Enforcing Boundaries (The Boundaries Series Book 1)

by Eva Harper

  On the second day, we held a funeral for Albia. Even though she had betrayed us, we respected Emily enough not to tell her what her daughter did before her death. There was no reason to ruin her name now that she was gone.

  When I woke up on the third day, Theo was gone from our bed. My heart raced until I found a small note on the nightstand that said, “Needed to take care of some things. Be back soon. T.”

  I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and tried to mind-link Theo, but the link was blocked. I started to worry and tried again. I tried all throughout the day, and then I started to get annoyed.

  I walked around the house gingerly, looking over my shoulder constantly. Even though Saskia was dead, the feeling of dread didn’t leave my body for months to come. I constantly expected her to be waiting in the shadows and around every corner.

  I made myself dinner with an extra portion for Theo. I put it in a container in the fridge for him to eat later. The guards outside the house knew nothing of his whereabouts.

  When I woke up the following day, Theo hadn’t come back. Sloane showed up at our doorstep with a tray of soft cookies, claiming to know nothing about her son’s trip. She came in, and we talked for a long time. She loved Pilar and Olympia already, claiming they were exactly what her sons needed.

  Eli and Verona were still at the pack’s hospital. She hadn’t woken up yet, but most of her superficial wounds had healed, and they were just waiting for her to wake up to send her home with her mate.

  Sloane stayed until nighttime. She cooked dinner with me, and we put on one of Theo’s old movies. Gabriel and Pilar came and drove her home when it got dark; no one wanted her walking home alone.

  The third day that Theo was gone was the worst. I stayed in bed for most of the day, rolling in and out of sleep. The door opened at four in the afternoon, and I rushed downstairs.

  Eli stood in the foyer with an anxious expression. I flew down the steps and to his side.

  “What’s wrong? Is Theo okay? Is Verona okay?” I asked.

  “You need to get dressed and come with me. Right now.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me upstairs.

  “Eli, what’s going on?” I tried to ask as he threw clothes at me. I put on the simple blue dress he gave me.

  He grabbed my hand again and dragged me outside. We stalked through the woods, his hand gripping mine. I stumbled over my feet; even being a werewolf didn’t help my coordination. I realized we were heading towards the packhouse as it came into view.

  We were almost the back of the house when Sloane came out and grabbed me from Eli’s hands.

  “Sloane, what is going on?” I asked desperately. She smiled calmly and fixed my hair.

  “Come on, dear,” she said kindly.

  The pack was gathered at the back of the house, many of them standing in the woods behind the clearing due to the size of the pack. Theo stood on the small stage where I had first been introduced to the pack in a tailored black suit.

  It would be an understatement to say I was confused as Sloane pushed me up onto the stage.

  “Where the hell have you been?” I angrily whispered as I got closer. He just kept smiling at me. When I was close enough, he stepped forward and took my clammy hands in his.

  “Margo,” he said mischievously. “I’m sorry that I’ve been gone the last few days, but I had to get a few things in order, and I think what I’m about to say will make up for it.”

  I waited, leaning back slightly in apprehension. Theo laughed nervously.

  “My whole life leading up to the day I met you was black and white. When I was little, there was nothing I wanted more than to meet my mate, and as I got older, my hope started growing smaller every day. The day I met you was one of the greatest days of my entire life. You took my black and white world, and you lit it up like a firework.

  “I have enjoyed every moment since that day. Every time you laugh, my world turns bright green. When you smile, it turns yellow. When you cry, it turns blue, and when you kiss me, it turns bright red, kind of like your cheeks right now.” His thumb lifted to my cheek and touched the blushing flesh.

  “I’m sorry that I’ve been gone the past few days, especially after everything that has happened. I visited Caddy’s pack,” he said to my surprise. “I know that he’s the closest thing to family that you have and if I’m going to do this, I wanted to do it right. I know this is an old human tradition and it probably hasn’t been done in over fifty years. I know that sometimes you want to hit me and pull out my hair because I annoy you so much. I know that every day isn’t going to be perfect, but I do know I don’t want to spend them with anyone but you.

