Sawyer and I fell asleep pretzeled in each other’s arms, limbs intertwined, breathing steadily in sync. It was like no time had passed. The only thing amiss was that I’d dreamed of Astra—her sweet innocent face looking at me in shock.
‘Alpha? Aren’t you coming home?’
I tossed and turned all night, her words echoing in my head until I woke up damp with sweat.
“Would you like to take the semester off?” Sawyer asked, pulling me from my thoughts as he stepped out of the shower, steam filtering out through his back.
I shook my head. “No. I’m ready to go back.”
There was a knock on the door, and he wrapped the towel around his waist as water dripped down the V marks on his abs.
Good lord, this man was yummy.
I popped into the bathroom to brush my teeth, and when I came out there was a tray of breakfast on the bed. A single pink rose sat in a vase, and there was a white scroll tied to the rose with ribbon.
I looked up at him and he looked nervous. “Letter for you.”
I grinned, imagining him writing it while I was brushing my teeth. My heart pounded in my chest as I scanned the food for a wedding ring. He still hadn’t asked me. Would he do it like this? Intimate and low key?
My stomach flipped over with nerves as I peeled off the paper and read the note.
Move in with me? Yes or No.
A little pencil rolled out and there was a square check box for me to write my answer. A grin pulled at my lips.
I pretended to think, tapping my chin and he growled, which just caused me to grin wider.
“Woman,” he snarled, as laughter pealed out of me.
I checked yes and handed it back to him. He glanced down at the paper and sighed in obvious relief. “Oh good, because I already have Roland packing your things from your old dorm.”
I reached out and smacked his chest. “Confident much?”
His smile fell. “With you? Not really. I can’t even believe you’re still with me after all this.”
I stroked his cheek. “I mean you were love spelled. I have to give you some credit there.” I grabbed a bagel and started to spread the cream cheese.
“Finish breakfast quickly. I have a surprise for you.” Leaning over, he kissed my cheek and started to tap away on his tablet.
Hated surprises, but I nodded. Moving in with Sawyer?
No. Big. Deal.
I gulped. This was next level relationship stuff. I would miss Lexington Hall and seeing Sage all the time. Hopefully, she would still come over. I was too young to be some old married couple already who never went out.
After finishing breakfast, I changed into clothes that Sawyer had brought over for me and followed him outside. Sage and Walsh were leaning against the door of his apartment wearing their alpha security guard uniforms. Walsh and Sawyer bro hugged, and Sage slid next to me. “Did you say yes? To moving in?” She grinned as we all started to walk.
I nodded, causing her to smile. “But you better come over all the time.”
She pulled a silver key out of her pocket. “I have a key. I’ll be all up in your business.”
“Hey, that’s for emergencies,” Sawyer spoke over his shoulder to his cousin.
Sage nodded, saluting him. “Like when I have an emergency and can’t curl the back of my hair myself.”
We erupted into laugher and she slung her arm into mine. It was crazy to think that just a few days ago I was fighting for my life, broken, depressed, and now everything was back to normal. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop; it didn’t seem real. My gaze flicked to the black ankle bracelet on Sawyer’s leg and reality came crashing down. When would that shitstorm come calling?
Hopefully never, but I just didn’t think so.
We crossed through the main outdoor space, and I noticed that students were looking at Sawyer differently. With more respect, pride. Their future alpha’s ankle bracelet and kill record had clearly started a reputation. Off in the distance, dozens of guards roamed the perimeter, and Eugene stalked behind us a good twenty paces, hobbling on a cane. I was glad to see he’d made it and was doing okay. Wolf City seemed ready for an attack at any time…
Because of me? I didn’t want to ask that question.
When we reached the parking lot, Sawyer pushed a button on a key fob and a white Range Rover beeped, flashing its lights. Then he handed the fob to me casually. “Okay, I had this outfitted with bulletproof glass, fire shield, and biohazard air filters. If you get in a scary situation, you can literally just wait it out in the car until I can reach you and you’ll survive.” He pulled out his phone. “I have a GPS tracker on it and—”
I sputtered, holding my hands out. “Wait, what?”
He frowned, looking at me. “This is your car. I bought it for you.”
I swallowed hard. Bulletproof glass? Biohazard air filters? Were we expecting an anthrax attack or something?
“Sawyer… I don’t even have a driver’s license.”
