“I won’t let you fall.”
I took his hand. “You better not.”
He pulled me up onto the hard packed snow. “Be careful where you step. I don’t want you getting lost.” There were holes in the snow where you could see all the way down to the bottom. A person could easily break their leg if they fell in. The sound of the waterfalls grew louder as we edged closer. Once we got past the trees, I got the most magnificent view of the cascading water.
“I think I’m jealous,” I grumbled.
Ryker glanced back at me, brows furrowed. “Why?”
I pointed to the falls. “Because you have all this. I’ve never seen such beauty.”
He grasped my face with his strong hands and kissed me. “You have it now too. There are so many places out here I want to show you. If you want, I can take you to Yellowstone for a couple of days. It’s overrun with tourists, but you need to see it at least once.”
“Sounds like a date.”
His gaze caught something over my shoulder. “Hang tight, there’s something in the middle of the trail up ahead. I’ll move it and then we can go.” I watched him start up the path and move a boulder off to the side, along with a few other rocks that had fallen down the mountain.
While he finished up, I strolled along the snow, leaving a set of my footprints. Then, as if everything clicked into place, I recognized my surroundings. The tree I stood by was the one I hid behind in my last vision. I didn’t realize it would happen so soon. Grabbing a handful of snow, I rolled it into a ball and hid.
“Angel, where are you?” Ryker called.
Holding in my snicker, I knew exactly where he’d be. I could see the vision clearly in my mind. Before he could attack, I circled around the tree and hurled the snowball right at his head, hitting him right between the eyes.
He fell to the ground and laughed. “You’re gonna regret that.”
It was exactly what he’d said in the vision. I stood there, smirking, with my hands on my hips. “Don’t think so. I’m not afraid of the big bad wolf.”
“We’ll see about that.” He jumped to his feet and chased after me. All I could do was laugh as he gained on me. I knew what was about to happen and it made my heart race. It wasn’t long before he lunged and we went tumbling down to the ground.
With his body on top of mine, he peered down at me, his emerald green eyes raw with passion. “I let you catch me,” I told him.
He chuckled. “You would’ve tired out eventually. We both know I’m stronger.”
“Want to put that to the test? I’ll fight you, right here and now.”
Brushing his thumb across my lips, he leaned closer. “So stubborn. You said the same thing to me when we were kids.”
“I know,” I murmured.
“You do?”
I nodded. “You told me. We used to play out by the lake and ice skate. Every time I’d fall, you’d laugh. You said it used to piss me off.”
His gaze narrowed. “I don’t remember telling you that.”
“It’s because you didn’t yet.”
“What do you mean, I didn’t yet?” he asked, searching my face. When I didn’t respond, I let him search my mind. He wasn’t happy with the outcome.
Holding his face in my hands, I pulled him closer. “The vision doesn’t mean anything. Just because it’s happening now doesn’t mean we don’t have a future. Besides, we’re already changing it right now.” Sighing, he lowered his gaze to my lips. “Tell me about our times at the lake. I want to hear you say it. What happened after I laughed at you?”
“I broke the ice one day, hoping you’d fall through. When it went as planned and you didn’t resurface, I got really scared. Screaming your name over and over, I freaked out and jumped in after you. I panicked when I couldn’t find you and ended up needing the help myself. You were playing a joke on me the entire time.” A sad smile splayed across his lips.
“And I felt like shit when I saw you struggling. From that day on, I made a promise to myself to protect you.” I thought about my words. “Do you think that’s what happens when wolves realize who their mates are?”
“I don’t know, it could be. From what I hear, most mates don’t find each other until they’re older. Our signs started pretty young. All I knew was, you were special—mine to protect.”
My heart thumped hard in my chest. I knew what was about to come. “And what do you know now?” I asked, whispering the words.
Cupping my cheek, he leaned down and kissed me, long and deep. I fisted my hands in his hair and tasted him, putting it all into memory. Whatever happened, I wasn’t going to lose any more of my life’s memories. He pulled back, ending the kiss too quickly. “I know that I’d give anything to get your memories back. I just want you to remember me.”
“I do too. Even if I don’t, it’s not going to change anything. I know how I feel now.”
He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear, his finger grazing my neck. “And I know how I feel. I’ll protect you no matter the price, mated or not, even if it costs me my life.” His serious green gaze locked into mine. “I love you, angel.”
A tear escaped the corner of my eye. I knew he was going to say it, but it was different seeing it in a vision compared to actually experiencing it. “I love you too.”
Grinning wide, he wiped away my tear. “Did you see me say that in your vision?”
I nodded. “It was a lot better hearing you say it for real.”
Even though he was smiling, I could feel the turmoil inside him. My vision had already come to pass, meaning our future was uncertain. The only thing left to do was take each other’s blood and see what was to come.
“You need to stop stressing about the future,” I whispered the words across his lips. “At the next full moon, we’ll complete the bond and I’ll be yours for the rest of our lives. Nothing is going to change that. You can’t let some vision be the judge of everything.”
He nodded, even though his expression was grim. “I know. I just can’t shake the feeling that something’s about to get fucked all to hell.”
Biting my lip, I took his hand and placed it between my legs. “You got that right. And I think now’s the perfect time.”
A deep rumble vibrated in his chest. He slipped his fingers inside my underwear and I spread my legs. I gasped when he pushed one inside me and then another.
“I just want you to focus on what’s right in front of you. We make our own choices.”
He slid my pants down and freed his cock. Sitting up, he pulled me on to his lap. “That we do. Now show me what you want.”
Taking him inside me, I moaned as my body stretched around him. “Gladly.”
Bailey
“And why are we going to the bar again?” I asked.
Tyla checked her makeup in the rearview mirror. “For drinks, why else?” She winked over at me. “Don’t worry, I’ve been sworn to keep all men away from you.”
“By Ryker or Sebastian?”
“Both.” She giggled.
Groaning, I sat back in the seat. “I swear, they’re both going to drive me insane. Although, I never thought I’d see them actually getting along.” For the past week, Sebastian stayed close, while Ryker continued with his ranger duties; it was all Ryker’s doing. They still gave each other a hard time and were quick to inform me that wasn’t going to change.
“That’s a good thing though. Having two sexy wolves guarding you is a dream come true. If they weren’t both alphas, with one being your mate, you could probably have yourself one hell of a ménage a trois.”