by Dannika Dark
Lorenzo patted his shoulder before taking a seat. “What brings you back home? Vacation?”
“You could say that. I wouldn’t miss the store opening for anything, even a free barbecue day at The Pit.”
Everyone chuckled.
Ivy looked across the table, her face fraught with worry. “How long will you be staying this time?”
Lakota pilfered a fry off Wheeler’s napkin. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about retiring. Not sure if everyone here knew, but I’ve been working as a bounty hunter these past few years. It’s given me a lot of experience and income, but my wolf feels the call to come home.”
“Good for you,” Austin said, slapping his hand on the table.
Lakota flashed me a look I couldn’t discern, and I shot out of my seat.
“I have a cake. Let me go get it,” I said robotically, fleeing the scene before someone in the room picked up on my anxiety.
As soon as I entered the break room, I paced back and forth. I can’t believe he actually came! And here I am, acting like a startled rabbit. What if he says something? When did he start looking and smelling so damn good? I probably smell like sweat and hamburgers.
I walked past the four-chair table and yanked open the fridge door. My heart still racing, I pulled out the red velvet cake and set it on the table. Snap out of it, Mel.
“Hey.”
Lakota startled me so much that I stumbled backward.
“What are you doing in here?” I whispered.
“I told them I’d help you cut the cake.” He chortled and closed the distance between us. “Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing.”
I flipped open the box and stared at the white icing with MOONGLOW written across it in fancy letters. My aunt had made it especially for our first day. She’d decorated it with a crescent moon and tiny yellow sprinkles as stars. It was simple, delicious, and melting on my fingertips as I sliced the first row.
I tried to remember the original plan to act like a calm, rational human being. “Is Tak still in jail, or did the Council finally come to their senses?”
Lakota folded his arms. “That’s a long story. I didn’t think they were going to let him out, so while they questioned him, I took food out to the families he’s been helping. It wasn’t easy to find them all, and when they heard what was happening with Tak, they went to the Council and pled for his release. They were living illegally on the corners of private land, so they knew the risk of coming out in the open.”
“Why did they do it?”
“I guess they didn’t want to see a man arrested for doing them a good turn. The Council released him, but I don’t know. I have a feeling things will never be right between us.” Lakota rubbed his chin. “I don’t usually make friends on the job, but Tak was different.”
After wiping icing off the knife, I sliced a second row. “What happened when he got home? He was worried what his father would think about his actions. Not so much taking the fall for the murders, but what he’d been doing all that time. Stealing from the tribe… even if it was to help others.”
“That’s the thing about family. Sometimes you spend your whole life fearing that you won’t live up to their expectations, then they turn around and surprise you. Shikoba was proud of Tak for being a man and standing up for what he believed in, even though his silence had kept him in jail. He ended up giving a piece of his land to one of the families so they can build a homestead, and he hopes that other Shifters in the region will be as compassionate for the lost.”
I set the knife on a napkin. “No kidding? Wow. That was an awesome gesture. I bet Tak really liked that.”
Lakota took the knife and began cutting the cake in the other direction. “The Council was so impressed by it that they offered Shikoba a seat.”
“Did he take it?”
His blue eyes twinkled at me. “I see the worry in your eyes, but Shikoba isn’t quitting his job as a gemstone dealer anytime soon. That’s his bread and butter. He accepted the position. The Council has been less than inclusive over the years, and they think it might help to mend the rift in the community. Shikoba makes good money, and he offered to create opportunities in the more populated areas of the territory—building retail shops to sell blankets, jewelry, and other goods the tribes make. Locals are free to sell their wares and apply for jobs, and some of the Shifters in the community need work. It’s a good plan. It’ll build up the economy and create friendships.”
Shikoba was a wealthy man, but you would never know it. I didn’t remember any flashy cars on his property or expensive electronics. “Maybe he should open a casino for tourists,” I suggested. “That would create a lot more jobs.”
“I’ll tell him. He might take it under advisement, but I don’t know where he stands on gambling.” Lakota eased up beside me and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. “You look pretty today, wife.”
I gave him a lethal glare. “Keep your voice down.”
Lakota grasped my hand and drew my finger into his mouth, sucking off the white icing. I wanted to pull away, but all I could do was watch his lips gliding over my fingertip and the hot look in his eyes.
He let my fingertip rest on his bottom lip. “Or what?”
When my cheeks flushed, I spun around to get the paper plates.
Lakota came up behind me and caged me against the counter, his body pressed against my back, his mouth to my ear. “I missed my wife.” He slid his hand between my legs, briefly reminding me of our passionate lovemaking. Something about the way he cupped me was wonderfully possessive. “I came back for you, Mel.”
“No, no, no,” I said, turning around and pushing him back. “You can’t say things you don’t mean. I get the humor in this, but it’s not something I want to joke about.”
“I only partially went through the mating ceremony to help you with your business.”
“It was just a lie.”
He stepped forward, his voice sincere. “Not in my heart. I came here to court you for real.”
Laughter erupted inside the store, but it was barely enough to distract me.
