Jaxson(60)

But he sure as hell was going to try.





“It’s time, Olivia.” Jaxson’s voice was gentle, but it still ramped up her anxiety.

“Are you sure? Maybe we should wait.” The last twenty-four hours were a whirlwind—filled with more orgasms than she could count, but that was all before they arrived at the “safehouse,” otherwise known as a sprawling stone and redwood estate in the Washington mountains owned by Jaxson’s family. Since they’d arrived, she’d had her own room. She’d slept for about ten hours after they’d landed in the middle of the night before, so it wasn’t like she’d even been conscious in the safehouse for more than a couple hours. Long enough to get some food and say hello to the assortment of shifters populating the estate, now that they were all hiding out from this “Agent Smith” Jaxson had told her about. He and his brothers would find that guy and put him out of the business of kidnapping and experimenting on shifters soon, but for now, they were laying low and making plans.

And, apparently, telling Jaxson’s family that they had mated.

Jaxson drew her into his arms, running his hands through her hair and kissing her gently on the forehead. “I can’t wait any longer,” he said. “I need everyone to know that you’re mine, so when I drag you back to my room, and your screams of pleasure rock the walls, they’ll understand.”

“Jaxson!” She pulled back and gave him an incredulous look. “You are not doing that. I would die of embarrassment.”

“I am so doing that.” He smirked at her discomfort like it didn’t bother him in the least. “Precisely no one will be surprised. But if it really concerns you, we’ll use the bridal suite my mom keeps out in back, near the stables.”

She scowled at him, but she couldn’t keep it going for long. He was just so damn adorable and oozing with hotness. How could she complain about him wanting to drag her off and make wild love to her?

“Your mom has already been really nice to me.” Mrs. River had fixed a special meal for Olivia as soon as she had dragged herself out of her room. “But that’s all going to change when she finds out what I am.”

Jaxson’s grin faded. “There’s no love of witches in this house. I know that. And to some extent, that’s earned. But you’re no ordinary witch.” His fingers traced her jawline, then tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. The love in his eyes made her heart melt… and the magic in her body surge. “You’re my mate,” he whispered. “They’ll have to accept you or lose me. Either way, you and I are together. A team. They’ll recognize that as soon as they see us. It’s up to them to decide what to do with it.”

She nodded, but her heart still clenched at the idea of Jaxson losing anything over her.

He gently kissed her again, this time on the lips. Her heart swelled with the tenderness of it. “No matter what,” he said, “when this is all over, I’m taking you away for a while. Somewhere quiet where we can just be ourselves and not worry about the world. How does that sound?”

She pulled back to look into his eyes. “Like heaven.”

He grinned and took her hand, tipping his head toward the main room down the hall. “Let’s get this over with.”

Olivia pulled in a deep breath of courage and held his hand tight as they strode down the hallway. The River estate was decorated in a wonderfully rustic style—rough-hewn log and white stone walls, woven throw rugs over polished wooden floors, and the scent of the mountains drifting into every room. The walls held portraits of the scenic mountains and wildlife, but you only had to look out the windows to see it for real. She imagined it was perfect for an extended family of shifters to call home.

She just didn’t know how she would ever fit in.

When they rounded the corner to the great room, she sucked in a sharp breath. Jaxson’s entire pack must be here—between the floor-to-ceiling window at one end and the two-story stone fireplace at the other, there were more than two dozen shifters. She recognized Murphy and Rich and Taylor, as well as the others from Riverwise. Jared and Jace stood nearby, with their mother between them. Even a few of the Wildings hung out at the edges of the room, where it opened up to a vast dining room capable of seating dozens.

Olivia swallowed and held tighter to Jaxson’s hand.

“Thanks, everyone, for coming,” Jaxson started.

Even though he was the one talking, Olivia felt like all eyes were glued to her. She kept her gaze on Jaxson’s face, strong and confident, standing before all his friends and family and pack about to tell them his darkest secret. It made her stand a little taller. If he could be that brave, the least she could do was stand strong by his side.