CH 41 Garrett He drove them right up to the front of the packhouse . The garage was too far for Harmony to walk in the freezing cold with nothing but his dress shirt on underneath that coat hed bought her , but she did look good in it . He liked seeing her in it as well , wearing not only his dress shirt , but the coat hed bought her himself . The pack was all asleep bar border patrol , and he was glad of it , no eyes to watch him right that minute . Hed collected his phone from his previous jacket before leaving the office and seen a few messages there . Two from Wyatt and one from his mother . Wyatts messages read Scott says bring her into the pack , no one will shift with her on pack territory then an hour later there was another from him , I see boss , youre distracted , all alone in that office with Harmony … You devil you hed shaken his head at the string of emojis , but Wyatt was not so dumb . Also knew he wasnt on pack territory . The one from his mother had simply read Ive set up the Bellflower suite on the first floor , if you can convince her to come here . Hed smiled at that , all the suites on the first floor shed given names to when shed become the Luna , each one was named after a flower of some sort . That particular room was decorated in soft purple and cream like the Bellflower itself . He got out of the car and saw Harmony look up at the packhouse , and blink at the sheer size of it . Not many humans got to come into the pack , except for employees at Easter time . It was an impressive building , which had been renovated at the same time as the human world office and held the same exterior design . It might only be four storeys high , but it was large and grand . Each floor bar the top floor housed 50 suites , ranging from one bedroom to four bedrooms . And up there on the fourth floor were 25 penthouse apartments that house the current and former Alpha family and their units . It was also lit up right this minute with a million Christmas lights . He smiled at her look of awe and ushered her up the steps and into the packhouse itself , out of the cold . She came to a stand still at the sight of the 20ft Christmas tree in the foyer , and he smiled Mother and fathers doing . I swear it gets bigger every year . He chuckled softly , Come on mothers got you all set up in a suite , up on the first floor . 1/5 +8 Point ! CH 41 What ? Mm , she did it days ago . Actually , when she heard about Damiens doings , she thought you might need a place to stay , a sanctuary of sorts . He dropped his hand to the small of her back , and steered her up the stairs to their right , then down a corridor to her new room . Now , he stated as he opened the door and stepped them inside The question is , when do you want everyone to know were officially dating , wait on that till say … Oh , New Years Eve . If I can keep it from mother for a week ? He murmured and slid his arms around her as he walked her through the suites living area and through a doorway into her new bedroom . Slow down . She stated as he made their way to that big bed . Garrett Chuckled Hmm , a bit late for that request , dont you think ? I … Just mean , no more s * x tonight . she told him . He murmured though his word was full of amusement , and she looked right at him over her shoulder . Im kidding he chuckled . I know youre tired . And he did , he turned her all the way around in his arms to face him I was just going to put you to bed and leave . But I do need you to answer that question . Um , I guess … waiting till then is a good idea . Its a bit soon though , dont you think ? And you didnt want your mother to find out yet . Garrett nodded Only because of how relentless she will be in pushing us together every minute of the day . He reminded her It will happen , and I doubt Id be able to keep it from her for more than a week , just so you know . I dont personally think there is anything wrong with letting people know we are dating . I just thought you might need a minute to catch up after todays events . I would like that . She nodded simply . I cant , however promise you , that I wont sneak down here during the night , to crawl into your bed and r **** h you . Sleep all snuggled up with you , and only leave in the hour before I know mother gets up . I will contain myself during the day , but at nighttime thats a different matter altogether . Snuggled up ? she half teased him . Mm , Im likely going to be a hugger . Likely ? Do you not know that about yourself already ? What about your last girlfriend ? she kind of half frowned at him . 2/5 8 Paint CH 41 Hmm , never had one . Now she was really frowning at him and looked very confused to him . But … But ? he prompted when she trailed off . Um , I thought you nearly got married at 18 , so that means you had to have had a girlfriend at least once . Mm , spoke to mother I see . That is not public knowledge , and I was 18 Harm , young and stupid . It was very brief , and I thought it was love . It turns out it was not . He sighed heavily I found her in bed with another . It ended that day . Oh , and you just never had a girl stay over since then , to know if youre a hugger or not ? No , I do not do sleep overs . Never date , and sex … he shrugged One night stands , and Im gone from the room before she wakes up . Ah , that explains us . Hmm , a little . He nodded But , he smiled right at her Im going to date you openly for all to see . It is what I want . For the first time in 20 years I want to date someone , that someone being you . I