I looked at the way his rich brown hair framed his face, and his eyes were so striking that I couldn’t seem to notice anything else. “I know you, Lakota. You’re always trying to do the right thing. But you don’t have to feel guilty just because you’re not looking out for me. That wasn’t part of the deal. The ceremony was for Shikoba. Don’t quit your job because of this.”
He cradled my neck in his hands, his thumbs gently stroking my cheeks. “I’m not doing this because of obligation or pride. I want to be your mate because I love your wild heart.”
Breathless, I stood frozen for a second. “It’s just the sex talking. You can’t fall in love with the first woman you sleep with.”
“I didn’t fall in love with you because of the sex. I had sex with you because of the love.”
My pulse quickened.
Lakota looked deep into my eyes. “My wolf felt something for you that night in the snowstorm. And when you walked back into my life and I felt that same feeling again, I wasn’t sure what it was.”
“Nausea?”
“Love, Melody. A different kind of love from the one I feel for family—a love my heart has never carried for another.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this before I left?”
“I had to finish the case. Don’t think it wasn’t hell to let you go, but I couldn’t leave you hanging with words.” He touched his forehead to mine, his voice softening as he placed my hand over his heart. “Do you feel anything for me?”
I’d fallen hard and fast for Lakota—there was no denying it.
Not waiting for an answer, he placed a reverent kiss on each cheek. “I’ll never take away your dreams—I’ll help you build them. It took me years to understand this feeling, and maybe this is all sudden, but you’re my life mate. I know it, and my wolf knows it. I’m not going to walk away from us, and I’ll fight to the death for you.”
; My wolf sang. Lakota gave me the words I’d longed to hear but no man had ever given me—words of reassurance. A promise that he would stand by my side and build a life with me, not around me. I wanted to fall into his arms and give him everything.
“I’m only asking for one thing in return,” he continued.
“What’s that?” I whispered.
Lakota gazed at me ardently. “Your heart.”
“Where’s that cake?” someone yelled.
When I tried to look away, he lifted my chin with the crook of his finger. “Do you have any feelings for me?”
“Lakota…” My lip trembled. “I can’t even breathe when I think of life without you. And I’m not that girl. I’ve never been that girl who hangs on the dream of a man. I can’t stand here and pretend that I don’t love you, but it will never work out. Not like this. My deal saved Hope, but it ruined everything for us.” My breath hitched, and I felt on the verge of tears. “How can we do this and expect everyone to just accept it? My pack, your stepfather, the lies—”
His mouth was on mine, his strong hands encircling my waist. My head whirled with fear and worry, but my heart only knew one thing: I needed Lakota in my arms. When our kiss broke, I nuzzled my face against his neck. I belonged in his embrace, and maybe I’d always known that he was my home.
“I want to be your shelter,” he whispered. “I want to be your shield. Tell me you don’t want that.”
“I’m just afraid of being blindsided,” I said, breaking down my walls. “I’m afraid of loving you so hard that I won’t even see it when you realize I’m not what you really want.”
“You’re everything—my world, my heart, my soul, my future. There is no other. You’re the only female I want to share my life with—the only one who makes me feel alive. I know what you’re afraid of, but I’m never going to hurt you. I would end my life before causing you pain.”
He delivered a crushing kiss, his tongue still sweet from icing. I melted against him until our kiss became feather-soft. Lakota lifted me off my feet and held me tight for what seemed like ten lifetimes.
“Did you two fall in a hole?” Denver shouted. “Don’t make me come in there.”
Panicked, I wriggled free and danced around him. “You get the plates and—”
“I’ll get the cake, female.” He lifted the box and winked. “I wouldn’t want your nervous hands to drop it on my stepfather’s lap. Don’t worry, Mel. I’ll sort this out with our family. We’ll do it together.”
I followed him through the doorway with a stunned expression, still uncertain about how to label our situation. Were we a couple? Mated? Secret lovers? Friends with benefits? What did he mean by sorting it out? My family would never respect me after finding out what we’d done.
“Finally,” Reno grumbled. “People are starving in here.”
Everyone applauded the cake, even though most of them had seen it when Lexi brought it over earlier that morning. Lakota set it on the table in front of Lorenzo, and Ivy began placing the sliced pieces onto the empty plates before passing them around.
Meanwhile, Lakota and I moseyed back to our seats. Wheeler was still sitting between us.
Lakota reached around and handed me a package. “Someone left this in my truck with your name on it.”
“What is it?”
“Open it and see.”
I tore away the brown paper and opened the small cardboard box. Inside was a tiny black box with a card. I read the card first, and the only thing on it was Tak’s signature scribbled beneath a big heart with an arrow drawn through it. I furrowed my brow and opened the box. Tucked inside the black felt was a silver ring in the shape of a snake that wrapped around three times.
“Who’s that from?” Hope asked.
I smiled, thinking about the scene at the creek when I’d crawled onto Lakota’s back. “Someone who thinks he’s funnier than he is.” I showed Lakota, who smiled back in amusement.
My dad leaned over. “Cool ring. What’s the occasion?”
“Someone has an admirer,” April teased.
“One that doesn’t know her very well,” Hope added. “Mel hates snakes.”
