Chapter Eleven
“I love the new welcome mat,” Adele said.
Lisa glanced over at one of her best friends. “It was a gift from Shadow.”
“It’s a good gift. Speaking of you and Shadow, how are you two doing? Have you been able to make any progress?” Adele asked.
One week had passed since Shadow had declared his love for her and showed her the video apology he intended to allow so many others to see, but she had told him not to. That apology was between her, Shadow, and of course Pam for filming it. No one was going to see that again.
It was strange how different she felt about him after seeing him try. Before, when he learned she knew the truth, he’d acted like there was nothing wrong. He’d been so cold. Now, she saw Shadow didn’t know how to be anything else, not if he didn’t listen to his feelings or trust opening up to her.
The past week had been different. He told her repeatedly how much he loved her. She moved from her old bedroom into his bedroom. Shadow had also told her that under no circumstances was he moving back. She now had him for life.
It was nice, seeing this possessive side of him. Obviously, while they were dating, he’d not liked it when other men showed her attention, but that was to be expected. This was a different level of possessive.
“You could say that,” Lisa said.
Adele let out a little victory cry. “That smile says it all. I knew you looked happier. What happened? What did I miss?”
Lisa laughed. “Do I look happier?”
“Hell, yeah. I mean, you’ve always been lovely and smiling and stuff. This is different. You seem so…” Adele stopped and burst out laughing. “I guess the word I’m looking for is happy .” She snorted. “Sorry, my vocabulary is not too wide at the moment.”
“I feel it … happier. I feel great. I can’t really explain it, and I guess it doesn’t make a lot of sense.”
“You never fell out of love with Shadow, right?”
“No, I didn’t. I tried, but it’s a lot harder to fall out of love with someone than it is to fall in love with them.” She’d tried. There had been so many times she knew it would have been easier to just walk away.
There had been moments when she worried he’d find someone else, and she’d have no choice but to watch him with his true mate. There were several men and women in town who had to experience that already, and she didn’t relish the idea of it.
“I’ll have to take your word for it. I can imagine it being the other way around. It’s hard to fall in love with someone than it is to fall out of love with them. I can do it all the time, you know. Just look at the movies I watch. I jump from one actor to another.”
Lisa chuckled. “That’s not the same.”
“Ah, but it is for me, and trust me, I can handle it.”
Lisa adored Adele. The other woman didn’t want to fall in love, which was why she immersed herself in the fantasy world of movies. After what happened to her mother, she could understand it.
“You’ll find someone.”
“I’m good, thanks.”
Lisa wanted to tell her that falling in love didn’t have to be so scary, nor so hard, but then, she wasn’t a great advertisement for love. Sure, everything had worked out great, but that was after he’d broken her heart.
“How did you fall in love with him in the first place?” Adele asked. “It couldn’t have been easy after everything he did.”
“It wasn’t easy, and yet it was at the same time. I know that is crazy. He kept coming to the coffee shop.” Lisa smiled. “And trust me, I didn’t even realize how big of a deal this was until recently. He hates coffee. He can’t stand the smell or the taste of it, and yet he’d stand in line and wait to be served by me. You know that.”
“Ah, yes, now that I think about it, there were a couple of times he’d stop by, I’d offer to serve him, and he’d tell me no, that he was waiting for you.” Adele sighed. “Now, I see it a little.”
Lisa chuckled. “Anyway, he kept asking me on a date. For a good six months, and I kept saying no. I wasn’t interested in dating wolves, or anyone. I’d found a life for myself. I like No Wolves Road.”
“I’m kind of liking Storm’s pack a little more,” Adele said. “Do you think they would take honorary members or something? I could perhaps join, become a human member?”
“You’d have to ask.”
“Come on, I could claim to have helped you and Shadow get back together?”
Lisa smiled at her friend.
Adele sighed. “Remember, all next year, I’ll nag him. It’s what he did with you.”
“I guess you’re right. He did nag me until I gave in.” Lisa sighed. “Our first date was pretty awesome; at least to me it was. We had a candlelit picnic at the small park. It was perfect. He picked everything out to perfection—the location, setting up the candles, the food.”
“Did he cook?”
“I don’t know if he did or not. I can’t remember that little detail. I just know it tasted good, and he made me laugh. When I got a little too cold, he offered me his jacket. He was the perfect gentleman. After the end of our date, he leaned in and kissed my cheek. He did walk me home as well, which was so sweet.”
“It sounds lovely.”
“It was. I couldn’t stop thinking about it for days afterward.”
“Did he not take you on a date after that?” Adele asked.
“Oh, he did. We went out for breakfast at the diner, and he’d visit me at the coffee shop. We were friends and the dating thing was different. He taught me there was a lot more to wolves than I thought. Then, of course, I heard him saying those things, and it kind of messed everything up.”
