Page 160 of Dead Girls Don’t Forget

Jason snorted. “He’s two cats deep, actually.”

Jackson didn’t respond. Through the bond I felt his wolf grumbling, distinctly unimpressed with how much attention the small gray overlord was receiving.

“Place looks good,” Rick said. “Lia would've—”

He stopped.

Jason found something interesting to do with the box flap.

Jackson said nothing. Instead, he crossed to where I was sitting on the arm of the couch, slid a hand along the back of my neck, and bent to press a kiss into my hair.

“Beer’s in the fridge,” he said. “Help yourselves.”

Rick took the out. “Sold.” He clapped Jason on the shoulder and they headed for the kitchen without another word.

I leaned into Jackson’s hand. He didn’t say anything. Neither did I.

Later that night, after the second round left us both breathing hard, Jackson got up and rummaged through the top dresser drawer. A moment later he returned to the mattress with something clenched in his fist. I sat up, curiosity cutting through the lingering haze of post-orgasm bliss.

He sank to one knee in front of me and extended his palm. My pulse jumped.

“Give me your hand.”

I scooted to the edge of the mattress and placed my fingers in his palm. My breath caught as he slid a delicate bracelet onto my left wrist.

It was beautiful — an intricate weave of small silver discs linked by thin strands of specialized elastic. Shifter jewelry, designed to shift with its wearer, adapting from human to animal form and back again without breaking. The filigree caught the dim light and shimmered softly against my skin.

My throat tightened. I had seen these before. My parents had worn matching ones. A mating bracelet, the shifter version of a wedding ring. A symbol of the bond.

Jackson lifted my hand to his lips and pressed a lingering kiss to the inside of my wrist, right over the cool metal.

“Now you,” he murmured, placing a larger, heavier bracelet in my palm.

I traced my fingers over the links, a slow smile spreading across my face.

“I get to tag you as mine?”

His lips twitched. “Of course.”

I slid the band onto his wrist. The silver stood out against his tanned skin as though it had always belonged there.

Jackson curled his fingers around mine, his expression softening in a way I rarely saw. “I love you, baby.”

The words settled deep in my chest, warm and certain.

“And I love you,” I whispered back.

For a moment, it felt like we’d built something safe.

I didn’t realize how fast it was about to break.

Chapter 44: Evidence

A few days later Jackson went hunting in his father’s office.

I sat in a rented car just outside pack territory with my laptop balanced on my thighs and an earpiece in place. The windows were cracked just enough for air. My stomach stayed in knots the entire time, every minute stretching longer than it should have.

Then Jackson’s voice came through, low and steady.