Chapter 29
Silas
It’s been two days since Junie and I bonded. It’s also been two days of fucking non-stop, and I’ve had to teach Junie really quickly how to close off her mind. After she accidentally sent her dirty talk to Jake, Fran, oh, and Mauve, it was necessary.
Now, we sit on my front porch, with Cooper at our legs.
“Fran is going to take Coop?” Junie asks.
“Yeah, for a little,” I say. “It’ll be easier.”
“Easier?” She stops petting Cooper and looks my way.
I take a sip of my beer, trying to look unfazed. I’ve practiced this for the past hour, repeating it to myself over and over. Was I making the right decision? Would she be mad at me? Is it what she wants? So many different scenarios I didn’t have the answer to.
“Yeah. Easier. Starview is a little far of a drive.”
“Starview?” Junie asks. “Why Starview? Silas…”
“Well,” I take another sip of my beer. I only ever get nervous around Junie. “After we meet with the realtor, I’m sure there will be a house we like.”
“A house?”
I glance her way. “Are you going to repeat everything I say?”
“I don’t understand. I thought you would want to—”
“Stay here?” I ask.
Junie nods and takes a drink of her own liquid courage, I suppose.
“You’re my home, Junie. Home for you is Starview.” I shrug. “Seems simple to me.”
“But the packs—”
“The packs will still be here, my love.”
Junie tucks her bottom lip under her teeth. “Isn’t this a little… I don’t know… insane?”
I lift my brows. “Because we’ve known each other for…” I lift my hand, counting the days. “Seven days? Or because you’re worried what Ophelia will say? You’re kind of stuck with me.”
“I know what Ophelia will say.” Junie sets her beer down on the table and hugs her jacket close to her chest. “She will be happy, because that’s who she is. But she will be concerned because you’re a shifter.”
I open my mouth to interject, but she holds up a hand.
“And, you’re not just any shifter, Silas.”
“Damn right.” I wink.
She rolls her eyes. “She’s going to have a lot of questions, and I don’t know if I’ll have all the answers. I have questions too. When do I become the Luna?”
I tilt my head. “What do you mean? You already are?”
“What? W-when?” Junie stammers.
“When we bonded. It’s why you can talk to everyone else, if you choose.”
“Oh.” She looks at Cooper, but I can still see a small smile on her face.
“And we can chat through options for the pack run next month.”
Junie nods.
Since she’s human, she won’t be able to shift, but she still has to run with the pack for our first run together.
If she wanted to ride me, we’d have to ensure she wouldn’t be at risk of falling off.
Otherwise, she can take a quad. She can lead the entire pack.
I don’t care. As long as she’s there by my side, that’s all I need.
We sit in silence, looking out at the cabins, watching the snow fall. Jake is rescuing her car right now, then we will head into Starview together. We will come back here after, but she needs to check in with her family and let them know she’s still safe after being no-contact for a week.
“It’s weird how much life can change in such a short amount of time.” Junie’s voice breaks the silence, and when I look at her, she’s already looking at me.
“You’re meaning to tell me you didn’t think you’d get fucked by an Alpha were?” I hold out my hand toward her, needing to touch her.
“You’re such an asshole. I’m trying to be sweet.” Junie fakes a pout, but places a hand in mine.
I chuckle, then pull her toward me. She stands from her chair, then slumps in my lap, wrapping an arm around my neck.
“I never expected to fall in love with a human.” I shrug.
Junie giggles. “I don’t know why. Humans are clearly incredible. We can cook, bake, and have incredible flexibility—”
“Get stuck in snowstorms, have no sense of awareness in dangerous forests, reckless with their feelings…”
I grip Junie’s chin and bring her mouth to mine, relishing in the feel of her soft lips on mine. This will never get old.
“Such an asshole,” Junie whispers.
“Such a brat.” I bite her lower lip and pull away, loving her reaction when she moans and closes her eyes.
I move my mouth to her jaw, desperately wishing she was wearing way less clothing.
“Need. You. Now,” I grumble.
“We have to leave in an hour, Silas.” Junie tries to keep her voice even, but fails miserably.
“How many times can you come in an hour? Twice? Three times? More? Maybe we should test it out? Hm?”
I unzip her jacket a few inches so I can slide it partly off her shoulder. I want to kiss her everywhere.
“People can see,” Junie chastises, but doesn’t move to get up.
I kiss her one last time before I growl and stand up, holding on to Junie.
“No one will see you as I do. You’re mine.”
I’m halfway through the door when Junie yells, “Wait! What about Cooper?”
“I called Fran. She’s on her way to get him. Stop talking, let me kiss you.”
She giggles as my mouth meets hers.
This is what I was missing.
My heart felt complete before, and the pack was always my family, but Junie is my home. Fate knew what it was doing when it put us together.
And now? Now we aren’t just mated for the holiday, for a short week full of lust to get it out of our systems. No, this is different than that.
We are mated for forever.