Chapter Twenty-Five
It took a couple days of driving with a few stops of rest before they arrived back home. She’d grown up near Livingston, Montana—in the middle of nowhere. The state had been hit hard during the recession, and the way the buildings seemed a little more dilapidated and the streets a little dirtier were evidence. Skylar swallowed heavily as she turned onto the all too familiar street where she’d been raised.
Emery sighed beside her. “I thought we’d never come back to this place.”
Skylar patted Emery’s knee, keeping her gaze on the road. “I’d hoped that was how it would be, Em. But we’ll make the best of it. We always do.”
Emery didn’t reply, and Skylar knew why. There it was. The broken-down, ugly brown house her family lived in. It had more chips and peeling paint than she remembered, but after some time away she was seeing things in a different light. The weeds had grown the last couple of months, towering up until they almost covered the sides of the front porch. She knew the middle step creaked unless she carefully stepped on the sides. She knew the roof leaked in rain and melting snow. She knew every nook and cranny that could fit a little girl’s hiding form. Skylar parked Molly in front of it.
Being there broke her heart almost more than leaving Jamie did. Too many bad memories were in every floorboard, every walkway, every room. Her stomach curdled at the thought of walking back through the front door.
“Skylar.” Emery’s gasp startled Skylar, and she looked at her in question. Emery pointed out her window. A lone gray wolf poked its head out of the weeds, dark eyes full of malice. Drool frothed between its bared teeth. Now that she was focused on it, she could hear the quiet rumble of its growl.
Lucas had obviously been waiting for them to arrive. Somebody in the pack probably let it slip that she was coming to claim her right as Alpha, and he’d decided a challenge would be needed.
Another movement on Skylar’s side of the car caught her attention. Caleb, Penny, and other members of the pack walked along the sidewalk, some carrying platters while others only brought smiles. Skylar tapped her finger on the steering wheel. They could all rally together and chase Lucas off. He had no right to challenge Skylar, and this was a blatant sign of disrespect. But that wouldn’t do anything. Lucas could always come back and antagonize them. At least in this moment, Skylar had control of when and where he would attack. She sighed and looked at Emery. Skylar had to win this. She couldn’t leave Emery behind.
“Stay in the car,” Skylar said, forcing her voice not to shake.
Emery’s eyes widened. “What do you mean? You can’t possibly think you’re going to…”
Skylar nodded. “I am. And you listen to me. Do not get out of this car, no matter what is going on out there. Keep control of your wolf, hon. Do this for me.”
Emery didn’t say anything because they both knew that the chances of her controlling her wolf were slim to none. She hadn’t practiced enough.
Skylar exited the vehicle and didn’t bother waving back to the people on the other side of the sidewalk. She gave Caleb a pointed glare and walked around the front of the truck to face off with the irate wolf.
“Lucas. Long time no see,” Skylar said, leaning against the hood. “Why don’t you and I have a little chat?”
Lucas growled louder, a deep rumble that carried across the silent neighborhood. He stepped closer, shifting the weeds around his body. She felt the pack hesitate behind her, and she held up a hand to them.
“Don’t interfere,” she ordered them.
Skylar fingered her shirt. She really didn’t want to rip it, or the sweats she had on, but looking at the wolf in front of her, she realized she didn’t have much of a choice. She sighed. Lucas’s body tensed as if he was ready to pounce, and she knew she couldn’t wait any longer. Her wolf had been aching for a good fight since the night Skylar had let Selma go. She wanted blood, and she’d been denied long enough. So Skylar called out her wolf, who came out all too willingly.
Once Lucas saw that Skylar was shifting, his furry form sprinted toward her, but he still wasn’t fast enough. Skylar changed mid-run, and their bodies collided. Jaws snapped and tore into each other as they bear-hugged in the air, and their paws tried to grasp on to anything in an attempt to get the upper hand. Skylar tore a good chunk out of Lucas’s shoulder, and he yelped loudly, backing off. They stared at each other, both panting, blood dripping from their open lips.
A huge hole gaped where she bit him. A breeze swept across them, ruffling their fur and stinging her open wounds. They healed slowly, turning into permanent scar tissue. In human form, the wounds wouldn’t scar, but all injuries sustained in wolf form turned into visible reminders.
