“Of course I am,” Malcolm said with a grin.“I’m your mate, remember?Impeccable judgment comes with the territory.”
Larissa rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t suppress her smile.“Impeccable judgment?Need I remind you of the Great Cactus Incident of 2020?”
Malcolm groaned dramatically, flopping back onto the pillows.“I thought we agreed never to speak of that again!”
Larissa laughed, the sound light and carefree.She marveled at how she could joke with him, let down her guard completely.
As their laughter faded, a comfortable silence settled over the room.Larissa studied Malcolm’s face, committing every detail to memory.The strong line of his jaw, the crinkles at the corners of his eyes, the small scar above his left eyebrow from a childhood misadventure—she loved it all.
“What are you thinking?”Malcolm asked softly, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
Larissa leaned into his touch, savoring the simple intimacy of the gesture.“I’m thinking,” she said slowly, “that I’m glad I finally stopped fighting this.Fighting us.”
“Me too,” he murmured with a slight smile.“Though, I have to admit, the chase was fun.”
Larissa smacked his chest playfully, but she couldn’t deny the delight that filled her at his words.Their relationship had always been charged with competition, with the push and pull of two strong personalities.Even now, with their feelings laid bare, she knew that dynamic wouldn’t disappear entirely.
And she wouldn’t want it to.It was part of what made them work, what made them challenge each other to be better.
“So,” Malcolm said, his tone turning more serious, “are you ready?To face the pack and make our case?”
Larissa took a deep breath, considering the question.A part of her was nervous, aware of the magnitude of what they were proposing.“I’m ready,” she said firmly.“But if we’re doing this—really doing this—we need to be clear about expectations.Both personal and professional.”
“Agreed.”Malcolm’s expression turned serious.“Full honesty?I want both.The partnership, the leadership, and”—his voice roughened—“this.Us.All of it.”
Larissa’s breath caught at the intensity in his gaze.“It’s a risk,” she warned.“If it goes wrong…”
“Then we’ll handle it.”Malcolm tugged her closer.“What do you say, strategist?Ready to rewrite the rules?”
Larissa studied him for a long time.Finally, a slow smile spread across her face.“Well, I’ve always believed in leading by example.If we want the pack to embrace change…”
Malcolm’s answering grin turned especially wolfish.“Is that a yes?”
Instead of answering, Larissa kissed him, pouring all her complicated feelings—desire, ambition, hope, fear—into the contact.When they broke apart, both slightly breathless, she said, “It’s a ‘let’s try.’But we do this right.We prepare, we plan, we make our case to the pack.No rushing in half-cocked.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”Malcolm nuzzled her neck, inhaling her scent.“Though, we might want to start with explaining why we both smell like each other at today’s meeting.”
Larissa groaned, dropping her head to his shoulder.“We need to shower.Separately,” she added firmly at the look Malcolm slanted her direction.“We have work to do.”
“Always so intent on the mission,” he teased, but he was already reaching for his phone.“I’ll call Nick, set up a private meeting before the main gathering.We can present our proposal to him first, get his support.”
“Good thinking.”Larissa slid out of bed, gathering her clothes.“I’ll draft an outline of how coleadership would work.The pack will want specifics.”
As she headed for the bathroom, Malcolm called after her, “See?Already balancing each other out.”
Larissa paused in the doorway, looking back at him with exasperation and affection.“Just remember, this doesn’t mean I’m going to start taking orders from you.”
Malcolm’s laugh followed her into the bathroom.“Wouldn’t have it any other way, sweetheart.Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
CHAPTER 25
MALCOLM MADE HIS WAYup the path to Sunburst Mesa the next evening.As he crested the top of the path, he picked up the low murmur of conversation, punctuated by occasional nervous laughter.
This was it—the moment that would define not just his future but the future of the entire Sunburst Pack.He took a deep breath, letting the mingled scents of his packmates and the desert flora, sage and pinyon pine, calm his nerves.
As he crested the top of the mesa, his gaze swept over the gathering crowd.His packmates’ faces turned to watch his approach, some curious, others expectant.He nodded in greeting, trying to project an air of confidence he didn’t entirely feel.
A flicker of movement caught his eye, and Malcolm turned to see Larissa approaching from behind him.Even from a distance, he could feel the hum of their newly acknowledged mate bond.
