Page 29 of Carter

It’s our Australia office's grand opening event, and the ribbon cutting is in 30 minutes. Everyone is here: Carter, Liam, Isabella, a few of the other pack members, the associates from this office, and the contractors that helped make this a reality.

I make my way to the podium, where I will give my speech and introduce my partner and dear friend Ashton. Ashton will oversee the office as he'll soon have a few new associates we've just hired working under him.

“Good Afternoon. Thank you all for coming here today to celebrate the grand opening of R & K Law and Associates. I've been looking forward to this very moment for years. I want to thank Carter and his team for designing and building this beautiful building. I want to thank our associates for the hard work and dedication they will be contributing to this firm. I also want to thank my dear friend Ashton Knight for believing in me and always trusting me as a partner. Lastly, I want to thank each and every one of you and our future clients for believing in and trusting us with your needs. I will hand this over to my partner and good friend Ashton, who will oversee this office from today onward.”

Ashton takes the podium introducing himself and then the associates. He thanks everyone for their hard work and commitment to this job. As he finishes his speech, I look up at Carter, kissing him on his cheek as I whisper how much I love him. As I get ready to cut the ribbon with Carter, Ashton, and a few other people, I get a hold of the big scissors. Ashton will be doing the honor along with the associates since they will be the ones working day in and day out for this firm. As we all gather around, I hand the scissors to Ashton moving to the side where Carter, Liam, and Isabella are. I grab a hold of Carter's hand and intertwine our fingers.

Everyone that has taken part in this journey is lined up along the ribbon. We start the countdown from three. “Three, two, one,” we all shout, and the next thing I know, the crowd is cheering. We take photos, tour the place and prepare to head to the pack house to celebrate and thank them for their hard work.

The celebration is in full swing, with everyone dancing, talking, or eating. A few hours pass, and I see everyone enjoying themselves. It was heartwarming to see. I stand in the kitchen pouring myself a drink when a man I have seen around the pack house enters the kitchen. “Hey,” I smile at him. “Would you like one? I ask, motioning towards the glass of Stella Rose Black I was pouring.

“Um, sure,” he says as he nods at me timidly. I pour a glass and hand it to him. He thanks me quietly. “Are you Carter’s girlfriend?” He asks, and I nod at him instantly. “Yeah, I am,” I grin. He doesn’t look older than eighteen now that I think about it, which is good since the drinking age is eighteen here. “Cute, you guys look good together.” He comments. I look at him with a stupid grin on my face, “Thanks. How do you guys know each other?” I ask curiously.

“Liam took me in after he raided my brother's pack. I was fourteen and had nowhere else to go.” I was sad to hear that. Then his eyes widened as he realized what he had just said. “Wait, do you know about them?” I smile at him and nod. “Carter told me about the pack and everything else that it entails.” Relief washes over his eyes, and I can’t help but giggle a little. “So, what’s your name?” I find myself asking.

“Finn,” he says softly. “You?” I hold out my hand to him. “Leandra,” he takes my hand and shakes it. “Nice to meet you.” His eyes flick down to the floor and then up at me and to the floor again. “What are the requirements to get an internship at the firm?” I cannot stop thinking about how sweet he looks, all nervous. He seems so innocent and pure. “Have a high school diploma, go through an interview, and have a love for the law. Are you interested?”

“I’ve always wanted to become a lawyer growing up, but after the raid, I lost that dream.” He tells me. “You should apply. You never know, plus the internship will offer you the opportunity to attend school. We pay for your schooling, and in return, you work for us for at least three years.” I smile at him, seeing the excitement in his eyes.

“Do you think you can review my application and essay before I submit everything.?” He asks with a hopeful look on his face.

I nod.

“Yeah, I can do that for you. Just make sure you give me everything at least two weeks beforehand so that we can correct anything that might need correction.” Finn’s eyes light up. “I just need to ask Liam for permission, but I can’t wait.” I look at him in shock as to why he would need to ask Liam for permission.

“How come?” I question.

“I’m not sure he trusts me 100%, but I understand my old pack wasn’t all that honorable, but I’m determined to show him my loyalty.” He shrugs softly. “Well, I won’t promise you anything, but I can always talk to him, and if anything, if I’m still here, I can always take you to the law firm and back here.” Finn smiles at me. “Really! You’ll do that for me?” Nodding towards him. “Yeah.”

“That would be awesome! Thank you,” he tells me sincerely. He hugs me, taking me by surprise, but it only takes me a second to hug him back. As we let go, I can see Carter making his way toward the kitchen from the corner of my eye. “What are you two talking about?” Carter says as he wraps an arm around my waist and smiles at Finn. “Just that Finn is interested in law, and hopefully, he applies to the internship R & K Law and Associates offers.”

