that stupid wolf

all i've seen is you

C H A P T E R F I F T Y - F O U R

"Can I have this burger to go?" Jennifer whispered up towards the waiter who was serving their table. After her shift had ended, Richard and Jennifer had taken off to a local diner to talk things out.

The waiter nodded, picking up Jennifer's unfinished plate before taking off. Richard smiled, wiping off his hands with a napkin before looking up at Jennifer, "Have you spoke to Silas?"

Jennifer nodded, "He... saw me leave your place that night."

Richard nodded, nervously tugging at the skin where his wedding finger would usually lie. He had taken it off the day he had met Jennifer. It hadn't stopped burning his skin since he'd laid eyes on the she-wolf. "How did he take it?"

Jennifer smiled, "Silas had never met his father and I've never taken anyone home so the idea of me with someone is unusual to him. But he's happy for me, he's glad I've found someone."

Richard smiled, finally understanding why Silas had been so calm when he had told his kids. "I've told Cosima, Jeremiah and Kimora about us, about how I feel like I'm finally ready to move on."

Jennifer sighed in relief but her shoulders tensed, "How did they take it?"

"I never have to worry about Cosima and Jeremiah. They've always been able to take things head on. Kimora is who I was worried about, she's always been joined to Imani by the hip but she took the news better then I expected. Cried a little but Silas was able to comfort her."

Jennifer finally relaxed before taking a hold of Richard's hand, "Are you sure that's you're ready for this?" Richard didn't reply and Jennifer smiled tightly, "I'll wait for you, I always will Richard."

Richard sighed, lifting his eyes to meet his mates. "I know what I want, Jennifer." Richard stood from his seat and stepped closer towards Jennifer and knelt down at her side. Taking her hands in his, "Jennifer, Imani has been gone for eight years and I thought I'd never be able to love anyone the way I loved her. But then I meet you and all I've seen is you and I don't want to stop seeing you."

Jennifer smiled, her hands burning with sparks as Richard rubbed his thumb across her knuckles. "I don't want to stop seeing you either."

Richard smiled, leaning forward to take Jennifer's lips in hers.

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"I'll call you, tonight?" Richard whispered as he led Jennifer towards her car. Jennifer nodded, letting go of Richard's hand to search her bag for her keys.

"I'll be waiting."

Richard chuckled, "We sound like a high school couple."

Jennifer smiled, leaving up to lay a soft kiss against Richard's lips before watching as he turned around, walking over towards his car that was parked a few spaces away. Jennifer smiled fondly, her inside voice squealing as she pulled at her handle only to freeze as her eyes locked on a face in her window. Her breath hitched and she spun around to face the person behind her.

"Hunter."

The man smiled lightly, his eyes trailing over Jennifer's face, "Jen."

Jennifer shivered, the nickname he always had for her causing memories to flow through her mind. Her eyes trailed over his black hair to those green eyes she'd memorized from heart. She wouldn't be able to get away from them, especially when Silas shared the shame pair. "What are you doing here, Hunter?"

Hunter took in a shaking breath, his eyes watching as Jennifer's hand immediately went to her necklace and his heart ached. He'd given that to her on her seventh birthday. That was supposed to be the day he announced how much he loved her but when she looked up at him with those innocent blue eyes, his world crashed. She wasn't his mate.

So he kept his feelings secret because he couldn't hurt him or her when their mate came along. He had met his mate before her and when Jennifer saw who his mate was, her heart had never been the same.

Hunter was crushed to watch her fall apart as he married his mate and moved into their first house.

Jennifer blinked back tears as she turned away from him, but he quickly took ahold of her wrist and turned her to face him, "I've missed you, Jen. So much."

Jennifer shook her head, "How can you come back?After everything!"

Hunter bowed his head, "I had to come back, Jen. I couldn't stay away forever."

Jen frowned, "Well, you should have! No one wants you here. Not me! Not your sons."

Hunter frowned, "Lucas and Chris—"

"Don't say their names! You left them, you left before Lucas was old enough to look after himself. You left before Chris could even take his first breath! You left them with me! I was still grieving Amy and you! I was struggling—"

She had to beg for food at times just so she could feed all three boys. Even if Lucas was the soon to be Alpha, he wasn't of age yet and someone else had to look after the pack. Jennifer was nothing, a mere wolf who had took in stray pups.

Hunter scowled, "You don't think I was grieving Amy?! She was my mate! My everything."

Jennifer scowled, "But that doesn't give you the fucking right to abandon your children. Do you know Chris doesn't even know anything about you! All he has is a face and a name and it crushed me everyday to have to tell him that you weren't around. And Lucas, he loved you with everything. He wanted to be you and you just left, leaving him with nothing. Nothing! And me, after that night—" I had Silas.

Jennifer's breath hitched as she smelled that familiar scent and she watched as Hunter's eyes shifted from her towards the male behind her. "Get lost." Hunter growled but Richard ignored him, waking up to Jennifer.

"Are you okay? Is he bothering you? I'll take you home, Jennifer. I'll ask Jeremiah to pick up your car."

Jennifer nodded, casting Hunter one last glance before walking into Richard's awaiting arms.

Hunter turned towards him, his fists clenching at his sides, "This isn't over, Jen."

Jennifer didn't turn to him but curled deeper into her mate's warmth with one thought in mind. She needed to confess to Silas before everything blew in her and his face.