Mated To The Alpha Of The North
Chapter 56

Willow

I gazed over at Ronnie as the silence dragged on. I knew she was aware of who I had meant by him. I did not want to say his name audibly in case Jax was listening, but I was dying to know, even if she could not tell me all of the specifics right this second.

The elation I had felt at the prospect of returning home dimmed a bit with the knowledge that my friend would not be returning with us. Even so, I knew she would stay in contact and visit as often as she could.

I watched as the indecision flitted across her face briefly and a look of resolve took its place as she nodded her head in affirmation, not daring to confirm anything aloud.

My face broke out in a huge smile as I leaned forward to pull her into the circle of my arms, squeezing her tightly for an immeasurable moment in time.

Although I was unsure how Ryker felt, I had already guessed that Ronnie’s feelings extended past a mere crush based solely on our past interactions when his name had been mentioned.

I had my suspicions, but for now, I was happy that Ronnie seemed to have also found a love worth moving mountains for, at least that was what it appeared to be like when she had confronted Jax about her decision to stay.

I was relieved to see a tiny smile creeping through the grief in her complexion, pleased to see that I had, at best, served as a passing distraction. It had always been just me growing up, but I could sense the pain it caused both siblings to be at odds with one another, especially so soon after their recent reunion.

We sat in silence for a few more minutes, neither of us anxious to pull apart, knowing this would most likely be our last chance to say goodbye privately before Jax and I departed the next morning.

As soon as the thought of Jax burst into my head once more, I felt the apprehension slowly start to seep back into my consciousness. I could hear that he was still milling around the kitchen, though thankfully the thumping had stopped.

“I am going to go ahead and take off while he seems to have calmed down some, but I will make sure we see each other again before you leave tomorrow.” She swore solemnly, allowing me to keep a tight leash on my own emotions for the time being.

As much as I hated to see her go, I knew that was probably the best course of action for now, so I responded promptly, promising, “I will talk to him. I am sure there is more than meets the eye with his off-kilter emotions, but you two certainly cannot part while at odds with each other like this.”

Ronnie did not reply, simply permitting a small smirk to grace her face as she shook her head momentarily, and then, she turned and followed the same path the others had before her, leaving a string of hurting hearts trailing behind in her wake.

It seemed unfair that I would be blessed with such an amazing family only to have part of it held at a distance, but I knew well that everyone had to walk their own path in this crazy journey we called life.

I pushed away my lingering sadness for now, knowing it would keep for later. My wolf piped up then, spurring me to get my a*s into gear and go comfort our mate.

I internally reproved my wolf’s bossy attitude as I strolled through the hallway and into the kitchen until I came upon Jax where he was plating up a couple of trout on a bed of wild rice before placing them adjacent on the breakfast table.

The delicious smell permeated the room and competed with Jax’s intoxicating personal aroma, causing my stomach to elicit a hungry rumble in reply.

Yet despite feeling near famished, I could not help as my eyes zoned in on the sinewy muscles that flexed along his forearms as he rearranged the spindle chairs so that we could sit next to each other while we ate.

Damn. My wolf was not the only one panting at the sight; there was just something so sexy about a man’s forearms. I could not explain it if pressed, but I also could not tear my eyes away until after he had rotated and caught me staring like a total idiot.

I observed as a lukewarm grin formed on his handsome face at my arrival, but it pained me to see that it did not fully extend to his hazel eyes.

“Hey, sweetheart. I was about to come let you know lunch was done. Are you ready to eat?”

I was surprised when he did not remark on Ronnie’s absence, though I knew he would have heard her when she had left a few minutes prior.

Debating internally, I hastily decided to hold off on broaching the subject until after we had filled our bellies. My wolf was almost salivating at the mouthwatering meal that Jax had created for us, and I was praying that the food would help improve his sour demeanor.

I joined him at the table without further delay, and we proceeded to have a wonderful, if somewhat quiet, lunch together.

It astonished me that my mate was so handy in the kitchen, but that was possibly because of the shitshow Zeke had been in that regard, and admittedly my father, as well. Whereas the fish that Jax had prepared was perfectly seared, maybe a little bland, but I devoured every bite with abandon, ensuring my praise was well-known.

Conversely, our discussion had lagged with our mouths being busy consuming the food. It provided the perfect conditions for my mind to meander, yet only one thought persisted to cycle through my brain.

If tonight was going to be my last night in the Southern Province and spending time with my newfound friends, I wanted to do something special, which led me to the daunting task of bringing up his sister again so soon after he had deescalated from their previous encounter.

Nevertheless, I bounded forward, jumping right in without any sign of hesitation as I said, “I want to cook dinner for Ronnie and the rest of your friends tonight. I need to leave here on a happy note, Jax, and I want to show my appreciation for everything before we go.”

I shoved myself away from the table, moving forward to take a seat in his lap as he swiftly opened his arms for me, despite the look of frustration on his face as he did so.

“Please, baby. I do not know when I am going to see her again, and you cannot honestly say you did not at least consider the fact that your sister would not want to leave here. This has been her home for the last two years, after all.”

I did not think that our home province held many pleasant memories for her moreover with their parents’ demise at the beginning of the war, but I made sure to steer clear of this line of conversation for now, not ready to traverse that minefield at this point.

As an afterthought, I tacked on, “At least Ronnie will be here to help with the arrangements for the ball, if that helps soothe a little of your frustration.”

Jax released a long sigh that seemed to start from his head and work its way down to his toes in response, finally answering after an awkward beat had passed, “It does slightly mollify me to know that she will be stuck doing something she hates.”

He snickered briefly before saying in a sober tone, “I did contemplate whether she would want to return with me, but so much has changed since I arrived only a short while ago. It threw me off guard. Add in that my wolf and I are going crazy at how much danger you are presently in without our claiming bite adorning your delicate neck. Well, surmise to say, I am doing the best I can, love.”

His words sent a thrill racing through my veins, but they also reminded me of another detail I wanted to bring to my mate’s attention now that we were finally alone.

“I was actually thinking that it might be time we changed that aspect soon.”