Chapter 68

Jo leaned back against the dresser in Ryker's bedroom, crossing her arms as she tilted her head, studying Ryker. His eyes were almost a stormy gray today–she would never tell him this, but she loved that the hazel color seemed to always clue her in to his mood. Right now, though, there was a touch of wariness on his face, as if he didn't quite know what to expect from Jo.

Fair.

"You told me about marking," Jo said quietly, "but...did you tell me everything?"

Ryker shifted, looked out the window, then back at her. His hand half-lifted as if he was going to reach for her, before he lowered and stuffed it in his pocket.

Ridiculous man.

Taking pity on him, Jo hooked two fingers through one of the belt loops on his jeans and tugged him closer to her. His eyes widened slightly in surprise, but he moved forward, his hands resting on her waist before they slid down and under her thighs. In one quick and easy movement, he lifted her to sit on top of the dresser so he could step in between her legs.

Hmmm. Jo ran a hand through his hair, enjoying the fact they were eye-level for once. She could get used to this.

Ryker closed his eyes for a moment, muscles relaxing as she massaged his scalp, before he reluctantly opened them again. One of his hands went around her waist, tugging her a little closer to the edge of the dresser so that they were pressed together. He bent and kissed her bare collarbone before straightening back up. "I told you what I thought was the important stuff," Ryker said with a sigh.

"Okay, then tell me the rest now," Jo said, moving her hand out of his hair and running it down his chest instead.

She saw desire flare in his eyes for a moment before he repressed it but his voice came out slightly deeper. "It's significant to wolves. Enough so, that technically speaking, once I mark you, it's like...marriage. And, for me, a signal that I'm ready to become Alpha." He hurried to add, "although I don't have to." His thumb rubbed a circle against her waist, sparking her own surge of need. "Normally, it will link you to the pack. In a human, I'm not sure, but it could possibly give you access to our telepathic communication."

Jo blinked, stunned. "You mean there's a possibility I could do the wolfy communication thing?" She grinned a little. "And bug you whenever I want?"

Ryker snorted, a smile teasing at his lips. "Of course that's the part you care about."

"Well yeah, that's the coolest part." Jo arched an eyebrow, smirking at him. "If you told me that at the beginning, I would've let you mark me ages ago."

Ryker groaned, leaning forward to rest his forehead against her neck. He planted another soft kiss there, then bit gently–nothing that broke skin, almost more like a warning nip. "Don't say things like that unless you mean them. You don't know how tempting it is to mark you right now..."

He trailed several more tender kisses along her shoulder, causing Jo to arch back with a sharp inhale. This man...

"You know..."

"No," Ryker said sternly, leaning back. He obviously knew where she'd been going with those words. Pausing to take a deep breath, he cupped her cheek. "Not, here, not right now. Marking is special, and private. Not done in a hurry between whole-family arguments in my dad's house."

Still riding the high from Ryker's kisses, Jo couldn't help the breathless, un-Jo like giggle that left her. "That's not your definition of romance? Are you sure we're mates?"

Ryker narrowed his eyes at her in mock-anger. "Jo." Apparently someone didn't like that challenge.

"I mean, is it possible to make a mistake?" she teased, putting her hands on top of the dresser. The wood was cool against her palms. "That'd honestly make things easier on Lexi if this was all some kind of misunderstanding."

"No," Ryker said, "Some people convince themselves they're mates, but the actual pull...there's no way to fake that. And it's not like Lexi would actually want to be Duncan's mate."

"Hayes."

Ryker's face wrinkled with real annoyance that time. "He's still Duncan."

"Buuuut, he's also going to be a part of your family. So you might as well start referring to him by his first name."

Resting an ebow on the dresser, he frowned at her. "Maybe one day."

"Your dad started today," Jo said, trying to be encouraging. If Lexi couldn't help this whole mate thing, they were all just going to have to accept it. Even though Duncan...Hayes was going to have a lot of work to do to earn their trust.

"I'll try again next year." Ryker shrugged. "He can live with that."

Jo rolled her eyes. "I guess that'll have to work." She reached out and touched his shoulder. "On a more serious note, would Malcolm really kick Lexi out of the family?" The idea of Lexi getting tossed out didn't sit well with her, but Malcolm had seemed incredibly up-front and direct about it.

