She smiled sweetly. “Yes?”
He slid his hands under hers, lifting her knuckles to his lips for a brief kiss. He stared into her eyes and let every bit of the love he felt for her shine.
One more deep breath, and it was time. “Will you be my mate?”
She blinked hard, her expression brightening as awareness quickly arrived. Her smile softened, eyes filling with moisture. “Yes.”
They waited.
Like statues. Neither of them breathed or looked away…
The walls of the cabin creaked with the intense cold outside, and a log crackled in the fireplace. Nothing else.
Clearly nothing magical was about to sweep into the room and whirl around them.
Amber wrinkled her nose in the most adorable way. “Okay, so that wasn’t it.”
“I guess not.” He pulled her forward and wrapped his arms around her, cradling her intimately. “I’m still glad the answer was yes. And you’re right. We’ll figure it out, if it’s a time delay or something else. We’ll do it together.”
“Yes, we will.” Amber slid her cheek alongside of his, squeezing him tight. A sharp nip at his ear sent a shiver sliding down his spine, especially when it was followed by a slow lick, her tongue hot and wet against his skin. “It seems a pity to waste you being naked, and all. There’s a warm fire, and a soft rug…”
A delicious woman for him to enjoy from top to bottom. “I like the way you think, Amber Myawayan.”
He also liked the way she tasted, the way she kissed, and the way she moaned his name when he made her come. It was a most entertaining evening.
Darkness still covered the village when they woke. Cooper stoked the fire then crawled back into bed, happy for the mattress after their time spent roughing it.
He played with Amber’s hair, stroking it through his fingers as she stared sleepily at him, a contented expression on her face. “We’ll have to figure out a way to get home, but we can stay and visit for as long as you’d like.”
“I don’t want to keep you from your family for too long,” Amber told him. “Plus, I think I’ll be coming to visit often.”
“We can definitely put that in a plan.”
She laughed, then her expression grew serious. “I need to tell you something.”
Cooper tensed.
Even with Amber flat on the mattress, it looked as if she steeled her spine. “When I came to your hideout for mating fever, I told you I was on birth control. I am… or was. It’s out there somewhere in a snowbank. Which means I should’ve thought of it sooner. Before we had sex last night.”
Interesting development.
“I’m not too worried,” Cooper admitted. “Number one because I don’t think you missing a day or so would set you ovulating right away. But now I have a question for you, as I refer back to our mating fever discussions and one of the differences between us.” He stretched beside her, resting his head on an arm. “You’re young. We never talked about if you want kids. Or if you do want them, how long you want to wait before we start.”
She got that look about her. The one meaning that while she was embarrassed, she wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip past. “I want kids, and I’m interested in having them whenever it happens.” She damn near fluttered her lashes at him. “Seeing little Bram yesterday made me realize that. But it was seeing you with him—good grief, I may have gotten pregnant right then and there because my ovaries went into overdrive.”
Cooper laughed. The sound broke free, impossible to stop. She was so serious yet so sweetly intense in that way she got when she talked with her friends, and what he felt inside welled up and over, deeper and richer. “Then we won’t worry about missed birth control pills, because I’m good with whenever it happens, as well.”
Then, because it seemed appropriate, he rolled her on top of him and encouraged her to wake up all the way, as enthusiastically as she liked.
It was nearly noon before they made it out of the cottage, stepping carefully on the snowy footpaths back to Mason’s house.
Ahead there was a clatter of voices, and Cooper kept a firm grip on Amber’s hand as he diverted them toward a new location.
Overhead, a plane buzzed as it circled the community, the reason for the gathering now clear. People had gathered at the edge of the airstrip on the outskirts of the community.
Cooper chuckled as he realized Amber had moved in front of him as if to protect him.
And he’d let her.
She glanced over her shoulder, blinked, then grinned.
The plane landed and slowly taxied toward the gathering, and as he recognized the vehicle, the place inside Cooper that was full of love for his family lit up again.
“Oh my goodness. Really?” Amber said a moment before the plane stopped and the side hatch swung open. Family and friends poured out to the ground, Kaylee and Lara glancing around eagerly.
A moment later, the three women were tangled in a hug.
Alex descended a little slower, his hands full of bags. James paced after him. Both of them dropped their loads to the ground and held up their arms so they could make cheering motions toward Cooper.
Alex hesitated, glancing toward James as two women in the crowd stepped forward.
The brothers quickly bent their knees and leaned lower, heads snapping back in unison as fists made brisk contact.
A second later, they’d all moved on. The woman who had punched Alex patted him on the back before pushing him toward his mate. It was Caitlin, their ranger from the previous day. The woman was also a seal shifter, which explained so much.
“Remind her not to tear my head off, will you, Amber?” Caitlin asked with a dash of amusement.
Amber had been restraining Lara and offered a quick thumbs-up.
Yup. Visits to Amber’s brother were going to be entertaining, that was for sure.
“What are you doing here?” Cooper asked as his brothers rubbed their hands briskly over their jaws.
“We came to celebrate the holidays with you, of course.” James shrugged. “Not much use in having a pilot in the family if you don’t take advantage of it.”