  “So.” He let go of my hands and knelt on one knee and pulled out a small black box. The ring that was nestled inside was a thin gold band with one small, diamond-shaped gem on the band. “Margo Celina Anderson, will you do me the greatest honor of my existence and marry me?”

  His eyes were nervous. My eyes had filled with tears long before he asked me the question.

  I started nodding, then realized that it wasn’t romantic and said, “yes,” over and over. His smile sent chills down my spine as he got off his knee and slid the ring onto my left hand.

  As he kissed me, the pack burst into cheers of happiness. I was sure my entire face was blushing red as we parted.

  “Caddy gave me his blessing. He said this was your mother’s ring, the pack kept it. It was buried in an old safe, it took us two days to find it.”

  Warmth spread through me as I touched the small diamond. I had never been happier than that moment.

  Sloane walked up on the stage with us, holding a small screen in her hand. She hugged us tightly and kissed my cheek before she gave Theo the device. He clicked it on and showed me the videos.

  “These are from packs across the country. They gathered to celebrate our engagement,” Theo said softly, clicking through the different packs. I noticed Caddy’s pack, Duncan’s, Joella and Felix’s, and many others. They were kneeling, the same way they had knelt down before the fight.

  I glanced over at our pack, kneeling, arms clasped over their chest, heads down. I didn’t know what I had done to deserve the love of so many people.

  I turned back to Theo, who had set the screen down. He had knelt at my feet, arm over his chest, head bent for just a moment.

  He lifted his head and smiled at me. I could have flown at the moment.

  “You are my queen, little one. I will follow you anywhere,” he swore.

  Lilacs

  “He’s perfect,” I said in awe.

  Joella smiled and held her newborn son closer to her face. “He is pretty gorgeous, huh?”

  “It seems like just yesterday he was just a little bump in your belly,” I said wistfully. Only two and a half months later, Rowan came into the world, pink and wrinkled. He had grown into his body more over the past two weeks or so and was curled, sleeping in his mother’s arms.

  He was covered in a small white onesie with a black long sleeve sweater on top, like a small suit.

  “I can’t believe you came all the way here, I would have understood, Jo,” I told her, playing with Rowan’s tiny hand.

  “And miss this? No way in hell.” She laughed. “Gosh, I’ve got to stop swearing, or his first word is going to be damn.”

  “Margo,” Verona called sweetly, peeking in the bedroom door. “It’s almost time. I have your bouquet.”

  “Thanks, V,” I told her, letting go of Rowan and ushering Joella out of the room.

  “You look gorgeous,” Verona told me, standing behind me as I stood in front of the tall mirror.

  Sloane came over the day before, sent Theo to the packhouse for the night, and turned our bedroom into a dressing room. She set up a vanity, lights, mirrors, and tubes of makeup I didn’t know existed.

  She primed, plucked, and plumped me into perfection. Olympia sat on the bed, snickering every time I whined. I begged Sloane not to go overboard, which she thankfully adhered to.

  My dress
was made by one of the women in the pack. It was sleeveless with triangles of fabric covering my breasts; the stomach of the dress was tight, and it flowed out from the waist. It was soft, elegant, simple. It was perfect.

  My hair was left down in its usual curly mess with a white flower pinned on the side, showing off Theo’s mark on my neck. My heart raced as I looked at myself in the mirror, palms sweating, hands shaking.

  “You’re going to be okay,” Verona fixed the back of my dress, tucking the fabric in snugly. “Everything looks beautiful.”

  “I know.” I smiled. “This is just the last human thing I really have to do.”

  “This isn’t the last thing,” she said lightly. “You and Theo are going to have babies, even if they are little werewolf babies. And you’re going to be there on their first day of school, and when they have their hearts broken. You’re going to grow old together.”

