She rolled her eyes.
“You know what I said. I don’t need to repeat myself. I mean, hello, werewolf hearing.” She tapped her ear.
“Maybe I wanted to hear you say it again.”
“Why? You know kids aren’t happening anytime soon, right? If ever.”
I stepped to her and gripped her hips. My head bent and I nibbled her earlobe, then dipped to kiss the side of her neck. “Are you trying to tell me you don’t want to make babies with me, Mina Ryan?”
“Not yet. No,” she said. She moved to the tips of her toes and shifted around so she could press her lips to my neck. She kissed me there and then gently nibbled. The sensation of her teeth against my flesh sent a shiver through me. My fingertips dug deeper into her hips, and my body pressed closer to hers. “But that doesn’t mean I’m against practicing. Safely, of course.”
Oh, this woman. She knew how to drive me wild.
“Of course,” I growled. “And are you feeling up for a little practicing right now?”
Mina placed her hands on my chest and pushed me away. A playful look entered her eyes as the corner of her lips twisted into a grin.
“Maybe—after we finish decorating the tree.”
I exhaled loudly, but we both knew I was being dramatic and wasn’t actually upset about being shot down. This was foreplay. We’d get our practice session in later tonight. I could tell from the swing of her hips and the mischievous look in her eyes.
I grabbed a few more ornaments from the box and placed them sporadically on the tree. She watched me from the corner of her eye, thinking she’d won. Little did she know the score was about to be in my favor, because once we finished decorating the tree, I had a surprise for her.
3
I watched Mina place extra decorations around the trailer when we were finished with the tree. My palms grew sweaty and my mouth dry. When she was finished, I asked her to step outside and take a walk with me. It was chilly out, but the coolness of the night air felt good against my clammy skin. The moon was almost full. In a few nights, it would be and we’d all have a run. My wolf was eager for a run now. All my nervous energy was making him uneasy.
“You okay?” Mina asked.
“Yeah. I’m fine.”
A lie but hopefully one she’d let slide. I really needed to get a hold on my emotions.
I crammed my hands into my pockets. My fingers played with the ring in my pocket as we walked. It was silver with a green jewel nestled between some fake diamonds. I knew Mina wouldn’t care they weren’t real. She wasn’t that kind of woman. Hell, I could have bought her a ring from a bubble gum machine, and I knew she’d be happy with it. It was how she was. I loved that about her.
God, I wanted to marry her.
While I knew marriage was a human thing, it didn’t mean it wasn’t beneficial to werewolves. While imprinting and going through the Bonding Ceremony was done mostly to appease our wolf, a human marriage appeased our human side.
It was on a deeper level for me though. I needed everyone—human and non—to know that Mina was mine. Adding a ring to the third finger of her left hand would do that.
“This is nice,” Mina said once we were almost to the lake. “I’ve missed being in the woods. Especially at night. Between school and working at Rosemary’s, I haven’t had the time to come out here as much. Thanks for suggesting it.” She inhaled a deep breath and then brought her hand to rest at the center of her chest. When she exhaled, I could see the wisps of her breath curling in the air in front of her. “I needed this. So did my wolf.”
At the mention of her wolf, I focused on my own. He seemed relaxed. Maybe he’d needed a stroll through the woods too. Time in nature always did him good.
“I know what you mean,” I said.
“We should do this more often.”
“We should.”
When we reached the lake, its dark waters reflected the beautiful moon, and I felt my wolf grow even more content. My man was another story. The ring in my pocket was jarring my nerves, causing my palms to sweat and my heart to beat at an erratic pace.
What was I supposed to say first?
For the millionth time in the last few months, I found myself wishing my dad were here. Mom had told me the right words would come. She had confidence in me, which I didn’t feel.
While talking to her had been good, it still wasn’t the same as talking to Dad. I wanted to know what he’d been thinking when he proposed to my mom. Was he nervous? Did he feel as though his heart was about to beat out of his chest and that he might vomit? Had he worried he’d drop the ring or that Mom would say no?