His eyes widened. “Oh.” He looked to Walsh. “Can you set her up with private lessons with Eugene? Include that kidnapper course they made my mom take after I was taken.”
Kidnapper driving course. My eyebrows hit my hairline. He noticed the distress in my face and pulled me aside. “We’ll meet you in the car,” he told Walsh and Sage.
They nodded, walking away, and Sawyer wrapped me into his arms, hugging me, and then pulled back to look at me. “I know you didn’t really know what you were signing up for when you started dating me, but this is it. Bulletproof glass and special evasive driving techniques. It’s all necessary when you’re the alpha’s wife. Even more so when you’re a split shifter that everyone wants in their possession.” His last words were a growl.
I swallowed hard. Alpha’s wife. Even though he still hadn’t technically asked me. Maybe he wouldn’t? Maybe it was just assumed? I shook my head. “No it’s fine. I’m just… overwhelmed.”
He reached out with a warm hand and stroked my cheek with his knuckles. “We’ll get through it together.” He then plastered on a mischievous grin. “Now can we get to the surprise? I’m dying to show you.”
The car wasn’t the surprise? Nerves churned in my gut. Was he finally going to propose? Properly?
“Come on.” He yanked me forward, grinning like a fool. Whatever it was had him excited, and so I was going to be excited too. Jogging after him, I pulled at my t-shirt that read Sorry I’m late, I didn’t want to come. Maybe this was a bad choice for a possible proposal outfit? Why did I suck so bad at this? Meredith would have worn a minidress every day of the week until Sawyer proposed. I just didn’t have the energy, or desire.
We got into the car and Sawyer sped off down the road. I stared at the black leather, the fancy silver knobs, and inhaled the brand-new smell. He bought me a car. A brand-new car that could survive a zombie apocalypse. My gaze flicked to the rearview mirror to see Walsh and Sage right behind us.
“Any hints on my surprise?” I asked.
Sawyer grinned but said nothing. We left campus and turned away from downtown, heading for the suburbs.
I watched contentedly as the trees and buildings passed by, while Sawyer’s thumb stroked small circles on my thigh. It was weird to have been through everything and now jump right back into life like nothing happened. I looked at Sawyer and I could see the cool, calm, collectedness he always carried. It’s like we hadn’t both just nearly died and people weren’t chasing after me to “consume my essence.” As long as we were together, he seemed okay, and I was too. Just glad to be back in his arms.
“Is there something you want to talk about?” He looked over at me and I realized I was staring at him.
I swallowed. “It was just a rough few days. Feels surreal to be back and… I dunno, doing normal stuff.”
His lips pulled into a frown and he nodded. “Do you need to talk to someone about it? I mean, see someone? No shame—”
“No.” I waved him off. “Just… venting.”
His hand squeezed my thigh. “You can talk to me if you want. I mean, I know you told me the basics of what happened, but…” He trailed off.
I nodded, glad that he wasn’t a guy who was afraid of emotional depth. “The troll girl who helped me?” I said.
He nodded, pulling off the highway and onto a large street lined with trees.
“Her name was Marmal and she was a badass. She was… attacked by the vampires at a young age and her neighbor taught her to shoot a shotgun. So now she runs a farm by herself and the vampires don’t fuck with her.”
Sawyer grinned. “I like her already.”
I smiled. “And I want a shotgun now! And did you know the dark fey have high priestesses that can shoot black magic nets out of their mouths?”
He growled; it was more of a painful whine, and I quieted.
“I did,” he said. “And it kills me to not have been there with you, helping get you out of it.” His eyes flicked jealously to the rearview mirror for a millisecond.
I pointed to the ankle bracelet on his leg. “You couldn’t. I understand.”
His hand tightened on the steering wheel. “I’m going to make sure you’re never taken from me again.”
I reached out and stroked his hair as he turned into a nice community of what looked like brand-new houses. “That’s sweet, but I’m not sure it’s possible.”
He chuckled, dark and dry. “Fucking let them try again.” His voice could cut glass, and I knew better than to keep pushing it. His wolf was too close to the surface, and he wouldn’t see reason.
“We need to find out more about what I am and what I can do, why exactly people are after me,” I told him.
Every single muscle in his body clenched. “Power, Demi. They are after you for power. Fully trained, you are the strongest of all of them. They want that, they want to be drunk on that, so much so that they threw away a centuries-old peace accord in an effort to get a taste.”
