I looked into my mate’s eyes, the man I had pledged my life to in private, the man I loved with everything I had, and the answer was easy. “Yes.”
Cole beamed. He slid a ring onto my finger, a gorgeously carved, ornate piece that felt light and smooth on my skin. Tiny spirals were carved into the thin, wooden ring. It wasn’t a traditional engagement ring; there was no diamond or gem, just a beautiful handmade piece that reflected its creator. Minimalist and natural—it was perfect. Cole stood and held my hands, then bent down and kissed me. His lips were soft and tender as we stood in the center of our friends and family in a loving embrace.
“Wooo,” someone yelled. Laughter and happy chatter filled the room.
Cole took a step back and held my hand up high, displaying his ring on my finger. “She said yes,” he said, raising his voice for all to hear.
Everyone in the room clapped for us as they shared in our moment.
“There’s champagne and snacks on the bar,” Cole yelled over the din, and the hooting and clapping got louder.
Liv was the first to approach us. “Congratulations!” she said, squeezing Cole and me both in a big hug.
“Thanks,” I said.
Lance, Eric, and Victor joined in the circle to offer their best wishes.
“Told you it would be a special lunch,” Eric said.
“You were right,” I agreed.
“I hope you two are planning to host for the holidays,” Lance said, shaking Cole’s hand and giving me a hug.
“I want in,” Victor said. “Thanksgiving with my family is torture. My mom can’t cook and she and my grandmother bicker the entire time.”
Joyous tones of the conversations around the room continued as our friends and family celebrated with us. Elated, I looked up at Cole and mouthed, “Thank you.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Cole
After everyone had the chance to congratulate us, I slipped Hailey out the back door. She glowed with excitement, and I couldn’t be happier seeing her that way.
“So you’re sure Eric won’t mind?” she asked, sitting next to me on the truck seat playing with her ring.
“Eric suggested you take the whole day off,” I answered. “After last night, he wasn’t expecting you to come in at all. I thought this would be better.”
“It was surreal,” she said.
“I didn’t know what kind of diamond and ring style you’d like, so I made this ring as a placeholder. When you’re ready we can go pick whatever you like best,” I offered.
“I like this one,” she said, spinning the wooden ring on her finger.
“I’m glad,” I said. Seeing her smile told me everything was going to be okay. My Hailey was happy, which was all I wanted.
I drove her home in the truck, to make the rest of the day exactly the way she deserved.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Hailey
After a short drive through the forest, the truck stopped in front of our house. I watched as Cole walked around to my side and opened my door for me. This was the man I would marry. It wasn’t just a secret anymore, it was actually real. Everyone—human and shifter alike—would know our bond and our promises to each other.
I hopped out of the truck and smiled up at my mate. When he reached down behind my knees and my shoulders and lifted me, I snuggled into his chest. He smelled like cinnamon and the woods, wonderful like he always did. The ease in which he carried me, holding me with his sculpted arms, made me feel small and feminine. We went straight up to our bedroom, where Cole laid me on the soft, pillowy mattress. I lay on my stomach and rested my chin on my palms, while my elbows propped me up. It was the perfect position to watch Cole light the candles on the mantel, and the fire beneath.
The flames danced and filled the room with a dry, natural heat. Cole’s defined muscles flexed with each movement. I loved watching him cooking, bending, even just walking. Everything he did was graceful yet strong and masculine, like the wolf that lay just beneath the surface.
“Thank you for the party, and the gesture,” I said.
“Mating, marriage, I want to connect us in every way,” he answered, sliding his jacket off and setting it down next to the hearth.
“I want that too,” I replied.
He stood in front of the hearth, my beastly mate, looking at me. The flames flickered behind him, and natural light shined in on him from the huge window. It was a beautiful sight, the power of the fire, the strength of my man, the beams of sun highlighting the intensity of his golden eyes—this was a scene I would need to remember to paint.
Cole approached the bed, muscles flexing with each stride. I knelt on the edge of the mattress to meet him.
Tracing the line where my scar hid below makeup with his thumb, Cole looked into my eyes. “You’re so strong. You’re a survivor, Hailey. And I love you,” he said, then put his lips to mine.
Desire tingled through my body as our mouths met. Every inch of me ached for his touch.
“I love you too,” I answered, then slid his black t-shirt up over his head. His broad chest was perfectly sculpted, each muscle distinct and well-trained. Tan skin was striped with thick, darker colored scars, slightly upraised, each telling a story of his bravery. I traced the scars he had taken for me—the teeth from the wolf in the forest, the blade from my crazy stalker. Those marks were a reminder of where he had bled for me, for what we had been through, and how he had been there for me. “I love these scars.”
Touching my lips with his, Cole kissed me, gently, slowly moving me with him. He slid his fingers through my hair, and I tasted his mouth with my tongue. A hint of champagne still lingered on his lips from the party. I pulled off my jacket and dropped it off my shoulders and onto the bed. His hands slid down my spine, leaving a trail of sensation behind his fingertips. He encased me in his arms, so large and hard around me, tickling my sensitive skin with his hair. Desire burned in his eyes, as intense as the flames behind him.