“When we got the word you’d arrived and Amber had found her brother, we were all pretty excited,” Alex said. “Gramps insisted we come and join you so it could be a real family celebration.”
Of course the old man had insisted. The meddlesome, conniving man had been doing everything in his power to get Cooper hooked up with Amber. Bless his heart, in the good way.
A sudden clatter rang out from behind them, and the bottom panel fell out of the plane. Three lanky figures tumbled to the ground with shouts and groans.
Lara pinched the bridge of her nose before planting both fists on her hips and glaring at the stowaways. “Seriously, dudes? In what universe did you think this was a good idea?”
They all popped to their feet, Dixon’s familiar face in their midst. He stepped forward, still brushing snow off his pants. “Heard you were going on a bit of an adventure. Thought you might need some backup.” He turned toward Amber and grinned hugely. “We’re totally building you that statue. You rock. So hard.”
Nothing but amusement bubbled up from his bear side, which Cooper was grateful for. He ignored the wolves because they were Lara and Alex’s problem.
Instead, he slapped a hand on his brothers’ shoulders. “I’m glad you’re here.” He turned to where Mason and Marianne were waiting at the edge of the gathering, offering them a huge smile. “It’s time to get ready for that celebration. Put us to work.”
19
As parties went, the day rated right up there as one of Amber’s best memories.
Not only did she have Cooper at her side, she had her best friends, Lara and Kaylee. There were Mason and his wife to rekindle memories with and build new ones.
Their small house was filled to the brim when you added James and Alex, and Dixon and his friends.
Little Bram looked around with wide eyes, lifting his hands with imperial dign
ity as he demanded to be passed from person to person for hugs and cuddles. Dixon turned out to love kids, and eventually it was the two of them—the enthusiastic wolf and the nearly-a-toddler, ensconced together in a corner of the house where childish laughter rang out over and over, bringing smiles to everyone’s faces as they worked.
“You’ve been so good to open your home to us,” Amber said to Mason in the middle of one of the calmer moments.
“You’re a miracle worker for finding enough food to feed us all,” Cooper added.
“That was all Marianne.” Mason glanced at his mate, that tender expression in his eyes flashing again. “And the rest of the clan. I hope you like fish.”
“You don’t even have to cook it,” Amber teased, dancing out of Cooper’s reach.
The entire day was like that. Little bursts of conversation, time spent with her friends. A sweet moment post-lunch when she cuddled with Bram as he grew heavy-lidded then fell asleep on her with complete trust.
Amber didn’t move. Just stared down at the beautiful child in her arms and let deliciously happy thoughts drift through her brain.
A big set of arms wrapped around her, and another layer of delight arrived like icing on the cake.
“Hey, Cooper.”
“Hey, darling. How’s your holiday going?”
She gazed into his eyes. They still hadn’t experienced whatever mystical magic needed to occur for the mating woo-woo, but she had faith it would happen when it was supposed to.
But this was supposed to happen right now. She used her free arm to catch Cooper around the neck, tugging him toward her so he could kiss her.
The catcalls were quiet to avoid waking the sleeping baby.
At different moments, couples vanished then returned, taking time to stretch their legs or return to their rooms to nap. The sun was only out for a short period of time, and everyone made sure to go outside and enjoy the brief blast as it rose just in line with the horizon.
The day vanished, and so did the food that had been on the dinner table, causing it to groan under the weight. Bears and wolves and seals all ate until the bountiful spread was nearly vanished. Then they pushed back their chairs, hands falling over stomachs that were just a little too full.
“I wish I hadn’t finished that last piece of pie,” Dixon said gloomily.
Alex nodded at the young man. “You’re learning. Overindulgence is sometimes a mistake.”
Dixon blinked. “I didn’t mean I wouldn’t eat it. I’m just regretting that the pecan pie is gone—that was the last piece. Now I have to go find my second favourite.”
He bounced to his feet amazingly quickly considering the amount of food he’d consumed. Laughter swelled again, and it was…right.
It was family. Amber leaned on Cooper’s arm and soaked it all in.
The dishes were stacked and brought to the kitchen, and after a whirlwind of activity, the house was clean and the living space had been transformed.
Amber wasn’t sure whose eyes were wider, Bram’s or Dixon’s.
A stack of presents had appeared out of nowhere. Brightly coloured with ribbons and bows sparkling in the reflected lights on the Christmas tree.
Kaylee settled beside Amber. “Grandpa was delighted to surprise us with the trip here. Then imagine what our faces must’ve looked like when Grandma pulled out two Santa-sized sacks of goodies.”
“We decided to haul everything we had wrapped up along for the ride,” Lara confessed, cuddling in tighter under Alex’s arm. “It does look as if we held up the North Pole, doesn’t it?”
“As long as you didn’t import any elves, we’re okay.” Mason reached into the massive stack and without reading the name, tossed the first gift to Amber. “Merry Christmas, sis.”
The couch dipped heavily as Cooper settled on her other side. As the presents continued to be handed out all around her, Amber paused to read the card on her gift.
Looking forward to making new memories with you.
