Page 26 of First Love

Chapter Nine

Amelia

“Well, if you want tohave a vegetable garden at some point,” I said, “that area over there would be best suited because it gets the best sun.” I gestured to a patch of land on Jasper’s property before the tree line of the woods.

“Growing our own food sounds like a great idea.” Jasper stepped up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

I loved that he’d said our own food. We’d awakened early this morning, and as we cuddled in bed, we talked about a whole mess of plans for our lives together. It felt totally natural to have that conversation though we’d only known each other a single day. That was the power of the mating bond.

“And do you want to grow fruit too?” I asked. “Like blueberries and strawberries? Maybe a couple of apple trees?”

“Yes, yes, and yes.” Jasper pressed a kiss to my neck then released me to turn in a circle, Sammy following him. “I’m picturing it all and I already love it.”

I tapped Jasper’s tablet he’d loaned me and added to the copious notes I had made for his yard design. “Okay. Give me a little bit and I’ll put something—” I stopped talking and lifted my nose to the air as a scent hit me.

Jasper and Sammy tilted their heads up too. “What is that?”

“Another wolf.” This time, I didn’t let Jasper get in front of me. I stepped ahead of him and Sammy, but he maneuvered to stand beside me instead.

“Whatever comes our way,” he said, “we face it together, side-by-side.” He took my hand and interlaced his fingers with mine.

Goddess, I loved him.

A tall man with super short black hair and tattooed arms rounded Jasper’s house and stepped into the backyard. Two other men flanked him. They all had stern, unreadable faces. I instantly felt intimidated.

All of them were unmistakably werewolves.

“Can we help you?” Jasper asked when they were a few yards in front of us.

“I’m Archer Sinclaire,” the tattooed guy said in a deep, commanding voice. He motioned to the men on either side of him. “This is Phil, and that’s Reggie.” He looked at me. “Are you Amelia?”

“Yes.” I thought Jasper and I would have more time to figure out what to say to Archer once we met him. To find a way that we could still be part of the Sinclaire pack, despite what I had done. “I was told you wouldn’t be back until Monday.”

“I’m not going back to work at the fire station until Monday,” Archer clarified then looked at Jasper. “He’s one of us?

I nodded.

Archer glanced at Phil who shrugged. “I didn’t have a record of any wolves out this way.”

Time to come clean.

“That’s because he wasn’t a wolf until yesterday,” I said.

Archer’s left eyebrow rose over a piercing hazel eye, but I didn’t wait for him to interrogate me.

“I’m sorry, Alpha.” I took a few steps closer, but Jasper followed, not letting go of my hand and tightening his grip instead. “I’m from the Vanner pack of Hopeston, Montana, but that pack is no more. Another pack attacked and wiped them all out to take our territory. The blame falls to me as I was my pack’s Scouter. I missed the threat.” Guilt welled up in me.

“Don’t feel bad, Amelia,” Phil said, his voice kind and consoling. “We missed a threat that kidnapped our former Alpha and Archer here. We lost our former Alpha because of that mistake.”

I looked at Archer, grief clear in his eyes. “That Alpha was your father?”

He nodded. “We’ve learned from our mistakes though and have redesigned our Scouter system in an attempt to protect our pack better.”

A pack that didn’t hold fast to the old ways but evolved instead? Interesting.

Archer motioned to Jasper with his bearded chin then looked back at me. “Why did you turn him?”

“To save my life,” Jasper answered. “I got shot in the chest when a wolf from the pack that attacked Amelia’s came after her here in Vermont.”