“What?” Jake’s brow knit in confusion. “What are you talking about? How would we do that?”
I took a deep breath.
“We’d have to convince them that we’re into all this. All this…breeding and knotting and conceiving stuff. Think about it,” I hurried on, as Jake opened his mouth—doubtless to protest. “Ophelia keeps saying that they wouldn’t have to chain us up if only we would agree to ‘do our duty.’ So what if we convinced her that we were into each other—that we wanted to do what…what they want us to do?” The words almost stuck in my throat, but I got them out somehow anyway.
“And how would we do that?” Jake asked flatly.
“We’d have to be enthusiastic,” I said. “You know, hugging and kissing each other—that kind of thing.”
“Well…” Jake seemed to be considering it. “I guess I could tell them I was worried that the silver might inhibit conception and that we didn’t need it anyway, since I’m, er, eager to knot you.”
“You’d have to sound a lot more eager than you do now,” I pointed out.
“I think I can manage,” Jake said, frowning. “The question is, can you?”
“I can do it.” I lifted my chin. “I was a drama kid all through high school— don’t worry about me.”
“All right.” He nodded thoughtfully. “So starting tomorrow morning, we act like we’re into it. Like we’ve ‘seen the light’ and we agree that I need to, er, breed you in order to fulfill the prophecy and avert disaster.”
“Yes, exactly.” I nodded. “But not all of a sudden. I think we should act like we’re kind of ashamed of ourselves, but we can’t help it and can’t keep our hands off each other.”
“That would add some realism.” He nodded thoughtfully. “Let them think they’ve gradually convinced us. Or maybe that they’ve convinced you and I’m just along for the ride to help you with your Heat Cycle, because I don’t want you to be hurt.”
I nodded again. “Yes! And the minute we convince them to take the silver cuffs off you…”
“I’ll change into my wolf form and rip their throats out,” Jake growled and I swear I saw murder in his pale golden eyes.
“Er…just one question,” I said timidly. “When…when you change…” (Which I was still trying to wrap my head around.) “When you do, will you still know me? I mean, if you’re a giant, bloodthirsty wolf? Would you…will you come after me, too?”
Jake got a horrified look on his face.
“Come after you? Never!” he exclaimed. “Listen, little Ani…” He cupped my cheek again, looking earnestly into my eyes. “I would never hurt you. I’m completely lucid and sentient in my Wolf form—even if I can’t speak, I can still think and reason and understand. I would never hurt you, you have to believe that.”
“Okay,” I said softly, nodding. “I believe you.” Though the idea of him turning into a giant black wolf still seemed farfetched—despite his display with the paw—it was still good to know that if he did turn into a wolf, he wouldn’t hurt me.
“Good.” Jake sighed and patted the spot on the bed beside him. “Now come here. We need to cuddle.”
“We do?” I raised my eyebrows at him, even as I scooted over to his side of the bed.
“Yes, we do,” Jake said firmly. “I hate to do this, but we’ve got to raise your Heat Cycle up again—just a little bit. Ophelia is never going to believe we’re suddenly into each other if the box comes up green again the next time you take a test.”
“You have a point.” I bit my lip as I looked up at him. The natural light had faded from the room and now only the silvery moonlight poured down on us. “Do you think we need, er, skin-to-skin contact?” I asked in a small voice. “I mean, should we, um, cuddle naked?”
“Well, since we don’t have any clothes on, I don’t see any alternative.”
Jake shifted around so he was lying on his left side, his left arm over his head where it was cuffed to the headboard. He pulled open the blankets that covered him with his right hand and nodded at me.
“Come here, little Ani,” he murmured. “Let’s cuddle like we did last night. Hopefully it will raise your Heat Cycle just enough to make this little charade we’re going to be playing out believable.”
“Hopefully,” I echoed, as I left my own blanket behind and scooted under his. We were chest to chest and this time when I pressed my bare breasts against him, he didn’t try to scoot away. Of course, this time I wasn’t a freezing cold block of ice, either. I was actually quite toasty from being wrapped up in a nice warm blanket and so was Jake.
I scooted a little closer, breathing in his scent that smelled like comfort and safety and home and felt something hot and hard and stiff branding my lower belly.