Chapter 22

"Talk first." His voice wavered.

I groaned.

He moved to my sofa and took a seat. Patted it. "Sit."

I sat near him, purposely not touching. He didn't seem to like that. He reached for my hand and grasped it.

"I know you have questions about how we'd make things work between us." He ran a thumb over the back of my fingers.

"I do . . ." How to say this? I hadn't actually told him the car chase had changed everything for me. Made me realize I wanted a lot more from him than I'd let myself hope for. But I was a practical bird. I rubbed my forehead.

"Care to share?"

"Most of them, you've answered. But I still worry. You're an alpha. Won't you want your own pack? I've got my roost and I don't want to leave it."

"Is that your primary concern?"

"Yeah. Like I said, I don't want to leave Baltimore or my roost. You've been making all the concessions. If I'm going to be a good mate to you, I have to bend, too. I don't know how to give you what you want."

He huffed. "I want you. Just you. The rest is negotiable—"

"You say that now. What about five years down the line? Or ten? Or fifty? From what I've read about mating, it's forever. No take backs. What happens if—"

"Abe. I don't think you're listening. Baltimore is my home, too. And as of today, it's permanent. That's my good news."

"What's that mean?"

"Tommy wants me to take a more formal role with the wolves in his territory."

"Like a pack?" Damn, I was squeezing the life out of his hand. I relaxed my grip. He glanced at our clasped hands and pretended he didn't notice.

"Pretty much. He feels the other wolves would benefit from a more defined hierarchy. Several lone alphas in one Neighborhood can create tensions, even though most get along well. But none question my status or authority. I've been unofficially keeping the peace since I came. Tommy said when I was away, he realized how much of a calming element I provide."

He couldn't keep the pride out of his voice when he said the last part. Couldn't blame him. High praise from Tommy.

I shifted on the sofa. "If you have a pack, wouldn't I need to be a part of it?"

"You'd be my mate, so I'd expect everyone to extend the same respect to you as they do to me. Since both pack and roost are in Tommy's Neighborhood, I don't see a reason you couldn't have a place in both. Officially in yours and unofficially in mine."

"And you'd really be all right with it?"

Michael chuckled. "You are the most suspicious bird I've ever met. Yes, I'd be all right with it. If I've learned anything these past weeks, it's to question assumptions I had about my future and my mate."

I didn't flinch, though it was close. "I know I'm not what you expected—"

"Thank fuck for that." He pulled me closer and rested our foreheads together, our breaths mingling. "You've infuriated, excited, and challenged me at every turn. I'm a better person and alpha for it. Tommy wouldn't have given me the chance to lead a pack if he didn't see it, too. That's why he offered it now."

"You think?"

"I know."

We sat in silence, sharing a quiet moment. Surprisingly comfortable. He was giving me everything I asked for, so if I wanted this to work—and I most definitely did—I needed to give him something, even if it was only honesty.

"There's a reason I'm . . . closed off. To you, I mean. The way we met . . ." I shrugged. "It hurt. I—"

"I'm so sorry. I wish I could take it all back." Michael's eyes softened, his expression contrite.

"I know you do." I ran my hand through his hair. Felt like silk under my fingers. Could get addicted. "It's not even you not liking me. It's when you called me a ‘complication.' I have too much experience being that exact thing, and I don't want to feel like that again. Especially not with my mate." I tilted my chin up. "I've worked too hard to be a man of substance."

His head cocked in that wolf-like way that made it hard not to smile. "You are a man of substance."

"Yeah, well." I drew in a deep breath and then told him about my shitty family and my grams saving me, cutting myself open so he could see me bleed. I even pulled up my sleeve to show the literal scar.

His gaze hardened, and a finger traced the raised flesh with a soft touch. "Are they still alive?"

Murder in that voice. Warmed my heart even though I didn't need him to fight my battles.

I bumped his shoulder. "No clue, man, and I don't care. No need to find out. Last I spoke with them, they accused me of stealing my grams' money when she left everything to me after she passed. Not that she'd had much. Well, not money," I amended. "My grams had so much love to give. I was lucky to have her."

