“What’s this for?” I murmur, holding onto him.
His fingers tangle in my hair. He buries his face in my neck, and he just holds me for several seconds without saying a word.
“I just want to hug you. Do I need another reason?”
I tighten my arms around him and let the scent of him invade me, calm me. He feels like home on a rainy day, like a fire when I’m cold, secret recipe hot chocolate when I’m sad.
He spins us around, and I laugh when we fall down in the sand. He gets up and runs at Sebastian, then at Katsu.
We play, racing after each as the afternoon light warms us. And it’s fun and like nothing I have done in a long time.
Katsu goes and gets us chips and drinks, and we sit on the beach as the sun sets.
“We’re going to stay,” Fox says suddenly.
I whip my head around, staring at him in shock. “What?”
“We’re going to relocate to Sunshine Cove. This is your home. We would never ask you to leave, so we’re going to pack up, and we’re going to move into that house with the nest you love so much, and we’ll live here,” Katsu explains.
Sebastian laughs softly. I look from Katsu to him to Fox.
“You…what?” The words don’t make any sense.
Katsu laughs and pops a chip into my open mouth. Seeing him playful is something that never really grows old.
“We’re going to come and live with you.”
I know I shouldn’t be happy, and there are things, but they are moving here. To Sunshine Cove to be with us.
“Really?”
“Really, really.”
I grab another chip and lean against him. He puts his arm around me.
“It’s all going to be okay; you’ll see. Everything is going to work out.”
And I believe him. I shouldn’t, but I do.
The sunset is a glorious streak of pink and red against the light grey clouds, and then it fades, and dark takes over. The temperature lowers until Katsu stands up and hoists me up with him.
“Let’s get you home.”
“Home?”
“Home is wherever you are,” Fox purrs as he walks past.
I don’t think it’s possible to be this happy, and though I know a storm is coming, right now, I think maybe we can weather it.
At least I hope we can.
Until I have to tell them everything, then I’m not sure what will happen, but maybe our foundations will be strong enough.
Chapter 25
Cordelia
Mum kidnaps me as soon as I’ve finished with Gale. I barely have a chance to wave goodbye to my alphas before I’m frogmarched down to Main Street.