I swallowed hard and cast a sideways glance at Mina. She was staring at the moon. A chilly breeze kicked up across the water, sending strands of her hair flying around her face. Her arms wrapped around her center for warmth.
She was beautiful.
She shifted to face me as though she could feel my eyes on her. The way she looked at me had all my nervousness melting away. Confidence spread through me.
Mina had already accepted my wolf, and I knew then, without a doubt, she’d accept my human side too.
“What’s wrong with you?” Her brows pinched together. “Are you not feeling well?”
“I’m fine. In fact, I’ve never been better.” I licked my lips. “But I have something to say, or rather something to ask.”
My nerves were back. Damn it. My tongue was too thick in my mouth, and I had the distinct feeling my wolf was laughing at me.
“Okay,” she dragged the word out. It was clear she had no clue where this conversation was going.
For a brief moment, excitement pulsed through me. I’d thought for sure she’d know exactly what was going on, taking away the surprise factor.
I exhaled a breath and plunged forward with what I’d set out to do.
“The first time I realized I loved you I was ten. You were only seven, but something pulled me to you, something magnetic I couldn’t explain. I knew it mattered though. Whatever it was, it meant something. Hell, I knew even then that it meant everything. No matter how hard I tried to ignore it, it wouldn’t go away. Over the years, it grew more powerful. I knew one day you’d feel it too. You’d know that we were destined to be together. We would imprint and go through the Bonding Ceremony. There wasn’t a moment when I doubted it. Not even when you dated Alec. The knowledge was always inside me, pulsing with so much certainty at times it made me shake.” I moved down to balance on one knee. Her eyes widened as the reality of what I was saying—of what was happening—dawned on her. When I reached for her left hand, her fingers trembled. I pulled the ring from my pocket and looked up at her, making sure our eyes locked. “Whether you felt it growing up or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that we’re together now. I love you, Mina Ryan, and as I’ve said before, I will love you until the last breath of air passes through my lungs. Will you marry me?”
My heart pounded in my chest as I waited for her speak. Thank goodness she didn’t keep me waiting long.
“Yes,” she breathed. Tears glistened in her eyes. When she blinked, they fell. “Yes! I’ll marry you.”
A lump formed in my throat and I coughed, choking on the emotions welling up inside me.
She’d said yes.
“Well, aren’t you going to slip the ring on my finger?” Mina asked. She wiped away her tears with her free hand. “It’s beautiful by the way.”
I pushed it onto her finger. It fit as though it were made for her.
“It was my mom’s. We can use it as a placeholder until I can get something you like more if you want.”
“No. I love it.”
I kissed the ring and stood to pull her in for a hug.
“I can’t believe you just asked me to marry you,” she whispered against my chest. “We’re getting married.”
“Why is that so hard to believe? You know how much I love you.”
“I know, it’s just crazy to wrap my head around the fact that we are getting married. I
’m going to be Mrs. Vargas. My last name is going to change. That’s a big deal.”
“It doesn’t have to. You can hyphenate or not change it at all. Whatever you want. All I care about is that you said yes.”
She pulled away from me enough to look me in the eyes. “Seriously, though. Was there any doubt I wouldn’t?”
“A little.”
Mina lifted onto the tips of her toes and kissed me. “Well, there shouldn’t have been. I love you, Eli, with all my heart.”
“I love you too.”
“While this is a beautiful scenery and everything, I think I’m ready to head inside. I can barely feel the tip of my nose.”
“It is chilly out,” I said as we started back toward the trailer park. “Do you think we’ll have a white Christmas?”
“I hope. I think everyone enjoys a white Christmas.”
Mina continued to talk about the weather, but I tuned her out the instant the fine hairs along the back of my neck stood on end. Someone was watching us.
While it wasn’t uncommon for someone from the pack to take a stroll through the woods at night, exactly like we had, the eyes I felt didn’t seem as though they belonged to anyone from the pack.