  I turned and pulled her tightly to me, arms squeezing her small shoulders. She laughed and patted my back, careful not to mess up my hair; Sloane would have her head.

  Someone knocked on the door loudly.

  “Margo?” Caddy’s voice called. Verona opened the door, looked at me once, and then left us alone. “How are you?”

  “Honestly?” He nodded and sat on the edge of the bed. “I’m okay. I just wish…”

  “You wish your parents were here,” he filled in. I nodded, smiling grimly. “I do, too. But they’re here, they’re watching over you. They never left you, Margo.”

  I sat next to him, resting my head on his shoulder. He put his hand on my knee, his warmth coating me. A female voice screamed my name from the first floor, and Caddy removed his hand.

  “It’s like we have somewhere to be or something.” He chuckled playfully. I stood up and fixed my dress.

  “I guess it’s our time to shine, Caddy.” I followed him out of the room. He watched me carefully as I descended the stairs in my long dress. Verona, Olympia, and Pilar were waiting at the bottom of the steps, adorning lilac-colored dresses.

  Verona handed me a small bouquet of lavender and white hydrangeas. They walked towards the back of the house, right in front of the back doors that were covered in sheer fabric. The girls walked out first. I wasn’t able to see anything but white flower petals on the ground.

  Tansy pushed her way in front of me, her basket filled with pink flower petals. She took her role extremely seriously and practiced many times before the big day came. She exited with a grand smile, followed by Joella carrying Rowan in her arms. An emerald dress laid beautifully under her fiery hair, and she bounced Rowan happily as she carried the rings for the sleeping baby.

  Caddy squeezed my arm. Somehow, my nervousness faded the moment Caddy opened the door. I held onto his arm as he escorted me towards the altar where Theo waited. There was a simple wooden arch in the center, flowers, and vines woven into it.

  Along the walkway, there were small bouquets of white flowers and simple wooden chairs. There weren’t many people sitting there.

  Pilar, Olympia, and Verona stood to one side; Gabriel, Reese, and Eli to the other next to Theo. The rest of the chairs were filled with family and close friends, Emily and her mate, Sloane, the woman who sewed my dress, Cam and Gemma, Bodhi, Beau, and his mate Juniper.

  I took everything in within ten seconds, and for the rest of the walk, I looked at Theo. He closed his eyes and opened them again, blinking rapidly. His eyes became glassy, and he ran his hand over his face to shake off the feeling.

  I blushed and smiled. He looked so handsome, standing in his black suit with his hair combed back. A small sprig of lavender was pinned to his lapel, the same as his brothers.

  We reached the alter faster than I imagined. Caddy let go of my arm, kissed me on the forehead, and took his seat next to Bodhi.

  Pilar took my flowers, and I turned to my mate. There was no need for an officiator. It was a simple, short ceremony. We exchanged our vows, handwritten on sheets of paper we wrote one night after a few glasses of wine. We wrote them lying on the bed, constantly trying to peak at the others.

  Theo unfolded his from his pocket; there were only a few lines written down.

  “Margo. I’ve never been to a wedding before, and I’ve never heard vows, but I imagine it’s something like a promise. So, I promise you that I will always wake you up gently in the morning. I promise I will never interrupt you when you’re reading. I promise I will kiss you every day for the rest of our lives, no matter what gets in the way. Most of all, I promise you that I will be there for you forever. You’re never going to get rid of me.”

  I could barely see with the tears clouding my vision. I giggled stupidly as I wiped the tears away. Pilar handed me a sheet of paper.

  “Theo. You are the first person I want to see when I wake up in the morning and the last person I want to see before I go to bed even if you try to keep me awake every night. You’re the only person I want to come to when anything happens, good or bad. I promise I will never voluntarily let you win a race or win the discussion on whether films are better than books.”

  “Films,” he murmured childishly. I rolled my eyes and laughed.

  “I promise you, you’ll never have to go to a business meeting alone, even if I have no idea what’s going on. But, more than anything, I promise you that you’ll never have to go a day without knowing that I love you.”

