I wanted to honor that.
“Here.” I held out my left arm and pointed at the back of my wrist where a watch might sit, if I wore one.
It was the most obvious place I could carry it. Everyone would see it for the rest of my life.
Granny Wolfe stilled. Giles twisted the bulk of his huge body to the side to quirk his eyebrow at her.
“Yes,” she said. “This is good. This is good.”
Behind her, Jame grinned a little crookedly. He nodded, and I knew I had made the right choice.
“I’ll need you to move over a bit and put your hand on the arm rest.” Giles was all soft, easy-going, professional. “Ty, can I get some music in here?”
A shadow slipped away, then something between trap and country started playing over hidden speakers. A few Wolfes groaned softly, apparently not liking his musical tastes, but none of them left.
Jean took my other hand in hers, and started up a conversation with Giles and Jame and some of the other family members who settled on the floor to watch the event.
I heard them, but wasn’t really listening. There was something hypnotic about Giles’ motions. I couldn’t stop watching that needle trace a path against my skin, dip into the ink well, then trace over my skin again.
As Giles worked away at inking a black, stylized ocean wave that swirled and curved into the profile of a howling wolf, more Wolfes paced into the room, both in fur and skin.
Every line Giles inked made me a little more settled, a little more grounded. While the needle buzzed and buzzed, I felt each person in the family breathing, felt them tied closer to me, felt their emotions. Or at least the high points of what they were feeling. And the high points were satisfaction, happiness, pride.
They were proud to claim me. To keep me. To make me theirs in this way.
I was happy to carry their mark. Proud and humbled.
“That’s it.” Giles rubbed the cloth over the symbol one more time, then sat back and settled his gear. “Take one last look. I’m going to cover it.”
I blinked my eyes open. I’d been drifting. I shifted my arm to get a better look.
It was beautiful. An ocean wave coming out of the curve of a crescent moon, and in that wave, the wolf howling.
“It’s amazing. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said. “Welcome to the family.”
He spread goo on it and topped that with clear wrap.
I couldn’t take my eyes off it, couldn’t believe it was there.
“Delaney Reed.”
I glanced at Granny.
“This is settled between us, you understand?”
The awareness of all the Wolfe emotions faded, replaced by one strong thought:peace.
I nodded. “Yes. This is settled between us.”
As soon as those words were out of my mouth, the clan stirred, stood, and oh-so-casually found a way to touch my shoulder, my arm, my hand as they left the room.
I was a part of them in a way I’d never been before, and I was in a little bit of awe about that.
It wasn’t until Jame had escorted Jean, laughing, and me, drifting, out the door, that a prickling fear hit me. What if them claiming me and being a family at my back put them at risk?
I turned around to ask Jame how long this protection would last, and if there was any way out of it. Before I said anything he shook his head.
