“Well, let’s go find her and see if she’ll help,” Etti said finally seeming to jump on board with Wes’s revelation.
“She’s in New Orleans,” Wes replied, watching Etti glance to Grey. He could read her expression. She already had one foot out the door. “There’s some things you need to know before you run off to New Orleans,” Wes warned. “And don’t we have a wedding to get to in a few hours?” he asked glancing at the clock on the wall.
They all followed his gaze. The sun would be rising soon and the lot of them looked like horror movie extras.
“I need to alert the Wolfe clan so they can put their enforcers on high alert after Derik’s attack,” Cali said.
“He won’t show his face again,” Etti snarled. “He’s lost the element of surprise.”
“I’m not taking any chances,” Grey said. “Talk to the Wolfes, Cali.”
She nodded and helped Wes to his feet. Marc helped steady him.
It only took Wes a moment to feel his strength fully return, and then some. “I’ll come with you,” he said taking Cali’s hand.
“And you two are coming with me,” Grey said pointing to Marc and Etti. “She needs to rest, and I need someone I can count on to help me keep an eye on her,” he said to Marc, who brimmed with pride.
“Wait,” Etti called as Wes turned to follow Cali out the door. She closed the distance between them and threw her arms around Wes’s neck. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Wes frowned. “For what?”
“For fighting with you, for doubting you—”
“For turning me into a shifter?” he teased, looking down into her molten eyes.
Etti grinned. “I’m sorry for a lot of stupid things. And I’m sure that I’ll be sorry for a lot more things to come, but I’ll never be sorry that I made a choice that saved your life.” She held his gaze. “But I understand if you hate me for it.”
Wes placed a kiss on her forehead. “I could never hate you, Etti. Besides, I decided I needed to stick around or you and Marc would fill little Izzi’s head with all kinds of terrible stories about me.”
Etti’s eyes lit up like a lightning storm. “You heard that?”
Wes only winked and headed toward where Cali was waiting by the door. He took her hand and turned back to face his stunned friend. “See you bright and early Mrs. West. Oh, and Marc, thanks for fillin’ in for me buddy, but I’m back, so I’ll be taking back my role as man of honor. You’re gonna have to settle for bridesman.”
Epilogue
Wes
Wes smiled as he watched his best friend exchange rings with her mate. He’d never seen Etti look more beautiful or happy. It made his own heart sputter with hope, as he looked past Etti and Grey, to where Cali stood, holding Etti’s bouquet. Wes knew it was bad form to outshine the bride, but in his eyes, Cali would outshine anyone. She wore a short violet dress with thin straps that he wanted to peel off of her. A white fur shawl covered her shoulders, her wavy blonde hair pinned to one side with purple wildflowers.
His. Wes’s mind sung the word over and over. Cali was his. He finally understood what all the mate talk was about. And they had been right, he hadn’t understood. But now that he did, he couldn’t wait to make the gorgeous shifter his officially. Cali had pledged her love to Wes last night. She’d done more than that, offering her body and soul to him on a silver platter. He could feel the animal within him scratching to get out as he devoured every inch of her sexy body, but she’d warned Wes to wait. She told him he needed his strength before shifting and they had to get through the wedding first.
Erotic thoughts of the different ways he planned to take Cali swam in Wes’s mind. Only Marc’s words brought Wes out of his blissful daydream.
“You may now kiss the bride,” Marc announced. He’d decided bridesman was not in his repertoire and offered to officiate the ceremony instead.
Etti stood on her tiptoes and kissed her mate. She wrapped her arms around Grey’s neck and he picked her up. They kissed atop the mountains of Blue Pine Park as Wes, Cali, Marc and many more shifters than Wes knew existed, hollered and howled their approval.
Etti
Dappled sunlight flitted across the valley below as Etti kissed her mate—her husband! The word sent a thrill through her. They belonged together in every way now. And despite the many obstacles that had tried to keep them apart, their love had prevailed. Etti felt Izzi kick against the pressure Grey was inflicted with is exuberant hug. He felt it too and grinned from ear-to-ear.
Happiness flooded Etti’s chest as she looked around. She was surrounded by people who loved her. Soon she would bring her daughter into this family she’d created and she was surprised to find how at peace she was with it.
She had always craved a real family, and these people—her friends, fellow shifters, her mate—they were the best family she could ever ask for. As she felt their bond of unconditional love, Etti let joy fill her heart. She savored the precious moment atop the mountain where her whole life had changed. She knew she still had a long road ahead of her, but she also knew how far she’d come and how much further she’d go to protect this life, and everyone in it.
Stay tuned for more of Etti & Grey’s story in Sassy Ink 3 due to release in November 2017.
Also by Christina Benjamin
ROMANCE (18+)
Retreat To Me
Retreat Again
YOUNG ADULT CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
The Practice Boyfriend
The Almost Boyfriend
YOUNG ADULT FANTASY/DYSTOPIAN SERIES
The Geneva Project - TRUTH (Book 1)
The Geneva Project - SECRETS (Book 2)
The Geneva Project - LIES (Book 3)
The Geneva Project - DESTINY (Book 4)
The Geneva Project - Complete Box Set
The Geneva Project - Prequels Collection
About the Author
Award-Winning author, Christina Benjamin, lives in Florida with her husband, and character inspiring pets, where she spends her free time working on her books and speaking to inspire fellow writers.
Christina is best known for her wildly popular Young Adult series, The Geneva Project.
Her best-selling novel, The Geneva Project - Truth, has won multiple awards and stolen the hearts of YA readers. Packed with magic and imagination, her epic tale of adventure hooks fans of mega-hit YA fiction like Harry Potter, The Hunger Games and Percy Jackson.
Christina loves to read and write across genres. YA is her favorite but she’s a sucker for a good love story. Don’t miss her romance, paranormal and historical fiction, as well as the multiple anthologies she’s been a part of.
Follow her Amazon Page to get updates when new books are released. HERE
For more information
www.christinabenjaminauthor.com
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