Page 22 of How I Met My Mate

Alexis

Back at Cole’s house, the adrenaline finally drains out of me, leaving nothing but shaky relief. The moment he pulls me into his arms, I practically melt against him. His chest is warm and solid.

“You absolutely swear you will not let the pack members kill him,” I murmur into his shirt. I’m not sure when I became the type of person who worries about the safety of teenage werewolf chemists, but here we are.

Cole strokes a strand of hair off my face, and the touch leaves a trail of tingles in its wake. “I swear,” he says. “He’s going to be working on our farm for the next six months, shoveling pig shit. Twelve hours a day. Nobody is going to physically harm him.”

A relieved laugh escapes me.

Then Cole’s expression hardens. “But he also understands that if he ever tries anything like that again, he will be executed.”

I stifle a shiver. The shifter world can be a harsh and frightening one. But there’s no denying the harm he risked causing. I don’t know if any other pack would have been as merciful. “Thank you,” I nod. “For doing that. For stopping it without… you know. Murder.”

I chew my lower lip for a second, then ask, “So what are you going to do about his discovery? About the rock?”

He exhales slowly. “We haven’t decided. My advice to the council is to sit on the knowledge for now, and I’m pretty sure that’s what will happen. No shifter is going to risk exposure by revealing this.”

“I won’t tell anyone,” I promise. “I know how delicate things are between humans and shifters. I’m not going to start a war just to make a headline.”

Cole’s hands tighten slightly on my hips.

“But,” I add, “my boss said his sources heard there was some… craziness happening in Cedar Run. That might mean someone here is talking. Maybe even spying.”

Cole goes stiff. “Did he give any indication as to who?”

“None. Not even what pack they might be from.”

He scowls, and a long moment of silence drags out. Finally his scowl fades, and he takes a deep breath. “So… you quit the paper.”

I nod. “Yep.”

He doesn’t even pretend to hide his approving grunt. “You can work for the town newspaper.”

“I could. And I also actually already heard from a couple national publications.” I lift my chin, trying to look confident instead of like a woman whose stomach is doing gymnastics. “So I’ve got choices. I could even do both, and I think it could be helpful. There aren’t many humans living in shifter towns. I could write feature pieces. Show the world that shifters are just like us.”

Then I grin wickedly. “Except much sexier.”

Cole’s eyes light with that molten, hungry glow that makes my pulse skip. “Is that so?”

“Oh yes,” I say, leaning in until our noses almost touch. “Trust me. I have firsthand experience.”

And just like that, the fear and chaos of the day fades beneath the heat curling between us.

Cole’s smile shifts and my breath catches. It’s that look he gets sometimes, the one that says I’m not just some human he’s fond of. I’m his. His mate.

He cups my jaw with one big, warm hand, his thumb brushing my cheekbone in a slow sweep that sends sparks skating down my spine. “Alexis,” he murmurs.

His other hand slides to the small of my back, drawing me closer until our bodies line up perfectly.

His warmth wraps around me. His scent—pine and fur and something wild—settles into my lungs like a promise.

“You scared me today,” he says quietly, voice roughening. “I was in that council room trying to deal with the biggest crisis our pack has ever faced, but all I could think about was you. Out there. Alone. In danger. I felt like my wolf would rip through my skin just to go find you.”

Emotion punches through me—sharp, overwhelming. “I’m here,” I murmur, sliding my hands up his chest.

He exhales shakily, and then his lips brush mine.

I rise onto my toes, and my lips part, inviting him in.