by Lavada Dee
Tyrell could hear Devon thanking the doctor for taking the time to come out and let them know, while he kept his focus on the woman beside him. Her scent, even masked with hospital smell, sent his pulse racing. He bent and kissed her lightly on the cheek. “Ready?”
She nodded and took a step, but her legs gave way. Like Devon had said earlier, it would hit all at once. She wasn’t trained for what she’d taken on tonight, and then being with the kid for a few hours afterward took an additional toll. Hell, he was beat, and he was trained for this kind of thing. He moved his arm to her waist, and held her tight against him. “I can carry you,” he whispered.
“Don’t you dare! Give me a second, and I’ll be okay.”
She tried to pull away, but he held her tight. “You’re white as a sheet. I’m going to help you back to the sofa, then get you some soda with sugar.” She opened her mouth to argue, but he stopped her. “You need the boost, and in case you’ve forgotten, it’s freezing outside. The copter will be cold, so don’t give me a hard time.”
He started for the vending machine, and noticing the look of concern on the doctor’s face, Tyrell waved him off. “I’ve got it. Just a little light-headedness.”
The tone his voice carried must have sunk in because the doctor, with a nod, turned away.
Half an hour later, color had returned to Nadia’s face and she was actually laughing at the silliness Devon was displaying. Tyrell watched silently. The earlier flare of jealously had passed. It was misplaced and a waste of emotion. He hadn’t been wrong about Nadia’s feelings, she was as much his as he was hers. He didn’t know how, after making love, he could doubt it. Chalking it up to the aftermath of the highly charged rescue, he let it go.
“Ready?” It was a short flight back to the airport, but no matter how short, this weather wasn’t good for flying, especially helicopters.
It was close to three o’clock in the morning before they pulled under the portico of the lodge. Tyrell helped Nadia out, then turned back to Devon. “Want a nightcap? If so, we’ll meet you in the bar.”
Devon shook his head. “I’m beat, and I know I’m not the only one. You two go on up, I’ll see you in the morning.”
“You sure? I could ride out and park this thing with you.”
“I’m sure, but it doesn’t take two Montana men to park a truck.” With a laugh, he eased the truck forward so that Tyrell had no choice but to step back and close the door. Nadia had gone in ahead of him and he took a second to collect his thoughts. Love surrounded him.
Life was good and it was going to get better.
Tyrell walked into the lodge and put his arm around Nadia’s waist, pulling her close to him. “I know you’re exhausted. It’s been an eventful night.”
He saw her smile. It didn’t take mind speak to know that Nadia was thinking of the event before they got the call for the rescue. His blood heated up, but then, reason took over. She needed to get some sleep. “Come on, honey. I’m going to tuck you in for the night. Or, what’s left of it.”
Nadia didn’t argue with him. Not even when he took her to his apartment instead of her room. He motioned toward the chair. “Throw your coat over there.” He headed to the kitchen. “I’m going to get you a glass of wine. It will help you unwind.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’m about as unwound as it gets. A glass of wine will no doubt put me right to sleep and we need to talk.”
Talk? Like that was going to happen tonight. “We’ll talk all you want in the morning. Right now it’s bed. And sleep.”
Nadia snuggled against Tyrell’s warm body. She was so tired, and yet she couldn’t sleep. Instead she replayed the rescue over and over. And the mind-speak. How? When Tyrell’s fingers caressed her arm she sighed. “I’m sorry. I should have gone to my room. I’m keeping you awake.”
“Don’t be sorry. I want you here with me.” He pulled away and stood up. “I’m going to get you that glass of wine.”
The room was dark. The storm was dying down but there were no stars or a moon visible to lighten the sky. She reached over to turn on the table lamp.
Her eyes adjusted slowly and it took a minute to see. Tyrell was near the door. He was naked. Nadia’s tongue darted out to wet her suddenly dry lips. He had sleeping shorts on a few seconds ago. She knew as she had been lying almost over him.
His gaze locked into hers. Something about his eyes was…different. Almost feral, and so beautiful. “I want you to see me. To see who I am. What I am.”
Nadia wanted to say, “yes,” but the word wouldn’t form. Emotion, not fear but something close, washed over her.
“Don’t be scared. I will never hurt you. My totem will protect you, as it does me.” Tyrell’s voice was deep and rich. Nadia closed her eyes, savoring the sound.
The bedroom opened out onto the patio and Nadia heard Tyrell at the door. Then the scent of forest and lake entered the room. “Open your eyes.”
