“A bunch…” That wasn’t the correct word. “A group, or maybe a pack.” I wasn’t shifter savvy enough to identify individual wolves grouped together compared to ones linked through spilled blood and a vow to their pack. “Wolves. Maybe five or six. Headed this way.” I couldn’t give specifics regarding the timing or where they originated, but they were seeking our pack.
Jake sniffed the air. “I didn’t detect any strangers when I had my fur.” His head swiveled to Blaze, who gave an almost imperceptible shake. “Whoever they are, they’re not close.”
Maisy scrambled off the log and took Blaze’s arm, her fingers digging into his flesh. She, more than Blair or me, had a reason to be fearful, as she had met her mate when escaping from a creep.
“Are they in wolf form? The Alpha in front, some flanking him, and the others to the rear?” Jake’s even tone betrayed no anxiety, but the others chose him as Alpha because he kept his emotions in check regarding pack business.
Not with Blair, though. He was besotted with his mate and, when they weren’t side by side, his gaze was fixed on her, his lips parted in a playful smile.
“No.” I probably should have given them more information. “They’re in two cars with music blaring.”
Logan snorted and bent over, followed by Blaze’s belly laugh. Jake’s twinkling eyes signaled my worries were overblown.
“Sounds like a party.”
Logan pulled me up, and I slammed into his wide chest. Inhaling his unique scent settled my nerves, as did Jake’s response.
“Now we have that out of the way,” my mate mumbled against my scalp. “Why don’t we return to bed and have a party of our own?”
TEN
LOGAN
“That’s the last of it.” Emmie came in with a small pile of books. “Now we need to unpack it all.”
She said “it all” as if she came with an entire mansion’s worth of belongings. She didn’t. Seeing all of her things in the cabin had me wanting to take her shopping.
“We can do that later.” I took the books from her and set them on the stack of boxes on my side. “Right now, we have more important issues to attend to.”
I brushed the hair that had come loose from her ponytail and put it behind her ear.
“Now? I’m not even… look at me.”
“I am, and you’ve never looked more beautiful.” I kissed her and then took her hands in mine. “We don’t need to do this now, if you don’t want to.”
“No. I do. I just thought I’d finally move in fully and then plan the event.” She swished her mouth to one side. “But I guess there isn’t a reason to wait. This isn’t a wedding where I need to book a venue and send out save- the-date cards.”
“Do you want that? A wedding, I mean?” To shifters, a wedding wasn’t a consideration. Mating was forever. Why wouldwe spend a bunch of money and time to have a ceremony that gave us a piece of paper?
But my mate wasn’t a shifter. It was easy to forget that, the way she adjusted to her life here so quickly. If she wanted a wedding, we were going to have a wedding.
“Yes, no. Not really. It’s just something I grew up thinking was the endgame, you know?” She wrapped her arms around my neck. “Like I was supposed to want that.”
“How about this… If you ever decide you want a wedding, let me know, and I’ll throw you the event of the season. I’ll even take you to that fancy place where you have to make an appointment to buy anything like on that TV show.”
She rested her head against my chest. “Those dresses are ugly and cost more than my vehicle. I think I’ll stick with our plan.”
“If that’s what my mate wants, that’s what my mate gets.” And she would soon discover that she was getting more than she had planned. I loved my pack and the way they’d helped me organize the surprise that would be waiting once we mated.
After taking a quick shower, we walked to where we’d first met. The idea had come to her during a shared dream. We could never figure out which of us pulled the other into our nocturnal wanderings. My gut said it was her, since I could never see her face. Not that it mattered.
We’d visited each other most nights. Sometimes it was hot and heavy, others we sat by the river and talked. But every dream visit was special, and I treasured them. They gave us extra together time—almost like we got to share two lifetimes instead of one.
“It was here that I first saw you—first understood that I found what I had been looking for—you.”
Emmie pulled my shirt up and over my head, dropping it to the ground and working on ridding me of my pants.
“I didn’t understand the feelings I had that night, but I loved you even then, my sexy wolf.” She removed her shirt, her bra following shortly thereafter. She knelt on the ground, pulling her hair to the side, exposing her left shoulder.