“They assure me that your worries about becoming a monster are unfounded. You’ll remain human. Because of your Casus blood-line, Calder’s bite has simply provided you with some…interesting extras. Perks, if you like, without any of the disastrous consequences.”
“See?” Willow whispered, a soft smile on her lips as she pressed a quick kiss to the top of his head. “I told you there was nothing to worry about.”
Moving to his feet beside her, Noah cleared his throat and said, “Thanks, Jessie. I appreciate you telling me.”
“Anything for family,” Jessie replied, and Willow choked back a laugh at the way he turned that interesting shade of green again.
They made their way to the front door, with Jessie and Harris walking behind them, and Willow caught her brother’s gaze before following Noah outside. “You planning on staying in touch?”
His mouth twitched with something that could have almost passed for a smile. “I have to be here to give you away, don’t I?”
“You will if you know what’s good for you,” she warned with a husky laugh, and then her expression turned serious. “I hope you’ll come around more, Harris. I miss knowing my brother.”
He shoved a hand through his wavy hair and winced. “I’m sorry about that, Willow. I just… Things have been pretty crazy for me lately. But I, uh, promise I’ll be better about making time to see you.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” She started to turn away, ready to join Noah outside, but Harris reached out and grabbed her arm. Willow took in his strained expression, and waited for him to say what was on his mind.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help you with Si. And I’m sorry I interfered between you and Noah all those years ago,” he forced out in a low rasp. “I should’ve kept my nose out of it, but I was…I was just worried about you.”
“I know,” she told him, pressing her hand over his. “I don’t blame you, Harris. It wasn’t your fault.”
Relief filled his gaze. “You forgive me?”
“Only if you promise to spend next Christmas with us,” she told him, thinking how wonderful it would be to have a traditional family holiday, complete with turkey and a tree and all the people she loved.
Harris looked uncertain, but…touched. “You serious?”
Her response was swift. “As a heartbeat.”
His tension eased, and his mouth finally curved with a warm smile. “Then I’ll be there.”
INSTEAD OF HEADING back to the truck, Noah asked Willow if she’d mind walking for a while through the woods with him. There were plenty of paths for them to follow, and he wanted to give her a little time to relax before they drove into town and spent the day at various meetings, making plans for the wedding.
For his own part, he was angry with Jessie for what she’d done, meddling in their lives in such a way that it had cost them twelve years—but he was also relieved by the things those little voices had told her about the effects of Calder’s bite. He hoped Will understood how much it meant to him that she’d given him her love when they still didn’t know what the future held. He would never forget that trust on her part. And he sure as hell would never betray it.
As he watched her from the corner of his eye, Noah wondered if she had any idea how devoted he was to her. With a smile, he realized he had a lifetime to show her, and he looked forward to every moment of it.
“It’s beautiful,” he rumbled, enjoying the fresh air and the dappled warmth of sunlight as it floated through the trees. There was just enough of a breeze to make the heat comfortable, but he could sense Willow’s tension. “Just take a deep breath and try to relax, honey.”
“I know. I’m sorry. But I’m so mad I could strangle her,” she growled, taking her aggression out on an unsuspecting tree as she kicked its wide trunk with her boot.
His grin was wry. “Uh, yeah, I can see that from the flagrant tree abuse.”
She gave a choked laugh and stopped kicking, her pale hair falling over the side of her face as she turned and slumped against the tree, her right side pressed against its moss-covered bark. “It’s not fair, Noah. Why did we have to lose all that time?”
“I don’t know,” he said, walking over and pulling her into his arms. “All I know is that you’re mine now. And there’s nothing on the face of this earth, in heaven or in hell, that can ever change that.”
She put her arms around his neck, and that easily, he could feel her anger melting. “I can’t stay mad when you’re holding me,” she told him. “I love you too much.”
“God, Will. I’ll never get tired of hearing that. And I’m so damn sorry it took me so long to come back to you.” He kissed her between the fervent words, each touch of his lips a promise of what was to come. Of the love he had to give to her, that would always be hers. “I’m sorry I missed all those years with you.”
