Page 18 of Echoes of Us
“Who’s that man?” Willow asked quietly.
Lois’s expression hardened. “Ah, hell. That’s Barron. Arthur brought him in right before you left. He was Arthur’s spy. Arrogant piece of shit who hates Talon and drools over Sandra.”
“Well, looks like I’m on his shit list too,” Willow murmured, squaring her shoulders as he approached.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Barron’s voice was low, sharp as a blade.
“I was invited,” Willow said evenly, forcing calm into her tone. “Hello, Sandra.”
Sandra’s eyes widened in confusion. “Hi, Willow.”
“You’re human. You don’t belong here,” Barron snapped, stepping between them.
“And you’re a rude asshole who doesn’t decide where I belong,” Willow replied, her voice smooth and unshaken. She shot a glance at Lois, who was grinning ear to ear. “I warned you about my mouth.”
“The Alpha invited her,” Lois said coolly, looking from Willow to the man. “If you’ve got a problem, take it up with him.”
“I have no respect for an Alpha who brings hishuman whoreinto our pack,” Barron sneered, then started to say something else until Talon’s fist stopped him when it slammed into his mouth.
The women screamed as Barron crumpled, but Talon was already there, grabbing him by the collar and hauling him into the air with terrifying ease.
“Howdareyou speak to my mate that way?” Talon’s voice rumbled through the night, low and lethal.
“Yourmate?” Barron spat blood, glaring. “So your father was right. You’ll destroy this pack for a human.”
Talon hit him again. And again. Then threw him toward Cory, his chest heaving. “I’ll deal with him later,” he growled, eyes glowing gold before shifting back to brown.
“He ain’t going nowhere...yet,” Cory growled as he held Barron in place.
When Talon turned to Willow, the entire yard was silent. She knew what was about to happen, and she was afraid, but not for herself. She was afraid for him.
“You don’t have to do this,” Willow whispered, her hand trembling in his.
“Yes, Willow, I do,” he said softly, his gaze locked on hers.
After a few minutes, Willow nodded with a tilt of her head and a smile. “I trust you,”
Talon leaned down and kissed her softly, then turned toward the crowd, his voice carrying across the yard. “I am your Alpha. I’ve done everything I can to undo the damage my father has caused. I’ve treated each of you with respect, listened to your needs, and fought for fairness.” His grip on Willow’s hand tightened. “But I will not allow anyone to dictate how I live my life. My father tried, and he failed. He tried to destroy the one good thing I had by threatening her, by driving her away with lies and fear.”
Willow’s heart ached as he looked down at her, emotion flickering in his eyes.
“But he didn’t succeed in the long run,” Talon said firmly, his deep voice carrying across the hushed yard. His gaze swept over the silent crowd, radiating dominance and devotion with every word. “And no one will succeed now. You are free to leave if this isn’t the pack you want to belong to. I will not force loyalty. But know this...Willow Campbell, soon to be WillowWessex, is my mate. And she will also be my wife, in the human way.”
A ripple of surprise and murmurs spread through the crowd, but Talon didn’t waver. His golden eyes softened as he turned back to Willow. Then, without hesitation, he knelt before her.
Gasps broke through the silence. Time itself seemed to still as he pulled a small box from his pocket, the glint of the diamond catching the string lights swaying in the trees.
Looking up at her with fierce tenderness, he said, “Willow Campbell, will you not only be my mate in the ways of shifters, but also my wife in the ways of humans?”
Her breath caught. For one trembling second, all she could see was the man she’d once loved and lost, the one who had haunted her dreams and now stood before her, offering forever.
“Yes,” Willow whispered, her voice strong despite the tears in her eyes. “Yes, Talon. Always yes.”
A smile spread across his face as he rose to his feet. He slid the ring onto her trembling finger, the diamond flashing like captured moonlight. Then, before she could even blink, he pulled her against him and kissed her deeply, completely claiming her not just as his mate, but as his heart in front of everyone.
The crowd erupted around them, some cheering, others whistling, and laughing, filling the night with warmth and wild celebration. Some shouted Talon’s name. Others chanted hers. A few even wiped away tears.
Willow barely heard any of it. Her world had narrowed to the strength of his arms, the heat of his lips, and the steady beat of his heart against hers.
