“They’re my most cherished possession,” I told him, and looked up to see him grinning, dimple and chin butt on full display.
“Second gift now.” He cleared his throat, suddenly looking nervous. He met Sage’s gaze and she nodded, walking to the other side of the room with Walsh to give us privacy.
My stomach churned with excitement, ripping off the wrapping paper. I pulled away the lid of the box.
When my eyes fell on the pair of metal cuffs, my heart sank into my stomach.
“No.” Not again. He wouldn’t…
Panic seized me, and Sawyer grasped the sides of my face lightly. “This isn’t what you think. Well, it is, but these are cuffs you can take on and off at will. No magic or fey blade needed, and they do not shock you. They only shut off your magic and hide your scent.”
I released the breath I’d been holding. “How?” I stroked the cuff, inhaling and smelling the magic on them.
“I commissioned them months ago, before the witches turned on us. Now if you want to hide your powers, you can, and if you need your wolf, you just slip them off. Like jewelry.”
They were metal inside, but black leather outside with braided detailing, fashionable.
Tears filled my eyes. The gift was so thoughtful. After everything we’d been through together, and everything I’d been through… he gave me a choice, a choice in my life and how I wanted to live it.
“Thank you.” A tear slipped down my cheek.
“Stop crying! Make-up,” Sage piped up from the corner of the room and I laughed.
Sawyer leaned down to brush his lips against mine. “I just want you to be safe on your own terms.”
I growled, throatily. “That’s the sexiest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
He then moved to my ear. “Tonight I’m going to rip this five thousand dollar dress off of you before we even reach the kitchen,” he whispered.
A warmth pulsed inside of me as a smirk pulled at my lips. “Promise?” I whispered back, and he moaned, low and seductive.
“Parents incoming,” Sage warned, and we both broke apart smiling. The doors opened and my mom and dad entered wearing the loveliest clothes I’d ever seen them in.
“Holy crap.” My jaw unhinged at the sight of my mother in a deep blue dress, and then my father in a black suit and blue tie.
My mom did a full spin and my dad catcall-whistled her.
I gave them a hug, and we’d made small talk for a few moments when Sawyer’s dad and mom entered the room. True to his word, the alpha had delivered thousands of pounds of dry food and extra blankets to the meeting space I told him about, and Astra was on hand with Arrow and a bunch of others to receive the shipment. Sawyer texted me a picture to show me while I was getting my hair done. They’d loaded the stuff into wheelbarrows and carts pulled by donkeys, while some just carried huge sacks of rice on their backs.
Curt cleared his throat, and the intensity of the moment my mom and him would see each other was palpable. Sawyer’s mom had a tight smile, clearly uncomfortable while his dad was just completely void of emotion, his face a blank slate.
“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Calloway, glad to have you here,” Curt said and shook my father’s hand. He might have included my mother in that greeting, but didn’t even look at her. I knew now that it was because it would hurt too much,notthat he was being rude.
“Thank you, sir. Glad to be here and very happy for the children.” My dad looked at Sawyer with his arm wrapped around me.
Sawyer’s mom came over and gave us each a cheek kiss, stopping to admire my hair. “It’s a miracle,” she said with a wink and I grinned. I was starting to get used to their personalities. Sawyer’s mom cared about appearances and things looking pretty and I could respect that. She was also a bit of a joker.
“Thank you for inviting me, Curt.” My mom’s voice was small, apologetic.
Me.Not us. She was, in her own way, trying to make amends.
He finally looked at her then, and my heart broke when I saw the regret in his eyes. He didn’t say anything, he just cleared his throat and nodded once.
“Shall we?” He gestured to the small door that led to the open ballroom beyond. We nodded, slipping our arms into the crook of our dates’ elbows.
My poor mom. Poor Curt. Hopefully, time would heal the wounds between them. Eugene spoke into his cufflink with some CIA type move and opened the door.
The roar of the crowd was deafening, and pulled me from my thoughts about my mom and Curt. I could hear the party guests before I saw them, which made nerves shoot up my spine. How many were there? Would they all be staring at me? Could any of them smell the Paladin on me? Maybe I should have slid on the cuffs rather than leave them in the box back there in the room.