Michael kissed my forehead, his arm around my shoulders pulling me closer. "And now you're giving back to kids in your roost."

"Paying it forward." I nodded.

"Abraham Williams, you are an amazing man."

"You're not so bad yourself. Meant a lot to me that you protected those kids." I rested my head on his shoulder. Liked the vibration as he chuckled. Such a warm sound. He kissed the top of my head.

Another comfortable silence before Michael pulled away and re-clasped my hands.

"Even though I'm not the best with words where you're concerned, is it too soon to formally ask you to be my mate?" Michael kissed my knuckles reverently. That was the only word for it. Our gazes locked. "I neglected to do so earlier. I made a complete mess of it all. But, Abe, I would be honored and the luckiest wolf alive to have you as my mate. I'd make sure you never felt unwanted again. I can promise you that. You'll always be wanted. Always. I love you so much and want to spend the rest of our lives showing you, if you'll let me."

His voice rang with such sincerity I had to blink a few times to fight off tears. I wasn't much of a crier, but I'd also never had a guy tell me everything I wanted—no, needed—to hear. Like the other night, I stepped off the cliff.

"I'd be honored, Alpha."

His gaze heated. So, he liked me calling him that? He shouldn't get too used to it. Or maybe he should.

We shared a grin.

"We should get to it, then." I didn't waggle my eyebrows, though it was close.

Suddenly, he looked panicked. "I didn't even bring you flowers or a gift. I wanted to take you to dinner, ply you with compliments, make you feel special—"

My laughter cut him off. "Wolf, I'm a simple bird. You don't need to wine and dine me. I'm yours."

He gaped.

"Did I break you?"

He nodded, then snapped his mouth closed.

"You have no idea how much I needed to hear that," he said.

"I can guess." Tugging him to his feet, I backed toward my bedroom. I'd only gone a few steps when he stopped. I couldn't budge him.

"I-I think we need to talk about one more thing before we do this."

I almost snorted, but he'd flushed, his body tensing. Now he had my interest.

"You're not going to tell me you have another secret mate, are you?"

He rolled his eyes, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "I spoke with Tommy about Kai."

I scratched my cheek. "And?"

"He's staying with Ethan's family, at the moment. However, I'm planning to take him." His face went hard. "He's been abused by his pack of origin and ignored by this one. That's about to change. I know you love kids, but we didn't talk about how you feel about—"

I lunged forward and kissed the rest of the words away. When we came up for air, I said, "Damn, when you want to impress a guy, you don't hold back. Of course I'm okay with it."

"It would change things for you. Your place isn't big enough for the three of us. And if—when—we mate, we'd need to live together. Mated pairs don't thrive apart. Tommy told me he could move us to a bigger apartment in the building if you agreed, but I know how much your nest means to you."

"It would just be a bigger nest. Besides, don't you need to be near Tommy's place?"

"No, my role as pack alpha will be a formal one. I won't have time to drive him around or be his bodyguard. Let's be honest, he's never needed my protection, and I'll make sure my wolves fill that role for him and Poe. He's mentioned moving a bunch of the pack over here, too."

"Then it's settled." I tugged on his arm again, and we resumed our trek to my bedroom. This time I was the one to halt. "Hey, how do you understand the importance of a raven's nest? Been meaning to ask."

He crowded me and placed his hands on both sides of my face, his thumbs running over my cheeks. "I asked Poe how to win you over."

"You what, mmph—"

His kiss cut off my outrage, and before I could pull away, the backs of my knees bumped up against the side of my bed. How had the damn wolf managed that bit of magic?

We tumbled to the mattress, and I forgot what I'd been upset about. Clothes came off in record time.

Well, shit, I thought I was big. We stared at each other, taking the other in. A freckle by his belly button made me want to bite him there, leave a mark. The red treasure trail, the enormous cock with a prominent knot near the base, and all that rippling muscle had my breath coming in short bursts. He was so gorgeous.

His lunge took me off guard, and my back hit the mattress with him on top. Feeling him skin-to-skin as he draped himself over my body was almost enough to end things before they'd really started. We kissed and ate at each other, our need zinging between us. Resisting the bond had only made us more desperate, more hungry.

And I was starving.