Page 32 of Knot Your Pucking Mate
By the time the car is due, I’m ready and waiting, my toes tapping nervously on the sidewalk.
A limo pulls up at exactly seven o’clock. The driver remains in his seat as the door to the back slides open and Axel jumps out.
He’s wearing a full tuxedo getup paired with a pale purple bow tie that matches the fabric of my dress.
He looks amazing. Strong and handsome. The perfect hero. I don’t know what to expect tonight, but I’m glad he’s here.
“You look stunning, Mally,” he says, wrapping me tightly in his embrace and pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Absolutely phenomenal. Just like a prom queen.”
I choke on a startled laugh as he lets me go, taking my hand instead and leading me to the limo. He helps me inside, climbing in after me and pulling the door closed. He taps twice on the divider once we’re settled and the driver pulls away from the curb.
“You all right?” Axel asks, placing his hand on my knee to settle my nervous bouncing.
“I’m not sure?” It comes out as a question, though I didn’t mean it to. “I’m a conflicting ball of emotions. On one hand, I’m excited. Who wouldn’t be? A dress at my door. A fancy car. Two alphas who are fated to be my mates. It’s the recipe for the perfect night. But on the other hand, I’m nervous. My high school prom was rotten. Chase stood me up. Even though I know why now, it doesn’t change the fact that that night was the first and only time my heart has ever been broken.”
“I think that’s a fair reaction. We might forgive, but that doesn’t always mean we forget. I can promise you though, Chase won’t let anything go wrong tonight. This is his grand gesture. His way of groveling and attempting to wipe the slate clean. He’s planned this night around you, to show you how well he still knows you, and how much he wants you as his future. You’re in good hands. Trust me.”
Axel’s eyes are clear and reassuring as they stare into mine, and I nod. Taking a deep breath in, I hold it before blowing it out and with it all the anxiety I’ve been holding on to.
Chase and I are grown now. We are different from the people we were in high school. Changed. But somehow still meant for one another.
I lean my head against Axel’s arm as the driver navigates the busy city streets. It’s only a few more minutes before the limo makes a turn. After traveling a short distance down the driveway, the limo pulls to a stop and my nerves return.
Sitting up, I straighten my dress, hoping my sweaty palms don’t damage the delicate material. Twisting in my seat, I take a peek out the window.
“No way!” I exclaim at the sight before me. We’ve arrived at an old Victorian-style house with a grand ornate entrance. Fairy lights are wrapped around the porch pillars, and large overflowing vases of lilacs line the steps.
Chase stands at the top of the steps, dressed identically to Axel, his slightly longer hair swept to one side and a microphone in hand.
“What is he doing?” I ask, turning to Axel.
“Come on. Why don’t we find out?”
The door slides open, the driver nodding to us as he makes room for us to climb out. Axel goes first, offering his hand to help me through then tucking me under his arm and leading me to the bottom of the manor stairs.
I’m grateful for the warmth of his body and the comforting campfire scent that wraps around me as we approach Chase. When he sees me, his eyes light up, and a smile breaks out across his face.
Suddenly, music blares from hidden speakers, and Chase begins to sing.
My hands come to my mouth as he belts out ‘You Belong With Me’ by Taylor Swift—one of my favorite songs in high school. I was always a little on the edge of groups in high school, and this song had captured a little of how I felt as Chase and I met and were discovering the connection between us.
Chase makes his way down the steps as he sings and dances. Emotions swell in my stomach. A mix of overwhelm, gratitude, love and nostalgia causes tears to well in my eyes.
As he reaches the bottom and stands before us, he drops to a knee and sings, “You belong with meeeeeee. Come to prom with me?”
He holds out a hand, and in his palm sits a corsage of pink and purple lilacs encased in a resin ball.
Chase tracks my gaze and says, “It’s the corsage I bought for you for our first prom. I’m sorry it’s so late.”
Swiping the back of my hand across my cheek to catch a loose tear, I smile at him, taking the resin corsage and tracing the flowers inside.
My heart feels like it’s about to burst with love and joy. All I’ve ever wanted is my very own love story to come to life. And I’m living it right now.
“Yes. Yes. Of course I’ll come to prom with you.”
Chapter Nineteen
Chase
