by Angel Nyx
They’d found the perfect house on Poland Ave. It had three bedrooms, three bathrooms, gorgeous wood floors, a kitchen she absolutely loved, an adorable front porch, and it even had a decent fenced backyard that would be perfect if they ever had kids. The house was open, airy, and light, and Lily could see them growing old together in it.
She’d finally talked Casey into moving down to New Orleans so they’d set one of the bedrooms up for Jacob, Casey the other, and now they were just waiting for them to arrive. They had an escort from Montana because Magnis wasn’t comfortable letting Casey drive all that way by herself. He was an Alpha, first and foremost, and there was no way in hell he was going to let a young, single woman with a child drive across the country, alone. Anything could happen along the way.
Looking at herself in the bedroom mirror, Lily smiled. Declan had called and told her to ‘dress up’ because he was taking her to dinner. She wondered what her mate was up to, but she knew she could ask until she was blue in the face and he would give nothing away. The man was a pro at keeping secrets. A silver dress made of silk caressed her curves as she moved. She left her hair down the way he liked it and stepped into a pair of four-inch heels. Her makeup was understated, and after she added some jewelry, she looked elegant. A quick glance at the clock told her Declan would be home any minute.
Declan
He’d been planning this night for weeks. It wasn’t easy to keep this secret from his mate but he’d managed. He wanted this to be a complete surprise. The only hint he gave her was when he told her to dress up because he was taking her to dinner. Still, he didn’t think she suspected the reason behind the request.
He’d dressed at the office. His personal security company had taken off, and they now had a team of twenty, most of whom were shifters and had become part of the pack. They had more than enough people to do the things they were all good at and made money doing it. The larger staff gave him more time to be there, in New Orleans, with his mate. The first couple of months had been a little rough because he’d had to take a few jobs himself in order to fulfill a request for aid.
When he reached the house they’d recently moved into, he smiled. It was a quaint house, and he had to admit the cast-iron railing around the porch gave it a nice touch. It added a flair to the house that reminded him of his mate. Strong and beautiful.
With a shake of his head, he climbed out of his car and headed inside. “I’m home, doll.” His eyes widened when his mate came strutting down the hall from their bedroom. “Damn, woman, are you trying to drive me crazy?” Her dress clung to her curves, and there was a slit in the side that almost reached mid-thigh.
Lily grinned at him. “Just incentive for later tonight,” she teased and leaned up to brush her lips across his. “You look amazing.”
“Not as amazing as you,” he countered and offered his arm. “Shall we?”
Lily slipped her hand in the crook of his arm and let him escort her out to the car. “Where are we eating dinner?”
“You’ll see.”
Lily settled into her seat and watched the city pass by out the window. When they reached their destination, she blinked. “Restaurant August? Wow,” she said softly. The place was one of the more expensive restaurants in New Orleans and one she’d never been to despite checking out their drool-worthy menu online.
“I wanted something special for the woman I love,” Declan said cryptically and escorted her inside. He’d gotten reservations so they would have a table waiting for them. He helped her with her seat, then sat across from her.
Lily gave him a puzzled look because of all the secrecy but she didn’t question him. They ordered appetizers, potato gnocchi for her and the shrimp etouffee for him, before they both decided on the roasted triple tail for their main course.
Declan waited until they were almost finished and dessert was delivered before he finally got to the reason he’d brought her there. “Lily. In the three months that we’ve known each other, I’ve come to realize that I was only half alive until I met you. My life was void of any real joy, no matter how much I tried to tell myself otherwise. I couldn’t imagine not waking up every morning to you in my arms; I couldn’t imagine facing a single day without you by my side. I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone or anything.” He slipped out of his chair and went to one knee next to her seat while he pulled a small ring box out of his pocket. Inside lay a gorgeous lily-inspired ring in white gold. “Lily Amelia Harper Quinn,” he said, deliberately including the last name she’d gone by when he first met her, “will you make me the happiest man to ever walk this earth by doing me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Lily
All throughout their meal Lily had watched her mate. She could tell something was weighing on his mind, but for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out what could have him so stressed out. She’d wondered: was he getting ready to leave for a security job and he was trying to impress upon her that she was the only woman for him, that she didn’t need to worry while he was gone? She trusted him; she knew he would never betray that trust by being unfaithful. She’d had no idea that the meal, the romantic restaurant, the nervousness, was all because he was about to make the ultimate commitment.
Tears filled her eyes as he professed the depths of his love for her. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered before she lifted her gaze to his and a smile lit up her face. “Yes. Gods, yes. There’s nothing I want more,” she said and let the tears of joy flow down her cheeks.
As Declan slid the ring onto her hand and nearby diners applauded and congratulated them, Lily knew this was only the beginning of a very long and happy life with the most amazing man she’d ever met. Her love, her life, her mate.
Epilogue
Lily
Lily looked at herself in the full length mirror. Six months ago she’d agreed to become Mrs. Declan Monroe. By the end of the day she would no longer be Lily Quinn, but Lily Monroe, and she couldn’t wait. She’d decided to forgo the traditional ‘white’ dress because, really, white supposedly symbolized purity and she wasn’t a virgin. Besides, she looked really good in the purple wedding dress she’d chosen. It looked like something a goddess would wear and it flowed around her as she moved.
