Page 101 of Midnight Hunt
As I continued to scold her, Whiskey made a noise that sounded a lot like a laugh.
Ugh! You two are impossible, I groaned.
Sable didn’t respond, too busy making googly eyes at her mate. The more he laughed, the more she preened, clearly delighted with his approval.
Okay, you two are officially in timeout, I firmly said, nudging her to shift back.
Whiskey leaned over to lick her muzzle clean, but as soon as he was finished, both wolves relinquished control. Shadow and Onyx did the same, and soon, Griff, Kolton, Jagger, and I were staring down at Atticus’s decapitated body and head.
“He looks much better this way,” Griff observed after a silent beat. He let out an “Oof!”as I elbowed his ribs.
“Efficient,” was all Jagger said.
“Well, one less bad guy for the SCA to lock up,” my brother said, clearly not at all upset by the outcome.
Neither was I, but I could still taste Atticus’s blood in the back of my throat.
“I need to do something,” I abruptly said, turning to face Griff. “Something I should have done a long time ago.” Then, before I could lose my nerve, I said, “Griffin Hayes O’Neal, I want to claim you as my mate.”
Griff gaped at me like he’d heard wrong. “Claim me? What, like right now?”
“Yes.”
His brows practically disappeared into his hairline. “Here? Next to a dead body and in front of everyone?”
“Yes.”
So romantic, Sable sighed.
Griff suddenly grinned a mile wide. “Hell,yes, you can claim me. And if there’s anything else you wanna do while you’re at it, I’m totally down with it. We’re naked, after all. It would be a shame to waste this golden opportun—”
“Griff!” Kolton and Jagger barked at the same time.
Several of the wolves still surrounding us snorted and shook their heads, making Griff laugh.
I watched him with a little smile, beyond grateful that he’d chosen me of all people to spend his life with. Not just for now, but forever. And I couldn’t wait even one more second to choose him in return.
Standing on tiptoe, I wrapped my arms around his neck before whispering, “Griff?”
“Yeah?”
“Shut up and let me claim you.”
His expression softened, and the amount of love I saw shining back at me took my breath away. Without a word, he tilted his head to the side, exposing his vulnerable throat to me. Submitting. Allowing me to take what was mine.
And so I did.
EPILOGUE
VIOLET
1 Month Later
“Griffin Hayes O’Neal, get your butt up here!” I yelled at the top of my lungs.
The front door slammed shut, and I heard feet hurry up the stairs, taking them two at a time. As the bedroom door burst open seconds later, I swallowed a giggle.
“Vi, I’m here. What—?”
