“At the Mexican restaurant,” I murmured, surprised he remembered my exact words from months ago.
“I told you I have a great memory.” He smirked. “Especially when it comes to you. I knew you would miss them. And as soon as it’s safe, I’ll take you to see them in person.” He ran his hand down my cheek, cupping it. “I promise.”
I lifted on my tiptoes, and he leaned down, kissing me. When I thought he would pull away, he surprised me by scooping me into his arms.
“Where are we going?” I asked as if I didn’t know.
“There’s something I want to show you in the bedroom.”
He spent the rest of that day showing me all manner of things.
CHAPTER25
Reese
“Oh, how I love this night,” Ms. Elsie said, nearly bouncing on her toes. We stood in the middle of the kitchen, and as usual, a number of people bustled around us. There was an excited energy in the air, one I couldn’t help but be swept up in.
That night was the night of the full moon. But not like any other full moon. It was the night of a supermoon, and for many of the pack’s pups, it would be their first shift ever. It was a memorable evening that happened three to four times a year. As the alpha of the pack, Chael had an essential role in ushering in the pack’s newest shifters. And as his mate, I assumed that meant there were expectations of me. Except Chael kept telling me all he wanted from me was to show up.
But that didn’t feel like enough.
Glancing out of the kitchen window, I could see the glow of the sun disappearing behind the mountains. Dusk would soon turn to dawn and that was when the real frenzy of the night would begin.
“Is there anything you need me to do?” I asked Ms. Elsie and one of the other women who were at the stove, cooking.
Before either one of them could answer, strong hands wrapped around my waist from behind. Chael’s warmth enveloped me, blanketing me in those fuzzy feelings that took over my body anytime he was in the same room as me, or any time I thought about him, and especially any time he touched me.
He nuzzled his nose into the crook of my neck. I shuddered, my eyes drooping.
“You don’t have to do anything but be here tonight.” He pressed a kiss to the side of my neck.
A sigh fell from my lips. “You keep saying that, but surely there’s something I can do,” I insisted, spinning out of his arms to face him.
His face dropped as he frowned. A look I’d become used to whenever I stepped out of his embrace before he was ready to let me go. My gaze fell to the floor, still a little uneasy by the depth of emotion I saw in his eyes when he looked at me. In his gaze, I saw the promise of forever. And that felt a little too overwhelming to comprehend.
Chael tilted my face up to his by my chin. He brought our lips to touch before pulling back.
“After the Supermoon Ceremony, I want to take you somewhere special. Just you and me,” he whispered in my ear, though by the grins and looks I caught from a few of the other women, I imagined they heard us.
“Where?” I asked.
He released that ridiculously sexy smile, and the butterflies in my belly took off. I rolled my eyes because I knew that look meant he wouldn’t tell me anything until he was good and ready.
“Alpha Queen, Alpha Queen!” I felt a tug at the hem of my shirt and peered down to find young, five-year-old Antonio staring at me with stars in his eyes.
Chael grunted when I stepped away from him to squat in front of Antonio.
I cut my gaze his way to find him wearing a frown, but the twinkle in his eyes remained. “What’s up, little man?” I asked Antonio.
“My big brother shifts for the first time tonight.” He bounced on his toes but then quickly stopped. “Do you think it will hurt? My mama and papa said it does at first.”
I glanced at Chael and then back to Antonio. “It might hurt a little, but your big brother’s so strong, it won’t even faze him, I bet.” I knew Antonio’s brother Marco, who, at nine years old, was the typical rough and tough little boy. “Remember when he scraped his knee last week and barely stopped playing to get a Band-Aid?”
Antonio nodded. “Yeah, but he healed really fast.”
“Right.” I nodded. “I bet his first shift will be like that. He won’t even remember how uncomfortable it was in the beginning.”
Antonio seemed to consider this before his eyes sparkled again, and he nodded.