“It’s a wedding gift,” Lakota announced. “For the bride.”
All eyes looked up in thunderstruck silence. Lakota was a jokester, but when he didn’t laugh, Lennon and Hendrix turned in their chairs, alpha energy pulsing off them. “What’s going on?”
My mom leaned around my dad to look me straight in the eye, and my hair stood on end. “You mated someone? Without telling me?”
My dad grabbed the card. “Who’s this Tak?” When I didn’t answer, he searched the packaging for a return address.
The tension in the room was palpable.
Lakota held his head high, a smile playing on his lips as if he didn’t have a care in the world about what was going to happen next. “Melody and I fell in love. We ran into each other recently, and while you might want to call it coincidence, the fates brought us together.”
Lorenzo placed his hands flat on the table, his hair curtaining his face as he stared down. His alpha power licked against my skin. “And you had a mating ceremony?”
I nodded.
Wheeler sat back. “And boom goes the dynamite.”
It felt like a gorilla had just sat on my chest, especially when I heard my brothers kick back their chairs.
Lakota strode around to the back of my chair and took my hand for me to stand beside him. “We’re not children anymore. I’m a man, and Melody is an extraordinary woman. Our decision wasn’t meant to hurt you.”
“I don’t get it. When did all this happen?” my aunt Maizy asked, a look of bewilderment and curiosity in her eyes.
Hope walked away from her chair.
I’ve ruined our special day, I thought.
When she circled the table and reached us, she looked up at Lakota, tears falling from her eyes. “Is this one of your jokes?”
“No, sister. I’ve always been friends with Melody, but now it’s different. We’re different.”
She searched our eyes while I ignored the grumbles coming from the table. After a pregnant pause, she surprised me with a tight hug. “My sister,” she whispered.
I felt a lump in my throat. Hope had always been the sister I’d never had, and her approval made it real. Now we were bound together by family.
Lakota’s mother came around next and kissed my cheeks.
“I didn’t think you would be happy about this,” I said, barely able to look her in the eye. “About me.”
“Why would I not be happy? You were always a daughter to me, and now the fates have made it so. But you two had no reason to keep this a secret.”
When my father rose to his feet, his chair fell over. He stood taller than everyone in the room. “Come with me,” he said tersely, grabbing Lakota by the arm and hauling him into the back room.
My mother was crying, still seated in her chair. I’d rarely seen her cry, and it scared me.
I bent down and wrapped my arms around her shoulders, burying my face in her red hair. “Please don’t be mad at me. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. It just happened so fast.”
She turned in her seat. “Do you love him?”
The pack ceased their chatter. Couldn’t they see my answer by the look in my eyes or the blush on my cheeks?
Before I could answer, Lakota strode back into the room, my father behind him. “I have a confession to make,” he boomed. “You want to know the real reason Melody and I are mated?”
Oh my God. My life is over.
Lakota stopped at the end of the table by Lorenzo. “By chance, we ran into each other in Oklahoma while I was working a case. Mel was there for a business meeting. The reason I chose to have a mating ceremony with Melody is because… I love her. If you doubt my conviction, then we’ll do it again for all the packs to witness. This female has my heart—has my wolf’s heart. You can judge us for making an impulsive decision, but that won’t change how we feel abo
ut each other. I won’t have talk that paints us in a bad light in this town. I’ll do whatever it takes to make amends with her family,” he said, looking toward Austin. “But I don’t owe anyone an explanation for loving the woman. My love doesn’t come with apologies.”
My father stood behind him, the baleful look from moments ago replaced with a look of satisfaction. Maybe he understood what it was like to be caught up in something you had no control over and be on the receiving end of so much criticism. Whatever Lakota had said to him had smoothed things over, but my brothers still looked ready to kick someone’s ass.
“So what’s your plan?” Lorenzo asked. “To quit your job to work a cash register?”
“You can balk about my decisions all you want, but my first duty is to protect my mate. I know some of the Breed around here might give Hope and Mel trouble because they’re two single women on a prime piece of real estate. If anyone so much as gives them a dirty look, I’ll bury them deep in the mountains. My presence will extinguish any assumption that it’s open season to harass or drive them out. Once I make sure there’s no threat to their business, I’ll focus on what comes next. Bounty work has paid me well, so I’m not exactly hurting for money.”
Austin cracked his knuckles. “What about a pack? You can’t just get mated and stay rogue. Without a pack to protect the business or my niece, you’ll have a target on your back.”
Lakota’s eyes met mine. “My pack is standing right there. Any decisions we make, we make together. Right now, we’ve got a new business to focus on. No worries, people. We’re going to head over to the Council and make our union legal so there’s no doubt that we’re together. Another mating ceremony is unnecessary, but a peace party would give me a chance to make a few connections and make sure everyone in the territory knows that Mel is mine. I was hoping you might help us celebrate, Austin. Nobody throws a peace party like the Weston pack.”
“True that,” Denver agreed before shoving a handful of fries into his mouth. He wiped his salty fingers on his T-shirt and noticed Austin giving him a cross look for undoubtedly trying to lighten the mood. “What did I say?”