I glanced at Mina, trying to see if she noticed something off as well, but she seemed preoccupied with talking about the weather and staring at her ring. Her mouth was moving, but I still wasn’t listening. I needed to figure out who was watching us. The presence felt sinister.
My eyes swept the dark woods around us, searching. Nothing caught my eye, but the words Christmas and wedding coming from Mina grabbed my attention.
“What did you say?” I asked.
“I said everyone is going to be excited when they find out.”
“No, something about Christmas and wedding. You want to get married on Christmas?”
“Well, not on Christmas per se, but a winter wedding would be fun.”
Something shifted through the trees to my left. I couldn’t make out what. Maybe an animal? No. My wolf told me it was something else.
“Why? Do you have a problem with getting married so soon?” Mina asked.
“What? No. I wouldn’t have asked you to marry me if I had a problem with marrying you soon. I’m fine with getting married tomorrow if that’s what you want or even tonight.” I glanced at her in time to see the challenge I hadn’t picked up on when she spoke disappear from her eyes. I flashed her a slow grin. “I was ready to marry you ages ago, Mina.”
It was the truth.
Her features softened, and I knew I’d said the right thing. Not that I was trying. The words had come naturally, because that’s how things were between her and me.
“God, I love you,” she whispered.
“I know.” I placed my lips to the back of her hand and then continued walking. “I love you too.”
The sensation of someone watching us prickled across my skin again. I scanned the trees closest to us and caught a glimpse of long red hair as someone darted between them. My feet faltered. I focused on the area with narrowed eyes, waiting for whoever it was to appear again. When they didn’t, I began to question if I’d seen anything at all.
Could it have been a trick of the mind?
“Hey.” Mina squeezed my hand. “What’s up?”
“Nothing.” I started walking again. “It’s cold out here. Let’s hurry home.”
I scanned the woods more carefully as we walked, but didn’t see any signs of anyone again. Maybe I’d imagined it after all. Or maybe whoever it was had gone. My wolf wasn’t buying it though. He was on high alert, and from the way Mina was now carrying herself, I knew she was picking up on what I was feeling. I tried to soften my features and relax my energy, but the flash of red hair still played through my mind. I analyzed it as we walked.
Who did I know with long red hair? Who would be in the woods at this time of night? Women in the pack shifted through my mind. None of them seemed as though they might fit the bill. Besides, whoever it was hadn’t felt like a member of my pack.
They’d felt wrong somehow. Sinister.
Could it have been Lilith? What color hair had she had?
I glanced at Mina, the question resting on the tip of my tongue. She smiled at me and the words dissolved. This was our moment, one we’d remember forever. We’d just gotten engaged. I didn’t want to tarnish it with worries of someone dark possibly being in the woods watching us. So, I kept my question to myself.
“You sure you’re okay?” Mina asked.
“Yeah.”
I forced thoughts of the red-haired woman from my mind and smiled at Mina. All I wanted to think about right now was her and how she’d said yes. Also, I should possibly be thinking of the details for a winter wedding. An image of red and green everything popped in my head. Surely, Mina wouldn’t toss in some weird Christmas theme to the wedding since it was so close to the holiday.
Who was I kidding? If the woman wanted me to dress up as a candy cane for the wedding, I’d do it. I’d do anything for her.
She was my everything.
4
Mina didn’t come right out and tell her family we were engaged. Instead, she wanted to see if anyone would notice the ring on her finger during our Sunday dinner at Gran’s. Every Sunday since things had settled down for the pack with the Midnight Reaper, we ate together as a family. Some Sundays, my mom and brothers joined us and some they didn’t.
This Sunday though, I knew Mom would be there because she’d want to see everyone’s reaction to the good news. She’d been excited when I first came to her and asked if she had a ring I could use. The look of pure happiness on her face was something I hadn’t seen since before my dad passed.
