one, and Lynx Harper is my soulmate.
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
My phone chimes before we get too carried away, and Lynx pulls back enough for me to check the screen. There are only a few people who’d be texting me.
Ash: Hey, any idea when you’re coming home yet? I miss your face.
I tilt the screen so Lynx can read it.
“You’re going to have to deal with that sooner or later.”
“I know.” I’ve put it off for the past couple of weeks. Ash thinks I’m away anyway, so what does it matter? Yeah, I feel guilty every time I think it. So much has changed in my life and he doesn’t know any of it. Fuck . “I need to tell him.”
Lynx raises an eyebrow. “You sure?”
“He’s like my brother. We’ve never had secrets.” I suck in a shaky breath. “I’d rather not start now.”
“What about your dad?”
We’ve exchanged a few messages over the past week. I never told him about Fox. I have no proof that he was involved with torturing and drugging my dad, and I don’t want to remind him of something he’d rather forget.
I also don’t want to tell him that I’m not exactly human anymore. “No. I think this is a secret he’d want me to keep.”
But Ash? I can’t not tell him.
“So, you want to tell Ash, then.”
“You sure that’s okay? That I’m allowed to?”
“As long as you’re aware of the risks. By telling him, you’re involving him in our world and all the danger that comes with it. Maybe think about that before you take that step.”
If it were me in Ash’s shoes, I’d want to know. I’d be fucking gutted if I found out and he hadn’t told me. I pull out my phone.
Morgan: Tomorrow, actually. Can you swing by the compound in the afternoon so we can catch up?
He doesn’t reply straight away, and it takes me a second to realise my mistake.
Ash: The compound? What the fuck for?
Shit.
Morgan: I’ll explain everything when you get here. Promise
Ash: Everything’s ok, right?
Morgan: Yeah. Everything’s perfect. Can you just come here?
Ash: Fine. But you’ve got some serious fucking explaining to do
Morgan: Noted
I glance up at Lynx as I slide my phone away. “He’s coming here tomorrow.”
Lynx raises an eyebrow. “Bet that went down well.”
“Yeah.” I sigh. “So much has happened over the past few weeks, being here seems normal to me now. I forgot that Ash doesn’t know any of it. Of course he’s going to wonder what the fuck’s going on.”
He reaches for my hand. “The two of you have got a lot to talk about.”
I bite my lip and he tugs me close. “He’s going to be so pissed off when he finds out the truth.”
“You can’t blame him.”
“I know. But can’t say I’m looking forward to it, either.” Ash is my brother in everything but blood. The thought of hurting his feelings makes me feel sick.
“Hey.” Lynx cups my jaw and tilts my chin up. “He’ll understand. It might take a while to get his head around everything, but you love each other, right?”
I nod. “We’re family.”
“Then it’ll be okay.”
I really fucking hope he’s right.