Chapter 11
Seneca had been running on pure adrenaline and excitement for the last few hours. He’d meticulously planned the evening ahead for him and Sunny, and by the time the last patron had left the park Monday night and the big gate was closed, he couldn’t wait to get to it.
After working the lunch shift at the burger stall, they’d spent a few hours working in the commercial kitchen to clean out and organize the walk-in freezer.
He normally hated the tedious task, but working beside her gave him a chance to get to know her even more.
Conversation came naturally between them as they worked side by side, sharing stories of their lives and hopes for the future.
It made him even more determined to make the night ahead spectacular.
He’d left periodically to tend to the plans for the night, leaving her with Trina and Rory whenever he had to step away. And then, when they’d been walking to the underground living area, she asked what their plans were for dinner because she was starving.
“I ate a lot of pickles today,” she said.
“Um, why?”
“Because I love pickles and they were out. Rory made a charcuterie board and put pickles on it, and every time I ate some of them, she’d put more out!”
He laughed. “So you ate pickles all day and not any real food?”
“I ate the parts of a whole meal—cheese, meat, and crackers.”
“And pickles.”
“Ugh, yeah.” She made a face. “I don’t think I want to talk about pickles anymore.”
“Don’t worry, I promise not to bring them up again. But as far as dinner goes, I’ve got a date planned for us.”
“Oh? Should I wear something fancy? Or is it casual?”
He opened the door to the house. “I think you always look pretty, but it’s casual and we’re not leaving the park.”
“I’m intrigued.”
“I aim to please.”
They cleaned up and changed, both opting for jeans and shirts, hers a casual long-sleeved one in soft gray. As she unwound her hair from the long braid and brushed it, he was mesmerized by the pretty waves in her blond tresses.
“Did I tell you how beautiful you are today?” he asked.
“You might have mentioned it a time or two. But a girl never gets tired of hearing it.”
“Well, you’re beautiful and I’m one lucky bear.”
She put her brush in the bathroom drawer and grinned. “I’m lucky too.”
They left the house and headed topside, where he left her by the tables and went into the kitchen to grab the picnic basket he’d prepared.
He hooked it under his arm and returned to her, offering her his other arm.
“A picnic?” She eyed the basket.
“Yep.”
“Where?”
“You’ll see.”
They walked out of the cafeteria and into the park, heading toward the safari. They passed security team members on patrol, but the park was empty except for the shifters who were still working.
The park was peaceful and quiet after the noise of the day had ended with the last patron exiting.
He guided her past the security building and down the path of the tour.
They passed the norm paddock and eventually stopped in front of one of the empty paddocks.
He knelt and pushed a small shrub aside and a keypad illuminated.
He entered a code and the gate to the paddock unlocked.
He pushed it open and walked with her inside, closing it behind them.
The sun was nearly completely set, so he turned on his phone’s flashlight to light the way to a small bonfire that was flickering near the maintenance shed where his people normally shifted before they hung out in their animal forms for the safari tours.
He’d enlisted Tarquin and his dad’s help to set up the perfect picnic area, from the small bonfire in a cast iron fire pit to the inflated mattress underneath a thick blanket for them to sit on, to the laptop he’d loaded with rom-coms, Sunny’s favorite type of movie.
“Oh wow,” she said. “This looks amazing.”
His bear chuffed in happiness.
“Have a seat, sweetheart.”
He knelt next to her and set the basket to the side, opening the lid.
He pulled out the food he’d prepared: mini meat and cheese sliders, pasta salad, and hand-cut potato chips.
He set plates in front of them and served the food, then said, “I’ve got fruit salad and cheesecake for dessert, plus this.
” He took a bottle of chilled strawberry soda and twisted off the lid, filling their glasses.
“You’re so sweet to put this together for our date,” she said.
“I just want you to know how much I care about you, and how happy you make me.”
She tilted her glass toward him. “You make me happy too.”
He encouraged her to pick a romcom and they watched it while they ate. When the credits rolled, he closed the lid and added a log to the fire pit to make the flames brighter.
He turned to face her. “I’ve got something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“What’s on your mind?”
“This weekend, I want us to mate fully. I want to mark you as mine and then you’ll be part of the sleuth officially.”
“I’d love that.” She smiled at him, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out the piece of his family history that he’d been saving just for a moment like this.
Between his finger and thumb was his mother’s wedding band, which had belonged to her mother before her. When she died, his dad had given him the ring and told him that his mom had always wanted him to give it to his future mate. He’d had the ring tucked away in a drawer since then.
He glanced up at the stars.
He was very sure she was watching, smiling down on the scene.
“I don’t know how it feels like I’ve known you forever, Sunny, since we just met a few days ago.
Maybe because we’re soulmates and everything is just easier when you know you’re with the person who’s meant to be yours.
You’ve got my heart and I hope that I have yours.
Because I’m in love with you, and I feel like I have been since the moment our eyes met.
Will you marry me, Sunny? Will you be not only my mate but my wife? ”
Her gaze slipped to the ring and she stared at it for a long moment in silence, and then she let out a trembling breath and whispered, “Yes!” He slipped the ring onto her finger and hugged her. “Oh, I love you too, Seneca.”
He leaned back and kissed her, then pressed his forehead to hers.
He gently drew her hand into the light of the firepit so she could see the ring and told her about its history.
The gold band was etched with bear paw prints and had an emerald-cut amber stone, in honor of the color of a bear’s eyes when they shifted.
“I know she’d be so happy to see you wearing this ring.”
“I wish I could have met her.”
His heart ached a little, the sort of ache that came from a life taken too soon and a childhood filled with loss. “I wish you could have too. And that I could have met your parents.”
“My dad would have jokingly given you a hard time, I’m sure,” she said with a laugh as she brushed at the tears on her cheeks.
“It would have been an honor to get to ask him for your hand in marriage.”
She leaned into him, and he held her in the firelight and looked up at the stars again. This time, he was certain that her parents were watching them too, right alongside his mom.
“I love the ring,” she said, tilting her head to his for a kiss. “And I love you.”
“I got us the weekend off for our mating,” he said. “We can stay in one of the apartments so we can have lots of privacy. Since I’ll be rocking your world nonstop the whole time.”
“I love that,” she said. “I can’t wait.”
They decided to enjoy the warm evening and watched another rom-com, finishing off the fruit salad and cheesecake before cleaning up and heading down to the house.
It had been one of the best nights he’d had with Sunny, culminating in the truth that they both loved each other and were ready to take the next steps in their relationship.
He’d wondered if asking her to marry him before they were mated was a mistake, but he was certain it was the right choice.
The ring was his promise that he was all in on the mating, no matter that she was a non-shifting half-tigress or that he was a bear.
They were meant to be together, and he was going to do his damnedest to make her the happiest female on the planet.
He was just the male for the job.