“Being without you for so long, it sucked big-time, Noah. But you know what?”
“What?” he rasped, staring deep into her eyes.
She smiled and went up on her tiptoes, her lips soft against his ear.
“You were worth the wait.”
The husky words shot through him like a jolt of lightning, and he grinned as he held her tighter, crushing her against his chest. “I’m glad you think so.”
“Oh, I know so,” she whispered, letting her head fall back as he pressed his mouth against the base of her throat. “I doubt you noticed, but we’re not far from where you parked your car the night you found me with Stubb.”
He lifted his head and looked around. “You’re right.”
“I have a secret,” she murmured.
He arched one eyebrow as he brought his gaze back to hers. “Yeah?”
She took a deep breath, then said, “I only went out with Johnny because I had this crazy dream of making you jealous.”
Shock skittered through his system. “You sneaky little witch.”
Rolling her eyes, she said, “Well, yeah.” Then she started to smile. “You can’t believe how surprised I was when the dream actually came true.”
“I should put you over my knee for doing something so foolish,” he rumbled, curving one hand over her sweet little ass.
“Actually,” she drawled, giving him a sultry look through her long lashes, “I was thinking you should just finish what you started that night.”
Damn, but he loved the way she thought.
“We don’t have a car for me to lay you down on, but I can improvise.” Noah lifted her off the ground and pressed her against the moss-covered trunk of the tree.
“Mmm,” she moaned, wrapping her beautiful legs around his waist. “I’ve always wanted to have sex in a forest.”
“Only with me,” he growled, sounding like a possessive beast. But there was no help for it. When it came to Will, he was a possessive beast, ready to pound his chest and fight to the death against any man who tried to take her away from him.
Her soft laugh was proof she was on to him. “That’s a given.”
He brushed his lips against the side of her throat, so much blood rushing south to his groin he felt light-headed. “You gonna let me bite you again?” he groaned, his fangs slipping from his gums in a scalding rush of heat, his pulse roaring in his ears.
“You want to?” The hushed words trembled with excitement, her hardened nipples pressing into his chest, begging for the touch of his hand.
“The taste of you is still hot in my mouth.” His voice was thick, rough with need, the raw, predatory edge impossible to disguise. “I can’t get it out of my head.”
“Then go for it. You know how much I love it,” she whispered, pulling him tighter to her as he cupped her breast through the soft cotton of her shirt, a searing wave of heat traveling up his spine as he stroked his thumb over the swollen tip.
“Tell me you love me again.” He gasped against her soft lips, his chest aching from the violent force of his breaths.
“I love you, Noah.”
“I love you, too,” he growled,
beyond thankful that she was wearing a light, flowing skirt as he wrenched the gauzy fabric out of his way. Then he tore the gusset out of her panties and pressed his shaking hand against the slick, plump folds of her sex, making sure she was ready for him. “So much it makes me crazy.”
“You’ve always been crazy,” she teased, reaching between them and attacking the buttons on his fly. She ripped them open, taking a firm grip on his granite-hard cock as she added, “That’s why we’re so perfect for each other.”
Noah’s chest shook with a gritty laugh as he pushed the blunt head of his shaft into her warm, cushiony sheath, the pleasure somehow more intense each time he took her, blowing his mind. He didn’t know if it was like this for everyone who was in love, but he considered himself one lucky son of a bitch to have found this kind of happiness.
Her head tilted back, eyes drifting closed as a satisfied smiled played softly over her beautiful mouth. “I can’t wait for you to be my husband, Noah. For you to belong to me, body and soul.”
“I always have,” he whispered, his deep voice rough with emotion. “You just didn’t know it.”
“I know it now.” She gasped, her lush body arching against him as he lost the battle with his control and shoved inside her with a thick, powerful thrust, going all the way to the hilt.