Chills ran up my spine. “So the witches turned on us too?”
He nodded. “Most of them. They are breaking in two as we speak, just like the fey did so long ago. Some may side with us, but it doesn’t look good.”
I gulped. “If everyone is against us, how will we fight off an attack on our own?”
He sighed. “You let me worry about that, love. I want you to focus on today and this surprise I have for you.”
I took the hint. No one wanted a downer at a party or wherever we were going. I would table this talk. For now.
When we pulled up to a beautiful two-story home, I noticed a black matching Range Rover to mine sitting in the driveway. It looked brand new. The home was modern, white with black trim and luscious landscaping. The driveaway was cobblestone. This wasn’t your entry level neighborhood, it was deluxe.
Did he buy us a house?
Already? Away from town? Was that his car?
My mind spun as he stepped out of the car and opened my door, taking my hand in his. We stepped out onto the curb and he gave Sage and Walsh a nod as we passed. They remained in their car.
“Did I mention I hate surprises?” I told him as we stepped up to the walking path and through a cute garden trellis before standing at a black front door.
“You did.” He grinned and knocked twice.
Okay, if he’s knocking, it means he doesn’t have a key… so this probably isn’t our future hou—
All of the breath whooshed from my lungs when the door peeled back to reveal my mother.
“Demi!” Her voice held worry and relief as we crashed into each other at the same time. My mother wasn’t big on emotion usually. This time was different. I felt her body rack with a sob as we held on to each other tightly.
“We were so worried,” her muffled voice came into my shoulder.
I nodded. “I’m okay.”
Sawyer stood there patiently as we held each other, until we finally pulled back, wiping at our eyes. There was something softer about my mom since she’d revealed her big Paladin secret to me. Maybe the reason she was cold and full of rough edges was because she was harboring that secret this entire time.
“Hey, kiddo!” My dad’s voice came from deeper down the hall and I stepped into the house to greet him. He picked me up and spun me around while I laughed wildly. This was the best surprise ever.
It hit me then that I hadn’t introduced Sawyer to my parents yet!
When he set me down, I turned to Sawyer, who still stood in the doorway. I’d just ran into some random person’s house to hug my parents and poor Sawyer was waiting for an invite.
“Sorry, you guys, this is Sawyer,” I told my parents.
My dad stepped forward and shook his hand. “Of course. Good to see you again. Come on in, son.”
Son? Come on in? My dad said that like it was…
My mouth popped open as tears lined my eyes. “Wait… Is this your…?”
Sawyer placed an arm around my shoulders. “Your parents are now Werewolf City citizens again. This is their house, and you can see them anytime you like.”
I fucking ugly cried then. Like full on Kim Kardashian contorted face ugly cry. He got his dad to agree to letting my mom come back? He bought them a house? It was too much.
My mom and dad slipped out of the room to give us privacy and Sawyer pulled me into his chest, probably so he didn’t have to see my ugly, crying face.
“You did this?” I sobbed into his shoulder. “Why are you so perfect? Stop it. You’re making me look bad.” I sniffled.
He pulled me back and wiped the tears off my cheeks. “I told you, Wolf Girl, I intend to spend the rest of my life making things up to you.”
Swoon.
“So your dad just… let my parents come back?” I pressed him.
Sawyer shrugged. “He’s deferring to me since I’m in training to take over next year. He’s a stubborn man and won’t admit wrongdoing, but I know he feels bad about what he did to your mother, banishing her like that. I overheard him talking to my mom about it recently.”
He’d freaking better feel bad. I mean, seeing the woman you loved sleeping with your sworn enemy wasn’t ideal, but to banish her from the pack for life to live in the human world? Too harsh.
“And this house? I mean… how will they pay for—?”
“I bought it for them with part of my inheritance.” He smiled softly like it was no big deal. “I mean, it’s the least I can do for my future in laws.”
My throat clogged with emotion. “Future in laws? Are we engaged?” I asked finally. I was fully confused.
He winked. “Not yet. I haven’t asked you, remember?”
Bastard. So he was planning something… the very thought had excitement rolling through me. Pulling me down the hall, he led me into the kitchen, where the smell of my mother’s white chicken enchiladas hit my nose.
Yum.
