Chapter 9
NINE
Declan
“Wake up.” A hand shook my shoulder. I batted it away and buried my face deeper into my pillow. Until someone pulled the pillow away. “I said, wake up. We’re going to miss it.”
I groaned and opened my eyes, squinting at the bright light overhead.
The sky outside was still dark, but Chloe stood next to the bed, hands on her hips, looking far too awake.
It had been a few days since her kidnapping, and she’d recovered fully, bouncing back as if nothing had happened.
I pulled the blanket over my head. “It’s too early, even for me, and I’m a rancher. ”
“You said you wanted to learn to live life to the fullest. Well, it starts now.” Her eyes danced, and she tugged the blanket off the bed before tossing clothes at me. “Let’s go, mate of mine.”
I dragged myself out of bed, yawning, and got dressed. She slung her camera bag over her shoulder and grabbed my hand to tug me out the door. She put her finger to her lips. “Quiet. We don’t want to wake your brothers.”
“Why should they get to sleep if I don’t?”
Chloe grinned and gave me a quick kiss. “Trust me, you’re the lucky one.”
If the kiss hadn’t finished waking me up, the chilly night air would have. “Will you tell me where we’re going?”
“Nope.” She laughed as she led me to the ATVs. “But it’s your ranch, so you’ll probably be able to guess.”
“I can’t think of anything worth getting up this early for. Except you.” I swung her around and took her hips in my hands before kissing her deeply. “And we could stay in the bedroom for that.”
Her eyes fluttered and lips curved as she hummed her pleasure. Then she sighed and pushed against my chest. “Later. I want to show you something. Unless…you don’t want to. I won’t force you.”
My grip on her hips tightened, and I ducked my head to look into her lowered eyes. “I meant what I said the other day. I want to live life with you. If that means getting up in the middle of the night, I’ll get up in the middle of the night.”
I lifted her into my arms and carried her to the ATV, putting her in the driver’s seat and climbing on behind her. “You should know I’m a grump when I don’t get enough sleep. I apologize for my less-than-enthusiastic start. I’ll do better next time.”
“Next time I’ll make you coffee.” She winked at me over her shoulder. “And there will be a next time.”
She started the ATV and headed toward Havoc’s pen before veering off.
We were going the same direction she went on her first morning here.
Sure enough, she stopped at the base of the rock formation and slid off the ATV.
She opened her camera bag and pulled out two head lamps, putting on one and handing me the other.
“I should have asked. Is your shoulder up to a climb?” She bit her lip, looking from me to the rocks. “We can do this another day if it’s not.”
“All good.” I swung my arm in circles. It was still sore but strong enough to handle the familiar climb. “If this is what you wanted to show me, I’ve been up there plenty of times. We climbed it all the time growing up.”
“It’ll be worth it. Trust me.”
“Always.” I dropped a kiss on her upturned face. “Lead the way.”
I let her climb first so I could catch her if she slipped, but she scaled the rock with ease. I pulled myself up after her and saw her setting up her equipment. “I thought your camera was destroyed.”
“I’m a professional photographer. I have many cameras.” She lay on her stomach, camera in front of her on a tripod, and patted the rock next to her. “Join me. It’s almost time.”
“For what?”
“Magic hour.” She refused to say anything else, just told me to watch.
We lay there in silence, the air cool around us. As we waited, I started to hear the sounds of the land. The wind blowing through the grass, cattle calling to each other, birds waking up. And then the sun peeked over the edge of the earth.
The light turned from purples and deep blues to a warm gold with oranges and reds.
The shadows were long and stretched out over the ranch.
Our view from the top of the rock formation was perfect.
Chloe’s camera clicked and whirred next to me, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the sight in front of me.
This was my home. I was born here, in the master bedroom of the farmhouse where I still lived. I spent all my days tending the land and the animals. But I’d never seen it like this. Until Chloe.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Her voice was barely a whisper, as if loathe to disturb the magic of the moment.
I turned my head and watched her. The golden light cast a soft illumination over my mate. Her red curls looked burnished, and her skin glowed. “Gorgeous.”
She shoved me lightly. “I meant the sunrise.”
“It’s nice too. But it definitely comes in second place.” I held her gaze with mine. “Thank you. For sharing this with me.”
“There’s no one else I’d rather be here with.” She pulled herself onto her knees and packed up her equipment. “I’d like to come back one night, for sunset. You can see all the way to the farmhouse and barn in the other direction.”
I followed her gesture. “I’ll come with you.”
She was silent, and I realized she may have misunderstood. “Not because you can’t come alone. Because I’d like to see it.”
A small smile played with her lips. “I’d love that.”
We made our way back to the house, entering the back door into the kitchen, where my brothers ate breakfast and made plans for the day.
Mae stood at the sink, washing dishes. There were two empty spots, and Mae motioned for us to sit.
“I’ve got food warming in the oven. Wasn’t sure if you’d be down or not. ”
“Thanks, Mae.” I pulled back a chair for Chloe, waiting for her before taking my seat. “We got up early to catch the sunrise.”
“Chloe, you’re a miracle worker.” Ethan spread jam on his toast. “This guy is almost never late, but he’s definitely never early. How much coffee did it take?”
“None.” She stole a piece of bacon off his plate and winked at me. “I have other methods of motivation.”
“What did I say about flirty talk in front of us poor mateless shifters?” Ethan pointed his finger at her, narrowing his eyes. The twitching of his lips ruined his attempt at a stern expression.
She tapped her finger against her chin. “Do it often and be obvious about it?”
Austin snorted. “Hey, Mae. How long does the shifter honeymoon period last?”
Mae slid our plates in front of us. “The first year after marking is the most intense. But truthfully, it never ends.” She turned and grabbed the pot of coffee.
After filling our mugs, she leveled my brothers with a knowing look.
“Best to find your own mates soon. Then you’ll have your own honeymoon periods. ”
“I can’t wait.” Ethan folded his hands in a praying position before shooting a sly gaze at his brothers. “I’m going to be so affectionate with my mate, it’ll be sickening.”
Austin tossed a piece of toast at Ethan, hitting him in the forehead.
Chloe giggled next to me as Ethan retaliated and Mae scolded them.
I put my arm across the back of Chloe’s chair, relaxing in my seat.
Instead of fighting it, I let my smile come.
This was my family. My home. And with my mate beside me, I would allow myself to enjoy all the moments, small and large.
After we finished eating, I stood to join my brothers.
With all that happened, we had a lot of work to catch up on.
And we needed to talk about who might be behind the sabotage.
But Chloe jumped up and blocked the door before I could leave.
Biting her lip, she hesitated briefly, uncertainty flashing across her face.
Then she squared her shoulders and gave me a determined look.
“Guys, I need to borrow Declan for the day. You can manage without him, right?”
I raised a brow, wondering what was on her mind. I wouldn’t object to more time with her. If I could, I’d give her all my time, but I worried it was unfair to my brothers. Especially with the work backed up.
I think she could tell I was torn between duty and pleasure, because she crossed over to me, tugging me down to whisper in my ear. “I thought you might like to mark me.”