As her sweet, scalding heat surrounded him, making him shudder with ecstasy, Noah lowered his head, scraped his fangs against the tender column of her throat and vowed, “I’ll never let you forget it.”
EPILOGUE
The Lake District, England
IT WAS, WITHOUT DOUBT, the biggest wedding celebration Willow had ever heard of. In the past month, seven other couples from Noah’s Watchmen unit had exchanged vows, and now they were throwing a huge bash in honor of the auspicious occasions. The party was being held in the gardens of Harrow House, the magnificent estate the unit was currently using as headquarters. A jazz band played from one of the upper balconies, the crowded dance floor surrounded by linen-covered tables with stunning floral centerpieces. The caterer had outdone herself with a sumptuous array of dishes, while the open bar provided an endless supply of wine and champagne and other tempting libations.
Everywhere she looked, people were smiling and laughing, and Willow’s head was spinning as she tried to keep track of all the new faces and names. She’d met most of the other Watchmen in Noah’s unit the week before, when they’d come over to the States for their own wedding, and she liked them all. The men were rugged, gorgeous alpha types who knew how to play as hard as they worked, and their women had been so welcoming, Willow knew it wouldn’t be long before she’d make some lasting friendships. A first for her, since she’d never been able to make any close female friends; but she was looking forward to the shopping trip she and the other women had planned in a few days, as well as the spa day Kellan’s wife, Chloe, had scheduled for the group.
As the jazz band began to play “Someone to Watch Over Me,” Noah took Willow’s hand, pulled her away from their chattering table, where they’d just finished a mouthwatering chocolate soufflé, and led her onto the dance floor. As he pulled her into his arms he gave her one of those wickedly sexy smiles that always melted her, then spun her into a move that left her breathless with laughter, her feet practically floating over the ground as they swayed among the other couples.
Resting her cheek against his strong shoulder, Willow closed her eyes and smiled as she thought of the weddings they had attended during the past week. “They were beautiful ceremonies,” she said in a dreamy voice. “I’ve never been to so many fairy-tale weddings. It was like magic.”
“Not as magical as ours,” he murmured, nuzzling her temple, his big hands pressed possessively against her back, which was bared by the sexy black dress she’d picked up in New Orleans before they’d flown over. She gave a blissful sigh, remembering how incredible their wedding day had been. Damon had shown up to serve as Noah’s best man, which the demon had gotten a kick out of. And Harris had stuck around to give her away, just as he’d promised, looking sinfully handsome in his tux.
After the ceremony, the reception had been held at Broussards, and she knew the whole parish would be talking about it for years to come. At one point, Kellan and Damon had danced shirtless on one of the tables and nearly sent the older ladies into a swoon, while their friends had all laughed so hard there’d been tears in their eyes.
And true to his word, Noah had let her pull him away from the fun to sneak off to one of the refurbished cabins, where she had her wicked way with him. Of course, he’d demanded to have his with her as well, devastating her senses with pleasure until her throat had been raw from her husky cries. By the time they’d made it back to the reception, she was rosy and flushed from the mind-shattering orgasms, and it had been time to cut the cake.
They’d postponed their honeymoon so that they could attend the rest of the weddings in England. But they would be leaving for Jessie’s private Caribbean island the week after next, and would be staying for three weeks. They’d invited Bryce and his family to come and stay with them the last week they were there, and Willow was looking forward to getting to know them better. Bryce had offered to buy Noah’s bar back in San Francisco, and he’d been happy to agree, saying he wanted to spend his time working with the Watchmen and helping Willow with her cases, since he didn’t plan on letting her out of his sight.
It still brought tears to her eyes whenever she thought about the depth of Noah’s devotion to her; a miracle that at times she feared was simply too good to be true. Of course, whenever she asked him to pinch her, to prove that she wasn’t dreaming, he would smile that sexy crooked smile of his, toss her over his broad shoulder and carry her away to their room. Then, once behind closed doors, he would spend hours showing her in devastating, explicit detail just how real he was.