might disappoint you . He snorted and shook his head . No you wont . I dont know you , not really , so I have no expectations , other than you smiling and being happy , enjoying my company and getting to know me as much as I will you . Well learn about each other properly , isnt that what dating is for ? It is , she nodded . He leaned down to kiss her softly as he backed her right up to the bed . Youd better get in before I decide to get naked . She shoved at him and he smiled . Ill come get you for breakfast , now that will be all of us . In the dining room , my CEOs , parents and sisters , youll meet everyone . Itll be at 8am . She sighed Thats like 4 hours from now . It is , he nodded , But I think youll sleep well for those four hours . And he did , Ill bring some clothes with me for you to wear , find something appropriate , he nodded and headed out the door before he stayed put , and crawled into that bed , which would see his mother hunt him 3/5 CH 41 +3 Point down in the morning , when she realised he wasnt in his suite ; she would track him right to Harmonys room . Likely walk in to see if he was in the girls bed as well . Shed smile and just go from there . He knew Harmony being human , his mother had not tuned her wolfen senses into the girl . There was no need to , as far as she was concerned . But if she found them in a bed together , shed look right at Harmony and all her wolfen senses would be tuned into her , and it would take her less than 30 seconds to hear the babys heartbeat . And then shed be out to lay hands on Harmony to see if that baby was wolfen or not . Feel for the temperature of the fetus . Right now , his mother wouldnt register anything , just presume any kind of scent coming off Harmony would be some sort of human perfume , and he would keep it that way for the moment . Harmony needed a moment to come to terms with not only being pregnant , but it being his , from a one night stand she didnt even recall having . Though she trusted that it was his , because hed told her it was , that theyd been together that very night in his club , offered to show her the footage , not that shed wanted to see it . He made his way to the donation room and found suitable clothing for her to wear in the morning , and headed for his own suite to retire for the night himself . He stripped off and dropped onto his bed , smiled to himself . Shed be in here soon , and in just a few short months , five , or maybe six , there would be a pup in here with them . This years Christmas was the best one hed ever celebrated . Though how was he going to keep his secret to himself , all day tomorrow ? That could be a bit of a problem . She smelled damned good to him , sweet and delicious , and hed not been able to help himself but to seduce her into that second round of s * x . He smiled as his eyes closed , hours of s * x and not once had she felt pain or thought he was too much to handle . Maybe he had a human Mate after all . Not many human women could handle what she just had , and she took all of him as well . That in itself was unusual for someone of his size . A few of the she wolves hed slept with over the past 20 years , hadnt even been able to take all of him , had told him it was painful or to stop . He sighed happily to himself as he allowed sleep to pull at him . Huntley was happy for them to claim her as well . His own beast had been awake inside his mind this evening , as Garret had pulled Harmony into his arms and then out of her clothes , twice . It seemed his own beast was curious about the human that was carrying their pup and heir . Though hed not said anything , and had not pushed any of his own needs at Garrett . It had 4/5 CH 41 +8 Points been all Garrett tonight with her . The full moon was still 17 days away , and he was hoping to scent her out as their second chance Goddess Gifted Mate , for his wolf to have that sense of belonging and feeling whole . He was happy to claim her even if they didnt scent her out on the full moon , he was going to marry the woman , and claim her , mark and mate her , after their baby was born . It was unknown if she would get a wolf of her own , though he didnt really care right this very minute . He was actually just happy knowing she was going to date him , that she was attracted to him . That he was attracted to her , a woman that was kind and caring , decent and sweet natured , he thought . In "Cross My Heart and Hope to Die" by CrushReel, Zoe Hale takes a daring step by marrying Ashton Cross, a man under suspicion for her sister's mysterious demise. As their relationship evolves, hidden truths unravel, intertwining love and suspense in this captivating romance novel. Exploring the complexities of loyalty and deception, the story delves deep into Zoe's quest for justice while navigating the unexpected twists of her heart. The enigmatic bond between Zoe and Ashton unfolds against a backdrop of secrets and revelations, keeping readers on the edge of their seats with each turn of the page. Set in a blend of romance and drama, "Cross My Heart and Hope to Die" stands out for its intricate character dynamics and the seamless fusion of passion and intrigue. With every chapter, CrushReel skillfully crafts a narrative that immerses readers in a world where love confronts darkness, leaving them yearning for more. Discover the enthralling saga of Zoe and Ashton, available to read at CrushReel. Immerse yourself in this unique tale that defies conventions and promises an unforgettable literary experience.