I looked up at my mate, my fiancé, through my eyelashes, and smiled. A small tug on my shirt released the fabric from the waist of my jeans; and I slid the silky fabric over my head, dropping it at Cole’s feet. A grin spread across his face, then he moved against me in a blur of speed. My breast filled his hand, and he squeezed gently, kissing the bra over my other nipple. Cole always knew exactly what I needed, how to ignite my body. I longed for more, wanting his hands to touch me everywhere at once. He released my heavy breasts, dropping my bra to the floor. Cool air prickled the sensitive skin of my already hard nipples. The pleasant warmth of Cole’s wet mouth enveloped one, while he pinched and pulled the other. A moan escaped my mouth.
My thighs ached as he worked my bare breasts. I wanted more, more touch, more closeness. I unclasped his belt and pulled it through the loops of his jeans, then dropped it to the floor. His cock pressed hard against his fly, begging me for release. One button and a zip, and he was free, pants dropping to his feet. With him gloriously bared to me, I looked over his chiseled body. I ached for him; I needed his touch. I needed to show him exactly how I felt about him.
He let go of my breasts, leaving me cold and needy, and unclasped my jeans. I pulled on the sides of the waistband and sat to remove the last of the cloth restraints. After I dropped my jeans and panties to the floor, Cole stepped between my thighs. Then he knelt before me.
I grasped his ebony locks between my fingers as he nuzzled between my legs, the hair from his unshaven face tickling my thighs. His breath was warm on my sensitive skin, as was the gentle massage of his tongue. He circled my clit, licking up and down my entrance.
“You’re always so ready for me, Hailey. I love the way your body responds to my touch,” he said, then continued his pace. A thick finger teased my opening as he kissed my most sensitive area. I wanted the finger inside, to feel his body in mine. As if he could read my mind, he moved his finger gently in and out, pressing farther with each thrust.
I moaned, arching my back in response to the heighteni
ng pleasure building inside me.
Cole stood and pulled off his boxers. His huge cock was aimed right at me. I reached for him, grasping the part of him that filled me best, and touched him to my cleft. He pressed gently in one inch at a time, stretching me with his girth, then pulled back, leaving me desperate for more.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled my breasts against his hard chest, circling my legs around his hips. Cole grabbed my ass with both hands and slid me slowly, gently down his length until I reached his base. Filled to my limit, I looked into his eyes. We were as close as two people could be, connecting physically and emotionally.
“You feel so good, Hailey. This is my favorite place to be. Alone in our room, inside you,” he said.
He quickened his pace, lifting me faster and harder with each stroke. Each downward movement brought me closer to climax. Pressure built in my middle, and I said, “This is my favorite too. I love you, Cole Tenbrook.”
One last thrust and waves of pleasure washed over me, radiating through my body. Cole’s arms tightened as he climaxed with me. We fell down on the bed together, recovering as aftershocks still spread within me.
“I love you too,” Cole replied.
We lay together on our big sleigh bed, warmed by the fire and each other. I listened to the cracks of the burning wood and the heavy breaths of my mate beside me. Best Monday ever, I thought, staring up at the ceiling and feeling content. I thought about the way the day had started, strained from the night before, the morning at work, and the surprise engagement lunch.
“Cole,” I said, looking over at him. “Why wasn’t the rest of your family at the bar?”
“Lance is the only one that matters,” he answered.
“I can see leaving out Axel, but what about Zaria and Garret?” I asked.
Cole took a deep breath, and admitted, “Garret was killed by the leader of the valley pack.”
“What? When did this happen?” I asked, then I thought about when this all started, when I first heard about the danger the valley pack posed. “Is that what happened when you ran off in the night?”
“Yes. Dashiell, the leader, beat up Harkins and sent him home with Garret’s head as a warning to me,” he answered.
“Wow,” I said. No wonder Cole hadn’t wanted me out without a guard. The idea of the grizzly shifter following me didn’t sound so bad if there was a man out there that wished me harm, the kind of man that cut off people’s heads. Maybe one guard wasn’t enough after all. “I understand that you wanted to protect me. I wish you had woken me and told me then. I could have been there for you,” I said.
“I know, I’m sorry,” he said.
“I still don’t understand why,” I replied. “Why does this Dashiell guy hate you so much?”
“The whole thing was Zaria’s fault. She sent poison to the crazy pack leader, and said it was from me. So you being in danger, that’s because of her,” he said, face hard.
“So that’s why you didn’t invite her to the party,” I said.
“That’s why.”
“What about Axel?” I asked, touching the hard line his mouth had turned into. “Did you exclude him because he’s an ass, or did something happen to him too?”
His expression softened as my fingers brushed his face. “Axel ran off when he found out. I haven’t heard from him since. If we’re lucky, he’ll kill the bastard and it’ll be over.”
A life without having to watch out for the next threat sounded nice. I studied my mate’s face and hoped that we could find some peace before long. Lines of concern surrounded his eyes, and I knew we wanted the same thing.
“No more secrets. No partial truths. No trying to protect you without talking it through,” he said. “How does that sound, future Mrs. Cole Tenbrook?”
