Chapter 29
“Wake up!”
My eyes fly open as a hand slaps across my mouth, accompanying the whispered words. I gasp in a quick breath of air through my nose, but as soon as I realize that it’s Jesse –
“Asshole,” I breathe, though the word is muffled against his palm. I start to swat at him, wanting to
back to sleep.
go
“No way,” he whispers, grinning at me over the edge of my bed. “You’re coming with me – we are having this long–delayed chat.”
And before I can even protest, Jesse grabs me by the collar and starts to drag me from my bunk. I give a little gasp of surprise but then nk my uniform from his hands, turning and find my c way down before Jesse hauls me bodily to the ground. Because while Rafe will probably sleep through a couple of whispers, he is not going to sleep through my sound of my body hitting the floor.
And Rafe – he cannot know what Jesse knows. Not after yesterday’s surprise.
So I glare at my cousin as my feet hit the floor, scowling as I snatch my boots out of his waiting hand. He’s still grinning at me as he nods his head to the right and I nod, following him away from the bunks and towards the front of the barracks.
I glance over my shoulder at the bulk that is Rafe, sleeping soundly in the bottom bunk of our bed, and when we get far enough away that we probably won’t be heard I give Jesse a hearty shove on the shoulder.
“What the hell were you thinking,” I growl, stopping by the door to tug my
boots on.
“I was thinking,” Jesse says, pushing the door open and gallantly bowing me through into the night. air, “that we need a little cousin time, just to ourselves, to discuss a certain little secret
“Okay fine,” I hiss, pushing the barracks door hastily shut as soon as Jesse skirts out of the way, looking around to make sure that we actually are alone. Because, I mean, these doors are unguarded, and other candidates could be anywhere.
And this conversation? I desperately want it to be private.
“Come on.” Jesse says, still gleeful, and he heads for the path that we usually take in the morning when we go for our run, leading me to the top of a sparse hill where we can see for about fifty feet in every direction.
Up here on the top of the hill? We definitely, completely know that we’re alone.
“Jesse, I sigh, trying to figure out how I want to navigate this –
the shoulder. “Is Luca Grant seriously your mate!?”
Chapter 29
glaring at me.
realizing that Jesse is not going to give
give in.
hunching my shoulders and hanging my
I can get any further, my eyes fly open because
air. “This is amazing! This is the best,
– this is not what I expected. “What – Jesse –”
a little shake, “I mean, Rafe and I – we already like Luca – he’s already our friend! You could have been mated to anyone in here – a real loser, or a
I mean – I really like Luca too. I never dreamed that if I had a mate
turn my head a little, looking Jesse
waist, “you have been sneaky as shit, and you should have told me as soon as you knew, but I mean – I’ll get over that. But Luca – I mean, he’s
words, and then I
I mean
thought that
I guess that’s the natural conclusion of these things mate, Luca becoming part of
with my
fated
wrong?” Jesse asks, his voice suddenly all
down, Jesse?” I say, looking up at my cousin, whose face falls when he
mean
for my shoulder again, “I’m so sorry, Ari – that was
guy-
now, and
SO, YO
Chajar 20
am: his mate, a girl, a princess, the daughter of a seriously powerful Alpha who is not going to react well to meeting anyone who has a romantic claim on his little girl no maner how
lightening suddenly at the drama of it. Jesse, much more than Rate, loves a little
Jesse.” I say, raising my eyebrow at him and
a hand through his hair and
turning to look at me again, “but I thought you
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!