“I’m not leaving you behind, Ari,” Jackson spits out, glaring at me like I’ve said something horrible and ridiculous, like we should both throw ourselves off the cliff. “I’m just slowing you down!” I say, throwing out my hands for emphasis. “Seriously, if you hadn’t back-tracked for me, you’d be l
Then, to my shock, Jackson ferrets out a teeny tiny little path up the cliff, balancing on it with incredible grace that makes me wonder if he’s part goat shifter, instead of all wolf. I do my best to follow, clinging to the rock and taking his patient hand when I need to. Twenty minutes later we’re
“What!” I shriek, scrambling to my knees and knocking the fruit and bread out of my lap. “Shh!” Jackson hisses, turning back towards me and holding out a hand, looking at me like I’m crazy. “Don’t be an idiot, Ari! If we’re waiting for dawn to move into the ravine, others are too! And they will co
“What are you talking about?” I growl. “Is that why you’re nice to me?” he asks, and I can hear the wound in his voice now. “Because you realize that…that that’s the only way you’re getting through this? You found the loneliest guy in the Academy and gave him the scraps of your attention, and for
I stare at Jackson like he’s an idiot now. Because…honestly I really kind of did think that he’d figured it out, at a least a little bit. Or that once I told him, all the pieces would snap into place. But the way he’s looking at me…Jackson does not know. He bought, hook line and sinker, the lie
I mean, could there have been a worse moment to admit the truth to my mate? “God, I have such shit timing,” I mutter to myself. My wolf lays down in my soul, stretching out her long, sorry nose, burying it under my mental hand, wanting to show me love at the same moment that she begs for a littl
I’m panting, gasping really as Jackson presses me flat against the wall of rock, both of his hands under my shirt now, his palms a damn song against my skin as they press up over my ribs, as they move slow over my flesh like they’re trying to ensure that I’m here, that I’m real. And suddenly, quit
My mate, bless him, blushes just a little but then clears his throat, I think wondering where to begin. I raise my hands to his cheeks, cupping his face between my palms. “Jackson, are you all right? I – I’m so, so sorry.” “I’m okay,” he says, nodding, his voice choked. “I’m sorry I stormed out