Chapter 25 LEENA
LEENA
I feel a hand on mine, making me stir from my slumber. I groggily move my head and see Grant's smiling face beside me. Slowly, I remember where we are.
“You need to put your seatbelt back on,” he says, bringing my knuckles to his lips. The alpha kisses the back of my hand, causing a smile to erupt on my face. “We'll be landing soon.”
I look around the first-class cabin and see other people trying to get their seatbelts fastened as well. Before I move, Grant reaches over and helps me out with it.
“I can put on my own seatbelt,” I laugh.
“I know, but I already told you that this vacation is about you. I want you to relax as much as possible.”
“You, of all people, are telling me to relax? Then I'm in for a treat.”
He chuckles, kissing me softly before putting his own seat belt in place. Once Grant is secure, he holds my hand until we land.
I will miss the first-class experience when it's time for us to depart. The special treatment is something I’m not accustomed to on an airline, not that I flew a lot to begin with.
Grant and I walk through the airport, dodging tourists until we exit to find the driver holding a card with our names on it. The man spots us as soon as we walk out, and he hurries to meet us.
“Good afternoon,” he greets. “I’m Reginald, and I'll be providing whatever it is you need during your time here.”
Reginald drives us to the resort that'll be our new home for the next month. The last thing I expected was for Grant to prepare an extra-long vacation for both of us, but here we are.
My mate had done this after everything we went through as a way to give us a new environment to reset in. While we're in the backseat of the car, a thought occurs to me, something that has managed to slip my mind until now.
“We're going to be here in South Africa for a month,” I whisper.
He senses the apprehension in my voice. “Don't worry, I meant it when I said I'm not doing anything work-related while we're here. Graham and Nate can handle that on their own.”
I shake my head. “That's not why I'm asking. We're staying at a resort. Do we have the freedom to…”
Grant chuckles when he finally understands what I mean. “Of course, love, we definitely do. The resort is owned by my friend, and it's private too, with an exclusive part for shifters like us.”
Both Grant's voice and words soothe me. I nod as he keeps talking. “We'll be able to do so much here, including going on a wild hunt.”
The thought excites me a lot. I stare out of my window, looking at the beautiful view around me. The resort isn't far from the airport, and I hardly have the time to enjoy the scenery before we arrive at our destination.
The car stops in front of a house near the beach. The building looks like a mix between a cabin and a contemporary apartment. The walkway leading up to the house is lined with large flat stones that guide our steps.
Grant offers a hand and takes me to the front door, with Reginald driving away. “He'll be back if we need him,” Grant assures me. “For now, I'll give you a tour of where we'll be staying for the next month.”
I happily follow his lead. He opens the large front door and brings me into a fully modern living room, complete with a large fireplace.
“If I'm being honest, we may not stay here for too long, mainly because of all the stuff we have to do,” Grant informs me. “But it's nice to know we can relax here in front of the fire.”
“It's like the one back home,” I state. Grant nods in response. The rest of the tour involves the kitchen and bathroom, which I'm naturally drawn to them.
The kitchen is huge and clearly intended for constant use, especially considering how large the pantry is. I'm very on board with this, especially knowing that I'll probably get tired if we have to keep ordering takeout.
The bathroom is probably the biggest I've ever seen, with different shower heads facing all directions. Still, it truly feels like I'm getting a fully upgraded version of the first-class treatment I had received on the plane.
We move to the main attraction—our bedroom. Grant opens the door for me, leading me into the largest room in the house. The bed is gigantic, way too big for just two people. My mate and I can roll endlessly on it, and I fully intend to.
There's a really big bookshelf, which isn't something I expected to be in the room. The huge wardrobe is nearly empty, save for some robes, but I'm pretty sure we'll fill it up soon. Our bags are already waiting for us in the corner of the room.
Grant pulls me to the king-sized bed, making me giggle as we fall into the soft sheets. Both of us sink inside, melting on the bed. He kisses me deeply, moving right to my neck and igniting me. I didn't expect to be moaning so soon.