A door slammed behind Skylar, diverting her attention. An unfamiliar vehicle parked behind her own, but a very familiar person rounded the side and came into clear view. His green eyes burned in fury, and his hands fisted at his sides. He stared at Skylar briefly before whipping around.
“What the fuck?” he barked, marching up to Caleb. “I thought you said there would be no challenge!”
Caleb narrowed his eyes and pulled Penny behind him.
Skylar hesitated, even backed up slightly to try to help the situation—and that was a huge mistake. Jamie had distracted her to the point where she didn’t hear the wolf before it tackled her. Lucas pushed her onto the ground, and she struggled against him, her paws trying to position properly in order to shove him off. She flailed awkwardly beneath him. Drool dripped from Lucas’s sharp yellowing teeth, sliding down her muzzle.
Her wolf panicked.
This was it.
Hot breath fanned across her face, her neck, going for her throat. The kill bite.
“Skylar!” A scream pierced through the air and penetrated Skylar’s useless panic.
Emery.
Skylar growled from deep in her chest. She would not go down against this merciless asshole. Her foot caught enough of a hold that she was able to shift Lucas’s larger body just barely. It was enough. Even in her awkward position, she struck for the move that would be a game changer. She sank her teeth into the side of Lucas’s neck. Blood spurted into her mouth, pulsing hot against her tongue. Her wolf growled again in satisfaction.
Lucas’s whine and high-pitched shriek filled her with immense joy because she knew it was over. He wiggled above her, trying to unlatch himself from the angry teeth that had a death grip on his neck, but every movement only made it worse. Skylar held on for dear life, knowing that the slightest release meant her death. After what seemed like forever, Lucas’s movement stopped and the blood slowed its relentless pulsing. It was over.
Skylar let go. The sickening pop of her teeth exiting his flesh turned her stomach. She lay there and panted, held down by the sheer weight of the larger wolf. She’d won. She’d actually beaten the big bastard. Lucas’s body was ripped off her, and she sucked in a gulp of air.
“Holy shit, Skylar,” Jamie whispered in a rough voice, his eyes wide and mouth open. He leaned over her and reached a shaky hand out to stroke her fur. “Come on, baby, let me know you’re okay. Where are you hurt? Fuck. Shit. You have blood all over you.”
His hands searched her whole body. It would be hard for him to spot any injuries given how thick her fur was and the amount of blood that coated her upper body. Skylar pushed her wolf back down, and the animal complied much more easily now that she’d had the pleasure of the kill. Skylar shivered and touched Jamie’s hand, which was now coated bright red.
“I’m fine, Jamie,” she whispered.
He stared, scanning every inch of her body. His hands shook as he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her. He simply walked her back toward her childhood home, and Skylar leaned her head against his shoulder, too tired to argue.
“I’ll leave this shit-ton of a mess for you to clean up, Caleb,” Jamie threw behind them.
* * * *
Jamie set Skylar down on the toilet. They didn’t say a word, and Skylar was more than grateful for the silence. At the moment, she had everything to say but couldn’t think of how to say it. Her heart thrummed, both from the adrenaline of the fight and the presence of her lover.
Ex-lover, she corrected herself.
But how could someone be an “ex” when her very soul jumped for joy with him standing so close? She nibbled on her lip and watched as he turned the shower on. It rattled for a second before releasing a jet of ice-cold water. Jamie cursed and maneuvered the handle, and Skylar bit harder on her lip to keep from laughing. She knew this particular shower wouldn’t get any hotter than lukewarm.
“Jamie,” she murmured, and he paused before slowly looking at her. She tilted her chin at the shower. “Let me do this. Please go check on Emery.”
He hesitated. She knew he would. He was a fixer, and at the moment they were very much broken. But so was the girl hiding in the truck, if she was still a girl at all. He must have seen something in her eyes because he jerked his head in a semblance of a nod before walking out of the room.
When the door clicked closed, Skylar sighed. The sound echoed off the tile, and she shook her head. Her body ached and burned, but she knew the wounds would be healed by now. She forced herself to stand on shaky legs and step into the shower. The tepid water ran across her shoulders, staining the white floor tiles a vivid shade of red. Skylar braced herself against the wall of the shower, trying to get her body to stop shaking. She’d come so close to dying out there. She’d felt his breath, seen the glint of those deadly teeth, yet here she stood. And to top it all off, Jamie was right outside trying to help Emery. A man she thought she would never see again had managed to show up. He had to have left California not long after her to get there so soon, and he’d obviously taken a plane since the car he’d driven had definitely not been his. That said a lot about how intent he’d been to reach her.
