Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Blaze
Six Months Later
Ispin around, biting my lip as I scan the area.
Did I miss anything?
“Damn, Blaze. You need to calm the fuck down.” Titan’s hand clasps my shoulders, squeezing.
Glancing over my shoulder, I give him a tight smile. “I’m trying. I just want everything to be perfect.”
“Dalia doesn’t need perfection,” Steel says as he joins us. “She just needs us to be real with her.”
“Yeah, I know. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to make things perfect for her.”
“She’s coming!” Phoebe announces as she bounces into the clearing behind our house.
Thank fuck.
As excited as I am for what’s coming, I can’t stop freaking out. The sooner it’s over, the sooner I can calm the fuck down, as Titan put it.
Morrigan and Dalia step out of the tree line, a blindfold over our mate’s eyes. “Seriously, Mor. What is going on?”
“I told you it was a surprise. Now stop complaining. We’re here.”
She reaches for her blindfold, but Morrigan bats her hands away. “Damn it, Morrigan.”
Morrigan rolls her eyes. “Just wait until they say you can take it off, okay? There’s no reason to ruin the surprise.”
“They? Who’s they? And what surprise?”
Steel chuckles. “You’re just as bad as Blaze, baby.”
Dalia immediately relaxes, her body turning toward Steel. “How is anyone supposed to relax when they’re being led through trees with a blindfold on?”
“Do you trust us, Dalia?” Titan asks as the three of us move toward her.
“You know I do.”
I chuckle. “Then take a deep breath and trust us.”
All tension leeches from her body as we stop in front of her.
Finally, my nerves settle.
She’s going to love this—even if it ends up not being perfect.
Once again, Steel is right—not that I’m admitting that to him.
Morrigan’s smile lights up her face as she kisses Dalia’s cheek before hurrying to join the rest of the crowd gathered behind us.
“Close your eyes, gorgeous,” I tell her as I move behind her to undo the blindfold. “It’s not super bright out here, but I don’t want you to hurt your eyes.”
“Okay,” she murmurs.
As soon as it’s undone, I rejoin Titan and Steel. “You can open your eyes now.”
Dalia blinks, smiling as her eyes land on the three of us. Confusion fills her eyes, her smile falling slightly as she looks around the clearing.
“While I trust the three of you, would someone like to explain to me what’s going on?”
I can only imagine the thoughts going through her mind.
The clearing is large enough for most of the city to gather, which was done on purpose when we built our home.
It’s only a five-minute walk to her sisters’ home, but it's built into the woods, so it feels like we’re alone.
The clearing butts up against her sisters’ cabin, making it the perfect place for citywide gatherings outdoors.
With the help of Dalia’s sisters and friends, we strung up fairy lights—not the ones from the time before the war, but ones made by the fairies in Iero—filling the clearing with a soft glow.
Tables and chairs are set up throughout the area, leaving a space for dancing.
Tables run along one side, laden with food made by each person we invited to be here for this moment.
“This isn’t a moment we ever thought we’d get,” Steel begins, taking Dalia’s hand in his.
“Finding you wasn’t something we dared to ever dream of.
Neither was redemption, but here we are with not only a fated mate but having earned redemption from Freya.
I knew you’d change our lives when I met you, but I didn’t realize you would be the beginning of the rest of our lives. ”
He passes her hand to Titan, whose lips quirk up on one side.
“I didn’t know there was anything left in the world that could surprise me, but you certainly did.
You’re everything I didn’t know I was looking for.
I love Steel and Blaze just as much as I love you, but there’s something different about being loved by a woman. You were the piece we were missing.”
“Dalia, you’ve given us a reason to breathe—to live again.” I lift her free hand to my lips, pressing a kiss to her palm. “Finding you and our place in Iero has brought us a new purpose to life. Living without you isn’t possible, and thank Freya, we’ll never have to.”
As one, Titan, Steel, and I drop to one knee. Titan and I keep our hold on her hands as Steel pulls a box from his pocket, flicking it open and offering it to her.
“Will you marry us?” we ask, mostly together.
Tears fill her eyes as she glances between the three of us. “Are you serious right now?”
“As a heart attack.” I grin.
She laughs, shaking her head. “Yes. Of course, yes!”
“Thank fuck,” I mutter, jumping to my feet. Releasing my hold on her hand so Steel can slide the ring onto her finger, I spin around to face the gathered crowd. They’re already cheering, but I can’t help crowing, “She said yes!!!”
Boots stomp, hands clap, and screams sound out, filling the air with the sounds of celebration.
I spin around to kiss my girl, unable to kiss her properly since I can’t wipe the smile off my face.
“I love you, gorgeous.”
“I love you, too.” She grins as she pulls back, waving at our friends and family gathered. “I guess we’re having a party?”
Steel huffs out a laugh. “What gave it away? Come on. Let’s get some food.”
He leads her away with Titan trailing behind them, but I take a moment to just watch everyone.
Sometimes it’s hard to believe this is our life. After the war, we never thought we’d have a place to call home. MCs weren’t often welcome to settle anywhere. There were safe houses we set up to stay in temporarily, but the Headless Riders were true nomads.
Just as the Gorgons, Wayward Pookas, and the Wild Hunt. Now, we all call Iero home, and it’s a beautiful thing.
The last six months have been busy as we’ve helped build houses and fix up others. We finally finished the last of the houses two days ago, so now everyone is settled into their permanent homes.
While we’ve been busy on our island, we haven’t forgotten about the outside world.
It won’t be much longer before we have to venture out of our paradise.
I can feel the trouble building, but I don’t know where or what.
It’s just my inner reiter letting me know something is coming, and we’ll be needed.
Hopefully, we have enough time to marry our girl and have a honeymoon of some kind before we’re called away.
“Blaze!”
My head snaps toward my girl, who’s waving me to join them. My feet are already moving without a thought.
If she wants me, then she’ll have me.
Anything she wants, I’ll do my damnedest to give it to her because that’s what it means to love someone.
Fuck, I’d do the same thing for Steel and Titan. They might get on my nerves from time to time—although we all know it’s more likely that I’m the one getting on their nerves—I love them so much.
They’re so much more than my lovers—they’re my family.