Page 27 of Chased Bear
“That’s because we didn’t recognize each other. Stupid skunk.”
“Yeah. He was stupid.”
We sat there in silence, and I watched him as his face morphed from one expression to another. He was working through this big old mess we’d gotten ourselves into. When it looked like he’d finished, I told him exactly where I stood.
“We’ve been together the past few weeks. I haven’t changed my mind overnight. It happened rather slowly, actually. But if I’mbeing honest with both you and me, I knew right away. I just refused to allow myself to believe it.”
“What if things don’t work out? You don’t like my craziness or the whole not-having-a-job thing?”
I hadn’t liked it at first because I didn’t understand it. In action, he’d been right. We one thousand percent did need a floater, but also, he already had a job he needed to fill… that was if he accepted me.
“You’ll be Alpha Mate. That’ll be your job—if you want it. The responsibility you take on will be of your choosing.”
All of this was assuming that he wanted this at all, and the more we talked, the more worried I became that this was not something he desired, that maybe he would walk away, leaving this den behind him.
“I don’t want to disappoint you, Aydan, not even the tiniest of bits. I love you, too. So much. I didn’t expect that to happen. Everything Corey told me about you made me think we wouldn’t get along at all. And we don’t—at least not all the time.”
It was part of what made him perfect for me. I didn’t want a submissive omega who would do what I wanted, how I wanted it, and when I wanted it. That would be boring, and one thing was for sure, life with Jayce would never be that.
“We do when it’s important,” I said. “I think we bring out the best in one another.”
He leaned against me.
“I’m scared, but I’m also incredibly excited to see what this new adventure brings,” I said.
He snorted.
“Have you ever been on an adventure, Alpha?”
“No. But lucky for me I have an incredible guide who can lead the way.” I kissed the top of his head.
“Well, be prepared to have your world rocked even more. Rissa had me take that pregnancy test. I didn’t ever say what the result was.”
Thinking back, he was right. He’d said all was good, and I jumped to the conclusion it was negative. But all good could’ve meant either. Why hadn’t I asked him straight out?
“That’s why you took the trash out.”
He nodded.
My eyes widened at the implication. “A cub? The two of us are going to have a cub?”
Jayce nodded. “I didn’t know what to say when I saw the positive test, so I ran, and then I wasn’t sure how to tell you in the house. So I ran again.”
I chuckled. “You can run, mate, all you want, just be prepared for the chase, because I’m not letting you go.”
“I’d like that,” Jayce said.
I leaned over and kissed him. “Why don’t I take you home? We have the harvest festival to plan, and maybe we can do something a little chaotic, a little spontaneous.”
“Like what?” Jayce asked.
“We could announce our mating to the den. At the festival. It’ll be a surprise.”
“Is that your idea of spontaneous? Because the very definition of spontaneous means it wasn’t planned, yet right now, you’re planning.”
I shot him a look. “Baby steps, Jayce. Baby steps.”
“I’ll take them.” He stood up and held out his hand for me.