Her heart was beating hard in her chest, and she shook her head. Something told her that when she did what he asked, her world would change. Still his voice lingered, compelling her to do what he asked.
“Why?” she whispered.
“Because you still want to leave me.”
“I have a job to do. I can’t leave it and the business. I…”
A low growl sounded and Nadia fought to block it and Tyrell out. “Open your eyes.”
“No.” Nadia’s voice was almost a sob. “I don’t want to leave you, but I have to. Don’t you see that? My father needs me.”
“I need you.”
Nadia didn’t want to listen. She put her hands over her ears, but they couldn’t mute her mind. She expected to feel him beside her, but the room fell silent with only the echoing sound of the wind and water. Then peace, as her world coalesced and she knew what she had to do, what she wanted to do. She would go back to New York and finish the job, then come home and make her life here, with Tyrell.
Again, a low growl. “You know. Oh my love, I thought I would never get through to you. Physically we were one, but now our souls have joined.”
Nadia’s heart felt like it was singing. Slowly she opened her eyes. The light had gone out and the room was dim, but she could clearly see a magnificent wolf silhouetted in the open door. Slowly, it walked toward her, then leaped up on the bed. Nadia wrapped her arms around its neck. “You are a warrior. You are magic.”
“And, you are a warrior’s love. Forever.”
Epilogue
Tyrell growled as his father tried to get him to stand still so he could fasten the studs at the wrist of the tux shirt. “Who makes these monkey suits? Hell, I thought we could get married in jeans. Clean ones, of course.”
His father’s response was to jerk the bow tie into place. Tyrell didn’t push it, not with Colin, who had growling down to perfection, and was issuing warning sounds.
It hadn’t been an easy month. First, Nadia had insisted on going back to New York and finishing the ad campaign she was committed to. Thankfully, she had let Devon off the hook on his offer to model for her. That the whole thing had gone off without a hitch, and in fact was a huge success, was nothing short of a miracle since Tyrell didn’t leave her alone for more than a few hours at a time. If he wasn’t in New York, he was calling her. Or, she was calling him. At that thought, a smile spread across his lips.
His father stepped back. “What now? You’re smiling like you just swallowed happy pills.”
“Just thinking.” He was relieved that at least this train of thought was keeping his libido in check. The long distance he’d endured hadn’t helped keep it, or his body parts, down. That was for sure.
His father nodded. “You are doing the right thing, even though I know Nadia would be more than a willing participant in eloping.”
His father was right. Thinking about Nadia again brought another smile to his face. Hell, he hadn’t smiled or laughed so much in his entire life as he had since this woman, who set his world on fire, had come wa
ltzing into his life. She made him look at things differently, with more joy, more peace, and a completeness he hadn’t known existed. Still, getting married in New York? The only redeeming factor in the venue was that they wouldn’t be living here. Hells-bells, the way things were going, her whole family would be relocating to Blackhawk. Now there was a daunting vision.
Tyrell’s mind played back over the past few weeks. Nadia’s father had surprised her. In fact, he knocked ‘surprise’ out of the ballpark when he announced that he had only hung on to the business for her. With her changing the course that had been all but set in stone, it left him free. And, if his actions were any indication, he was going to literally soar with gusto. Then, there was her grandmother. And, oh brother, how he was coming to love that lady. Surprise didn’t begin to describe the curveballs she’d thrown him and Nadia. In the end, her family, though small in size, was a dynasty he was glad to be part of. He couldn’t wait to start adding to their number. He was all for an even six, but Nadia said two.
“This world is already overpopulated,” she’d said. “We are not going to be part of that.”
Tyrell smiled again. We’ll see. Though he did agree with being environmentally responsible, so maybe adoptions. It wasn’t as if they couldn’t afford a large family. And, there was the big house that he had just broken ground on. It sat on his allotted portion of Blackhawk land, and like Cooper’s and Grant’s places was designed to embrace the natural surrounding lake and forest. He sighed. Life was so damn good, and in just a matter of minutes it was going to get even better.
* * * *
Devon stood beside his brother and looked out over the wedding guests as Tyrell and Nadia exchanged traditional vows. This part of the ceremony was the only tradition they had adhered to. Devon had no doubt the only reason Page and him were included in the party, now standing on the stage of a resort hall, was to provide the rings. Nadia hadn’t even carried a bridal bouquet. And, he found he liked this wedding. In fact when his time came…. He bit that thought off before it was more than half formed.
