The Alpha Men's Secret Club 5(27)

He decided he wasn’t helping her after a week, and he asked, “Would you like to talk to another psychologist?”

“Yes,” she said gratefully. “It’s not that I don’t love you – ”

“I know. I understand. I’m too close to the problem.” He gazed at her sadly. “I am the problem. If you hadn’t known me, then none of this would have happened to you.”

“No,” she said with force. “Don’t ever say that. If there’s one thing I never regretted, it’s knowing and loving you. I wouldn’t have lived my life any other way.”

They were in a safe house in a safe location, guarded twenty-four seven by FBI agents. They hadn’t seen Alyssa in a long time. Her job was in New York, rounding up the shifter suspects. She was keeping her promise to Rust.

At the same time, Rust was booked up for every show and interview in the universe, it seemed. Larry King. Leno. Letterman. Ellen. Jimmy Kimmel. Oprah. Authors were lining up, wanting to write his life story. Historians wanted to study his shifter lore.

Rita Cunningham had started a publicity arm and she self-appointed herself to be in charge of Rust’s appearances.

“Fancy that,” Rust remarked. “I actually have a publicist. I’m becoming someone I never thought I’d be in a million years.”

It was not easy to prosecute Aaron Mitchell and the Shifter Council members, but Rust already knew that. There was no evidence, for one, that they were connected to the murders. Nevertheless, that was not what Rust intended. He intended to expose them, and in that, he had succeeded.

He wrestled with his conscience, of course, he told her.

“It was the very thing I allowed myself to be arrested for. The very thing I wanted to protect – the shifter community in large.”

“But they decided you were too much of a wildcard.” It was amazing at how calmly she could talk about it now. “And to think I went to Aaron Mitchell for help. Do you think there’s any chance they were not guilty?”

“No. The wolfsbane is a shifter poison. The shifters are at the root of this, and no shifter entity has more clout and power than the Council.” His tone grew angry again. “I know why they felt they had to do it, but it was cruel and unnecessary. And to do that to you . . . and our child. I couldn’t objectify or rationalize it anymore. I just . . . couldn’t.”

She understood. They did this to her. And Moira and Connor. And the unnamed baby. She couldn’t forgive them either.

Especially Aaron Mitchell.

Rust said, “So I have to do what I’m doing now. I exposed them. I exposed a three thousand year old secret. I have to mitigate this. I have to make sure the humans don’t see us as abominations or demons. And if they can put a face to all this mess I created, then maybe we have a shot at integration. Does that make sense?”

Kate gazed at his handsome and earnest face – an extremely saleable face. Yes, that was the face of a superstar. The cover boy of the shifter world.

“I believe you of all people can do it,” she said.

He put his arm around her shoulders. “Only if you’re here with me.”

There was a different timber to his voice when he said this. She turned her face towards him in curiosity.

He cleared his throat and suddenly turned pink.

She was amazed.

Rust never blushed!

He said, “I know I haven’t always been the greatest boyfriend in the world. In fact, there were times when I treated you really badly. I never understood why you stuck with me throughout it all.”

Her throat went dry. “I stuck with you because I knew you would eventually see that I was the only one for you, and that you would eventually come to love me as much as I love you.”

“I do. I do love you. I’ve loved you for a long time. Longer than you know, and certainly for a much longer time than when I finally said it to you.” He paused. “So . . . do you want to be married to me, Kate Penney? I don’t think I’ll be the best husband in the world, but I’ll certainly give it my best shot.”

She was speechless, unable to believe her ears.

He said in a rush, “You don’t have to answer right away. I know these past few weeks have been tough for you. And I know I can’t offer you much in the way of freedom, or anonymity, or – ”

She placed her finger on his lips.

“Hush,” she said. “Yes.”

“‘Yes’ in ‘I want to marry you’ or ‘yes’ in ‘I know you can’t offer me much’?”

“Yes, I want to marry you. I’ve wanted to marry you from the moment I laid eyes on you . . . back before you knew I existed. I’ve wanted to marry you since I first entered your class. Yes . . . and all those things.”