  I folded the paper back up and gave it to Pilar. Joella stood up with Rowan and came forward. She handed Theo my ring and gave me his plain black band.

  “Margo, do you take me as your husband?” Theo smiled, holding my left hand in his.

  “I do,” I said firmly. He let my hand go, and I took his left hand in mine. “Theo, do you take me as your wife?”

  “I do.”

  He grabbed my face in his large, warm hands, and kissed me. We were both smiling, trying to kiss each other, but laughing too much to make it anything more than a small kiss.

  He let my face go, and we turned to our friends and family who were cheering, although Sloane was crying loudly.

  “After you, Mrs. Weston,” Theo whispered in my ear, taking my hand to escort me back down the aisle.

  “Thank you, Mr. Weston.”

  We had a large dinner in the house, talking over each other, passing plates and bowls of food down the tables messily.

  When we finished eating, Sloane insisted we have our first dance, as was human tradition. She played some slow, acoustic song, and we swayed softly. I didn’t let go of him when I was supposed to. Cam asked Gemma to dance, the same with Caddy and Bodhi, and every other mated couple.

  The inside of the house had been redecorated, stripped, and left with only strings of soft lights and flowers around the room.

  “I can’t wait to take you to bed tonight, wife,” Theo whispered roughly in my ear.

  “As I recall, you owe me one night of me in complete control,” I said playfully, trying to hide my laughter.

  “Margo, I’m all yours. Anything of mine is yours; my body, my hands, my heart, it’s all yours to do what you please.”

  “That’s a big responsibility,” I noted lightly, face still pressed against his chest.

  “I trust you,” he told me.

  “You have my heart, too, Theo," I reminded him.

  “Good. It took me long enough to earn it,” he teased me. I pinched his arm but kept my head on his chest. “I’ll never let you down.”

  “Your mom would have your head if you did,” I said, pulling my head away to glance at Sloane taking pictures of everyone.

  “You’re going to be a great mom someday,” Theo smiled.

  “You’re going to be the best father ever.”

  “Whenever you’re ready,” he said solemnly.

  I knew female wolves could only get pregnant if they were in heat, and mine hadn’t come yet. It was indefinite how long it would take for my heat to start since I was a turned shifter, but there was plenty of time to worry about that later.

  I bit my
lip as I looked at him, remembering for the first time in a while just how much taller he was compared to me. He grinned, lips just slightly parting.

  “One day,” I promised simply. He seemed happy at that and leaned down to kiss me. A bright flash snapped next to us as Sloane captured our sweet moment.

  She giggled slyly and disappeared into another room.

  “I never thought I would feel this way about someone,” I admitted to Theo shyly. “This is so strange to me still. I mean, I’m happy, don’t get me wrong, I’m ecstatic. I don’t know, it still amazes me sometimes how you make me feel.”

  “How do I make you feel?” He smiled crookedly, smugly.

  “You make me feel like I’m home. Like it doesn’t matter where we are or what’s happening, but like I’ll always be home as long as I’m with you. And-”

  He kissed me to stop my anxious rambling. I silently praised him. Then, he pulled away and tucked my hair behind my ear.

  “You’re my home, too, Margo.”

  Epilogue

  “Come on, Margo, push!” Reese screamed in my ear.

  I nearly growled at him as another bead of sweat wiggled down my forehead. I grunted, animalistic noises coming from my mouth as I struggled to push.

  “You’re almost there, Margo,” Theo praised, pushing his brother away from me.

  Olympia, Pilar, Verona, and Sloane stood somewhere in front of me, cheering me on. I couldn’t see them, though. I threw my head back, nearly crying at the pressure.

  “Come on, little one, I know you can do this,” Theo teased me. “You’re tiny, but you’re strong.”

  “Theo, I’m gonna fucking kill you when I’m done,” I screeched. He laughed anyway and stayed by my side.

  “Think about the result,” he urged. I continued to push, my legs nearly seizing up as they spread and contracted.