Jaxson (River Pack Wolves 1)(62)

Jace lurched forward again, reaching Jaxson and gripping his shoulder hard. “Think about what you’re doing here,” he said quietly, but his face was aghast.

“I know exactly what I’m doing, Jace.” Jaxson’s voice was calm.

“How can you be sure she hasn’t—” Jace was cut off by Jared looming behind him.

“A man knows when he’s been cursed.” Jared’s gruff voice carried over the suddenly quiet crowd. “And he knows when he’s found his mate.” He edged around Jace to face Olivia. Jared was a mountain of a man, even larger than Jaxson, and Olivia was proud she didn’t cower under his intense gaze.

He smiled a little for her, but his booming words were for Jace and the rest of the crowd. “Any woman who saves a brother of mine, much less wins his heart, is a sister to me.” Then he reached his muscular arms around her and swept her into a hug.

Olivia had stayed quiet through all of Jaxson’s speech, but a squeak escaped her as she was squeezed between Jared’s massive, rock-hard chest and his bands-of-iron arms. He released her quickly, but the bashful smile on his face warmed her heart and pushed tears up to her eyes.

She didn’t know what to say, but she was spared having to figure it out by the shifters in the crowd. One by one, they were changing… they were shifting to their wolf forms and bowing their heads to the floor, tails tucked behind.

Jaxson stood, watching them, his mouth open.

“What’s happening?” Olivia whispered to Jared, who was nodding his approval at them.

“They’re submitting to him,” he said, like he expected this all along. “Renewing their pledge to him as their alpha.”

They are? Olivia watched in amazement as every single wolf in the room, even the Wildings in the corner, shifted and fell into the submission pose. Then Jared and his mother shifted as well. Only Jace and Jaxson were left standing in human form next to Olivia.

“It’s all right, Jace,” Jaxson said with a small smile. “You’ll always be my brother, pledge or no.”

Jace’s face was a picture of torment. “I wish you had told me,” he said, voice rough. “I’m your brother. I could have helped you carry that burden.”

Jaxson reached for him with both hands, holding tight onto his shoulders. “Jace, you had enough burdens of your own. You didn’t need to carry mine.”

Jace’s expression twisted further, like he was trying to hold some emotion inside, then he grabbed Jaxson into a fierce hug. Jaxson held onto him just as hard. When they broke apart, Jace held his brother’s gaze for a long moment… then he knelt at his brother’s feet and bowed his head. But he stayed in his human form.

Olivia wasn’t sure what that meant—but at least he wasn’t objecting anymore.

Jaxson quickly shifted to his wolf form, like the others, only he stood tall, ears perked, tail held high. His shiny black fur bristled out like a wave of static electricity had charged it. And then the strangest thing happened… Olivia felt it too. An echo of the magic that was charging Jaxson’s wolf form swept through her, head to toe, and back again. It warmed every part of her, lifted her, made her feel… loved. Like she belonged. At home.

It was the most amazing, wondrous feeling, she couldn’t keep the tears from coursing down her face.

Then one of the wolves yipped, and in one flow of fur and movement, they charged out of the great room, brushing against Olivia and Jaxson, still in his wolf form, as they went. While they cleared out, Jace rose from his spot in front of Jaxson and turned to Olivia.

“Of the three brothers,” Jace said, his voice still rough with emotion, “you healed the one who deserved it the most.” He swallowed, then added quietly. “Thank you for that.”

Olivia smiled through her tears but didn’t trust herself to say anything.

Jace ducked his head and loped out the front door, after the rest of his pack.

By the time she looked back to Jaxson, he had shifted to human form… only he was crouched on the floor, searching through the pile of clothes he left behind when he shifted.

He was truly a gorgeous man. Shifter enhanced muscles rippled over every inch of his body. It was marked with all the scars of the battles he’d endured… and she looked forward to exploring each and every one with her fingers and her kiss. Somehow the impossible had happened—she had embraced her witching side, she had gorgeous man who wanted her, and most miraculous of all, she had been accepted into a brand new, boisterous family of some of the finest people she’d ever known.

Jaxson finally stopped fussing with his clothes and stood up before her, completely naked. Olivia let her gaze travel the length of his ridiculously hot body. From the tattoo across his chest—omni tempore, all the time—down to his growing erection. Which just made her mouth water with anticipation.