“Who do you think will notice the ring first?” Mina asked in a hushed tone as we made our way from our place to Gran’s. Moonshine paused to sniff at something in the gravel, but Mina didn’t let her pause for too long. We always brought her with us to Sunday dinner. She and Winston enjoyed playing. Gracie joked Moonshine was his girlfriend and that it was good for them to see each other once a week. “I think it’ll be Gracie. She’s nosy about things, so I think she’ll pick up on it right away.”
“I don’t know. I’m sure my mom will probably be excited to see it on your finger and keep glancing at it, which will tip someone off.”
“Like who? You have to guess.”
“Is this a bet?” I smirked.
Mina rolled her eyes. “No. Not really. I just wonder which of us will be right.”
We both chuckled.
“Look at the two of you,” the oldest Bell sister said as we passed by their trailer. The two of them weren’t sitting outside, drinking adult beverages tonight. Instead, they were leaving. “Aren’t you just the cutest? I love seeing you walk your puppy together.”
“Oh, I just love seeing them together period. Such a perfect match,” the youngest Bell sister said.
“Hello, ladies,” I called to them with a nod and a smile. “How are you?”
“Good, good.” The oldest Bell sister opened the driver side door to their car but didn’t get in. She stared at me instead. “Heading to bingo in town. Trying to shake things up.”
The old woman shook her body and things that shouldn’t move beneath her thick coat did. I pretended not to notice and kept my polite smile in place.
“Good luck,” I said as Mina and I continued walking. The Bell sisters’ car started, and I knew it was safe to finish mine and Mina’s conversation. “Gran. I think she’ll notice first. She’s observant as hell. Nothing gets by that woman. She’ll probably spot the ring in a few minutes.”
“Minutes? Really?”
“Oh, yeah. She’s the most observant out of everyone. Besides, Gracie will be too distracted by Cooper and their love.”
It was comical how Mina’s younger sister and my little brother had hit things off. Not too comical though, because I remembered a time when I was their age and how I’d felt about a certain someone. Thank goodness she’d finally c
ome around and saw the light.
“Good point. I hadn’t thought of that.” Mina tugged on Moonshine’s leash, trying to get her to continue walking instead of stopping to sniff everything. “Is Tate going to be at dinner tonight?”
“I think so. Why?”
“I wanted to make sure we have a chance to tell our families all at once. I don’t want anyone feeling left out.”
A smile twisted the corners of my lips as warmth built in my chest. It was sweet that she wanted Tate to know at the same time as everyone else. She and Tate might have started out on shaky ground, but the two of them were becoming friends as time went on. I knew it was mainly because they were both a big part of my life, but I liked to think it was because of something more than that, that they had a true friendship going now.
“What about Dorian and everyone else? When are you planning on telling him?” Mina asked. Her brows pinched together, and I realized she was worried about how everyone else would find out.
I squeezed her hand in mine. “Don’t worry about spreading the word. Leave that to me. All you need to worry about is the planning. Which, by the way, have you considered what date you want to go with yet?”
“Shit. That’s probably the first thing everyone is going to ask after wanting to know how you proposed.” She stopped walking. Her teeth sank into her bottom lip. A cool breeze whipped around us, stinging my face with its iciness. “We should pick a date. Like right now before we head inside.”
I scratched the back of my neck. “Uh. How about sometime in January?”
“January? That far away, huh? You said last night you didn’t care if we got married tomorrow.”
“I don’t. I just figured January would give you time to plan the things you want.”
“I’m not going to plan something huge. Fancy things aren’t my style.” Her nose wrinkled when she spoke.
“I know. I just figured you’d want more than a day or two. That our parents might, so they can help line things up.”
She didn’t seem as though she’d heard me.
“How about December twenty-ninth?” she asked, and I knew she hadn’t heard what I’d said. “I know it’s right after Christmas, but I really like the idea of a winter wedding. Having it on the twenty-ninth would make it before the new year when everyone is already gearing up for party mode.”
Moon Vowed (Mirror Lake Wolves Book 8) Page 2