Beneath the dress, unseen by anyone save her, the tattoo artist, and Emelise, was a beautiful trail of arabesque lilies. They traveled the length of her side, and she couldn’t wait to see what Declan thought of the artwork later that night. She’d gotten it in honor of their first date, when he’d shown up at her door for breakfast with the breathtaking crimson lilies in hand.
“You look gorgeous,” Emelise said, helping with her hair. It was being put up in an intricate twist so it was off her neck.
“Thank you. Gods, I can’t believe how nervous I am,” Lily breathed. Her pack was there, friends she’d made while working at Gathering Grounds, quite a few members of the Black Water Pard were in attendance, and her father had flown down to give her away. Emelise was her maid of honor and Casey, Shelli, and Mia were her bridesmaids, and they wore similar dresses in a pale lilac.
“Most brides are on their wedding day. You’ll be fine,” Emelise assured her. The music started and she smiled. “It’s time. See you out there.” She kissed Lily’s cheek before she, Casey, and Mia slipped out of the small room they were waiting in.
“Are you ready?” Magnis stuck his head in the door and blinked. “You look beautiful, princess. Your mother would be so proud if she were here to see this.”
“Thanks, Daddy.” Lily smiled warmly at her father. “She is, in spirit.” She took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah, I’m ready.” Lily slipped her hand into the crook of her father’s arm and let him escort her out of there. She was so glad she and her father had repaired their relationship so he could be there to give her away.
When they stepped into the chapel, Lily’s gaze went to Declan and stayed there. She couldn’t bring herself to look away from the man who’d stolen her heart and changed her world for the better.
Declan
Declan watched as his mate came up the aisle. She took his breath away every time he looked at her, but today she was even more beautiful. Watching her approach, he couldn’t believe that less than a year had passed since they’d met. She’d been so adamant about keeping him at arm’s length that he’d found himself wondering a few times if he was ever going to break down her walls, and now, here she was, walking down the aisle to formally join their lives together for eternity. How he’d gotten so lucky, given the kind of life he’d led, he would never know, but he wasn’t about to pass up his good fortune.
As Echo, who’d surprised them all by offering to sing something for their wedding, began the first notes of Shania Twain’s ‘From This Moment On’, Declan realized just how true the words were. From that moment on, his life had new meaning, new purpose, and it was wrapped up in making sure his mate knew, every day, for the rest of their lives, just how much he loved her. When they were finally pronounced husband and wife, he pulled her into his arms, lowered his mouth to hers, and gave her the sweetest, most tender kiss he'd ever given her. “I love you,” he whispered against her lips.
“I love you too,” was her whispered reply.
Declan knew Lily would forever be by his side, regardless of what life might throw at them.
Acknowledgments
I'd like to take this time to thank the people who have helped to make this debut book possible. First, my cover artist, Najla Qamber of Najla Qamber Designs . Her work is amazing and I absolutely love the cover. Also, a big thank you to my editor, Kathy Bosman, the Indie Editing Chick. Her advice helped to clean up some problem areas I had when I started out on this endeavor.
To my ARC Team, thank you for offering your time to read this book before it went live and giving me your honest feedback on it! I appreciate it so very much!
To my readers, thank you so much for giving my books a chance! There are so many new authors out there and I am honored to have your support. Without each and every one of you, we authors would not be able to do the jobs we love; bringing our characters to life so others can enjoy them as much as we do. You are our reason for sitting down every day and putting pen to paper or fingers to the keyboard. Again, thank you, so very much.
There are a few people I'd like to say a special thank you to. These ladies have been with me almost from the start of my journey. Along the way, they became part of the foundation that gave me the courage to keep going. First, I'd like to thank my very dear friend, and fellow author, Maria Luis. Her support, encouragement and belief in my talent have been a life line for me. When I doubted my writing was good enough she told me, point blank, that it was. She gave me much needed advice to put me on the right path and things wouldn't have gone as smoothly otherwise. Then there are the first of my 'fans'. Jacinta Russell, Roxanne Riley Victor, Joslyn Westbrook, and Kathy Wright. I met these amazing women through Maria and I am glad I did. They took a chance and started following my writing before it was even really out there for the world to read. You ladies rock! From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your words of encouragement and your support!
I hope you enjoyed meeting Lily, Declan, and all of the cast and crew in the NOLA Shifters Series. There are more books on the way so keep your eye out for them!
About the Author
Angel Nyx is an author of paranormal, contemporary, and historical romances. She is also a mom, a reader, an avid gamer chick, and a cook in a nursing home. When she's not working, writing, reading, or gaming, she is usually relaxing to music or spending time with family. She has a long time love affair with the city of New Orleans and has future plans to move there, hopefully in the next couple of years.
If you'd like to be kept informed of upcoming releases you can join my newsletter, and read my blog, at https://angelnyx.com .You can also follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AngelNyxAuthor/ , twitter https://twitter.com/AngelNyx , and Goodreads at: http://bit.ly/AngelNyxGR. I also have a reader/fan group on Facebook, Nyx's Goddesses, and can be found at: http://bit.ly/NyxsGoddesses
