Page 69 of The Werewolf's Deputy
Emmett nodded enthusiastically. It did make sense, and while he was proud of how strong Jonah seemed to be, he was glad he was starting to see that he was allowed to have bad days.
Blowing out a breath, Jonah continued. “That’s not an excuse for running, though.” He lifted his gaze, locking eyes with Emmett. “I’m sorry I did. I was afraid I was causing a rift between you and your pack. I didn’t want you to lose your family the same way I did. I thought if I walked away, you’d get to keep what you had.”
It took a minute for Emmett to figure out why he thought that. Yes, the fight was bad, and if it had just been an argument between him and Kyle, he would’ve gotten into a lot of trouble, but it’d take a lot more than a fight for his pack to disown him. Like murder. It’d have to be that bad for them to even consider it.
“Jonah… packs aren’t like that. We fight, but then we get over it. They weren’t ever going to kick me out.”
Jonah nodded like he understood, but Emmett didn’t miss the way his shoulders slumped with relief. “Taron told me thatpacks were the most close-knit families in the world. I’m glad. You deserve a family that loves you.”
Taking Jonah’s hands, he squeezed them gently. “So do you. If you’re open to it, I’d like that family to be mine. You’re my mate. You belong with me.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Every time someone said that to him, it felt like a balm on Jonah’s soul. First Taron, then Roz, now Emmett. Everything he’d been afraid of turned out for the best. He leaned into it when Emmett pressed their foreheads together, rubbing against that soft fur as he drew in a few steadying breaths. He didn't want to cry again. He had to run out of tears at some point.
“I love you, Emmett,” he finally croaked.
Emmett froze for a second, but Jonah didn’t even have a chance to worry he might’ve misread things. Emmett’s tail gave him away. It started wagging so hard, it slapped against the bench and made it shake.
“Really? Y-You’re sure?”
Jonah nodded, his eyes a little misty as he said, “When I’m having a bad day, you’re the first person I want to call, and the last person I want to talk to when I go to sleep. I’m pretty sure the only reason I was okay this last month was because you were by my side to keep me steady and make me laugh when all I wanted to do was cry. You were the first person to accept me exactly as I was. I’m pretty sure I’ve been in love with you since day one. I… I hope Taron was right. I want to be your mate.”
“He was right!” Emmett nodded enthusiastically. “Ronan told me after I attacked Kyle. I honestly hadn’t realized it before that. I knew I wanted you, knew I was falling for you, but I didn't know just how deep that connection went until he pointed it out. You’re my mate, Jonah. You’re it for me.”
The relief Jonah felt was overwhelming, and he went willingly when Emmett gathered him into his lap, tucking his head under Emmett’s chin just like he had wanted earlier. Jonah melted, closing his eyes and just letting himself be.
“So what now?”
Emmett made a thoughtful sound, but didn’t move their positions. “Now, we talk about how much Taron told you about the whole mate thing. Did he tell you the process?”
“No. Just that being mates makes you overprotective and that’s why you were snarling at everyone and attacked Kyle. Why? What’s the process?”
Emmett squeezed him a little tighter, and Jonah could practically hear the excitement in his voice when he explained, “Well, first we’d tell Ronan. He already knows, though, so that’s just a formality. Then, you’ll be officially invited into the pack. There’s usually a party, but I’m not willing to wait to set that up, so we’ll do a party later. Once we’re alone, that’s when we make things official.”
Confused, Jonah leaned back to study him. “Make things official how?”
“By turning you into a werewolf, of course.”
He said it so casually, like Jonah was supposed to know that, and for a minute Jonah actually believed him. Taron didn’t mention anyone getting turned into anything, but it was possible he didn’t know. But then Jonah realized that made no sense. If a werewolf bit a demon, they wouldn’t stop being a demon. He took in Emmett’s expression, the way his mouth twitchedlike he was desperately holding back a smile. The werewolf was screwing with him.
“You jerk! I believed you for a second!”
Emmett burst out laughing, his tail smacking against the bench and his head thrown back. “You should’ve seen your face!”
With a growl that was nowhere near as impressive as Emmett’s, Jonah twisted to get Emmett into a headlock. Emmett laughed and squirmed, careful not to hurt him, but still more than willing to play. They ended up on the ground, both of them trying to get the upper hand and failing because they were too busy laughing to put in any effort. At least, he assumed that was what was happening with Emmett. There was no way Jonah would actually be able to flip him so easily without Emmett’s permission.
No one stopped them or complained that they weren’t acting right. There were no shouts of fear or concerned citizens running over to rescue Jonah from the evil werewolf. He heard a few people chuckle as they walked past, and one woman even said, “Mates are so cute,” to her partner as she walked by, but to the supe world, wrestling with a werewolf was just normal. Jonah liked that.
They were panting and out of breath when Jonah finally managed to pin Emmett with his arm pulled behind his back. He nipped at his ear, making Emmett shudder, before whispering, “I win. And when we get home, I’m going to claim my reward.”
He subtly ground his hips against Emmett’s ass without being too obvious in the open park. Emmett choked on a groan, lifting his hips in a silent invitation. “I’m good with that plan.”
Chuckling, Jonah smacked a kiss on his cheek and popped to his feet, racing for the parking lot as he called over his shoulder, “Last one there is– Woah!”
He should’ve known better than to challenge a werewolf. Even with a head start, he didn’t stand a chance. Emmettdarted past him and disappeared, and Jonah found him leaning casually against his truck when he finally jogged over a few minutes later.
“What took you so long?” Emmett asked with faux boredom.
