Still, he couldn’t help but notice how drab and boring his home was compared to the vibrancy of Nelly’s cottage. Recalling what she’d said about how her colors made her feel more likeher,he added, “I want this house to feel like home to you, Nelly, even if we never live in it full time. So let’s get some paint and whatever else you need to make that happen.”
Nelly’s fingers tightened around her mug. She drew it close to her chest as she stared up at him, her lower lip tucked between her teeth like she was trying to keep something in. Her eyes, whisky brown in the firelight, went glassy.
When she finally spoke, her voice was a hoarse whisper. “Any color I want?”
Clark grinned. His mate was so damn easy to please it almost felt criminal. “The brighter the better, but yeah, any color.”
“What about furniture?”
“I can make you whatever you want,” he offered, “but my mom knows all the good furniture swap meets and whatnot in the area. You want to go hunting for some treasures we can fix up together?”
Becausethatwas what he’d learned about his mate. She didn’t just want him to do things forher in the same way that he never expected her to do things for him. She wanted him to do thingswithher; to make memories with him and feel the comfort of his presence. It wasn’t a huge leap to think she might enjoy doing something like haggling for old furniture with some old orcish grannies so they could fix it up together by the fire or while listening to music in the workshop.
What she valued most was making memories with him. Never had he felt so valued, so loved as when his witch simply wanted tobewith him.
Nelly lifted her head off of his shoulder to take a long, noisy sip of her cocoa. She wiggled against him, burrowing closer, and declared, “This is the bestMoon I’ve ever had in my life.”
“No argument here.” Clark dropped his head to press a kiss to her flannel-covered shoulder. “Though maybe next year we can skip the risky hikes through the snow.”
“I don’t know. I think Burden would appreciate such an incredible display of devotion to one’s mate.”
He huffed a laugh. “Somehow I doubt he’d lethismate get away with—”
A light, quick flurry of knocks on the front door interrupted him. “Clark Wilson and Nelly Ortega, you’d better open up the door this instant or I’m gonna do something unspeakable!”
He and Nelly turned their heads as one towards the door. “Sue?”
“That’s definitely Sue,” he confirmed. “Did you tell her you were here?”
Nelly shook her head. “No. I just sent her a happy Moonset text this morning. I was going to tell her about us when I saw her for our next movie night.”
More knocks echoed off of the stone walls. “Clark, I don’t care that it’s a holiday. Open up!”
“You know, she used to be a lot less bossy when she was a kid.” He let out a deep groan and reluctantly pulled away from his comfortable lounging position behind his mate. Rising to his feet, he held out his hand. “You wanna face her now or deal with it later, sugar?”
“Well, she already knows I’m here, so I’m not gonna be a weenie and hide out.” Her smooth palm slid into his. Even though they’d spent a week touching constantly, he still got chills every time she intentionally pressed her hands against his skin. Every time it felt like another claim. Another show of absolute trust.
Gently hoisting her to her fuzzy sock-clad feet, he spared a second to give her a peck on the lips. She tasted like chocolate and the unique sweetness ofher.“So very brave of you.”
“Uh-huh. Because Sue’s so scary.”
“She’s a Rione. They’re all scary,” he countered, vividly recalling the days when he used to babysit little Sue. She was the sweetest thing you’d ever meet, but even she had her moments. He was fairly certain he still had a scar from a time when she refused to leave the barn for supper and in an act of toddler defiance,bithim.
Nelly patted his chest sympathetically. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from the big bad Sue.”
His lips twitched into an involuntary smile. “Sounds good to me. How about you open the door then?”
“Sure thing, cowboy.” Smoothing her palms down the front of his borrowed flannel, which fell well past her knees, Nelly padded across the living room to ascend the short steps that led to the front door.
He followed close behind her, more amused than annoyed at the intrusion. That amusement only grew when Nelly fearlessly pulled open the door. A gust of frigid winter air made the hem of his shirt flutter around her legs.
Suhana stood on the other side, covered head to toe in thick winter clothing, her hand raised as if she intended to knock on the door again, but this time with considerably more vigor. For a suspended moment, her face was set in lines of pure determination.
And then the surprise set in.
Suhana’s pale green face went blank, then slackened, before it finally settled on a look of shockingly fierce triumph. Stomping her boots on the snow dusted stoop in a jaunty little dance, she crowed, “Iknewthis would happen! I knew it!”
Nelly rolled her eyes. “Happy Moonset, Sue. But saying,I think Clark’s obsessed with youonce over pizza doesn’t count as knowing he’s my mate.”