Again he focused on the ceremony. There had been the wedding march, but no procession. Nadia’ father hadn’t walked her down the aisle and given her away. Tyrell said that was an empty gesture, as no man gives his daughter away. He’d gone on to add that when he had a daughter, she would always be his little girl, no matter her age. Devon suppressed a smile, thinking of a time in the distant future. He wouldn’t want to be the young man that would encounter his brother.
Devon made himself pay attention. The ceremony would be a short one. Tyrell and Nadia wanted it as informal as possible. They had stepped out of the norm and chose to walk down the aisle together. Devon and Page came in from opposite sides of the dais and stood, like the rest of the guests, as the couple made their way to the front. They didn’t pace themselves to the wedding march, but instead stopped to smile and greet the small assembly of guests. Nadia had on a wedding gown, but it wasn’t fussy, more of a Greek goddess style. Tyrell matched the formal attire with a tux.
As simple as the wedding was, no expense had been spared, and everything from the flowers to the champagne brunch was simple elegance.
Devon was jolted back to the moment when he felt the now familiar vortex surround the wedding party. Time stood still as he stood just outside the bubble that seemed to encompass Tyrell and Nadia.
* * * *
“I love you, now and forever.”
Tyrell felt Nadia’s response to him. She was so beautiful, it made his heart hurt.
Nadia answered in kind. “Through all eternity, you have my heart.”
Simple vows, said privately, completed the traditional wedding vows and they were again in the real world. Tyrell reached for the ring his brother held out to him and felt the connection between them. He mouthed a thank-you, knowing that only Devon had heard and witnessed the private exchange.
The pastor introduced them as Mr. and Mrs. Blackhawk and then the “Wedding March” from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the traditional wedding music, erupted to accompany them down the aisle. Tyrell tucked Nadia’s hand in his arm and smiled down at her. “I love you.”
“I love you more.”
“You think?”
“I know.”
Stopping to visit on their way, it took Tyrell and Nadia almost a half hour before they exited the hall-turned-chapel. At the door, Nadia stopped and look up at Tyrell. “This is just so perfect.”
Tyrell’s heart sped up. “You didn’t miss having a huge guest list?”
“Are you kidding? Besides, we talked about that. We could have put on this year’s biggest publicity wedding with all the bells and whistles, but…”
“I was kidding. Like you said, this is all so perfect. And, we still have a perfect champagne brunch to enjoy.” Tyrell smiled at their use of the word “perfect.” It brought back that night when he had first seen his bride, the perfect woman.
Walking across the lawn to where the tents were set up, Nadia was flushed with excitement. “I’m so glad your whole team came.”
Tyrell nodded. The five members that had made up Team Lobo were all here, all single, and all having second thoughts about that state now that he’d taken the plunge. It was an added blessing that he hadn’t expected. Then, there was his family, who all had flown in to New York. Like Nadia said, it was perfect.
* * * *
Devon caught Tyrell’s signal. His brother had lasted longer than he thought he would. Four hours. But then, he had his buddies here, and hadn’t had nearly enough time to visit before the ceremony. He watched as Tyrell leaned down and whispered to Nadia. Then, they disappeared out the side door. They were going to drive her car back to Montana, honeymooning as they went. A pang of envy shot through him as he stared at the now empty doorway.
With a sigh he turned and saw Page. Her eyes were alight with fun and laughter as she leaned toward Nadia’s father to catch what he was saying. Nadia and she had become friends, best friends. Given the short time they had known each other, that was another surreal thing in what was becoming more and more an out of the ordinary life.
Loneliness mingled with envy. Maybe? An idea started to form. Would Page be interested in driving back to Montana with him, instead of flying?
With a grin on his face, he started across the floor.
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lavada Dee writes Contemporary and Romantic Suspense. She has always loved to read and gained a love of the romance genre from sneaking her mother’s True Confessions from under her bed. That was many, many, many years ago and she has since advanced into reading just about every genre out there. Her love of reading naturally evolved into writing. She has always told herself stories. Lying in bed, doing household chores and gardening leaves her mind free to dream up characters and build a life around them. Lavada lives in the Pacific Northwest where friends are encouraged to drop in. While it’s impossible for all of us to physically drop in to chat we can do it via cyberspace. She loves to hear from readers and invites you to subscribe to her Blog/News. Just click here and “Follow Blog Form.”
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