There were no toiletries in the shower, so Skylar finished rinsing off and grabbed an old towel from the rack. The thin material and shredded edges did little to cover her body, but it helped. She walked out of the bathroom and made sure to check the hallway for people before walking toward her old bedroom. Her bare feet padded across the grungy carpet.
She paused, in complete shock. Her room had been tossed. The drawers from her dresser had been pulled out, tipped over, and her stuff strewn all over the floor. Her mattress leaned against the wall with the sheets tossed in a ball at the end. Jon. Skylar grunted in disgust. At least she’d taken anything important along with them on the trip.
She searched the room until she found what little clothing she had left behind—a pair of baggy gray sweats and a too-small Captain America T-shirt. She slipped them on, and something on the floor caught her eye. Something she’d missed in the rush to get everything together after shooting Jonathon. She bent down and picked up a picture she’d hidden in one of the tipped-over drawers after one of Jon’s rampages. It was a picture of Skylar, Emery, Aurelia, and their parents. The three girls looked like such babies, and their parents held the three of them like they were treasures. Skylar’s hand shook. She missed her family so much even though she barely remembered them. She missed the solidarity and comfort that came with them. Looking at that picture, she realized she wouldn’t ever find that in Montana.
She’d gotten rid of their problem. Lucas wouldn’t be bothering them anymore, and Skylar had no interest in being an Alpha. She only hoped she still had a home to go back to.
A noise behind her had all her years of survival reacting. Skylar whipped around, eyes wide. Jamie leaned against the doorjamb, hands in his front pockets. It was a familiar stance she was used to seeing. It was something he did when he was trying to seem relaxed, but he really wasn’t. She drank in the sight of him like lemonade on a hot day. His hair was messier than usual—surprising that his curls could be any messier—and he looked delicious in his dark jeans and plain black shirt. She wanted to go to him, to hold on so he couldn’t disappear. She wanted him to hold on to her so she couldn’t walk away again.
“Emery’s fine. Her wolf was freaked out at first, but she recognized me. I got her to calm down enough to shift back. Caleb’s wife has her now.”
Skylar swallowed and nodded. She couldn’t look away from him. Her eyes seemed to lock in on him. She set the picture on top of her torn-up dresser, then clasped her hands together in front of her.
“What are you doing here, Jamie?” she asked. You’re so stupid, Skylar. Why ask such a stupid question? Who the hell cared why, as long as he was there?
He smirked, only one side of his lips tilting up, and he dropped his gaze for a second. She wanted to beg him to look at her again, but she bit the side of her tongue to stop herself. He looked up again, his green eyes boring into her.
“We had a bit of a family emergency,” he stated.
Skylar stepped forward, then stopped herself. A thousand possibilities flew through her mind. “What happened? Did someone get hurt? Cat? Jessica?” The words spilled out of her mouth, and her heart pounded.
Jamie tilted his head slightly, but he pushed himself off the wall. “No, they’re fine.” He slipped his hands out of his pockets, and they hung loose at his sides. “See, that’s what I had to tell my boss so I could take a couple days off work on such short notice.”
Relieved that the pack was okay, Skylar clasped her hands back together again to keep from reaching for him. He was so close yet so far away.
“Why would you do that?” Skylar questioned, hoping her heart was correct and he had come for her. To bring her back home.
Jamie moved closer until he stood directly in front of her. He paused for a moment, his gaze traveling over her face in a slow perusal. He lifted one hand to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. “God, you’re even more beautiful. How is that fucking possible?” His words were barely a whisper, but they roared at her soul. They called her forward in elation. Her wolf wanted to howl in happiness.
He smiled, his hand now cupping the side of her face. “See, I realized as I was saying those words to my boss how true they were. Because you are my family, Skylar. You and Emery have become so much to me in the short amount of time you’ve been in my life. I just needed to look past my stupid pride to see it. It took a little kick from Killian to point me in the right direction, though.”
He frowned, and Skylar wanted to kiss it away, to keep this moment forever engrained and not let the pain infiltrate it. Something flashed in his gaze, and he forced himself to stare into her eyes. “The things I said to you, Skylar, the way I treated you was unforgiveable.” He swallowed.
