flickered, dimmed. ‘Sorry, of course. Thank you. I’ll be quick.’
She smiled at her son, an unguarded expression that showed the deepest untainted, unselfish kind of love, a kind of love he could only wish for in his wildest dreams.
‘Be a good boy for Gabe, and don’t go running off, okay?’
He did his usual head bob, the one that made those soft curls bounce. ‘Yup. I’m a good boy.’
She laughed, a musical sound, sweet and clear, a sound he hadn’t heard in four long years, a sound he never thought he’d hear again. Shit. Memories flooded him, Tressa running though the long grass, her dark hair streaming behind her, the sound of her laughter floating back to him on the wind. Taking her down in that long grass, kissing her, making love to her. Teeth, tongue, lips, hands clinging to each other as if nothing could ever tear them apart.
I love you, Tressa.
I love you too, Gabe. Forever.
She’d lied to his face.
‘That’s right, baby. You’re my good boy.’ She kissed the top of his head and left the kitchen.
He watched her walk away, his feet rooted to the spot, the memory so vivid, like it was yesterday, like everything he thought was his, had been ripped away all over again.
‘I can’t be with you, Gabe. This was never permanent. It was only a bit of fun. You must have realised that.’
‘You don’t mean that, Tress. Fuck, I love you. You told me you loved me too.’
‘They’re just words.’ She pulled her hand from his, stepped away, and it damn near killed him. ‘You’re a hybrid. I can’t mate a hybrid.’
The wound was as fresh and raw as if she’d just spoken those harsh words then turned her back on him.
Sawyer tugged on his hand. ‘Can we go outside now?’
He cleared his throat and made himself smile at the kid, which wasn’t hard. ‘Yeah, let’s go.’
Sawyer ran around in the wild flowers dotting the field outside the house, giggling and chatting to himself. Gabe wondered if he was old enough to shift yet. Wolf cubs tended to develop that ability fairly early. Usually around two. Unlike cats who were a little later, four or five. He’d taken after his cat side and was four when he gained the ability to shift fully.
When Sawyer ran up to him, he knelt down.
‘You can shift if you want, Sawyer. I doubt your mother would mind.’
When they were young like that the need to shift was stronger. It was important for their mental and physical development. Sawyer blinked up at him, eyes wide.
‘You can go wolf, kiddo. Run around, chase some rabbits.’
‘I can’t do that yet.’ Then he ran off again, giggling and chatting to himself.
Tressa came out and joined them a few minutes later. Her hair was still damp, and she smelled amazing. The jeans she wore hugged those long legs and rounded hips, her red fitted t-shirt clung to her full breasts, tight enough he could make out her nipples. They used to be on the smallish side, a perfect handful. Jesus, they were more than that now. Having a cub had softened her, given her more curves. She’d never been sexier.
The beast started pacing, restless, pissed off. Her scent was driving him crazy, and right then he wanted to taste her skin, suck it, bite it, mark it.
Stop.
Don’t go there.
She looked up at him, shading her eyes from the morning sun.
‘He’s not giving you too much trouble?’
The sun made all that glossy dark hair shine and his fingers itched to reach out and touch.
‘Nah. He’s a good kid.’
Her smile slipped, replaced by a sadness that made his beast snarl.
‘Yeah, he is. I’m glad I got him away from Harlow before… before the place could get its claws into him, change him.’
‘What went down with your…’ he cleared his throat. ‘…with Dan?’ Nope, still couldn’t say it. ‘Did Sawyer see him hurt you?’ His words came out rough, low, more growl than anything.
‘Is that why he can’t shift yet?’
She paled. ‘I tried to shield him from it. I tried…I…’
‘Shit,
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