“That’s cool. You should go for it,” Carter nods toward us. “Let me go get my phone so I can take your number,” Finn tells me as I nod toward him. He exits the kitchen running up the stairs. I turn to face Carter, wrapping my arms around him as I lay my cheek on his chest. “He’s cute,“ I say, pulling away. Carter grins, pulling me back towards him. “He’s also gay,“ he comments. I press my hands against his chest, giving him a smirk. “Okay, no need to get jealous, baby,” I tease him. He shakes his head at me as he laughs and pulls me in for a soft kiss.

“Leandra!” We hear Finn yell from outside the kitchen. “Duty calls,” I say, kissing him one last time. “Hurry back,” Carter says. Just as I turn around, he slaps my ass. The sound echoes off the walls loudly, causing everyone in the room to look at us. I look back in embarrassment, but he just gives me a devilish grin, not giving a fuck what anyone else heard or saw. I can’t help the feelings I get as I realize how possessive and happy he is to show everyone that I’m his and only his.

I fucking love it.

The celebration was going well, and everyone was having fun. The firm had bought everyone a little thank-you gift to show our appreciation. Ashton was handing those out now. Liam seemed nervous and I have a feeling he was planning something. Liam walked over to where we had the gift boxes. They were octagon-shaped boxes that came in four different pastel colors that formed an elegant circle of petals on the top when the box was folded closed. Liam reaches for a white one which was strange as white was not one of the colors.

My gaze follows him as he heads to the gazebo. I love spending time in the gazebo as it overlooks the lake. It was pretty dark already, which helped me notice that the gazebo was decorated with lights hanging all around and candles. I walk closer without getting caught. I could see that the gazebo had red petals scattered around the floor. It was truly a beautiful sight to see.

Isabella starts walking towards the gazebo, where Liam stood with the box in his hand. I was about fifteen to twenty feet away, hidden by the trees when I heard a noise. Turning around, I notice Carter heading my way with Eva and a few more pack members. The song “Just The Way You Are” by Bruno Mars is playing. Little Eva is wide awake now with big gray eyes staring at what was in front of her. Carter wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me closer and kissing me on the cheek.

“What’s going on? Why are we hiding?” I say, looking up at what’s in front of me. He leans down, whispering in my ear. “Liam mind linked us to make our way to the gazebo but to stay out of sight and not to make a single noise.” He says, biting my ear lobe. “Sweetheart,” Liam says. “Three years ago, you captured my heart by being exactly who you are. The sweetest, most loving, compassionate, and most sensitive person I have ever known. You have given me the most precious gift of all time, our daughter.” He pauses.

They stare into each other’s eyes like no one is watching. They are completely in their own space. Liam hands Isabella the white gift box. “You are the best mother, mate, and my best friend. I want to spend the rest of my life with you not because we are mates, but because I love you more than life itself.” He pauses as he waits for her to process what’s inside that box, giving him the perfect opportunity to get down on one knee without her even noticing. Isabella bites down on her bottom lip, and I can see her tears glistening in her eyes now that we moved closer. I don’t know what’s inside the box, but whatever it is currently has her emotional.

“Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?” He says, pulling out a small velvet ring box. Isabella drops the box as her hands are now clasping around her mouth. I gasp, squeezing Carter’s hand. People around us gasp while others squeal. It doesn’t take long for her to cry frantically, nodding. “Yes. A million times YES!” She finally says, and those are the only words Liam needs to hear to place that ring on her finger.

Everyone around us cheers and claps. Eva claps her tiny little hands as she squeals her head off. Liam stands up, grabs Isabella’s face between his hands, and kisses her as if his life depends on it. They pull away and rest their foreheads together. Their eyes completely bore into each other’s as they murmur ‘I love you’ to each other.

Chapter twenty-six

Leandra

I feel completely paralyzed as I watch them. I feel like I could physically see their mate bond. It was real. Seeing this firsthand and witnessing their force field of love around them shocked me. Hell, everyone could see how intense this was. The energy. The love. It was something really special. Something I wish we humans could have. Jealousy pangs inside me, but I wasn’t jealous of their happiness; I was happy for them. I was jealous of their bond, of them being mates.

People began to surround them and murmur their congratulations. All the girls rush to admire her ring. I, on the other hand, was completely rooted in my spot. A sense of sadness washes over me, making me feel selfish. This is what Carter could have with his mate. I could never compete with something so special and intense. People could physically see the power of what a mate bond does. Turning away from the scene before me, I make my escape by returning to the party.

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