Read Online The Werewolf Meets His Match (Nocturne Falls Book 2) by Kristen Painter - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kristen Painter
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job makes you above the law but eavesdropping is a pretty crappy way to start out a new relationship.”
So was withholding information, but what choice did she have? “Maybe it’s stupid to think this can work. We don’t know each other at all. I’m not sure we can even like each other. I need some air.”
“Ivy.”
She stormed out of the kitchen with no idea where she was going. Wasn’t like the place belonged to her.
She ended up in the garage, next to her motorcycle. She wanted to leave even though she knew she couldn’t. She had to stay here and see this thing through, but hearing Charlie referred to as a detail, like he was just one more box to be checked off, really riled her. Like the way Clemens had referred to her precious Charlie as a “weapon of mass humiliation”.
She sighed and wrapped her arms around herself. She missed Charlie so much. She just wanted to pull him close and bury her nose in his hair and smell his sweet little boy smell.
Hank stomped down the garage steps. “Ivy—”
“What?” She whipped around, knowing her eyes must be gilded with the storm of emotions inside her.
He held his hands up. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I shouldn’t have eavesdropped. And your son is definitely more than a detail. But you should have said something.”
“Again, you were one meal away from finding out.” She hated lying to Hank, but protecting Charlie and preserving the sliver of hope that she could make a better life for her son meant more. And what was she going to do? Tell Hank her father had sworn her to secrecy? That her father was trying to pawn off his unwanted grandchild onto another pack?
Hank raked a hand through his hair. “How old is…Charlie?”
“Just turned seven.”
Hank nodded. “Just had his first moon, did he?”
“Last month. His birthday’s May fifth.” That wasn’t adding to the lie, just answering in the vaguest way she knew how.
His eyes narrowed. “Does that date have anything to do with the five tattooed on your wrist?”
She smiled a little, feeling bad for dumping her anger on him. “You’re pretty perceptive.”
He shrugged, his broad shoulders pulling at his uniform in the most distracting way. Heaven help her, he was unfairly beautiful. “It’s my job.”
A moment of silence passed before he spoke again. “You understand why my knowing about your son is such a big deal, right?”
She understood. Too well. And there lay the crux of the whole thing. “Because if we marry, you have to take him as your firstborn. Unless you have another kid I don’t know about.”
He shook his head.
She put into words what she knew he must be thinking about. “I can understand if finding out about Charlie makes you want to back out of the deal. A lot of men, especially those in line to be alpha, would demand their firstborn be a child of their own blood.”
“I’m not most men. And I’m not backing out.” He gave her a very serious look. “But you can’t keep anything from me. If this is going to work, even on the most basic level, we have to be honest with each other.”
She hesitated, then nodded. “I agree, but again, that comes down to trust and right now…I don’t trust you yet. Just like I’m sure you don’t trust me. And until we get to that point, you can’t expect me to just go spilling my guts to you.”
He rested one hand on his holstered duty weapon. “No. You’re right. If this is going to work, then we—I—have to work at it. Anything worth having is worth working for.”
Her brows rose. “You think this truce is that important?”
“I think you are.”
She swallowed while her insides did a weird, fluttery thing. “Oh.”
“Starting tonight, I’m going to work on showing you that.”
“How?”
His eyes narrowed a little. Like he’d figured something out. “I’m going to woo you.”
He was going to woo her . That was unexpected. She thought about how she could make him fall for her so hard that the truth
So was withholding information, but what choice did she have? “Maybe it’s stupid to think this can work. We don’t know each other at all. I’m not sure we can even like each other. I need some air.”
“Ivy.”
She stormed out of the kitchen with no idea where she was going. Wasn’t like the place belonged to her.
She ended up in the garage, next to her motorcycle. She wanted to leave even though she knew she couldn’t. She had to stay here and see this thing through, but hearing Charlie referred to as a detail, like he was just one more box to be checked off, really riled her. Like the way Clemens had referred to her precious Charlie as a “weapon of mass humiliation”.
She sighed and wrapped her arms around herself. She missed Charlie so much. She just wanted to pull him close and bury her nose in his hair and smell his sweet little boy smell.
Hank stomped down the garage steps. “Ivy—”
“What?” She whipped around, knowing her eyes must be gilded with the storm of emotions inside her.
He held his hands up. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I shouldn’t have eavesdropped. And your son is definitely more than a detail. But you should have said something.”
“Again, you were one meal away from finding out.” She hated lying to Hank, but protecting Charlie and preserving the sliver of hope that she could make a better life for her son meant more. And what was she going to do? Tell Hank her father had sworn her to secrecy? That her father was trying to pawn off his unwanted grandchild onto another pack?
Hank raked a hand through his hair. “How old is…Charlie?”
“Just turned seven.”
Hank nodded. “Just had his first moon, did he?”
“Last month. His birthday’s May fifth.” That wasn’t adding to the lie, just answering in the vaguest way she knew how.
His eyes narrowed. “Does that date have anything to do with the five tattooed on your wrist?”
She smiled a little, feeling bad for dumping her anger on him. “You’re pretty perceptive.”
He shrugged, his broad shoulders pulling at his uniform in the most distracting way. Heaven help her, he was unfairly beautiful. “It’s my job.”
A moment of silence passed before he spoke again. “You understand why my knowing about your son is such a big deal, right?”
She understood. Too well. And there lay the crux of the whole thing. “Because if we marry, you have to take him as your firstborn. Unless you have another kid I don’t know about.”
He shook his head.
She put into words what she knew he must be thinking about. “I can understand if finding out about Charlie makes you want to back out of the deal. A lot of men, especially those in line to be alpha, would demand their firstborn be a child of their own blood.”
“I’m not most men. And I’m not backing out.” He gave her a very serious look. “But you can’t keep anything from me. If this is going to work, even on the most basic level, we have to be honest with each other.”
She hesitated, then nodded. “I agree, but again, that comes down to trust and right now…I don’t trust you yet. Just like I’m sure you don’t trust me. And until we get to that point, you can’t expect me to just go spilling my guts to you.”
He rested one hand on his holstered duty weapon. “No. You’re right. If this is going to work, then we—I—have to work at it. Anything worth having is worth working for.”
Her brows rose. “You think this truce is that important?”
“I think you are.”
She swallowed while her insides did a weird, fluttery thing. “Oh.”
“Starting tonight, I’m going to work on showing you that.”
“How?”
His eyes narrowed a little. Like he’d figured something out. “I’m going to woo you.”
He was going to woo her . That was unexpected. She thought about how she could make him fall for her so hard that the truth
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