The kitchen was amazing. White cabinets with white marble that had thin gray lines running across the length of a giant island, where my dad sat on a barstool eating chips and salsa. He watched my mom bend over and pull something out of the oven, totally checking out her ass.
“Hubba-hubba,” he murmured, and my mom burst into laughter, smacking him with a towel.
I grinned. After all these years they were still smitten with each other.
This was nicer than any home they’d ever known. And I knew my father, he was a proud man. There was no way he’d just taken this gift from Sawyer without a fight.
“This place is… amazing,” I said. “I’m so glad you guys will be close by.”
My dad nodded. “Well, it’s your house, kiddo. We are just renting it from you. Right, Sawyer?” My father looked at Sawyer, who cleared his throat nervously.
“Yes, sir. I bought it for you, Demi, after your father made it clear he wouldn’t take it.”
Ahh, that made more sense. And wow. A house and a car today…
“So, Demi…” Sawyer popped a chip into his mouth. “Congrats, you’re actually your parents’ landlord.”
A huge grin swept across my face. My father would never take such a generous gift for himself, but if Sawyer put the house in my name, he wouldn’t deny anything for his only daughter. It was smart, and I obviously would never sell it, letting them live here forever only a ten-minute drive away from me.
“Oh, I could have some fun with that,” I told them.
My dad grinned. “The neighbors are doctors and lawyers. What do you think they will think of me mowing my own lawn?” my dad asked in his usual joking manner.
I chortled. “Be sure to wear those ratty grass-stained jeans you have.”
Everyone laughed, and we all slipped into an easy banter.
My dad was a jokester, and Sawyer was quickly keying into their personalities. After we sat down to eat, Sawyer took one bite of the enchiladas and groaned. “Holy smokes, these are amazing.”
My mom smiled. “Thank you, Sawyer, and thank you for putting a good word in at Werewolf Elementary. I’m going to love teaching third grade.”
My father nodded. “And thanks for getting me the construction job.”
“You’re very welcome,” Sawyer told them, cheeks going pink.
He got them jobs too!
My ovaries nearly exploded.
Wow, I was only gone three or four days. My man had been busy.
‘Sawyer… that was incredibly sweet,’ I sent through our bond.
He smiled over at me. ‘I tried to tell them they didn’t need to work. I could set them up with a monthly stipend, but they weren’t having it.’
No way. My parents were hardworking people. My dad couldn’t sit still. It was a miracle he was still sitting for dinner and not trying to clean up the mess my mom made while cooking.
‘They’ll be happier this way,’ I told him.
He nodded, and then looked at my father, who had just stood to collect plates. “I’ll help you clean up, sir. Then I wanted to show you the control panel in the garage for the solar panel system.”
My father nodded and started to stack plates on his arm as Sawyer got our glasses.
“Come on, I want to show you the pool.” My mom stood and rubbed her belly. For as long as I could remember it had been this way. Mom cooked, dad cleaned. I was raised in an equal household and I was happy to see doing a dish or two wouldn’t kill Sawyer. He’d probably never done dishes in his life.
I linked arms with my mom as she pulled me through the hallway.
“Is Raven safe?” I asked suddenly. I hadn’t gotten around to getting a new phone, but I wanted to check in with her.
My mom nodded. “She’s safer at Delphi. The witches are having their own civil war right now, so Sawyer had her taken back to Spokane where she can lay low.”
I sighed. Poor Raven. What must it have been like for her to be in the Witch Lands finally and be waiting for me with my mom, when she was pulled back out again?
My mom opened the large glass double doors and my mouth popped open at the lush backyard. It wasn’t huge, but it was a well-done space. To the right were empty cedar beds for gardening, and to the left was a stunning rectangular swimming pool. In the center was a small, trimmed strip of grass with various trees and bushes all around it.
“Honey, Sawyer told us what you are…” my mother whispered, catching me off guard. “A split shifter.”
I froze, unable to say anything, and she carried on.
“I mean, he had to. I threatened to kill him multiple times.” She laughed nervously.
Wow, I would have paid to see that. I wished I had been the one to tell them, but I understood that with my disappearance they would have been asking a lot of questions, namely why the heck the vampires wanted me in the first place.
“That’s a good man there.” My mom gestured to the house. “He was so patient with your father and me and he fought so hard looking for you.”
My throat squeezed. “He’s pretty perfect… now if only he would actually propose to me…”
My mom grinned. “Oh, honey, I’m not even sure this house has solar panels.”
