by Jade Alters
We lay in front of the fireplace, snuggled together while I tried to suppress the panic that rolled through my stomach. “I’m not going to Chicago,” she said.
“What?” Did she mean she wasn’t taking the job? Had I zoned out for part of the conversation? “Why?”
“I don’t want you to leave your team. I saw how you all interact. How you take care of each other. They love you, and they watch your back.” She reached up and ran her hand through my hair, something she hadn’t done since we were teens. “Colorado has plenty of opportunities, but I’m not ready to leave Denver yet.”
“That’s fine for me,” I assured her. “I can work in the surrounding areas and come out here on the weekends, or whatever works for us.”
Eve moved to sit on the hearth of the fireplace. “Being out here with you, and with your team, has reawakened all I loved about being a shifter. I’d like to try visiting Avon sometime. I’d like to try and see my parents, and our clan, if you think it’s a good idea.”
I quickly closed my jaw from where it had dropped open. I was still elated that Eve wanted to be my mate. There was no way I was going to press her about visiting our clan, but if it was her idea, I’d do everything I could to make it work. “I think it’s a great idea. I think it’ll go over better than you expect.” I winked at her. “And if it doesn’t, then I’ll put them all in exile.”
“Right, because you’re the big powerful Alpha.” Her eyes lit up as she laughed at me.
I moved to sit at Eve’s side on the hearth. “Pretty much.” I pressed my hand against the small envelope in my pocket. Whew. Still there.
Some of the human traditions were cool, some were nerve-wracking. Shifter mating ceremonies were much simpler. Once the couple announced their intention, everyone got together in the woods to shift and then hunt together. Once the mating couple caught something -- hopefully a deer or something large -- then the clan went back to have a moonlit picnic. Then voila, the couple was mated in the eyes of the clan.
Simple. Easy. Fast. The ring-giving the humans did was cool, but I wouldn't be able to wear one most days -- if I shifted, I’d lose it. However, if Eve kept practicing law, she’d be able to wear a ring to work.
She laughed and I pulled her in tight again. “Seriously, if it works out, great. If not, we can form a new clan, just the two of us,” I said.
She turned to face me head on. “Speaking of clans. Your team treated me like your mate. Did you tell them?”
“No. I didn’t say a word to them. They must have been going on instinct.” Which was a perfect place for me to try this human proposal thing. Jeez. I should have watched a few of those romantic comedies my parents liked.
“Eve,” I said, trying not to let my voice become oddly formal. Not only would Eve be suspicious, I’d sound like a dope. She was already staring at me with her eyebrows drawn together.
If I didn’t get it together, she’d be howling with laughter before long. I licked my lips. “We’ve already discussed mating, and I can’t tell you how happy you’ve made me. But I know we’ll probably spend time living among humans too.” I drew in a big breath.
“So,” I said as I got down on one knee. “I’d like to have both traditions, if you’re interested. A clan mating ceremony, and a human one. Would you marry me?” I fumbled the envelope out of my pocket and handed it to her.
“Owen.” Through all of the chaos, I’d never seen Eve cry. Now she sniffed, and her eyes were wet as she pulled open the paper and found the ring. “Did you make this?”
“Yes.” Something made by our own hand meant more in the shifter world than in the human.
“And these are spruce needles,” she said. She pressed her face close to the envelope and closed her eyes. “Because you’ve always said I smelled like honey and spruce.”
I nodded. She still hadn’t said yes.
She sat with her eyes closed for a few moments. She opened those bright green eyes and the corners of her lips turned up.
She placed the envelope on the hearth and flung her arms around me. “Owen Brady, I would love to marry you and be your mate.”
My muscles went lax. Relief. I stood and lifted Eve into the air, spinning her around. My ribs creaked in protest. Afraid of dropping her, I sat her down quickly. I couldn't stop my gasp.
“Oh no. Owen! I’m sorry. Did that hurt?”
“It’s fine,” I groaned. My ribs felt like someone was prying them apart with a crowbar.
Not much was going to affect me at this moment. Eve was going to marry me. She’d be my wife. And most importantly, she’d be my mate.
Eve
I got Owen some ice for his ribs, and helped him wrap them up. He’d been so distracted after the shower and our lengthy lovemaking, that he hadn’t taken care of himself at all. “You already asked me to be your mate,” I said.
“Yes,” he said, still taking shallow breaths.