I curled up on his chest and answered, “It sounds like exactly what I need.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Cole
I pulled the fluffy, down comforter up over her shoulders. Rosy heat still remained on Hailey’s cheeks. Her full, pink lips were slightly parted as she breathed easily in her sleep. She must have been exhausted from the night before, the threats of Dashiell and the Therion Tribunal hanging over us, and of course the great sex. She was beautiful when she slept, showing none of the stress lines that she had been carrying lately. I wanted to let her rest as long as she needed.
I gazed out the wall of windows at the forest around us. Past the pointed tops of the tall and slender lodgepole pines and the reddish-brown western larches, past the stones that covered the sloped earth, to the afternoon sun hung low in the sky. Before long, it would set and blanket the blue sky in oranges and purples. Soon it would be time to cook, but until then I wanted to rest by Hailey’s side. I wondered what we had in the kitchen for dinner. If nothing else, we had lots of leftover roast in the fridge.
Ringing sounded from the floor. I looked down to my jeans on the rug beneath the bed. I didn’t want to answer, but the sound continued. Hailey sighed and rolled in her sleep. The sound must have bothered her. I climbed out of the covers and pulled the phone from the pocket of my jeans. It was a call I couldn’t ignore—Harkins. I pressed accept and stepped out into the hall.
“Yeah,” I answered, just louder than a whisper.
“Sorry to bother you,” Harkins started. “Knew you’d wanna hear this. Zaria got attacked.”
“Fuck,” I said. “What about the protection you posted? Is she okay?”
“She’s gonna be fine, just shaken and a little bruised,” he replied. “Was two of them. Reynolds took a hit to the head, but Witt took ’em both down.”
“Were they Dashiell’s?” I asked.
“Seems that way,” Harkins said.
“I’ll be there soon.” I hung up the phone. Dashiell had attacked my mother. We needed to figure out what to do, and deal with him sooner rather than later. I dialed my brother.
“Hello,” Lance answered.
“Lance, Zaria was attacked,” I said. “We need to make a move soon. Keep someone close. Don’t be alone. I don’t want you to be targeted next.”
“Well I’m with Callie right now, so I’m not alone. But I see what you mean. If Dashiell’s targeting your family, I’m likely next. I’ll make some calls. Don’t worry about me,” he replied.
“Be safe,” I said, and hung up the phone. Looking through the doorway, I saw Hailey still asleep on the bed. Our perfect day just ended, and I was thrown back to reality. I didn't want to have to wake her, but I couldn’t leave without talking to her.
“Hailey,” I said, touching her shoulder.
She peeked through her eyelashes at me. “Hmmm?” she said, and stretched her arms and legs out.
“I’m sorry to wake you. My mother’s been attacked. I have to go and see that she’s okay,” I said.
Sleep faded from her eyes at the sound of my words. “Take me with you.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Hailey
Tension emanated from my mate. His body was stiff as he dressed, and the softness he had shown me when we were intimate was replaced by a hard mask of indecipherable emotion. I pulled on my boots and asked, “Is it really okay if I come?”
“Of course,” he answered without looking at me.
“Cole, I need to know that it’s really okay. I understand that you’re upset about your mother. Who wouldn’t be? But, I’m worried that you don’t want me to come,” I explained.
“Hailey,” he said, cupping my face in his hands and looking deep into my eyes. “I don’t want you in harm’s way. There’re likely dead wolves and a lot of blood waiting for us at my mother’s house. I don’t want you to have to see that. That said, I’d prefer to have you at my side until I know that Dashiell is no longer a threat. If you’d rather stay here, I’ll have Harkins come and watch over you. If you want to come along, there’ll be damage control for me to deal with when we get there.”
I appreciated his honesty. Cole was doing exactly what he had promised. He wo
ke me to talk to me, and he told me everything, not just vague ideas of what he was thinking. “I’m coming,” I answered.
We dressed and took the truck through the woods and back to town, to Zaria’s house. The Victorian townhouse looked exactly like I remembered. The wooden siding was still painted white, and well maintained. Being the house at the end of the row, Zaria’s yard was larger than the rest on her street. It seemed like a waste of a good outdoor space, bare and unused. Smaller front yards along the street were full of trees and bushes, plants that would flower when spring arrived. Scooters, bikes, and balls were scattered down the sidewalk in front of other homes, houses full of children and happiness. Zaria’s porch was bare. Windows covered the turret on the side of her home, with curtains closed. Cole had only brought me to his house once when we had dated in high school. Zaria had been the same cold, condescending bitch then as she had been when Cole brought me to the bar after I came home. I wasn’t looking forward to seeing her, but I wanted to be here to support my fiancé.
A large man lingered next to the door, standing tall and rigid, watching us as we walked up the sidewalk to the porch. He was clean-shaven, with a square jaw and almost-white blond hair. I noticed that a lot of wolf shifters seemed to have blond hair. I wondered why—a question to ask another time. Purple and blue skin surrounded his left eye, and his crimson-stained shirt peeked out from beneath his black leather jacket.
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