I pick up her left hand and squeeze it gently. “Leticia Alexandra, will you marry me?”
“Yes.” She nods, a soft smile lighting up her features even through the bruising.
I cup her chin and gently kiss her with as much love, commitment, and what I hope feels like a promise to keep her safe. If a kiss could talk, then this one should tell her how much I love and cherish her.
When we part, her eyes are a little glossy, and she wraps her good arm around me, holding the one in the cast and sling between us. I want to squeeze her tight but refrain to protect her from any more injury.
“Royal,” Dad says from the door by the garage, “are we leaving or not?”
“Ian, so fucking help me, shut up,” Mom snaps. “They just got engaged.”
That doesn’t end the moment, but Leticia and I break out in a laugh. Somehow, each of us finds it funny.
“What do you mean engaged?” Dad says over our ruckus. “He already married them.”
“It doesn’t count. There were no witnesses.” Mom scoffs, but excitement laces her voice. “We can actually plan a wedding this time. The pack will be thrilled.”
Leticia’s eyes go wide.
I lean forward and whisper in her ear, “It’ll be fine. I promise. We can talk all about it when I come home. Love you, gorgeous.”
“Love you too.” She pecks my cheek, and I force myself to move away from her.
My wolf drags his feet, trying like hell to hold me back. But this is the price I have to pay to keep her. I’ll fulfill that promise.
55
LETICIA
ASTROPHYSICS TO A CAT
“He’ll be just fine.”Betty looks over at me from the kitchen. She leans a hip against the counter and crosses her arms in front of her chest. “He’s the baby of the family, but I raised him right. He’s strong enough to protect himself.”
“Well, I wasn’t worried about that until just this second.” I look at the door Royal left through.
“Come, sit, walk me through this recipe.” Betty nods to a chair pushed into the kitchen island.
I sit and talk through a recipe for chicken and dumplings as she cooks. It feels good to at least kind of help, but I keep wanting to get off the chair and just join in.It’ll be a long five weeks.
“Tell me, what kind of wedding were you thinking about?” Betty smiles coyly at me.
“Well, I hadn’t really been thinking?” I smile back, trying to appease her. “My mom and her sisters were planning my wedding to Steffano, and we found a dress they really liked on me but...”
“But the wedding wasn’t about you, it was about them?” She glances at me, stirring the pot to keep it from boiling.
“Very much not about me.” I absentmindedly flip the page of the recipe book.
“Well, as much as I’d like to say this one will be all about you and Royal, it won’t be entirely. The pack will want to celebrate. On the first full moon after your wedding ceremony, there will be a biggathering and a pack run. But they’ll be respectful of your wishes.” She dips a clean spoon in the pot and hands it to me over the counter.
I blow on it before tasting it. The flavors are a little muted, but it’s delicious. I hand her back the spoon. “Could use more of everything, but on the right track.”
“You’ve got a real knack for this.” Betty sets the spoon aside and starts seasoning.
“Thank you.” I flip the page in the cookbook back to the recipe. “What’s it like being a wolf?”
“Oh, considering becoming one of us?” Betty steps back from the stove to grab some spices.
“Not really? I don’t know. Royal and I didn’t talk about it a lot other than how...” My cheeks are turning pink, and I feel the heat as it runs down my neck.