“I’ve had a wonderful time tonight,” she told him, lacing her fingers behind his neck as she lifted her head from his shoulder. “Your friends are great.”
He grinned. “They’re a bunch of smart-asses most of the time, but they’re a good group of guys.”
“Get your facts straight,” Kellan drawled, a huge grin on the Lycan’s face as he swirled by with a laughing Chloe in his arms. “We’re not good, Winston. We’re the best.”
Noah laughed at the jackass, then lowered his mouth to Willow’s ear. “Not that this isn’t fun,” he rasped, giving a playful nip to her earlobe, “but I’m dying to get you alone.”
“Me, too,” she whispered, trembling with desire. “I think I’m addicted to you, Mr. Winston.”
Willow could feel him smile against her temple. “You’ve got it all backwards, baby. I’m the one who’s addicted to you.”
Her breath caught as he pulled her closer, dancing her into the jasmine-scented shadows at the edge of the dance floor. A pale shaft of light from one of the flickering sconces illuminated his gorgeous face as he stared into her eyes, and she shivered under the raw force of his gaze. Then he tilted his head down, moving his mouth over hers, and she lost herself in the breathtaking depths of his kiss, his tongue stroking hers. The kiss became deeper, more urgent, heat layering upon heat until she couldn’t hear anything but the frenzied racing of her heart.
She pressed one hand to the center of his chest, against the soft linen of his shirt, wanting to feel his own pounding heartbeat. Jessie’s leather pouch pressed against her palm, and she experienced a sharp pang of relief at the fact that he was still wearing the charm. It had been decided that both Winston brothers should continue to wear the charmed pouches, until they were certain all the Casus had been destroyed. Noah and his friends didn’t believe the Casus shades that had escaped with Calder would be able to switch their hosts as easily as Calder had, but they weren’t taking any chances.
The band took a break and Noah reluctantly ended the kiss, his dark whisper in her ear promising untold hours of erotic pleasure once they’d headed up to their room. Then he took her hand, leading her from the dance
floor. She stifled a giggle as she caught sight of the proper-looking jazz band heading toward the bar, wondering how they would react if they suspected they were playing to a crowd that consisted of far more clansmen and women than it did humans. There were even a few vampires in attendance, thanks to Seth McConnell’s beautiful wife, Raine. But the Granger brothers were missing out on the fun, having been forced to leave that morning in order to deal with some mysterious family emergency, and Willow knew their friends missed them.
When she and Noah rejoined their table, they were just in time for a fresh round of champagne. As the bubbling glasses were passed around, Molly Buchanan, who Willow noticed had been drinking iced water all evening, suddenly said, “Ian’s had another dream.”
From what Noah had told her, Willow knew that the dark-haired, blue-eyed Ian Buchanan could see visions of the future in his dreams. And from the sparkling look of happiness in his wife’s pretty eyes, his latest dream had undoubtedly been a good one.
Glancing at her friends’ expectant faces, Molly grinned and said, “We’re going to have a baby!”
“Holy shit!” someone blurted with excitement, while one of the others slapped Ian on the shoulder and said, “Congratulations, man. That’s so freaking cool.”
“More like bloody terrifying,” Ian rumbled, looking a little pale.
Molly rolled her eyes. “He’s already worrying himself sick, but I’m going to be perfectly fine.” She leaned over, placing a tender kiss against her husband’s grim mouth. “I promise.”
Ian pulled her closer, whispering something in her ear that made the petite blonde blush, and Willow couldn’t help but smile. She loved watching all these gorgeous males fawning over their women. They obviously weren’t afraid of public displays of affection, but then neither was Noah.
Kierland moved his chair back and stood up on the far side of the table, drawing everyone’s attention. “I’d like to make a toast,” the Lycan called out, a smile on his handsome face as he gave his lovely wife a sexy wink, then looked around the table and lifted his glass of champagne. “To new friends, new beginnings and a future we can all look forward to!”
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