Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
The ride down the mountain took much longer than Eddie would have liked.
Every twist and patch of black ice kept her laser focused.
She had to keep her mate safe. Her bear prowled beneath her skin the entire time.
She, too, was anxious to get Liana home.
She was restless and watchful yet still angry about the feral wolf who had hunted her down.
She hadn’t caught wind of the wolf ever since that night.
Even with Liana next to her in the vehicle, warm and enticing, Eddie couldn’t shake the primal urgency that hummed within her.
Protect. Provide. Cherish.
All of those qualities ran through her veins now at the thought of the claiming mark they had put on Liana. Her mark would forever be a symbolism of Eddie’s claim on Liana. Everyone would know that Liana belonged to Eddie.
When the town came into view, small and quiet under the melting snow, something eased inside her.
This was her town. Her territory. Liana would be safe here.
Liana’s fingers were laced with hers. Liana’s thumb brushed along Eddie’s knuckles unconsciously as she stared out the window at the scenery. Eddie’s chest swelled at the thought that she had her mate with her.
They turned down the long gravel road that would lead to her—their—home. A wide house with a wraparound porch sat tucked near towering pines. It was magnificent place that she’d had built a few years ago. When she had built it, she’d had always imagined a mate to share it with her.
Now that was today.
Eddie’s breath seized. Awe filled her that Liana would be sharing this home with her. Sleeping in her bed, cooking in the kitchen, and lounging on the couch. The image that came to her mind filled her with immense pleasure.
Her bear rumbled her approval.
But the moment they got closer to the house, she saw them.
A small greeting party. Selen, Nick, and Abe.
Three broad-shouldered silhouettes against the snow. They were waiting for her. Her beta and two of the enforcers.
“Of course they are here.” Eddie blew out a deep breath.
“Do you normally have a welcoming crew to greet you when you come home?” Liana asked. She tilted her head and studied them.
“My clan can be as protective of me as I am of them.” Eddie chuckled. She guided the truck up to the house and parked in front of the garage.
“Should I be nervous?” Liana asked.
“Never,” Eddie replied immediately. She would never have to worry. The three bears waiting on them would protect Liana with their lives if need be. As the mate of the alpha, Liana would always feel safe. “You are my mate. An extension of me. You’ll be respected here.”
“Even though I’m not a bear?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Eddie reached up and caressed her cheek.
Her bears were patiently waiting for them to get out of the truck. The moment she killed the engine, Selen made her way to them with Nick and Abe behind her.
Eddie opened the door and stepped out of the vehicle.
Immediately, the three of them dipped their heads in submission.
The shift in the air was automatic. A ripple of dominance Eddie didn’t consciously summon.
Her bear rose in her chest, proud and fierce that they defended this territory and would now get to introduce their mate to some of her closest people.
Selen straightened and stood with her hair behind her back. The beta had been by Eddie’s side since she’d taken over their clan. There was a curiosity in her gaze, but she held back.
“Welcome home, Alpha,” Selen said. “I trust your vacation was restful.”
“In a way.” Eddie smirked. She would have to put Selen out of her misery soon and share her adventures on the mountain.
And it was certainly an adventure.
Nick and Abe offered their greetings as well. Their gazes drifted to the truck and landed on Liana. Eddie reined in her bear who wanted to roar to warn them off their woman, but she knew she wouldn’t need to. Soon they would sense that Liana was claimed.
Eddie moved around the truck to open Liana’s door herself. The second Liana stepped out, her scent lifted in the cold air, and Eddie’s bear pressed hard on her chest. Her beast wanted to be let out. She was territorial, possessive, ready to defend her against the world.
All eyes were on Liana. Eddie led her around the vehicle.
“Everyone,” Eddie began. Pride swelled hard in her chest as she brought Liana to her side. “This is Liana English. My mate. Liana, this is my beta, Selen, and two of my finest enforcers, Nick and Abe.”
Gasps went around. Selen broke out in a wide smile and gave an accepting nod to Liana.
Selen, who had recently mated, had been through hell and high water when it came to her partner.
She’d faced an alpha bear from another clan in order to claim Rose.
It had been an arrangement to join two clans to share resources.
Selen had handled everything, and now she was a happily mated woman.
“Congratulations and welcome, Liana. My mate, Rose, will be thrilled to know that the alpha has finally found her mate,” Selen said. She folded her arms across her chest.
Rose was a wonderful member of their clan. Her local apothecary shop had been a welcomed addition to their town.
“Welcome, Liana,” Nick said.
“Yes, welcome. I’m sure you will love it here.” Abe offered a smile to Liana.
Eddie pushed down a growl from her bear. Her animal didn’t like the fact that two unmated bears were so close to her female. Nick and Abe were two of her most loyal bears. They would never betray her. They even kept a respectable distance from Liana. A newly mated bear was a dangerous one.
“It’s so nice to meet you all.” Liana gave them a small wave. She slipped her arm around Eddie’s waist and leaned into her.
Eddie dropped an arm around Liana’s shoulders to hold her close. It pleased her to have Liana showing a little possessiveness of her own, even if she didn’t realize she did it.
“Terri called me this morning. She said her friend who she had reported missing had finally contacted her.” Selen gave a nod in Liana’s direction.
“She had called earlier this week when you hadn’t shown.
