Chapter 9

The motel room door opened and Rob eased inside. He jumped when he caught me looking. "Oh, I figured you'd be asleep."

"Hah." I set aside the book I'd been reading. "No problems?"

"Not one. Car's in the river, nicely wrecked on the rocks and deep under. The body's miles downstream, probably caught against the dam, hopefully won't surface soon, if ever. A tragedy. Or a suicide. One or the other."

"You happy with how it went down?"

"I was downright artistic." He glanced at me. "What are the odds his pack will come looking?"

"Come all the way here?" I shook my head. "Depends if he left any record about what he was up to. With luck, they'll be too busy figuring out how to move on without him to bother. Or they'll look around where the car went in the water, if they find it."

"Law enforcement might be able to track where his phone went."

"All they'd see is that he passed through here and kept right on going."

"Hope so." Rob began stripping off his clothes. "I should shower."

"Make it fast," I suggested.

"Or in the morning." He sighed. "Not sure I'm up for much tonight. It's damn near dawn."

"And you've been working hard." I'd wanted to help out with George, but Rob said I was too noticeable and he'd rather sheriff Frazer saw me and Asher around all day. So I took my anxious Third out to eat in the diner with Wilde. Asher did okay with a wall at his back and one of us on either side. Then we drove around looking at rental properties, showing our faces to the locals, building the alibi.

"I think I've found our house," I told Rob.

He yawned as he pulled off his underwear and ducked into the bathroom. "Someplace with space?"

"Yeah." I listened to his sounds, but he just pissed and flushed, washed his hands thoroughly, maybe his face. The shower didn't go on. "Decent property," I continued. "This old couple built it as a retirement home, but the first winter they were here, apparently the cold just about killed them, so they're renting it out. It has a great room with an awesome view, which might be nice for pack meets, two bedrooms, good-sized bath. Their frostbite's our win."

"Wolves can handle cold." Rob slid under the covers beside me. He smelled of stale sweat, but it was Rob's own scent and I didn't mind a bit.

"Good thing, given what the locals say. Weeks below zero sometimes." I turned to him as he clicked off the lamp. In the near-dark, I could see the line of his shoulders and a glimmer from the clock radio in his eyes. Didn't matter. I didn't need light to put my hands on Rob.

I wasn't tired, but he clearly was, so I pulled and turned him to put his back to my chest, with a few inches of space between his ass and my groin. Or else he'd discover how not-tired I was.

I nuzzled behind his ear. "Blake and Phillip petitioned to join our pack."

"Seriously?" He twisted toward me. "That was quick."

"Nothing like committing murder to bring all the wolves to my yard."

I thought I was being funny, but he cupped the back of my head and kissed me. "That wasn't murder. Wasn't even an execution, although I'd have been fine with one. Bastard shot at you and Asher. On top of the rest. But he chose to go off the cliff himself."

"True." Of course, he'd seen death closing in on him at my hands. I should be grateful, really.

Rob kissed me again. "Blake and Phillip saw you protect your wolf and your pack. They saw you put your body on the line to hold to our customs and laws, not just have me shoot him."

"I was sure I could take him in a fight. Mostly sure." Sometimes a guy could surprise you. Like Rob.

"Alpha, take the compliment." He rolled over again, backing up to me, pulling my arm around him. "Will you accept Blake and Phillip?"

"As long as you're on board."

"Sure. It'll be good to have more pack, when it's pack we don't have to hide from."

My wolf rumbled his agreement. Bigger pack is better. More safety, more fun. We will have Wilde too, later.

I wasn't so sure the old wolf would give up his independence, but time would tell. I pressed my nose into Rob's hair, inhaling his scent. "Do you miss our old pack?"

"Some, sure. I had friends there. So did you. I don't miss knowing that half of them would want to kill us for this, right here." He pressed my hand over his heart.

"No. True." I'd had friends, but none except Rob I'd dared truly be myself with.

"Someday I'll take a trip back," Rob mused. "Or you will. One of us alone, all scrubbed up, no tells, no risk. Not soon, though."

I wasn't sure I wanted Rob there alone without me, but I said, "Sounds like a plan." Sherman had been Third. Rob could take him if he needed to.

Rob traced the back of my hand with a finger. "I never really believed we'd end up here. Hoped, yeah, sometimes, on the edge of sleep. When I was awake, I couldn't picture a path to this moment."

My wife and our almost-child had died to get us here, and I still hurt over that, always would. I'd never have imagined or hoped for it, and the one thing I could say about Rob was I knew he never would either. If Melody had lived, I might've lost him someday. Standing at my side while I loved someone else might've done him in. Still, I was sure he'd have walked away before he did anything less than support me and my mate.

"I can't say I have no regrets," I murmured. "But I meant it when I said my idea of heaven would've been loving both of you equally. You were never second in my heart, even when you had to be in my life."

"I'd like to believe that."

I sat up and leaned over him, gathering his head into my lap. He stared up at me, looking startled to my dark-adjusted sight. "Never." I set a hand on his cheek, feeling the rasp of a full day's stubble against my palm. "I wouldn't give you up now, even to bring her back. I was only half-alive in that pack until you showed up again."

"Good thing I decided to risk it, then."

"Best thing ever." I tried to bend over and kiss him, but the angle was wrong, so I raised his hand and kissed that, then nipped his fingers. "Now I have a new life, with a different shape. And I have you."

He chuckled in the dark. "Give me a few hours' sleep, and you can have me properly."

Sliding back into place behind his shoulders, I sighed. "Planning on it."

"An' then tomorrow we've work to do. Building the pack. Renting the house. Finding you a fucking job." Fatigue drenched his voice. "Does 'at house y'looked at get high-speed internet?"

"Yeah. They put in satellite reception."

"Good. Can earn some money. Decent kitchen?"

"Not bad."

"You can cook for us then. I'll do dishes."

I dug my chin into his shoulder. "Your idea of romantic pillow talk needs work."

"Nah. This is romantic. 'S you an' me, building a life. I could fuck anybody, but I don' do their dishes."

Blinking, I stared past the curved shadow of his hair at the dark room beyond. Rob was right. I'd dreamed of fucking him, and vice versa, for decades. Even more, down in my heart, I'd dreamed of a life together. Of a kiss to the back of the neck, passing in the kitchen. Of putting a sauce-dipped spoon in front of his nose to lure him from his computer to dinner. Of seeing him through a window, stripped to the waist, chopping wood for our fireplace. Of having my whole life, like my vision was right now, shaped by his presence in it.

I blew a breath, and the messy strands of his hair in front of me moved, the ends tickling my nose. Tightening my grip, I pulled him closer— back to chest, thigh to thigh, his ass to my hopeful cock that he'd trust me to ignore till he was rested. I kissed his neck under his ear and pressed my open lips to his skin, taste and touch and scent filling me. "Our life together begins now."

"Began when we were eight," he murmured. "Just took a winding path to now."

"You're right."

"'m always right." The sleepiness in his tone made his voice light and thin, almost a child's. "Tha's why you love me, Davey." Before I could answer, I heard the light buzz of his first snore.

I was getting sleepy now, but I stayed awake a long time to revel in lying there with this man in my arms— my Robin, my Rob, my Second and my priority, my lover and my best friend. I can't wait to see what we can become together.