“We really don’t have the money,” I repeated.
“Oh, and check out the deck!” He dragged me through the sliding glass doors out onto a patio with lounge chairs laid out. There was the perfect view of a pond, its water reflecting the sunlight. There were ducks paddling and swans floating, their necks entwined as they floated lazily on the surface.
Oh my God, he really went wild with this place.
“Imagine sitting out here at night, watching as the sun dips below the horizon. Our kids playing on the deck or laying out and watching the stars with us.” He laced our fingers. “Mase, I really want this for us, more than I think I’ve ever wanted anything except for you. Please, at least think about it.”
“But the money….”
He squeezed my hand, and at last he let out a sigh. “Okay, there’s a story about that too. My dad spoke with John. Our family is going to be investing in the town, creating fifty new apartment complexes with rent control, a factory with goodpaying jobs to draw people in, and all the empty storefronts will be leased out so we’ll have a variety of shops people can peruse. Plus there’ll be a visitor’s bureau to attract traffic to the town and, hopefully, find people who’d like to settle here.”
I gaped at him. “And Johnagreedto this?”
“We… We had to show him what we are, so we could explain that we needed their help to keep us safe too. Not surprisingly, he agreed right away, but said that I needed to take a bigger part in running the town, so he appointed me deputy mayor.”
“Hewhat?”
I was surprised my legs still held me upright.
Kip shrugged. “It’s mostly a figurehead title, but with the money Dad is investing, there’ll be paychecks for all of us who’ve been shorted. You and me will have about thirty-five thousand backpay coming in, and then my new role will pay about eighty thousand dollars a year. So we have money. They’re just fronting us enough to have a home.” He stroked my cheek, his touch gentle. “A place our family will feel safe.”
Sothat’swhat this is about.
I’d told him weeks ago that even it was rebuilt, I couldn’t go back to the other house. Kip had replied that he understood, and didn’t blame me at all. He’d then explained his plan about the pack donating land so we could build our own place.
I just never expected something this beautiful.
Kip was staring at me. He was waiting for an answer.
I beamed. “I wouldloveto raise a family with you, here in our gorgeous home.”
His smile was luminous.
“Tonight we ditch the condoms.” He smirked. “Or we blow them up for balloons when we announce we’re having a baby.”
I grimaced. “Yeah,youcan do that part. That rubber taste is nasty.”
He pulled me in and surrounded me with his warm body, leaning in to kiss my neck.
“I love you so much,” he whispered, his breath ghosting over my ear.
I would never doubt Kip’s love, or my place in his life.
Now that all the crap was finally behind us, I was ready to be his submissive fully, but not to give up the strength and independence I’d gained along the way—the things Kip had helped me to find, which I embraced wholeheartedly.
I was home.
“We’re going to leave now,” Mom called from the front door. She chuckled. “Not that either of you will notice.” The others laughed.
“Come for lunch this Sunday?” I yelled.
“It’s a date,” Tony hollered. Then the door shut, and we were alone on the deck.
Kip’s eyes glittered. “I wanna try something.”
“Oh?”
He held his arms out and his body shimmered as he took on his dragon knight form. I still couldn’t believe what I was seeing, especially when the wings unfurled, reaching toward the sky.