“And now you asked me to marry you.”
“Yes.”
“Do you mean in a legally-binding, human way? With paperwork?” In the clan world, matings didn’t come with paperwork. A record was made by one of the elders, and the Alpha kept a list, but no one signed a paper. Making it legal was of little consequence, since the pairing was for life.
“Yes again. That’s exactly what I meant.”
“That is wonderful.” I cupped Owen’s jaw and kissed him. “Do you think you can walk outside?”
“Sure. Where are we going?”
“Come on.” I wanted to share the news. And I wanted to share it with shifters first. I’d lost all my relationships with shifters when I left, but now I could start to rebuild that bridge with Owen’s crew. “Let’s tell your team!”
“Right now?” Owen looked sideways at me. “I mean, I’m sure they’ll be happy for us, but they can wait.”
I knew how much he valued his team. Why was he being so weird? “Do you not want to tell anyone?”
“Eve. Of course I do. I thought we’d have a little time alone first.”
Ah. “Were you hoping for some celebratory sex?” I spotted the pink blush spreading across his face. “You are!”
Owen had the grace to look sheepish. “Can you blame me?”
“I think I can. You’re black and blue, and you’re feeling it today, even though you don’t want to admit it.” I stood on my tiptoes. I would never get tired of how good it felt to be smaller than my mate. My husband. “Alpha,” I said. “I promise you we’ll get to celebrate.”
He rubbed the back of his neck where it was still flushing bright red.
“But for now,” I said. “Let’s tell your team. You may think they don’t care, but I swear to you, they do. I saw them when we thought you might die.”
He caught my arm and wrapped his strong fingers around my wrist. “I’m sorry,” he said.
“No need to be sorry.”
“I wish you hadn’t had to see that.”
“I’m glad I did. I know they have your back when you’re out there.” Their calm competence had gotten us all through the night. I took his hand, and we stepped onto the porch.
“John!” I called out. “We have good news.” I nudged Owen, careful not to hit him in the ribs.
He cleared his throat before speaking to John. “I asked Eve to marry me in a human ceremony. She said yes. And she has agreed to be my mate.”
John beamed at his Alpha, then at me. “Congratulations!” he said. “Will you be going to Avon soon?”
“Maybe in a few weeks,” Owen said. “We’ll need to go back to Denver, and check on Eve’s house, and she’ll go back to work now that Bull’s taken care of.”
In that moment, I knew I didn’t want to delay our visit to Avon. It would only make it harder on both of us. “Thank you, John,” I said. I tugged at Owen’s hand, and we stepped off the porch into the yard. “I’m ready now,” I said.
I’d lived my life on my own terms for ten years. I’d faced a monster, and I’d been forced to kill other shifters t
o survive. In the middle of all of that, I’d found my mate again. I could absolutely handle my family and my clan.
“For what?”
“To go to Avon.”
Owen frowned. “There’s no rush.”
“I want to start our life together. That means seeing my family, talking to the clan.”
He rubbed his hands up and down my arms. “If you say you’re ready, then I trust you.” He pressed his lips against mine for a long second. “Eve. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Then, and now. Whatever happens in Avon won’t affect our life together, because I won’t let it. You are my mate, and I love you.”
I wrapped my arms around his waist tipped my head up to kiss him. “We’ll figure it out together,” I said. “We made it work after ten years apart, so we can do anything. You’re my mate, and my Alpha.”
“And you’re my Omega,” Owen said.
For the first time, I was thrilled to hear those words.
He’s mine, my bear insisted. My bear could rest easy -- I wasn’t going to let him go this time.
“I love you too,” I said. I couldn’t resist saying it one more time, “Let’s get going, Alpha.”
Afterword
A Final Note from Jade:
I hope you enjoyed this story. Well, the good news is that there’s more to come. If you want to be the first to hear about my new releases, promotions and giveaways, I urge you to join my Exclusive Reader’s Club:
[Yes. Sign me up, please!]
I love supporting my readers and I want to be able to provide more to you, you can also join me on Facebook here.
Also by Jade Alters
Fated Shifter Mates :
Mated to Team Shadow
Mated to the Clan
Mated to the Pride
Mated to the Pack
Fated Shifter Mates Box Set
The Descendants :
Shared by the Four
Desired by Four
Fate of Three
In the Heat of the Pack :
Protected by the Pack
Claimed by the Pack