Chapter 9
Thanks to help from a few of the quads, all Noelle’s and Mire’s belongings had been taken to their new home while he treated her to breakfast in the commissary. They sat with Rhys, Merri, and their son, RJ; Arian, Charli, and their two children, Hope and Arjan; and Sullivan and Kerri, who was three months’ pregnant with their first child. The mates all chatted while the males talked about how things had changed so drastically for half of the sleigh team in just a few years.
“The others are hopeful things will move forward for them, too,” Arian said. “Jack thinks that next year will be his year.”
“Roi, Declan, and Vaughn told me the same thing,” Sullivan said with a chuckle. “Everyone wants to find his fated mate and start a family. And they should because it’s amazing.”
“It sure is,” Noelle said. “And so is this french toast.”
Kerri, who was head of the commissary, smiled. “Thanks. I’ve been experimenting with different types of bread.”
“It’s delicious.”
When their meal was over and they’d said goodbye to their friends, Mire helped Noelle on with her coat. “Are you ready to see our new place?”
“Definitely. I do like the room, though.”
“It’s small.”
“Cozy,” she corrected. “Just right for two. Or, it would be fine if it had a bathroom.”
“Agreed.”
They left the warmth of the commissary and walked to their home. “So no vehicles up here?” she asked, snuggling into her coat.
“No. Sorry. We walk everywhere.”
“Or shift into something warm and fuzzy and don’t mind the cold. Speaking of shifting, when can I see you become a fox and an owl?”
“How about tomorrow? We can go for a walk, and I’ll shift for you.”
“That would be cool.”
“I think you like my bear best, though?” he asked.
Her father had given her a stuffed polar bear for Christmas, which she’d happily named Lollipop. She was looking forward to her’s and Mire’s children someday playing with all the stuffed animals that her dad had given to her over the years. “Well, it’s not fair to say that when I haven’t seen your fox and owl, but polar bears are my favorite of all animals. You said the bear is your favorite. What do you like about your other shifts?”
“I like flying as the owl, and the fox is fast. Without the reindeer, I wouldn’t be able to help pull the sleigh. But the bear is still my favorite, and he always has been.”
She stopped at the bottom step that led up to their porch. They’d seen the inside of the house when they were first told about its availability, and they’d picked furniture from a storage barn in NPC, but they hadn’t been back inside after that first visit. They wanted to be surprised when it was ready.
“I thought I’d miss television, or work, or my friends, but I feel like I gained so much by coming here,” she said. “Thanks for kidnapping me.”
He snorted. He loved her sense of humor. “You’re welcome. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
“Maybe later,” she said, waggling her brows. “Let’s go inside.”
“Hold on, sweetheart,” he said, swinging her up into his arms.
She squealed out a laugh and wrapped her arms around his neck. “What are you doing?”
“Being romantic by carrying you over the threshold.”
“Aw, I’m so lucky.”
“I’m the lucky one, Noelle.”
“We’ll call it a tie.”
He carried her into the house, kicking shut the front door, and kissing her. “Let’s skip the tour and go tour the bedroom first.”
She laughed. “I love the idea, but I really want to see the house first. Then we’ll tour the bedroom twice.”
“Twice?”
“At least.”
He set her down, and they removed their jackets and hung them on a coat hook by the door. The family room boasted a white brick fireplace, and a fire crackled in the hearth. Lit candles were set on the coffee and end tables, highlighting the couch, and matching love seat, and the fake fur rug that had been arranged in front of the fire.
“The furniture is perfect,” she said. “The quads lit the candles?”
“I asked them to. I didn’t want to walk into a dark house.”
After checking out the kitchen, they walked down the hall and looked into the two spare bedrooms, the guest bathroom, and then they reached the door of the master bedroom. His heart hammered in his chest, and he picked her up again, opened the door, and carried her inside.
“I could get used to you carrying me everywhere,” she said with a laugh.
Then she gasped as she saw the room. Lit candles had been set on every flat surface, and a trail of red rose petals made a path to the bed, and the comforter was covered with them.
“Oh,” she whispered. “It looks amazing.”
He set her on the bed and dropped to one knee, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the ring he’d had a metal craftsmen make for her. The ring was made of a highly polished white gold set with a round, rose quartz stone in the center.
“Noelle, when I first saw a picture of you in your dad’s room, I felt connected to you in a way I couldn’t explain. And then you opened your apartment door, and I knew why I felt that way; because you’re my fated mate. You’re beautiful, smart, and sweet, and my life is better because you’re in it. Will you marry me?”
Her hands covered her mouth, and her eyes shined with unshed tears. She lowered her hands and held out her left one. She trembled and her voice wavered as she said, “Yes.”
He pushed the ring onto her finger and stood, drawing her to her feet. “I love you, Noelle.”
“I love you, too.”
He kissed her, his beasts clamoring in happiness. She was already theirs, and they were already hers, but this was an important tradition of her people, and he wanted to honor it.
He brushed the tears from her cheeks. “I asked your dad for your hand. He said yes, by the way.”
She laughed. “Well, that’s good.”
“I thought so.”
He sat down on the bed and pulled her next to him. She looked at the ring. “It’s so pretty. I love it.”
“It’s rose quartz. It’s called the love stone, and it’s supposed to bring good luck in marriage.”
“Can we really get married up here?”
He nodded. “SC will officiate for us, whenever we’re ready. We could figure something out if you’d like to get married down in the states so your friends can come.”
She looked thoughtful. “I’d really like to have the ceremony by the lake. It’s so pretty there. But we might freeze to death.”
“We can just bundle up and move indoors for the reception.”
“I like that idea.” She looked at him, and he swore she purred, her eyes glittering with interest and the sweet scent of her arousal spiking the air. She leaped at him, pushing him back to the bed. She straddled him, planting her hands on either side of his head. “Are you mine, Mire?”
“Yes,” he said roughly, pushing up her top and feeling the softness of her skin.
“I’m yours.”
“I know.”
She brushed her lips over his. “I’ve got a great idea.”
“Does it involve me finding out how many times you can scream my name?”
“Oh yeah. We need to celebrate our engagement and our new house. We have a lot of rooms to christen.”
He grinned and rolled them, rising above her with a happy growl. “I love how you think.”
After they’d christened the bed, twice, and then moved to the family room, laughing and loving the day away, he marveled how much he loved the differences in his life. He wasn’t alone anymore; he had his mate by his side. He wasn’t wondering what his future would hold; he knew that he and Noelle could face anything together. Every morning he woke up with her sweet scent in his nose and her warm body pressed against his, and he thanked his lucky stars for the twist of fate that had occurred when her dad had been hurt. He had his fated mate, and she was currently snuggled in his arms in front of the fireplace, stroking his arms.
“Heaven,” he murmured.
“Hmm?”
“You and me, all tangled up in front of the fire, is heaven.”
“It sure is.”
He kissed her forehead. “You’re the half of myself I didn’t know was missing. Love you, sweetheart. My heaven on earth.”
“I love you, too, my sweet polar bear.”