Tamsyn
Her first kiss as a married woman was magical.
It was full of promise and passion, a silent vow adding weight to the ones already spoken, and she was floating on the sensation. She vaguely heard cheering and whooping, but all she cared about was her husband’s skilled mouth making love to hers in a very possessive manner.
Her husband .
Once, those two words would have rendered her comatose with fear. They were a threat, a different kind of promise; a shackle around her neck, hobbles around her ankles, and a knife pressed to her heart.
Merrick might never know how deeply his love marked her. Truthfully, she didn’t think she’d ever be able to find the words to express how he’d not only saved her from the community, but liberated her from herself. Her old, brainwashed self.
Who she was now was a testament to his influence on her and, in her opinion, she was possibly the best version of herself she could be right now. There was room for growth, for her confidence and self-esteem to expand, and she knew without a doubt that he would be with her every step of the way.
“I really wish I had the strength to pick you up and carry you to the nearest bed, darlin’, but gonna have to ask for a rain check.” Merrick kissed his way along her jaw to suck on her earlobe. “Maybe we should’ve waited until we could consummate the marriage.”
She wasn’t entirely sure what consummate meant, but at a guess, it was probably something to do with sex. As nice as that would be, the day was already taking its toll on Merrick—he was trying his best to hide it, but his control was slipping.
“No. This was everything I could have asked for, Merrick.” She sent a beseeching glance in Elias’s direction, silently asking for help when she felt Merrick sway. “It’s exactly how it’s meant to be; you and me, with the people we care for most. The rest can wait.”
Evander moved forward, kicking a chair into position behind Merrick before subtly forcing him to sit down. “Time for a break, old man. Violet put a hell of a lot of effort into the reception, so try not to pass out.”
“Less of the old,” Merrick groused, shifting uncomfortably. “Your husband has a decade on me, don’t forget.”
“Maturing like a fine scotch. By the time he’s sixty, he’ll be giving you a run for the sexiest silver fox award.” Giving him a nudge with his elbow, Evander reached into his pocket. “Look, I have something for you both. It’s not much, more of a placeholder until you make arrangements for your own, but we thought Tamsyn in particular would like a physical symbol of your union.”
Elias took his place beside his husband. “Don’t feel obligated to accept them.”
The little black box on Evander’s palm was innocent enough until he flipped open the lid. Inside, nestled into a bed of purple velvet, two gold rings caught the dying rays of sunlight and shone like the one in that movie trilogy Merrick loved.
The more masculine band was thick and etched with a jigsaw puzzle pattern. Around the edge, there was a missing piece.
The same pattern was cut into the smaller ring, only the missing piece from the man’s band jutted out like a diamond. It didn’t take an idiot to realize the two rings would interlock, and the statement they made.
You’re my missing piece .
They were lovely, but she didn’t know how to take them without feeling beholden. When she looked at Merrick for guidance, he just tipped his chin, leaving the decision to her.
“If you like them, they’re yours, Tamsyn.” Elias plucked the feminine ring from the velvet and offered it. “No strings attached. Consider them a gift if that makes you happy—a welcome to the family gift.”
It wasn’t enough that she had a husband, she’d inherited his family too? That hadn’t occurred to her before, yet it was so obvious now. These people weren’t just her friends, were they? They were the ones Merrick chose to live and work with, who shared his passion and his secrets, who—while not related by blood—were very much his familial unit.
Tears stung her eyes as she realized, yes, they were hers too now.
Tentatively, she reached out and took the ring, stroking a fingertip over the gleaming band. The metal was warm and somehow, too precious for the likes of her. It belonged on a beautiful finger—
“Let me see.” Merrick plucked it from her trembling grasp, a tired smile tugging at his mouth. He was exhausted, the lines around his eyes stark. “I couldn’t have chosen better myself.” Taking her left hand, he slid the gold ring over her third finger. “Perfect fit. It’s a keeper, guys. Thank you.”
“Merk,” she whispered forlornly. “I can’t… I’m not…”
He just kissed her ring, then her knuckles. “You can wear it, little owl, and you are worthy of it. It’s beautiful, but it doesn’t compare to you. Nothing can.” He nipped her knuckles in reprimand when she snorted under her breath. “Listen to your husband.”
Warmth shimmered through her. She loved how those two simple syllables wrapped her up in safety and blanketed her in happiness. “Yes, sir. Listening intently, Master Husband.”
“Brat.” Merrick lifted his own left hand. “Turn around is fair play, Tamsyn. Why don’t you see if our benevolent fairy godfathers here got my size right too?”
She stared at the ring on her finger, wondering how he felt about seeing it there. How would she feel when the matching band was in place on his hand, the jigsaw piece declaring them as two halves of one whole?
Carefully, Tamsyn took the heavier ring from the box, rubbing her thumb over the etching. It was definitely more substantial, a grounding weight for him to wear, but of all the men she knew, there was no doubt Merrick was up to the task of bearing it.
It slid over his finger to the first knuckle, then the second. His poor hands were still a little banged up and bruised thanks to the beating he’d given her father, so she took her time easing the gold circle over his joint.
When it was finally seated where it belonged, something clicked inside her. With a shaky exhale, she bent and kissed the ring like he had, then clutched his hand to her chest.
They were married. Husband and wife.
She was his in her entirety, and he was hers in all his masculine glory.
Finally, finally , she belonged.
“Two for two,” Merrick told the two Doms, a hint of amusement in the slow words.
“Did you doubt us, brother?” Evander snapped the box shut and returned it to his pocket. His concerned gaze roamed over Merrick, then flicked to Tamsyn. “Both of you have had a long day. Ready to go inside and let everyone fawn over you for a while?”
He meant Merrick more than her, but she picked up the clues quickly. It was time to settle her husband somewhere comfortable and let him catch his breath again. The fact he hadn’t passed out yet was a testament to his inner strength, but he didn’t need pushing to that extreme.
Swallowing hard, she nodded. “Would you mind helping him inside, Master Evander? I think I’d just like a minute to… I’d just like a minute,” she repeated firmly.
“Of course, sweetheart. Want me to ask Callie to wait for you?”
“No, it’s okay.” She didn’t know what she was going to do with her minute; all she was sure of was that she needed it. “I’ll be right behind you.”
On impulse, she stepped forward as Callie’s husbands moved in unison to get Merrick on his feet. The hug she gave each of them was brief—a quick, tight squeeze of her arms and a press of her cheek to their hearts—but long enough for her to sense their initial shock and then their pleased acceptance of her gift.
She watched them cradle her wounded hero between them, almost carrying him toward the glass house, as Callie hurried along beside them, chattering a mile a minute.
When the clearing was empty, she turned back to the picturesque view and stalked her way to the edge, stopping with her sneakers inches from the unforgiving drop. The sun was sinking slowly behind the horizon, bringing shadows to life across the valley and a chill to the air.
Only a few weeks ago, her life had been unfairly balanced on a razor’s edge. The ending to her story would have been her cold, lifeless body being thrown over a cliff not dissimilar to this, crashing into the forgotten abyss to rot with so many who’d come before her.
Now her future was wide open, with Merrick as her certainty.
“This is a lesson in faith, little owl. Faith in yourself, faith in me.”
She’d learned that lesson well, she thought, breathing in deep. There would be others to learn, she was sure, but she’d been brave, she’d found the courage to love and trust, to put her faith in the one man who deserved it.
Turning away from the edge, she hurried toward the house, toward her husband.
Wasn’t she just the luckiest woman in the world?
The End