Skylar nodded. “Yes, it was,” she stated, pursing her shaking lips.
“You have to know I didn’t mean any of it. I was just…so fucking mad, sweetheart.”
Skylar couldn’t stop the shaky tilt of her lips. “I know, Jamie.”
His pleading eyes softened, and he smiled a tiny bit before it fell again. “In high school, I dated a girl. Ellie.” His thumb traced her cheekbone. “We made plans after graduation: get married, go to college together. I was so fucking in love with her.”
He touched her forehead with his, and Skylar breathed in his lemon scent, closing her eyes. “She left me, Skylar. After graduation, she took off on her own and left me behind in Wisconsin. It tore me to fucking shreds, but you know what made it worse? She came back a couple years later. And I fucking let her back in. She begged me to forgive her, that she’d never do it again…” He took a deep breath. “She broke me, Skylar, within a couple months. She left for New York and practically spat in my face. I was convinced everyone leaves. That having ‘fun times’ was the only way to go because then you can’t be hurt.”
He moved backward, forcing her to open her eyes and look up at him. “But you, Skylar, gave me so much more. You made me want more. You made me think there could be something bigger between us, but I was terrified of what you could do. It felt like every minute there could be something that sent you running. But in the end I just let you go. Right when it really mattered.”
He exhaled heavily, his gaze searching hers. “I’m sorry, Skylar. I love you so much, and it scared the shit out of me.”
A tear rolled onto Skylar’s cheek, catching on her upper lip. She leaned up and pressed her lips to his, something she’d thought would never happen again. He’d said it. Those three words she’d been longing to hear.
“I love you too, Jamie,” she whispered against his mouth. She inhaled his sigh, too desperate to lose any connection with him. Both his hands tangled in her hair, and she kissed him again. “I missed you so much.”
He laughed, pulling her closer into his embrace. The trembles of his body sent laughter racing from her own. “Oh, God, sweetheart. I missed you so fucking much.”
Skylar laughed, tasting his lips again. He tasted like home. He tasted like everything she’d ever wanted.
“So what do we do now?” Skylar asked, pulling back to look at him better.
Jamie grinned, a full-on, panty-melting, leg-quivering smile. “Well, sweetheart. I was planning on kidnapping your ass and bringing you back home with me.”
Skylar snorted out a laugh. That was such a Jamie thing to say.
“I’m not entirely sure that’s going to be necessary,” Skylar said, backing away from him. “Now that Lucas is dead and the threat has been demolished, I don’t think I’ll need to stay.”
Jamie nodded, tucking his hands back into his pockets. His lips tightened into a grim line. “Yeah. The problem is, who is going to want to take over as Alpha now?”
Skylar smiled. “Let me handle that.”
* * * *
The two of them walked into Caleb’s house with their fingers entwined. They didn’t even bother knocking since the scent of the pack indicated that everyone was inside. Emery looked up from the couch with wide, dark eyes and a huge beaming smile. She still looked entirely too pale and tired, but Skylar smiled back.
“Everything’s fine, Em. Don’t worry,” Skylar said with a reassuring nod.
Penny, her pregnant belly protruding beneath her red shirt, had Emery tucked under one arm. Skylar acknowledged her with another nod before looking at Caleb.
“I’m going back to California now, Caleb.”
Caleb’s eyes widened, and his tattooed arms flexed. He looked around the room, to the other Shifters of the pack, before narrowing his eyes at her. “Bullshit.”
Jamie’s hand tightened in her own, and she squeezed it. Let me handle it.
“We both knew this wasn’t going to be a permanent situation. Everything just happened a lot faster than we had imagined.” Thank the goddess Lucas was an impulsive asshole.
Caleb waved his hand to everyone in the pack. “And who the hell do you think is going to be Alpha?”
Skylar tilted her head at him. “Do you really have to ask that? You, of course.”
Caleb barked out a laugh, and one hand slowly stroked his beard. “You can’t be serious.”
Penny paled next to him, but her face said it all. She knew Caleb was the best option for Alpha as well, but she feared for him. Murmurs carried around the room from the other members of the pack, and she could pick up bits and pieces.
