“Hurry,” Simon urged. “They won’t be down long and the gunfire will draw the others. We need to get to the Jeep if we want this to work.”
Mac had already started moving in that direction, towing Kelly, who for some reason didn’t want to go.
“Come on,” he urged. “We’ve got to hurry. Don’t endanger the plan.”
“We can’t leave without your children,” she protested as he ushered her into the Jeep. “And I’ve got to talk to my sister. I want to hear it from her own lips that she wants to stay here.”
Everyone piled in and Simon started the engine. As they raced off back the way they came, a voice came over their headsets.
“Mission accomplished. Both Danny and Ian McKenzie are now in custody.”
“Now we can get everyone else,” Mac told her, pulling her in for a hug, then thinking he needed more, maybe they both needed more, he claimed her mouth in a kiss.
At first, she held herself rigid, passively resisting, then finally she sagged her entire body into him, giving herself up to his kiss.
“Hey, get a room,” Simon said, laughing. Lifting his head, Mac met his old friend’s gaze in the rearview mirror.
“Sorry,” he told the others. “But I can’t guarantee it won’t happen again.”
They all laughed, even Kelly.
Later, once what seemed like an entire army of Pack Protectors had arrived, the people of the compound were sorted out. The adults were separated by sex, men in one room, women in another. There were many more women, outnumbering the males three to one.
To no one’s surprise, almost all of them wanted to stay.
Including Bonnie, Kelly’s sister. They located her by accident, while searching room by room for his children.
“I want to raise my baby with his or her father,” she said, resting her hand on her rounded belly.
“But…” Kelly sputtered. “He’s your cousin.”
“No,” Bonnie said. “That’s where you’re wrong. You were too young to remember, but I was adopted. My parents were Rose’s friends. They died in a house fire when I was an infant. The last thing my mom did was save me. She got me out before she burned to death. We’re not really sisters.”
Kelly lifted her chin. “Maybe not by blood, but we are in my heart.”
“Then you’ll understand. I love Ian. I want to stay with him.”
“Even if you have to share him?” Incredulous, Kelly appeared to be struggling not to cry.
“Even so. It’s for the good of our race.”
Mac felt he had to interject here, just so Bonnie was clear. “You do realize that Ian’s probably going to go to jail for a long time.”
Bonnie’s gray eyes flashed. “On what charges?”
“Kidnapping, for one. I was at that meeting when he held everyone hostage. Plus, the treaty between the vampires and shifters has been broken by him employing them to do bodily harm. They shot me, as well as my wife.”
Beside him, Kelly inhaled sharply at his choice of word, though she made no comment.
“I still want to stay,” Bonnie said. “I’m sorry, Kelly. You could have known the same contentment, if you weren’t so stubborn.”
“I love her,” Mac stated, hoping in his heart that Kelly felt the same. “Believe me, I’ll give her much happiness, once this is all over.”
Bonnie’s bright gaze never wavered from her sister’s face. “What about you? Is this what you want?”
Kelly nodded. “It is. He is. I love him, too. We’ll make our own life. I’m going to be happy with our future the way it is.”
Rose came to stand beside her adopted daughter, putting her slender arm around Bonnie’s shoulders in a show of solidarity. “You love him,” she said.
Glancing up at Mac, Kelly’s expression softened. “I do.”
“Ah, but there’s the catch of it,” Rose said slyly. “Does he love you, or is he with you only because you bound him to you?”
Kelly immediately stiffened. Leaning down, Mac nuzzled her, kissing her lips lightly before straightening to face her family. “I love Kelly more than life itself.”
With a cry, Kelly turned to him, burying her face into his shirt. He held her for a moment, watching as her sister and her mother turned away, withdrawing what little support from them that she’d had. He’d hoped for more, but should have known better.
“Come on, my love,” Mac said softly. “Let’s go find the rest of your new family.”
They left that room and went in search of another. They found all of the children had been herded in one place, and then separated out by age. Thirteen and older were taken to another room, and the youngest, of which there were twenty-six, huddled together, wide-eyed and frightened. The larger children held as many of the younger ones as they could hold, but terror showed in all of their young faces.
That they honestly thought their rescuers were the enemy made his chest hurt. Children so young shouldn’t be made to feel such fear.
“Those whose parents choose to stay will be remaining,” Simon told them. “Word of caution. Don’t get too attached to any that aren’t yours.”
“I won’t,” Mac said, but seeing them like this made it difficult. He wanted to take them all home and ease their fears. A quick glance at the suffering on Kelly’s expressive face told him she felt the same.
“It’s okay,” he said, repeating himself over and over, his voice soothing. “We’re your friends. It’s okay. We aren’t going to hurt you.”
None of them moved. Several cried softly, hiding their faces behind their fingers.
Still holding Kelly’s hand, Mac spotted his twins in the back, in the middle of a cluster of kids of varied ages. He caught his breath. His babies. No, that was wrong. They weren’t babies any longer. At nearly three years old, they were capable of stringing words together to form a complete sentence, capable of strong emotions and definitely capable of expressing them.
Moving closer, he worried. Despite Isobel’s forced phone call when she’d called him Daddy, he couldn’t help but wonder if they’d recognize him. He’d been missing over half their short little lives.
As he moved closer, several hunkered down even more, as if they expected him to lash out and strike them. Beside him, Kelly was openly crying, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Slowing as he reached Caleb and Isobel, he stopped and held out his arms. They shrank from him, crying. Avoiding his gaze, Isobel began sucking her thumb, as though the action brought her some comfort.
