April's Fool

“My life is complicated. There’s so much more I have to tell you,” Kale said. “I’m part of a unit called the Army Beasts.”

“And they’re all like you?” April asked. She thought she knew what the world had to offer, but never this.

“Yes, all like me. Some are even married now. My boss Chase is, and his second in command Zane just got married.” Kale hesitated. “It got me thinking about you and our relationship. I’ve been taking it for granted that you would always be here, and then I tried to picture my life if you were not. I couldn’t stand the thought of another man holding you or smelling your scent. Seeing the way you whisper you love me just before you fall asleep. I don’t ever want to lose that.” He gave her a slow grin. “I was coming here to tell you that before you kicked me out. I want to be with you every hour of every day. Simply put, April, I love you.”

“You heard me whisper I love you in my sleep?” she asked. All this time, she’d thought her secret was safe.

“Each and every time because my heart was saying it back to you.” Kale cupped her cheek and kissed her gently. “Can you accept me as I am?”

They were the words she’d wanted to hear for so long, with some added surprise, but the words meant the same nonetheless. Others like him had found love and had relationships. Why couldn’t he…with her? It had broken her heart when she had to tell him to leave, and she wasn’t about to let him go, not again.

“I couldn’t do anything less.” She smiled and kissed him in return before laughing out loud. “Oh my God, you’re a wolf!”

“Now I’m going to eat you up.” He growled.

“Oh yes, Kale. I missed you so much,” April whispered. When his lips met hers, she succumbed to the ache that he elicited in her. April was glad she had those high privacy fences put up around her yard because she was about to loved hard by her wolf.

April loved drying her sheets and blankets outside. The air made the lavender fabric softener she used smell all the sweeter, as if it was kissed by the sun that dried the fabric. She had washed all her spring linens and this was the last batch from the dryer. She didn’t protest when Kale pulled one of her Afghans off the clothes line and spread in on the grass. He knelt on the fabric and held out his hand to her. April’s eyes traveled down his muscled chest to the engorged flesh of his cock jutting out from between his legs. The ache she’d fought against early that evening came back with a sudden force that stole her breath. She slipped her robe from her shoulders and stepped toward him. She knelt and placed her hand against the hard muscles of chest, feeling them jump beneath her fingers. She looked up at him and saw the flash of his wolf eyes before his lips descended to hers.

Kale lifted his head to look into her eyes. “Be my mate. The wolf in me needs its companion, and that is you.”

“You have me for always,” April whispered.