“Your turn,” she said with a husky voice.
I circled the ribbon around her wrist, then opened my fingers a little so I could wind it there too.
“That’s not how it’s supposed to be” She laughed.
“Since when do you care about rules?” I leaned in closer. Sweet moon, did I ever want to kiss her. “You’re lucky I don’t tie you against that tree and tell everyone to start the party without us.”
“Naughty bear.”
“You said you wanted me to remember this spot.” I waggled my brows and gave the ribbon another wind. “It would certainly be memorable.”
“You’re not wrong, but I have another idea.” She took a deep, shaky breath, reached into her bag, and pulled out an envelope. “This is for you. I hope you like it.”
It wasn’t easy to open the envelope one-handed. There was a picture inside that looked like it had been printed from an actual camera. It was a little blurry at first, and I needed a moment…holy shit.
“Is this what I think it is?”
Clover nodded excitedly. “I’m pregnant. Only seven weeks—but I asked Chandra about it on our first girls’ night, and she suggested that I opt for fizzy water instead of beer when I said I was late. I didn’t want to tell you until I was absolutely sure. Because this is a mature pregnancy, Chandra wants to monitor me closely and make sure everything’s okay. That’s why she did the ultrasound so early.”
“But everything is…okay?”
“It’s hard to tell, but we’ve passed all the tests she’s given us with flying colors so far.” Clover turned the picture so she could see it too and pointed at the little white dot in the middle. “And you’ve got to admit, she’s gorgeous.”
“She is.” The only thing that could make me look away from the picture was the beautiful woman who was standing beside me. The mother of my child. All that scar tissue that had held my heart together since she’d rejected me melted away. “Do you know for certain we’re having a girl?”
She shook her head. “No, but every time I picture her, she’s a girl.”
“Never thought I’d ever have a chance to be a dad.”
“You’ll be amazing.” She ran her fingers over the ribbons. “I’m so happy we get to do this together. We get to teach our little one magic. The right way. No more secrets. No more lies.”
“Can I kiss you now?”
“Abso-fuckin-lutely.” She shrieked as I somehow managed to lift her off the ground while our hands were still tied together. I spun her around, letting the sun catch the light on the crystals in her hair. She looked like a goddess. A queen.
My mate.
Our lips tangled together as I lowered her feet to the ground, but we were still spinning, the world orbiting around us as we said all the things that words couldn’t. The love between us poured hopes and dreams into the cracks of the pain and heartache from the last fifteen years. But it didn’t make them go away. Those scars, those mistakes would make us stronger.
I drew away from her, a completely different bear than I was the morning she’d walked into my office. I was a broken man who’d stopped dreaming. Now I realized I couldn’t have dared to dream big enough.
“Ready to go do this in front of the clan?” I asked her.
“So ready.” Her eyes widened. “I have to get the dress on. So you’ll still have a little surprise when I walk down the aisle.”
“I have a better idea.” Luck and superstition were the least of my concerns. My mate was pure magic. “I know you plan to have Anders walk you down the aisle and give you away, but let’s do this our way. I say we enter together, and the next time we see our friends and clan, it will be as a family.”
“I love it.” She went up on her tiptoes and kissed me again. “You’ll be an incredible alpha, and the most amazing mate I could ever ask for.”