Ryker sighed. "He would. But it would be Duncan's fault for not doing what Dad asked."

"I think he'll come around," Jo said, "He wouldn't want Lexi to lose her family. I hope."

"I don't know what he wants," Ryker said, stepping back. He met her eyes, his gaze more worried than she was used to seeing. "He could decide to go against dad and cut Lexi off from us so he can keep her with him, separated from us."

"That'd be heartless," Jo said firmly, "And she'd hate him for it. It'd make her have to choose."

"And she'd have to choose him," Ryker said, "That's basically how mates work."

So it took away your free will, almost? Jo drummed her fingers once on the top of the dresser. "Do you have to do things sometimes just because I'm your mate?"

One of Ryker's eyebrows rose. He watched her for a long moment, and she shifted her weight as he seemed to see through to her meaning. A smirk tugged at the corner of his stern mouth. "Are you asking if I'd leave my family for you? I'd choose you because I love you. Not because of the mate thing."

"They're two different things?"

"In a way," Ryker said, "They usually go together. And you're not going to ask me to leave my family."

"Obviously not." Jo wrinkled her nose. She was starting to really like Ryker's family, and besides, that would be an awful thing to do to him when he cared about them so much. Hopefully Hayes would realize that too, about Lexi.

Ryker stepped forward again and looped his arms around her, pulling right up against his chest for a tight hug. Sensing his need for physical contact, Jo wrapped her legs around his waist as her arms circled his neck.

"I can't explain mates," Ryker said after a moment, gaze unfocused as he stared blankly out the window, lost in his thoughts. "No one really can. Except that it seems to signal you found the person who is the perfect fit for you, nothing more or less. It's still your choice what happens after that." He looked back at Jo, and she sucked in a breath at the intensity of his gaze, at all the colors she could see shifting under the hazel tone this close up. "But we protect and devote ourselves to our mates because who would willingly give up their perfect match?"

Jo's throat seemed to swell, her chest tight, as strong emotion overtook her. There was no question what she felt for Ryker and the way he described what they had...she knew exactly what he meant. And she could only consider herself lucky to have this opportunity, this certainty...

"I don't want anyone but you," Jo said, trying to find some way to express what she was feeling right now. "I don't...no, I know...I won't ever."

Ryker's smile was uncharacteristically soft. Or maybe not uncharacteristic, but one she'd only ever seen directed at her. She loved that smile. "I know what you mean." He leaned forward. Brushing a soft and lingering kiss against her forehead. And just as he bent to reach her lips, he paused with a groan.

"They're done discussing?" Jo guessed, brushing the tips of her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck.

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear them," Ryker said, learning forward again.

Laughing against his lips, Jo, kissed him quickly but then dropped her hands to push lightly against his chest. Well, lightly was relative. Downright shove on her part, probably felt like a gentle nudge to Ryker. "You and I both know your mind-talking thing doesn't work like that."

"I think mine's short-circuiting. Maybe I got hit in the head out there when we were fighting."

Jo snorted. "If anyone's head is short circuiting, it's Jake's after the way you tried to crush his skull." Tilting her head in thought, Jo added, "Although maybe that was already an issue. Think he got dropped on his head as a baby?"

That got Ryler to grin in bemusement. "I think you're giving him too much credit. He's just an all-around idiot, no dropping required."

Jo smirked, then pushed against Ryker again–time for them to get a move on. This time he reluctantly backed up enough that she could jump down off the dresser. "Let's go see what Hayes and Lexi have to say."

Ryker held onto her waist, keeping her steady as she landed lightly on her feet, and she looked up at him, suddenly coming to a decision that had only now just occurred to her. "You know even if your dad kicks her out of your family, I'm still gonna talk to her." Heck, she'd offer her a room to stay in if needed. Jo wasn't a Monroe yet, and either way, Malcolm wasn't the boss of her.

Chuckling, Ryker shook his head, appreciation in his eyes. "And that right there is why you're the mate to a future Alpha."

------------------

A/N: Happy Holidays!! Thanks for reading the new chapter! :D