I laugh gruffly. “Are there other skeletons in your closet I should know about?”
“No.”
“Then I don’t see Caleb having an issue with you, Jude. And even if he did, I’m not giving you up.” He shrugs. “But he won’t. Caleb wants his pack happy and nobody is happier than a wolf who’s found his mate.”
“You sure I’m who you want, Liam?” His voice wobbles. “Maybe you feel trapped by the mate bond. Maybe I’m not who you’d have picked.”
I study him, considering his question seriously. “I don’t feel trapped. I feel happy. Of course, I have no idea if you’re who I’d have picked without the mate bond because all I know is I can’t live without you.” I tap my chest. “You’re in here. That isn’t a choice. I don’t see the point of thinking about what might have been because you’re my mate. Period. And I love you and I want you and I’m fucking happy I get to have you, Jude.”
His cheeks are pink by the time I stop talking. Under the table, his hand finds mine again and he gives me a teary smile. “You’re a romantic son-of-a-bitch, Liam.”
I shrug. “Yeah, but I’m your romantic son-of-a- bitch.”
He sighs, looking relieved and way happier. “I think you might be the best damn thing that ever happened to me, Liam.”
I give him a cocky grin. “Well,duh.”
Chapter Nineteen
Jude
Saturday night, when we arrive at the Christmas bonfire, the bonfire is already burning. It’s a towering column of flame that throws sparks into the black sky and paints the surrounding pines in shades of amber and gold. Gathered around the fire are dozens of wolves, and my wolf stirs restlessly as I eye the group from my seat in Liam’s truck. I don’t want to be nervous, but I can’t seem to help it.
The clearing sits on pack land about a mile north of town, a wide flat meadow bordered by forest on three sides and a rocky creek on the fourth. Trucks and SUVs line the dirt road leading in, and the smell of hickory smoke fills the night air. I assume the hickory scent is coming from the enormous smoker positioned at one side of the festivities, and my mouth waters at the scent of roasting meat.
Liam cuts the engine and looks at me. “You okay?”
“Yep.” My voice is steady even if my pulse isn’t.
He reaches over and squeezes my hand. “This is going to be fine.”
I nod, but my stomach is in knots. I’ve never really belonged to a pack. Not since I was a child have I stood in a gathering like this and had a right to be there. Tonight, Liam is presenting me as his mate, and while Caleb has already given his blessing over the phone, the reality of walking into a crowd of wolves who have known each other for generations and saying I’m one of them now makes my throat tight.
We get out of the truck and I shiver at the cold night. Long folding tables are set up near the smoker, loaded with food. A stocky man with a handlebar mustache tends the smoker with the focus of a surgeon. Kids chase each other around the perimeter of the fire, their laughter bright against the crackle and pop of burning wood. String lights are woven through the lower branches of the pines closest to the clearing, giving the whole scene a warm, festive glow.
There must be sixty or seventy people here. I recognize Connor Walsh standing near the food tables, beer in hand, laughing at something his wife Dana said. Their kids are among the ones sprinting around the fire. Evan and Caleb are standing near the tree line, drinking beer and talking. Caleb gives a friendly wave and Evan allows a little nod. He’s not warm, but not hostile. Just an acknowledgment that I exist, which from Evan feels like a hug.
Nora spots Liam and she cuts through the crowd. Her dark curly hair is loose tonight, and her cheeks are flushed from the fire. She’s got a cup of something steaming in her hand and a wide smile on her face.
“You actually came,” she says, pulling Liam into a hug. When she steps back, her eyes move to me and her smile flickers a little. She knows about us. The news has clearly made its way through the pack.
“Hey, Jude,” she says warmly, squeezing my arm. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Thanks.” Even though I don’t really know her, it’s nice to see a familiar face.
She looks back at Liam and says quietly, “I’m sorry about Kara. But I’m happy for you.” She glances at me again, andthere’s something genuine in her expression. “Both of you. The bond is a gift.”
Liam puts his hand on the small of my back and the touch steadies me. “Thanks, Nora,” he says. “That means a lot.”
“Be sure to get some food, you two. Pete smoked enough meat for the entire town.” She pats Liam’s arm and heads back toward the food tables, and I exhale a breath I didn’t know I was holding.
“One down,” Liam murmurs, his mouth close to my ear. “About forty million to go.”
“May they all be as pleasant as Nora.”
We make our way into the gathering. Liam keeps his hand on my back, and there’s a possessiveness that comforts me. Some people do double takes when they see us. A few exchange glances. One older woman stares openly, but her companion elbows her and whispers something that makes her look away. Same-sex bonds aren’t uncommon among wolves. The bond chooses who it chooses, and the pack respects that. But because Liam always only dated women, it’s creating more of a sensation.
Most people are welcoming. A guy named Ray who works at the lumberyard shakes my hand and invites us to sit at his table with his family. A young couple I don’t know congratulates us shyly. Connor surprises me with a bear hug that nearly cracks my ribs.
