Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 95748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Her breath hitched, but she held her ground. The wind howled against the stone walls outside, but inside, the world narrowed to just the two of them, the fire crackling behind him with its own energy.
She shoved her hands into her coat pockets, but Jackson had already noticed the slight tremor in her fingers. She wasn’t healthy. He could fix that. He had to.
“Nothing. I’m not going to discuss it.” Her voice wavered, but her chin lifted with pure stubbornness.
“That’s not going to work.” Before she could react, he grasped her waist and lifted her, setting her on the ancient table and stepping between her legs. He moved deliberately, unzipping her coat and sliding it off her shoulders, his fingers brushing against the soft wool of her sweater. The air inside the stone cabin had already begun to warm, but the heat between them burned hotter. “What is going through your head, Em?” His voice dropped lower, rough with something that had nothing to do with anger.
“Nothing,” she said quickly, though her breath hitched. “I just want to go home, keep Vic from taking over, and make sure my dad is healing all right.”
“I get that.” Jackson’s hands rested lightly on her thighs, holding her still. “But to live, you need to mate. Right?”
She shook that smooth mane of spun gold hair. “It’s just a theory,” she whispered.
“Just a theory?” His gaze locked onto hers. “Don’t you understand? This makes sense. We make sense.” They always had. He’d always known it, even if he couldn’t figure out how to make it work.
Her pulse thudded against her ribs. The air between them thickened, heavy with hunger…and need.
“It’s not a good idea,” she whispered.
“Why not?” His voice dropped even lower. He wasn’t about to let Emily Nightsom die when there was a chance, no matter how slim, he could save her.
“Because it probably won’t work, Jackson,” she said softly, her eyes searching his. “You don’t get it. If we mate, there’s a good chance I’ll still die. Maybe next week, maybe in six months. But don’t you see? If we’re together, it’ll break you if I die. I’ve always known that.”
“So have I,” he replied, his voice rough with emotion. “But I’m taking that chance.”
She shook her head, her breath hitching. “I can’t leave you alone. I won’t do that to you.”
Realization hit him, heavy and sweet all at once. She was trying to protect him. He brushed snow from her hair, his thumb lingering just above her cheek. “You’re worried about me,” he said, more statement than question.
“Yeah,” she admitted. “You’re big, strong, and mean when you need to be, but I remember the kid you were when your dad died. I know what that loss feels like. I miss my mom every day. I can’t mate you and then leave you. I won’t.”
“Then don’t.” His hands planted firmly on either side of her hips as he leaned closer. “Between the two of us, we have the strongest bloodline there is. If there’s any way to fix this, I’m it. And I’m not giving you a choice.”
His gaze locked onto hers, fierce and unyielding. He could force her hand, but he didn’t want that. He needed her to choose him.
Her breath quickened, eyes wide with something she couldn’t mask. Desire flared hard and fast, too obvious to hide. But she tried. She looked away. “I can mate another Alpha.”
“Not in this lifetime.” Fire churned inside his chest. “I’ll kill anyone you let close enough to try.”
Her gaze slashed back to his, and he let her see the truth in his. Not one bit of him was lying. He would rip apart anybody who tried to take her. It was too late for either of them. Not just because of her illness and the chance to save her but because it had been too late the second he kissed her all those years ago.
“There’s only one path for either of us, and you know it,” Jackson murmured, his pulse pounding in his ears. “We both know if I kiss you, the discussion is over. We’ll combust. You know it. I know it.”
“Then don’t kiss me,” she shot back, her chin tilting in a challenge so clear it almost made him smile.
“Emily.” His voice dropped lower. “You told me you wanted to live. That you were tired of holding back. Tired of not feeling everything.”
“I know,” she whispered. “But I won’t risk—”
He was done talking. “The fuck, you won’t.” His hand tangled in her hair, tilting her head back as he took her mouth in a hard, claiming kiss. Her moan vibrated against his lips, desire flaring hotly between them, sharp enough to steal his breath. He kissed her deeper, pouring every ounce of his wildness into her.
Her hands gripped his shirt, fingers twisting in the fabric before she yanked it upward. He broke the kiss just long enough for her to drag it over his head, the air cool against his heated skin. Then his mouth was back on hers. Rough, unrelenting, and desperate. His hands gripped her waist, sliding under her sweater to feel the heat of her skin. There was no space for hesitation. The time for thinking was over.