Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
AVA
My phone buzzes in my hand as I push open the back door, stepping out into the cool early morning air. The name on the screen doesn’t make me cringe this time.
It’s a good thing Steve’s calling. Time for closure.
I swipe to answer, bracing myself. “Yes?”
“What the hell, Ava?” Steve’s voice is shrill, indignant. “Some asshole claiming to be your brother’s friend just showed up at our place and started packing up my stuff! You can’t just kick me out like this!”
“Our place?” I scoff, pacing the cracked asphalt of the parking lot. Harleys and Indians gleam under the sunlight. “That’s rich, considering you don’t pay rent. I’m done, Steve. I’m breaking the lease today.”
“Come on babe, don’t be like that,” he wheedles. I can practically see his smarmy grin through the phone. “Those women were a mistake. You can’t just kick me like this. We’re good together. You’ll never find someone better than me and you know it.”
Anger flares hot in my chest. “Newsflash, asshole—I already found someone. Someone who actually respects me and treats me right. All I had to do was get the hell away from you and your toxic bullshit. It’s called self-respect. You should try it sometime.”
“Whatever,” Steve spits. “You’ll come crawling back, just watch. No one else is gonna want a psycho bitch like you.”
“Fuck you very much. Goodbye, Steve.” I stab the End Call button with a vicious swipe, resisting the urge to chuck my phone across the lot. For good measure, I block his number, too.
I take a deep, cleansing breath, squaring my shoulders. A smile tugs at my lips. Damn, that felt good. About damn time, too.
“Hey.” A quiet voice behind me, sending tingles down my spine. I turn to see Dante emerging from the bar, one muscular shoulder wrapped in a bulky bandage. Even injured, he moves with a predatory grace that makes my pulse skip.
“Hey yourself.” I drink in the sight of him—the sharp angles of his jaw, the intensity smoldering in those green eyes. “How’s the shoulder?”
He shrugs, unfazed. “I’ll heal. Perks of being a shifter.” He steps closer, his woodsy scent enveloping me. “Listen, Ava... I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. About you being my mate. I just?—”
I press a finger to his lips, hushing him. “It’s okay. I get it. I mean, I probably would’ve freaked the hell out if you’d led with ‘hey, you’re my eternal soulmate, let’s make little wolf pups.’ Not exactly first date material.”
A rare smile quirks his mouth. He catches my hand, pressing a kiss to my palm that sends heat zinging through me. “I love you, Ava. I’m not... I’m not a good man. But I want to be for you. I’ll do anything to keep you safe, to make you happy.”
Tears prick my eyes. I cup his face in my hands, stroking my thumbs over his cheekbones. “I love you too. And I don’t need you to be perfect. I just need you to be you. Fangs, fur, and all. I’m in this fight right beside you, come what may.”
Dante’s arms wrap around me, hauling me against the hard plane of his chest. His mouth claims mine in a searing kiss that rocks me to my toes. I cling to him, twining my arms around his neck as I open for his tongue.
He tastes like all my dreams coming true.
A loud, dramatic gagging noise breaks the moment. Something pokes my face. I pull back, my attention snapping that way.
Archer pokes our faces like the overgrown toddler he is. “Ugh, get a room, you two.”
Dante and I break apart, laughing. I flip Archer the bird. He just smirks.
“You sure you’re okay with this?” Dante asks him, one arm still slung around my waist. “Me and Ava?”
Archer shrugs, an easy grin lighting up his face. “Hey, if it means she’s sticking around, I’m good. Operation Keep Ava in Town is a go.”
I groan at his cheesy thumbs up, but I can’t stop my own goofy smile. Archer takes my side as I raise my gaze to the sky.
Just as the sun comes up.