“Is Luna okay?”
“Yeah, she’s fine.”
“It still doesn’t explain why Grayson saidthat.”
Jamie sighed. She couldn’t tell her it wasbecause the last time she’d seen Grayson he’d been a wolf. “I… Ithink I might have made a mistake about Grayson…”
Her concerned friendregarded her. “You toldme he broke your trust, and what about this marriage of conveniencestuff?”
“After something Luna said, I’m not sure hedid say those things now.” She rubbed her face. “Oh God, I’ve madea mess of everything, but I have to at least try to sort itout.”
“Are you sure, Jamie?”
She nodded. “I love him.”
Willow smiled. “Then go getyour giant of a man.Send Luna over to mine. I’ll look after her while you twotalk.”
“Thanks, Willow. You’re a true friend.”
Jamie closed the door and went into herlounge. Grayson and Luna stopped talking when she entered.
Grayson leapt up, as though heshouldn’t be sitting onher sofa. “Thank you so much for ringing me, and for keeping Lunasafe.” Spoken politely, like he was addressing clients at abusiness meeting. “We were about to go. Come on, Luna.”
Luna frowned. “But you said you wanted Jamieb—”
He cut her off. “Luna, enough! We’re going.”
Jamie stepped in front of Grayson. “Not sofast.” She pressed her hand against the wall of his chest, actingall brave and confrontational when inside her belly was doingsomersaults. “I have something to say to you.”
Grayson looked at her hand on his chest, thenslowly moved his gaze upwards until he met hers. His chest expandedand stayed there, as though he was holding his breath.
Jamie dropped her hand, the heat emanatingfrom his muscular body sending tingly signals between her legs. Signals she could notallow herself to succumb to until she’d said her piece.
She turned to Luna. “Would you mindpopping over to Willow’s? She said she wanted to see you.” Shethrew Grayson a defiant look, lest he object to hersubtle attempt to bealone with him.
“Oh, I get it,” Luna replied with a grin.“You two need to talk. Alone.”
Jamie suppressed a smirk. Maybe she hadn’tbeen so subtle after all.
Grayson tilted his head. “Go on, Luna. I’llbe over soon.”
Not if she had anything to do with it.
Luna gave Jamie a wink and skipped offtowards Willow’s, taking Cujo with her.
She faced Grayson, blinking like some dumbbimbo. Now she could speak freely, she had no idea how tostart.
Grayson glanced at the pile of tissues andher discarded engagementring on the side table. “Have you been crying?”
She almost tutted in frustration. She wouldhave thought it was pretty obvious with her puffy eyes. “Yes, I’vebeen crying.”
His broad shoulders dipped. “I’m so sorry,Jamie. For everything. Inever wanted you to see me like that… that monster.”
“Monster?” She frowned. “What are you talkingabout?”
“When I morphed into my wolf last night.You have to understand you were never in any danger, but I know howterrifying it must have looked. I don’t blame you for leaving. I was a fool to thinkyou would want any part of that.”
She tried to process. He thought she leftbecause she was scared of him as his wolf? Nothing was further fromthe truth. Jamie shook her head. “I didn’t leave because ofyour wolf.”
“What…?” His bear-like hands trembled.
“To tell the truth, I was kind of in awe whenI saw you shift.” And a little aroused. She focused. “I leftbecause of what Imogen said.”
“I thought…” Grayson shook his head, asthough he couldn’t believe what she was saying. His jaw tightened. “What did Imogen sayto you? Tell me everything, Jamie.”
“First of all, she said you expected me tobecome a wolf like you.”
“Hell, no! I would never,neverwant you to become like me.Besides, it’s forbidden for a werewolf to bite a human.”
“I didn’t know that.” Something else hehadn’t mentioned. She let it slide in favour of more pressingmatters—it wasn’t as if she had any desire to become a werewolf. “Anyway, it was whenLuna said she was half wolf, I put two and two together. I realisedImogen might not be telling the truth about anything she said. Whydidn’t you tell me Piper was human?”
“Didn’t I? I thought I had.” Heblew out a breath andscrubbed his face. “What else did Imogen say? I asked her, but sherefused to tell me.”
“She said you wanted a marriage ofconvenience and a mother for Luna, and that was the only reason youasked me to marry you.” Tears threatened. “She told me you’d even discussed your planswith her.” Her voice broke. Everything depended on hisanswer.
Grayson’s jaw dropped. He perched on theedge of the sofa, shaking his head. “None of it is true, Jamie, Iswear it with all my heart. Yes, I did tell Imogen those things, but it was to get heroff my back. She’s a jealous, conniving bitch and I wish I’d nevermet her.”
Her knees buckled. She sat on the sofa nextto him.
Silence echoed around the lounge.
He turned to face her. “I’m sorry you hadto hear all thatbullshit, but why would you believe her?” The hurt in his eyesseared right through her. “How could you even think I would dosomething like that to you?”
He was right. She couldn’t fathom iteither. “I’m sorry too, Grayson. I shouldn’t havelistened to her. Ishould have known she was lying, but I panicked and went intoself-preservation mode. It was like everything that happened on mywedding day was happening again. I put my trust in you and Ithought you’d let me down.”
“I would never let you down. You have to believeme.”
She did. “That’s why I left the gathering,not because you turned into your wolf. I know you had no choicewhen you shifted to sort out that fight. It’s part of your duty asalpha and I accept that.”
He took her hand and stroked his thumb over her ring finger.“I’m not alpha anymore, or I won’t be soon,” he told her. “Xanderhas proved himself worthy and I’m going to hand the title over tohim. I’ll be an everyday werewolf.” His voice was husky andemotional. “Who’s totally in love with a beautiful humanbeing.”
Her heart sang. “I don’t care if
