His eyes widen slightly, understanding dawning. “This is why you went to Tiberius and the other males I saw you with.”
“It started with the ornament you threw out. I never wanted you to forget Marla. But I didn’t want to be her replacement either.”
He takes my face in his hands. “You could never be anyone’s replacement, Angel. You’re my everything.” His kiss takes away any doubts I had.
“She was a friend, nothing more,” he repeats.
“I know,” I say, because I do, down to my soul. This shifterwouldn’t lie to me, even if he knew how. “Because she had meaning in your life, I don’t want you to forget her. That’s when I realized you weren’t the only shifter hurting. There would be others who lost family and friends in defense of this pack.”
“The kids decided to call the ornaments Guardian Angels,” I explain as other shifters gather by the tree, pointing at and touching select ornaments. “Here they stand watching over us in perpetuity, never to be forgotten.”
“Angel, I have a confession to make,” Garrett says, his fingers moving on to trace the names of other fallen shifters.
My wolf sits up, a little wary, but I stroke her. We’re home here. Nothing Garrett could say will change that. After all, he is our home.
Garrett motions to Petra, a sweet seven-year-old who bounces over with a huge smile on her face, her hands behind her back.
“Now?” she asks Garrett.
He nods.
She swings her hands in front of her, holding a carved wooden ornament, in the shape of Idaho, with a crescent moon over where my pack used to be, and the wordsCrooked Elcin gold glitter.
“I didn’t spell it out for her,” Garrett says.
“Oh, it’s perfect!” I hug Petra first, then throw my arms around Garrett.
“It was a joint effort, right, Petra?” he asks.
“I picked out the glitter, Lina. Can I go play now?”
“Certainly, darlin’.”
She races off to join the game of freeze tag over by the food tables.
I hold the ornament up, watching the glitter sparkle in the glow of the bonfires.
Garrett’s hand rests on my lower back as I gaze at the ornament. “I enlisted Petra’s help because I have no artistic talent.”
It’s hard to talk right now, because of the tears I’m fighting tohold in and the lump in my throat. Garrett seems to understand, because he keeps talking, giving me the chance to collect my thoughts.
“About a week ago, just after Mila diagnosed you, I went to Sadie Lynn. Figured she might know what you were up to. Not that I wanted to pry, mind you, but I was worried about you, Angel. Anyway, Sadie Lynn didn’t want to say anything at first, until I begged her.”
Begged?
“Not my finest moment, but I was really worried about you. I guess she saw that, or maybe she just didn’t want me getting in your way. Either way, she told me what you were up to. I can’t even begin to tell you how humbled and proud I felt, Angel. That you’d try to heal my packmates after everything you suffered. That’s when it occurred to me, you’d lost more than any of us. Your entire pack. Everyone you loved, should be remembered, too.”
I press my lips against his and whisper, “Thank you. For making me a part of your pack.”
“Our pack, my love.”
“Is it okay if I change my mind about blood-bonding?”
His entire body freezes, and I realize my error. “Oh, God, no, Garrett. Not if, I meanwhen. We could blood-bond here, with all the pack, those who are here, and those… those Guardian Angels who watch over us.” I point to the ornaments.
He lifts me up and twirls me. “She said yes,” he shouts at the top of his lungs. My Angel agreed to blood-bond me!”
Cheers erupt around the camp.