“Caleb would be great…”
“I always knew it…”
Skylar sighed, and the room quieted. “Listen, Caleb. Growing up you weren’t the best person.” Murmured agreements filled the room, and she held up a hand. “But after Adam and after Penny, you’ve become a solid foundation here. Moving up to Third in the pack was not easy, but you took it on knowing this could possibly happen. You are all this pack has left, Caleb.”
She looked briefly at Jamie and Emery before continuing. “You guys stopped being my pack a long time before I left. I came back out of a sense of responsibility, but that’s gone now. I found a home, Caleb. I need to go back to it.”
Caleb hesitated, and a dense silence filled the room. It seemed as if every Shifter held their breath. Only an Alpha could hand down their position so peacefully. If she chose a replacement, not one person could speak up or they’d face a challenge. Caleb dropped his head slowly in a respectful nod.
“Okay, I understand.”
Skylar released a heavy breath and squeezed Jamie’s hand tightly. She looked up at him. His brilliant smile pulled one from her, and she laughed—really laughed—before tucking her head against his chest. She was going home, and this time…she was staying.
* * * *
Jamie dropped his rental car off at the closest location, and the three of them drove Molly back to California. They left as soon as they could, only making one stop at a cheap roadside motel when neither of them could drive any longer. Jamie held her as close as he could that night, but Skylar could feel the tension between them. Her body craved reuniting. Her wolf wanted so much more. At that moment, with Emery sleeping on the second queen-size bed next to them, they both had to be content with whispered I-love-yous in the darkness.
They pulled up to Jamie’s house in the middle of the night, and all of them were exhausted. Skylar dragged her tired body inside, desperate for a hot shower and a comfortable bed. Jamie pulled some of the luggage inside and said he would make sure that Emery was settled in one of his other bedrooms. Skylar was just happy to be back in Wolf Creek.
She twisted the water temperature toward hot and waited for it to steam before stepping inside. The hot water was a stark relief after the cheap motel’s shower and the crappy one in Montana. She relaxed under the spray, closed her eyes, and sighed.
The door to the shower slid open, and Skylar opened her eyes. Jamie stepped in and closed the door behind him. Jamie clothed was glorious, but seeing him naked, cock jutting out, unashamed in his long-awaited desire for her, was a sight to behold. Her mouth watered in anticipation.
He simply stared, and she knew what that was like—to crave the other person’s presence so much that just staring at them can satisfy the ache in your stomach. She did the same to Jamie, licking her lips in appreciation. He stepped closer to her until his breath fanned across her face, and Skylar sighed against him. His warmth enveloped her, and her heart pounded. She rubbed her hands over his chest, enjoying the familiar sensation of his hair against her palms.
“Turn around,” he said, his voice rough with desire.
Skylar obeyed and closed her eyes, her breath quickening.
His chest brushed her back for a moment, and she waited for him to make a move. He did, but not one she anticipated. His hands stroked through her hair, pulled her curls up, and rubbed through them repetitively. The scent of the shampoo mixed with Jamie’s natural lemon scent, and Skylar leaned back against his hands.
“Jamie?” she questioned, confused.
He stayed quiet for a second before responding. “When you showed up the day after our first night, I couldn’t believe how much I still wanted you. I had prepared myself for you to not be there even though I hadn’t had such an incredible experience in such a long time. I was familiar with one-night stands, Skylar, but a part of me knew you were so much more. And there you were, becoming a permanent part of my pack.”
He stopped massaging her hair, moving the spray of water to rinse the suds out. “That feeling—that desire—was hard to control. God, you were just so fucking incredible…and you were everywhere. That second time, I ravished you because I was so hungry for another taste.”
His nose brushed the side of her face, and his hands dropped from her hair to stroke down her body. “This time,” he whispered, hot breath sending electrifying shivers down her spine, “I’m going to savor you, Skylar. I’m going to worship you the way I should have always done. I’m going to drive you crazy with need, and then I’m going to make love to your delicious body.”
His hands slid down, tweaking her nipples, dragging across her navel. Skylar gasped and dropped her head back against his shoulder. Her pussy clenched and her legs threatened to give out, and he’d barely touched her. His hands left her, and Jamie backed up. Skylar was about to protest when a slap stung across her naked ass.
“And it’s all going to start right now while I wash you.”
Jamie kept true to his word. He scrubbed her with careful and delicate precision—enough pressure to have her panting, but not enough to satisfy. He stroked every sensitive part of her body until all she could do was brace herself against the wall in hopes she wouldn’t fall over. Her body burned with unspent need, and the roughness of the washcloth brushed against every oversensitized nerve.
