"Havok!" she shrieks. "Oh lovey, you are perfect!" Kiss. "I love you so much!" Kiss, kiss. "So fucking much!" Kiss, kiss, kiss. "And I cannot wait to design a house big enough to hold all the babies I'm going to give you. A home, a real one that is ours alone!"
Cora continues to cover me in kisses as I resume walking, an undoubtedly goofy grin on my face as I cup her delicious ass and attempt to kiss her back.
"We need at least four bedrooms, maybe more, totally depends on how many babies we have and if what I read is true, we are going to have a lot." Kiss, kiss. "And you have to have a studio, somewhere you can draw and sketch, maybe start painting the way you always wanted." Kiss. "And we have to have a library! We absolutely need a place for our books, one with lots of room to add more, and a fireplace we can read in front of!" Kiss, kiss. "Can we have fireplaces everywhere? Judging by how cool fall is I'd imagine winter can get cold, so they're functional but also cozy and definitely a great place for us to sprawl out or make love in front of."
I chuckle as my light continues. "Cora, my love, you can have whatever you want. I don't care where we live or what we call home so long as we're together."
She plants a hard kiss on my lips, bites the lower one then smiles. "You don't have any requests? Nothing at all?"
"Just one." I smile and look into those electric blue eyes. "My only request is that we have space for a piano. I have missed your music almost as much as I've missed the rest of you, and short of the sounds of our lovemaking or our young terrorizing the house, I want it to be filled with nothing but your music."
Those eyes gleam with unshed tears as the most radiant smile breaks out across her beautiful face. "I love you, Havok."
"And I, you, my beautiful blue light." With one more sweet kiss I set her on her feet just as we reach the edge of the valley, Cora's hand once again in mine.
My hand that she almost breaks with the force of her grip as everyone shouts, "Surprise!"
We both go stock still for entirely different reasons and I hold my breath, don't turn, and watch my love from the corner of my eye.
Several emotions pass over her beautiful face.
Shock.
Confusion.
Understanding.
Only mild frustration.
Then her eyes go wide as she takes in the scene.
There are several large tables set up in the shape of a horseshoe, the opening pointed toward the stream that runs through the valley. Jack, Kady's husband and the biggest Grizzly shifter I have ever seen, is happily manning the grill, piling various types of meat onto platters next to an enormous spread of sides and desserts. Kady and Mary Caldwell are setting out the profiteroles, along with gods know what else while several of the other shifter females arrange massive amounts of delphiniums on each table. The Caldwell pups and Josh's cubs, as well as the other young, run circles around everyone and chase the ridiculous amounts of rainbow colored balloons. Harold and Will, the lion shifter twins and Ashland's fire and police chief, help Hank setup kegs while Colt apparently plays bartender. It seems everyone has come out to celebrate my love and though it warms my heart that Cora has already had such an impact on those around her, I fear the attention and fuss will irritate if not anger her.
I chance another look at my mate, her eyes bouncing from the beautiful—and out of season—flowers, the multi-colored table cloths, and the balloons and streamers before they land on the banner.
Happy First Birthday, Cora! Twenty-Seven and Counting!
Yes, I fear today may be my last day on Earth.
"Havok..." my angel whispers. "What the hell is all this?"
I take a deep breath and discreetly cover my junk. "A party."
Her grip tightens on my fingers, one of them popping. "A party for—"
"Teera!"
Oh, thank the gods in heaven.
Andrej makes his way to us, a very excited Daisy in his arms, and when he's no more than a foot away, he sets her on her tiny feet, steadies her, then crouches behind her.
"Give Auntie her present," he whispers to his young just before she grips his index fingers and takes a few jerky steps with her chubby legs.
Cora's whole face softens, the hold on my hand disappears and my angel immediately drops to her knees next to me in Daisy's path.
She holds out her arms as the young toddles forward, flexes her fingers and smiles so hard I'm almost positive I dodged a bullet. "Show me what you got, Daisy Mae."
Daisy grins at my mate, hesitantly lets go of Andrej's fingers, wobbles a bit before taking a few tentative steps toward her. Cora's smile grows, her sapphire eyes sparkling in the sun's setting rays and when Daisy finally walks close enough, my angel lets her fall into her arms on the most adorable squeal of delight.
