"The moon waits for no man," he said. "It waits for women though so you figure that one out."
I laughed at my silly mates and reached out for Mal's hand. He took it as we watched the first meteor streak through the sky. My mates, thoughtful and fluttering inside me, stayed quiet for several minutes. In time, their little bits of concern flickered through our bonds.
"You two don't have to worry about telling me. I figured it out myself," I said, patting Vanessa's stomach when she turned toward me. I squeezed their hands as we stood facing each other.
"You did?" Vanessa asked, tilting her head and sending a ringlet of hair tumbling over her shoulder. Mal's brow smoothed as she watched me, a light smile on his hearty lips.
"Yeah."
"How do you feel about it?" Mal asked.
"I'm not sure yet. Mixed, I guess," I said.
"How'd you know?" Vanessa stroked the back of my hand with her thumb.
"By the way my mother treats him, how careful she is with her words. The first hint was Caden nearly killing him in Imogene's shop. Caden can scent blood lines. To him, Dakota was my father. Mom's story at dinner confirmed it for me." I glanced between them, watching as their shoulders relaxed along with their dual links.
"Why didn't you say something sooner?" Vanessa asked.
"I'm not sure. I'm wrestling more with the fact that, for the first time in my life, I have an intact family. Parents, mates, friends. I worry that this is all a dream that I've cooked up while locked in a mental hospital somewhere," I admitted. "It's all I've ever wanted."
"What's so wrong with having all you ever wanted, in reality or a dream?" Mal asked, his smile melting to a grin.
"Nothing, I guess. Though if it were a dream, I'd leave out the vampires. And the hoarders." I laughed, reaching up to stroke their cheeks at the same time.
"And the heartaches," Vanessa added as she leaned into my caress.
"Maybe you could leave out the kidnappings and deaths, too." Mal nodded against my touch as a chuckle rose from his gut.
"All evidence points to reality, doesn't it?" I laughed as I gazed at them, my shooting stars in the darkness.
"Mhmm. It's real," Vanessa said, tangled on a heavy wave of purrs.
"I agree with the cat." Mal nodded at her.
I continued to laugh as I embraced them, tossing myself between them and forcing them to sandwich me in a hug.
Meteors tumbled from the sky behind them, reflections flashing on the glassy surface of the frozen lake. I am the night sky. My family and friends are my shooting stars. Somehow shining brighter than any light that dares to pollute their presence. They're my galaxy.
Bound (Legacy Series Book 4) Page 36