“But he didn’t mean them?” Adele asked.
“No, he didn’t mean them. In a strange way, I think he wanted to have believed them, maybe?”
Adele frowned. “Okay, how can you forgive someone if he wanted to believe you were weak, and all he was doing was using you? That makes no sense, Lisa.”
“It could be the hormones, but it was the fact that he wanted me and I had gotten under his skin. He didn’t want to live without me. I believed his apology, Adele. I forgive him and I want to make this work. Like you said, how can two people who hate each other make this work?” She pressed her hands against her stomach.
“You’re doing this for the baby?”
“No, I’m doing it for myself.”
“And I’m not going to put my foot in my mouth again,” Shadow said, stepping into the kitchen.
Lisa didn’t know how long he’d been listening to their conversation, but he came around the counter and pulled her into his arms. Like so many times before, she felt complete when she was with him.
“I know you hate me, Adele, but I promise you, I’m not going to hurt her again. I’ve learned my lesson.”
“As it happens, Mister, I don’t hate you. You make her too happy; however, what I can say is that if you do ever hurt her again, I’ve got a lot of knives and I know how to use them. I will not be afraid to cut a certain appendage off.” Adele said to the very tall, muscular, and exceedingly intimidating wolf.
Lisa laughed.
“So, Shadow,” Adele said. “How do you feel about increasing your human members?”
“We’ll talk,” Shadow said. “First, Lisa, there is something I would like to show you.”
She frowned but followed Shadow as he began to walk her out of the kitchen, toward the main corridor near the front door.
“Shadow?”
“Trust me.”
She did and he opened the door, and Lisa looked out to gasp. There was a red carpet from the main door, leading up to what appeared to be an altar. The whole pack was outside standing on either side of the red carpet.
“Shadow, what is going on?”
He lowered down to one knee.
“Lisa, the love of my life, my mate, my reason for even breathing. I am completely and totally in love with you. I don’t want to be with anyone else. As the whole pack knows, I messed up. I nearly lost you, and I’m not a man who doesn’t learn from the error of his ways. I want to make this right for both of us.” He let go of her hand long enough to grab a small box out of his jacket. “I don’t want to go another day where you’re not my wife. Where you don’t belong to me. Also, I want to belong to you. I am yours, Lisa. Before my pack, I declare myself to you. Every single part of me, the whole of my being. I am your loyal servant. I’m in love with you, and I intend to spend the rest of my life being yours. I will never give you a reason to cry again. I will never let you go. Will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Lisa was speechless for a moment. There was the video apology, where he allowed himself to be vulnerable, not just to her but also to Pam. Speaking of Pam, she saw the other woman waiting at the gate, holding some beautiful red roses.
Adele gave her a nudge. She didn’t even realize she’d been so quiet.
“Yes,” Lisa said. “I … wow, I don’t know what to say.” She glanced down at her dress that was covered by a dirty apron.
Adele was already helping her out of it.
“I don’t have a dress.”
“If you want a ceremony later where you can wear your dress, then I’ll get you one,” Shadow said. “I don’t want to waste a moment not belonging to you.”
Adele leaned in close and whispered against her ear. “He’s afraid you’re going to realize he can be an asshole.”
Lisa laughed as Shadow shot her a glare.
“Sorry, dude, but it is true. Tell me I’m wrong?”
Shadow didn’t say anything for several seconds. “I’m also doing this because I want the pack and the world to know you’re mine, as I am yours.”
“I said yes,” Lisa said. “And I don’t need another ceremony. This is perfect.”
His pack, her friends, this was exactly how a wedding should be.
“That’s your cue to run, my friend,” Adele said. “To the top of the altar, to wait for her, not to run off. I don’t even think I’ve got control of my words anymore.” She shook her head, and Lisa laughed.
Shadow leaned in, kissed her cheek, and then ran toward the altar.
She saw there was a priest waiting.
“This is happening,” Lisa said.
“Yes, it is,” Adele said.
She turned toward her friend. “Did you know about this?”
“I didn’t exactly know this was happening, but I might have known something was happening.”
“I never thought you to be a liar,” Lisa said.
“I am, for a good cause.” Her friend winked at her, and then placed a hand on her back. “I’m also the getaway car if you need one.”
“Stop it.”
“I’m your last chance to ditch it for freedom, if you have any doubts.”
She didn’t have any.
Staring straight ahead at Shadow, she knew without a doubt this was the man for her. Regardless of how they had gotten to this point, the fact was they were here in this moment, and nothing was going to change that. She also didn’t want anything to change it.
Taking one step in front of the other, she walked toward Shadow, where she knew her life was going to be.
For better or for worse.
For richer or for poorer.
In sickness and in health.
She belonged to Shadow, and there was no one else she wanted.