“My turn,” Jamie stated, handing the washcloth over. Skylar stared at it. He wasn’t fucking serious, was he? She was ready to claw at him to get her orgasm if she needed to. He simply cocked an eyebrow at her and pushed the washcloth toward her again.
Skylar grabbed it from him. She tried to be quick, scrubbing him hurriedly to get it over with, but with every groove she dipped into and every sigh he made she realized the appeal. Her ministrations slowed, and she rubbed the cloth against his abs, working her way lower and lower. When she finally reached his cock, she avoided it. He inhaled sharply at her lack of touch, and she continued washing beyond until she had to get on her knees to wash his calves.
His cock jutted straight up, thick, beautiful, and just for her. It twitched, and she looked up at Jamie. He stared down at her, his jaw clenched and eyes like burning emeralds. She shot him a winning smile. Think you can just tease me, asshole?
She grabbed the base of his throbbing erection, and Jamie’s thighs tightened near her face. She wanted to drive him crazy, to make sure he couldn’t control himself any longer just like she felt out of control when he touched her. She licked the tip, enjoying the rigid hardness on her tongue. He hissed out a breath and pushed against her tongue. She ravished the hardened length, stroking her tongue against every vein, every crease. Finally, she wrapped her lips around it and took the whole thing in her mouth.
Jamie groaned and thrust forward. She thought she’d gotten her wish, that he’d finally let go of his control, but he retreated. His dick exited her mouth with a loud pop.
“Okay, you little vixen. I think it’s time we take this out of the shower,” he said, his breathing ragged and his voice thick with desire.
After turning off the water, he helped quickly towel her off. The minute she seemed remotely dry, it seemed as if he finally let loose. He picked her up off the ground, wrapping her legs around his waist, and devoured her mouth.
God, she loved his kiss. The way he tasted, the way he thrust his tongue into her and lightly nibbled her lips, drove her fucking insane. She groaned against his mouth and rubbed her core against him, desperate for some friction.
“Baby, I want to take this slow.”
Skylar bit his lip, drawing blood. “Do I look like I want slow, cowboy?”
Jamie growled against her mouth, and they both dropped to the bed. Jamie propped himself on top of her, and she moaned. His tip brushed against her entrance, and she lifted up in an attempt to sheath him but only succeeded in a torturous rub. He rested his forehead on hers and stared into her eyes. His swam with so many emotions that she couldn’t just grasp one to hold on to.
“You drive me fucking crazy, Skylar.”
Skylar tilted her head slightly and licked his bottom lip. “I fucking love you, Jamie.”
That was it.
He surged forward roughly, sheathing himself in one smooth motion. They both gasped against each other’s mouths, and she closed her eyes.
“No, baby, don’t close your eyes. Let me see you,” he whispered roughly, thrusting slowly. Every stroke was rough and deep, hitting her in the right spot every time.
She fought against her heavy lids, looking up into his eyes. The act of staring was something that always seemed awkward, but in that moment it only drove them crazier. Her gasps grew louder as her insides clenched around him. Was it possible for him to get thicker? It seemed as if he grew with each relentless pound against her core. She raised her back off the bed, desperate for him to get deeper, harder, needing him closer.
“I love you, Skylar Asher,” he growled. “You won’t leave again.”
“I won’t,” Skylar agreed and grasped on to his back.
Jamie’s rough hands gripped her hips, pounding relentlessly. “Oh, God,” he moaned, then swiveled his hips. “I’m going to come.”
“Together,” Skylar gasped.
Jamie circled his hips, and it was her undoing. She erupted around him, and he took her lips with his own to muffle her cry. Her whole body felt taken, ravished, by the loving man above her. He groaned against her lips when his own release hit, pouring into her. The eroticism of his marking her drove her crazier, her orgasm extending, shattering her in to a gazillion glittering fragments of herself.
They came down slowly, content to just breathe together. Jamie slid off her and pulled her closer until she lay across his side, her leg thrown over the top of his. He kissed her temple, exhaling a sigh of immense satisfaction.
She had never in her life felt more complete than in that moment. Going to Wolf Creek had given her so much more than she’d bargained for. Jamie had given her more than hope. He’d given her a future, love, family.
He’d given her everything.
The End