I frowned, taken off guard by her random comment about the house after I’d just confessed I was waiting to be proposed to. “Wait, what?”
My mom spun me around and tipped my chin up to the roof, sans solar panels. “I don’t think Sawyer wants to take your dad into the garage to talk about solar panels.”
Oh.
Ohhhh.
A huge grin swept across my face. “You think… he’s asking dad for permission?”
She nodded.
I did a totally lame involuntary squeal and my mom laughed, looking younger and less worn-out than she did in the human world. Coming back to Werewolf City had brightened her. The bad days were behind her and my father. All because of Sawyer.
“Honey, back to the split shifter thing…” My mom smoothed the top of my hair and forced me to face her. I was hoping she didn’t want to get into it; it would probably turn into a big crying fest. I mean, my soul split in half because I was raped; it wasn’t a pretty topic.
“Only Paladins can transform into split shifters. Run grew up with one. A woman who was trapped in a house fire. Her wolf split and dragged her human out half dead. He talked about her to me often.”
Oh lord. Chills ran up my arms at the news that there might be another like me. “You think she’s still there? With the Paladins?”
My mom shrugged. “I mean, I don’t see why not. She would be a bit older than me by now. Anyway, I just wanted you to know… in case you needed to find someone else to talk to.”
Something brightened in my chest. If this other split shifter had lived this entire time without the vampires or anyone coming for her, then maybe I would be okay too. Maybe she had a secret to keeping her smell under wraps or something.
I leaned forward and took my mom into a big hug. “Thanks, Mom.”
She sighed, her chest shaking as she held me. “Your entire job as a parent is to keep your children safe at the very least.” Her voice broke. “First when you were fifteen and now… your father and I went crazy when Sawyer told us the vampires had taken you.”
She pulled back and there was a fierceness in her eyes, a warrior I’d never seen before. “If it happens again, your father and I will go to the ends of the Magic City looking for you and we will leave a trail of bodies in our wake, you understand me?”
My eyes widened. “Mom!”
She nodded. “That’s right. I’m not some weak schoolteacher nice old lady. Those blood suckers better watch out.”
I burst into crying laughter, the manic kind where you didn’t really know whether you wanted to cry or laugh and so you did both. “I love you,” I told her. It was sweet, but with her cuffs she couldn’t even shift—
My mouth opened in shock as my gaze went to her wrists.
“MOM! They took off your cuffs!” My voice was colored with shock, but not near as much shock as I felt. How had I just sat through an entire dinner without realizing she was cuffless? Free!
She grinned like a schoolgirl, nodding as tears shone in her eyes. “Just this morning. Sawyer had a hard time finding a witch powerful enough to work on it, one that hasn’t gone against us.”
I chewed my bottom lip. Was the entirety of Magic City against us now, over me? Because that was awkward as hell.
“Your father and I took a run in wolf form together this morning.” She grinned. “Happy to report I’m still faster than him.”
“I tripped!” my father called from the open doorway and I spun to see he and Sawyer making their way out into the garden. My gaze flashed to Sawyer’s pockets, checking for the bulge of a ring box.
Nothing.
“Get the solar worked out?” my mom asked, her tone completely light and nonchalant, but we both watched Sawyer’s face for a reaction.
My dad nodded. “It’s such a fancy system, you can’t even see the panels.” He pointed to the roof. “They’re built into the roof shingles!”
My face fell and my mom shot me a gaze that said, I’m sorry.
Damn.
“Ready to head back now, Demi, or would you like to spend some more time with your parents? I can come get you later, but I’ve got a few meetings to attend to,” Sawyer said.
“I’ll head back. I want to get settled in for classes tomorrow and catch up on what I missed.” I gave my mom and dad big hugs, and was surprised when my mom pulled Sawyer into a hug too. After shaking hands with my dad, Sawyer led us outside, where Walsh was leaning against the front of his car. Sage was standing in front of ours looking down the street like she expected an attack at any moment.
As we approached, she gave me a small smile and then looked at her cousin. “Did you get the text about the small breach in the south wall?”
Sawyer nodded. “It’s been taken care of. Group of dark fey.”
The dark fey were trying to break into the south wall of Werewolf City? I gulped.
Maybe getting engaged wasn’t the biggest priority right now…