She was worried sick about you. We attempted to search, but in this storm, it was too dangerous. ”
“Thank you. I really appreciate it. That was a nasty storm, but luckily enough, someone found me and kept me safe.” Liana turned her eyes to Eddie with a wide grin. “I have to call her and my sister back. I pinky swore with both of them.”
“You can once you’re settled,” Eddie said firmly. She gave Liana’s shoulder a squeeze before she turned back to Selen. She wanted Liana to herself a little while longer before the entire clan met her. “I’m sure you have updates for me. Let’s meet later tonight after I get Liana comfortable.”
“Yes, of course. There’s not much to share, but we do need to discuss a few things. All of it can wait.” Selen motioned for the enforcers to follow her to the oversized SUV that awaited them.
They waited until Selen and the enforcers were driving down the gravel road before Eddie turned to Liana.
“Come, mate. Let me take you inside,” she said.
They walked up the stairs to the porch and stopped on the top step. Liana was silent and had an unreadable expression.
“Are you okay?” Eddie asked.
“That was interesting,” she said. Her eyes widened as if she realized what she’d said. “In a good way. I knew you were the alpha of your clan, but seeing them waiting for us just made it seem all the more real.”
Eddie cupped her face in her hands. Her thumbs caressed Liana’s soft skin. She offered a smile to Liana before she pressed a kiss to her lips.
“You just don’t know what you are in for. When my entire clan finds out I’m mated, there will be tons of people who are going to want to meet you and get to know you, but have no worries. They will all be kind, respectful, but most of all—excited.”
“Excited?” Liana laughed.
“Yes, they were practically demanding that I get mated. When I returned from my little vacation, I was going to reach out to other clans and do what Selen did,” she admitted. She would have settled for a mating of convenience for the good of her clan.
But now she wouldn’t have to. Fate had delivered her mate to her.
She led Liana toward the front door. The porch creaked underneath their feet.
The house smelled like cedar, warm wood, and the faint remnants of safe incense she’d burned before she’d left for her mountain retreat.
When Eddie opened the door and Liana stepped inside, it suddenly felt more like home than it had ever had before.
Liana took everything in. The vaulted ceiling, the stone fireplace, the worn leather couch that Eddie loved so much.
“This is nice,” Liana gasped. She walked into the living room and turned around.
Seeing her in the home did something to Eddie.
“Anything you want to change, we can,” Eddie said. She wanted to ensure that Liana felt that this was her home, too.
“Change? Why would I change anything?” Liana spun around and stared at Eddie.
She walked across the room and stood in front of Liana. Her eyes were wide.
“I want to make sure this feels like your home, too.” She reached out and cupped Liana’s cheek. She lowered her forehead to hers. “You are my mate. My partner. My heart. I want you to feel comfortable. Put your stamp on our home.”
Liana blinked. Her breath caught as she studied Eddie. Her throat moved, but no words came out.
But three certain words rose from Eddie. She didn’t hold back. She wanted to make sure that Liana knew exactly what she felt for her.
“I love you, Liana.”
Silence settled around them. Liana’s breath shuddered out of her, and tears filled her eyes.
“Eddie…”
But Eddie wasn’t going to stop with your just those words.
“I’ve loved you from the moment I first pulled you from that car.
When you screamed for me after falling into the creek.
When you tried to talk me into letting you go with me to get your things from the car.
The point I’m making is that I have been falling for you since the moment I sensed there was someone in trouble who needed my help. ”
That was the honest truth. Her bear had known. Fate had known she’d deposited Eddie’s mate for her to find.
A tear slid down Liana’s cheek. Eddie gently brushed it away.
She hadn’t meant to make her cry. She bit her lip, for once unsure of what to expect.
She was an alpha, a bear who was in control of an entire clan.
A woman who was strong, determined, fierce, and had fought to preserve her position in her clan, and now, here she was, unsure if the woman in front of her loved her.
“I love you, too,” Liana whispered. Her voice trembled. “I love you so much it scares me. Here I was, thinking that all of this happened so fast—”
“Because it was mean to be,” Eddie interrupted. “There is no need for you to fear anything when it comes to me and you.”
Liana melted into her. She slid her hands up Eddie’s back and gripped her tight. They stood there for a long moment. Eddie leaned back slightly so she could look at her.
“The clan will want to meet you soon. As much as I want to delay it, I won’t be able to. Once word it out that you are here, we will need to hold a meet and greet. I’m sure the council will arrange it.”
“I can handle it. Especially if it is your clan,” Liana said.
“Our clan,” Eddie corrected her. She wore Eddie’s claiming mark, and that signified she was a member of the clan as well. Eddie pressed a kiss to Liana’s forehead. “Are you sure you don’t mind moving your life here? This will be a big change from Denver.”
“This is where you are and where I need to be.”
The words wrapped around Eddie like a warm hug. She scooped Liana into her arms and carried her deeper into the house.
“Welcome home, my love,” Eddie whispered.
Liana’s arms draped around her neck as she held on. From the moment she’d met Liana, she’d wanted to do this.
“I’m going to assume we are about to consummate our mating in our home?” Liana whispered. She nuzzled Eddie’s neck while sprinkling hot little kisses along it.
Eddie inhaled and sped up her pace. Her mate somehow always knew what she was thinking.