“Isobel, honey. It’s me. Your daddy. Caleb, you’re such a big boy. Don’t you remember me?”
Shooting him distrustful looks, they shook their heads vigorously.
He took another step closer.
“Go away,” Caleb shouted out. “Bad man. Go away.”
“No,” Isobel whimpered. “Scary man go.”
Dimly aware that Kelly had pulled her hand from his, he tried once more, entreating them.
“Remember our house, with your swing set out back? And your rooms. Isobel, you had mermaids, and Caleb, yours is done in Toy Story. I’ve kept everything just the way Mommy had it, the way you remember…”
He let his words trail off into silence, finding no sign of recognition on their baby faces.
Now Kelly moved forward, singing a song in a lilting voice directly to his two children. Mac couldn’t understand the lyrics since she apparently sang in another language, but all of the children shifted, watching her closely.
He could have sworn the tension vanished from them, in a single, magical instant.
She continued singing, and gradually, one by one, they joined in. When she reached first for Isobel, then Caleb, they took her hands willingly, mouthing along to the music, singing the words they knew and making up others when they didn’t.
Now all of the children had joined in. Tentatively at first, then finally singing with wholehearted abandon.
Amazingly, unafraid, Isobel and Caleb allowed her to lead them out of the group, over to where Mac stood. Wh
en she finally finished singing they stood in front of him, gazing into his face, completely at ease for the first time since he’d entered the room.
“Tearlach’s original language,” Kelly whispered haltingly. “We all instinctively trust it.”
Overcome, he could only nod, eyeing his children, afraid to make a move.
“He’s your daddy,” Kelly prompted. “Go to him now, and say hello.”
“Daddy?” his baby girl asked, pulling her thumb from her mouth to study him. “Is that really you?”
So choked up he couldn’t speak, he nodded. This time when he held out his arms, both of his children rushed into them, allowing him to kiss them and touch their beloved hair and hug their sturdy little bodies close.
“We’re going to go home,” he told them fiercely. “Me and you and Kelly.” Holding out his hand, he drew her into their little circle. Content, they all held on to each other as if they never wanted to let go.
“Is Miss Kelly our new mom?” Caleb asked solemnly, his owlish expression serious.
Even Kelly seemed to be holding her breath waiting for his answer.
“Yes, pumpkin.” Mac kissed the tip of his son’s nose, then his daughter’s. “She is. Now and forever.”
Epilogue
Instead of sunshine, storm clouds gathered on the horizon. Rain. Mac shuddered, more from habit than anything else, then realized such things couldn’t hurt him anymore.
Mo Anam Cara. We are one. After the simple ceremony today, once they exchanged their self-written vows, they’d be joined in marriage by the laws of Wyoming, as well.
With one final glance out the window, he straightened his tie and realized that of course the weather was perfect. If he’d asked for a sign from above, the cosmos had certainly given him one. At least he didn’t have to drive anywhere. A little rain certainly wouldn’t hurt anyone.
The crowd gathering at the ranch didn’t seem to mind, either. Watching them arrive out his window, he saw most had come armed with umbrellas. And all of them had brought their dogs.
According to Kelly, it wouldn’t be much of a party without dogs. Grinning, Mac had to agree with her.
Finished dressing, a glance at his watch told him it was time. Leaving the kennel office where she’d nursed him to health what seemed like an eternity ago, he walked past the newly built house that had gone up with surprising speed. A new house for a new life, everyone had said. They’d come from miles around, likening the event to an old-fashioned barn raising. The home had been completed in less than a month. Just in time for Kelly to become Mac’s wife.
The sounds of chaos beckoned as he drew near the backyard. Dogs—too many to count—chased each other around in circles, barking happily. People talked, children played. His children, spotting him approach, ran to him and attached themselves to his legs, one on each side.
Gently he pried them off, taking them by the hand and leading them to Kelly’s friend Ben, who was supposed to ensure that the flower girl and ring-bearer did their jobs. They exchanged smiles as Mac made his way up the makeshift aisle in between the rows of folded chairs to the front, where the minister awaited.
Simon, the best man, grinned as Mac joined him. “Are you all right?” he asked quietly. “You look a little green.”
Before Mac could answer, thunder rumbled in the distance. Because of the gently rolling landscape, they all could see the storm as it moved toward them across the prairie.
Just then, all the noise died down. Mac looked up to see a vision in white floating up the aisle toward him. Kelly. His other half, his love, his mate.
Throat closing, Mac blinked hard. Radiant as she drew closer, she flashed him a smile so full of love that he could do nothing but smile back.
When she reached him and took her place at his side, he knew his life was complete.
Mercifully, the rain held off as they spoke their vows, words of love they’d written for each other, knowing only three words truly mattered.
Mo Anam Cara. We are one. Mac repeated them after the minister, feeling the power of them electrifying the air.
Mo Anam Cara. Now Kelly spoke, and the instant she finished, the sky opened up, drenching them.
Hurriedly, the minister shouted his part, eager to finish the ceremony. “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Mac needed no prompting. Claiming Kelly’s mouth, he crushed her to him, aware that all around them the guests watched from under their umbrellas. The dogs, glad of the cooling rain, still ran and played.
When finally the newly married couple broke apart, the rain abruptly ended. A colorful rainbow shimmered across the sky, garnishing oohs and aahs from the guests and promising magic for the rest of their days.
* * * * *
ISBN: 9781459219601
Copyright © 2012 by Karen Whiddon
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