could take his menu.
She turned back to me, wide-eyed, knowing she needed to get in and out quickly. “We’ll have a large pulled pork.” I could barely speak.
“I meant it, you know,” Baron said quietly when she left. “I love you, Kiera.”
“I love you, too.” My heart was pounding. I never thought I’d hear those words from anyone, especially in the middle of The Pizza Pub.
Those three little words sure did change things, didn’t they? I felt like I was drinking champagne, not beer, that fuzzy feeling going straight to my head. I could get used to this. I squeezed his hand. “I’m glad we said it here, like that, with the waitress as our witness. If you said it in some big, gross way, like some internet proposal, I would’ve wanted to puke.” I laughed.
“Right?” Baron fought his smile but lost. “I do have a surprise for you later on.”
“Tell me.”
“No way,” Baron scoffed. “I want to keep you on your toes.”
I pulled him in closer. “And I want to keep you on your knees.” Our eyes locked, and holy shit was it hot in here. I bit my lip. Baron gasped, but I played it cool, sitting back and taking a sip of my beer. “So anyway, you can just tell me now and I’ll pretend to act surprised when we get there.”
He shook his head. “You need to be patient, Kiera.”
“Fine.” I pouted. “Was it connected to what you wanted to tell me?”
“Sort of, but you won’t guess from that, so I can still tell you.” Baron rubbed his hand over his face. “Major came by the other day.”
I rolled my eyes. “Tell him I said....never mind. He’s not worth it.” There was no need to make Major think of me. If he even remembered that night at The Redheaded Stepchild, he’d love rubbing it in Baron’s face. Eh, let him try. I had no problem telling anyone who asked which one was the better kisser.
“I don’t know about that.”
No fucking way. He couldn’t be saying what I thought he was. “You’re not going to work with him, are you?” I gasped. “Your brothers would never talk to you again.”
Baron hesitated. Crap. “Major knows we can’t mate with humans successfully. Have kids that can shift. My mom told me some horror stories. Babies that weren’t wolf or human, or couldn’t be carried to term because they weren’t compatible with their mothers. The only way to ensure we have another generation of working class wolves is to have some of them mate with wolf women.”
“There’s still going to be another generation of wolves, they just won’t be part of your packs.” A chill crawled down my spine. I hated what he was suggesting. I wasn’t exactly the most motherly type, but I saw myself somewhere down the road with kids. Baron’s kids. I wasn’t ready to give up that dream yet, and from the look on his face, neither was Baron. “You’re seeing it as black and white. Maybe what you need to do is say screw Major and work with the wealthier wolves. Because if they keep doing what they’re doing, they’re going to be a hot inbred mess within about fifty years.”
Baron laughed. “Did I tell you I loved you? Because I mean it now more than ever. You’re part of our pack now, Kiera. And we’re better for it.” The waitress brought our pizza, but neither of us touched it. “But I can’t stop thinking about what my mom said. You’re still in, right?” He attempted a wobbly smile.
“You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried.” I smiled back, and his finally reached his eyes. “What does Shadow think of all of this?” Even if Baron wasn’t part of the pack, Shadow shaped and molded everyone’s future. It wasn’t going to change what we’d do, but his approval would make things easier.
“I told Shadow I was willing to fight for things I believed in. And that includes the future. My future. Yeah it sounds selfish, but no one is taking you away from me. I want you to experience what’s good about Sawtooth and the packs. It’s not all violence. But
She turned back to me, wide-eyed, knowing she needed to get in and out quickly. “We’ll have a large pulled pork.” I could barely speak.
“I meant it, you know,” Baron said quietly when she left. “I love you, Kiera.”
“I love you, too.” My heart was pounding. I never thought I’d hear those words from anyone, especially in the middle of The Pizza Pub.
Those three little words sure did change things, didn’t they? I felt like I was drinking champagne, not beer, that fuzzy feeling going straight to my head. I could get used to this. I squeezed his hand. “I’m glad we said it here, like that, with the waitress as our witness. If you said it in some big, gross way, like some internet proposal, I would’ve wanted to puke.” I laughed.
“Right?” Baron fought his smile but lost. “I do have a surprise for you later on.”
“Tell me.”
“No way,” Baron scoffed. “I want to keep you on your toes.”
I pulled him in closer. “And I want to keep you on your knees.” Our eyes locked, and holy shit was it hot in here. I bit my lip. Baron gasped, but I played it cool, sitting back and taking a sip of my beer. “So anyway, you can just tell me now and I’ll pretend to act surprised when we get there.”
He shook his head. “You need to be patient, Kiera.”
“Fine.” I pouted. “Was it connected to what you wanted to tell me?”
“Sort of, but you won’t guess from that, so I can still tell you.” Baron rubbed his hand over his face. “Major came by the other day.”
I rolled my eyes. “Tell him I said....never mind. He’s not worth it.” There was no need to make Major think of me. If he even remembered that night at The Redheaded Stepchild, he’d love rubbing it in Baron’s face. Eh, let him try. I had no problem telling anyone who asked which one was the better kisser.
“I don’t know about that.”
No fucking way. He couldn’t be saying what I thought he was. “You’re not going to work with him, are you?” I gasped. “Your brothers would never talk to you again.”
Baron hesitated. Crap. “Major knows we can’t mate with humans successfully. Have kids that can shift. My mom told me some horror stories. Babies that weren’t wolf or human, or couldn’t be carried to term because they weren’t compatible with their mothers. The only way to ensure we have another generation of working class wolves is to have some of them mate with wolf women.”
“There’s still going to be another generation of wolves, they just won’t be part of your packs.” A chill crawled down my spine. I hated what he was suggesting. I wasn’t exactly the most motherly type, but I saw myself somewhere down the road with kids. Baron’s kids. I wasn’t ready to give up that dream yet, and from the look on his face, neither was Baron. “You’re seeing it as black and white. Maybe what you need to do is say screw Major and work with the wealthier wolves. Because if they keep doing what they’re doing, they’re going to be a hot inbred mess within about fifty years.”
Baron laughed. “Did I tell you I loved you? Because I mean it now more than ever. You’re part of our pack now, Kiera. And we’re better for it.” The waitress brought our pizza, but neither of us touched it. “But I can’t stop thinking about what my mom said. You’re still in, right?” He attempted a wobbly smile.
“You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried.” I smiled back, and his finally reached his eyes. “What does Shadow think of all of this?” Even if Baron wasn’t part of the pack, Shadow shaped and molded everyone’s future. It wasn’t going to change what we’d do, but his approval would make things easier.
“I told Shadow I was willing to fight for things I believed in. And that includes the future. My future. Yeah it sounds selfish, but no one is taking you away from me. I want you to experience what’s good about Sawtooth and the packs. It’s not all violence. But
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