—Mason
It was a book full of drawings. Sketches Mason had made along the route he’d travelled in search of their parents. During the years apart, she’d wondered what he’d been doing and what he’d been seeing—she now had a record of the places and the people who were meaningful during that time.
It was telling that the most recent pictures included a lot of Marianne, and the final pages, Bram.
She held the book to her chest and looked across the chaos of the room to where her brother sat with his family. He was smiling at her. That smile that went all the way to his eyes.
He mouthed I love you and she said it back.
Then she brushed away a tear and tried to catch up on exactly who had gotten what, but never quite figured out why Dixon had a duck on his head.
There were some mysteries that would never be solved.
Cooper was staring at something in his hand.
“What did you get?” Amber asked.
“You’ll find out soon enough.” He carefully folded and tucked the whatever-it-was into the pocket of his shirt without letting her see, which she thought was kind of mean. But he squeezed her tight and gave her the most delicious kiss, which mostly made up for it.
A sudden bang hit the door, and everyone turned to discover Kaylee and James peeking into the room. They were wearing all their winter gear, and Kaylee’s cheeks were rosy from the cold. She also looked a little tumbled, and Amber figured she and James must have snuck outside to fool around.
“You guys. The sky is amazing right now. Everybody’s got to see it,” Kaylee insisted.
There was a rush to find winter clothing, but eventually everyone poured outside, climbing the small hill behind Mason’s house to get away from the streetlights. They all stared up at a light show bigger than any Amber had ever seen before.
From one side of the horizon to the other, streaks of blue, green, indigo, and violet danced and wove and slid as if a hand was wiping paint across an enormous canvas. Amber tucked her fingers into Cooper’s and kept her gaze fixed on the heavens. Complete awe left her speechless.
At least until he squeezed her fingers and she turned to face him. The lights continued to dance like a halo around his head, reflecting in his eyes and shining off the silver flecks in his hair.
The words came now.
“I love you.” Amber cupped his face with her hand, and he leaned against it. “I really do,” she admitted. “Even if it seems fast, it isn’t. I’ve been falling in love with you for the past two years, and now there’s just so much of it inside me that there’s nowhere for it to go except all over you.”
Cooper’s face split into an enormous grin. “You’re so perfect. And somehow you’ve managed to jump the gun every single time I try to surprise you.”
Amber paused for a moment, not sure what that meant.
Cooper dropped to one knee and pulled out a ring case, holding it up to her. “Amber Myawayan, I love you too. Will you be my forever, however that looks?”
Oh my goodness. The lights were everywhere overhead, and a slow shimmer seemed to sink into her bones as if the snow were glowing, and all she could see was that love in his eyes. It was true, and it was truth, and it was everything she ever needed.
She leaned in closer. “I will be yours. You will be mine. All of you, by the way. Now and forever.”
He slipped the ring on her finger then pulled her toward him, kissing her firmly. Sealing the deal, as it were.
A terrible, wonderful idea sprang to mind. Amber took a quick glance around. They were on the very edge of the gathering, darkness all around them. Most people were wandering toward the house, where Mason was bringing out lawn chairs for watching the light show.
Amber pulled Cooper to his feet and tugged him in the opposite direction.
“What are we doing?” he asked.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” she said with a tease.
Once they were out of earshot of the gathering, Amber gave him no warning. She leapt into h
is arms and grabbed hold of both sides of his jacket, unzipping it in one motion then reaching for his belt.
Cooper didn’t need any further explanations.
It was a good thing he was a shifter and used to getting rid of clothing in a hurry.
It was a better thing he was a shifter and his body temperature was well above hers as a human, because by the time she was partially naked, she was wondering if her idea was really such a good one.
Except he pulled her onto the nest he’d made from the discarded clothing. Tucked away from the wind, with his big chest acting as a radiator, she was toasty warm as he used his hands to heat her up in the best way possible.
Cooper nibbled on the spot on her neck that drove her wild. “I love you so much,” he whispered.
She swore she heard a rush of music sweep across the sky with another spectacular burst of dancing lights. Cooper’s hands danced over her skin, lights reflected everywhere, and he drove her quickly to the point of no return. Hesitated, and then slid home.
If anything, the lights only got brighter. There were explosions and swirling fireworks, and all of it was part of nature and all of it was perfect.
Cooper moved them together, bringing them up and then letting them fly.
Magic arrived in a way Amber had never experienced before.
It wasn’t just the physical pleasure. It wasn’t just the love in Cooper’s eyes. The spectacular aurora borealis dancing over their heads and bathing their bodies with shimmering light was part of it, and the fact that they were here, her and Cooper, individuals, a pair, and yet a part of a huge whole called family—
There was magic in that moment, and they both knew it.
Cooper swore, soft and reverent, because something beautiful had just happened.
Amber’s heart was still pounding from the sex, but as she lay cradled in Cooper’s arms, something else was there. A connection that was 100 percent happiness and wonder.
Cooper stared at her in amazement. “Amber? Do you feel that?”
The Bear’s Forever Mate: Borealis Bears: Book 3 Page 12