Eventually, Grant stops. “Do you know the best part about this room? The view.”
“Huh?”
Grant gets up without warning and helps me to my feet as well. He quickly leads me through a door that I'm only just noticing. We walk out onto a balcony that overlooks the water.
The early evening sky reflects beautifully on the water below, giving a view more breathtaking than I've ever seen before. I watch the flow of the ocean waves, mesmerized by their stunning presence.
“Okay, wow…” I state as the moon appears, drawing the waves to the sand.
“Come on.” Grant jumps over the balcony easily. I laugh before doing the same thing, but he catches me right in the air. Grant and I stroll closer to the water, walking barefoot on the sand. The current pushes water up to bathe our feet every few steps.
The beach is completely void of people, which is great. It's like having our own private spot right here in the backyard. “We have this entire place to ourselves,” Grant informs me.
“What's that?” I ask, pointing in front of me. There's a giant light source ahead of us, right on the beach. It's hard to make out, but all I know is that it looks like a huge glowing pillar.
“I have no clue,” Grant replies, straining his eyes. “Let's go and check it out.”
He renews his grip on my hand, and we walk together. The cool air that comes from the water soothes us.
“I'll race you,” I say, running as soon as the words escape so I can get there first. I laugh when I see how little space there is between us, but I still manage to get to the light source before him.
There, I see what looks like a big block of letters just on the sand, but that's not all. The entire beach is covered in rose petals. There are flowers arranged in pots as well, with so many different colors.
My confusion only grows when I move to the front and see what the letters spell.
Will you marry me?
My eyes widen in shock. “Grant, I think we're trespassing. Someone wants to—”
I turn around and see Grant on one knee. I'm too stunned to move or speak, so all I do is stand there as he smiles at me.
“No one talks about how hard it is to hide secrets from your mate, especially when the secret is as big as this.”
“Grant…”
He brings out a small black velvet box from his back pocket. “You're the most important thing in the world to me without question,” Grant declares. He opens the box, showing me the most beautiful diamond ring I've ever seen.
I try to speak again, but I'm too stunned to get any words out. Grant's smile doesn't help matters. I'm stuck looking at his gorgeous face, and my brain feels like it's shutting down.
“I love you more than I'll ever be able to express, Leena. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, bringing out the most from each day, as long as you'll have me. Leena, will you marry me?”
“Yes!” My answer travels across the entire beach. He places the ring on my finger and pulls me into a kiss to seal our union.
I melt into Grant's touch, letting him lift me off the ground. At that moment, I realize that I've never been happier.
“I can't do this,” I say in a panicked voice. For most of my vacation, I had tried to think of a way to do this after I got back.
Now, days after arriving home, I'm actually here and feeling very unprepared. I look around for a route to escape, but there's only so much I can do in Grant's car.
Grant doesn't get angry or even annoyed after driving all this way and setting things up. “I understand,” he says, before taking my hand and holding it softly. He lifts it and places a delicate kiss on my skin. “It's okay to be scared.”
“I'm terrified,” I confess. “I haven't seen my mom in forever. What if she doesn't want to talk to me?”
“You'll never know if you don't try,” Grant replies patiently. “Now's the best time. You're about to get married, and she deserves to know.”
I glance at the beautiful gem on my finger and sigh. “You're right.” The slow recognition is not enough to fully give me all the bravery I need. I take a couple more deep breaths, looking out of the car and staring at the house.
“I'm scared.” Weirdly, this confession makes me feel better.
“I know you are,” Grant states. “I'd be worried if you weren't scared, but this is why you've been working so hard.
You know how to control your wolf side now, so you don't have anything to worry about.
It's time to take charge of your life and be reunited with your family.
This is the first step. It's a big one, but it's still the first. I know you can do this.”
I nod, smiling at him. “You're right,” I tell Grant. “I have to do this. Wish me luck.”
“Do you need me to come with you?” he offers.
“No, I have to do this on my own.”
Grant nods, respecting my decision. “Good luck, my darling.”
I reach over to his side of the car and kiss him, lingering there, not wanting to break our contact too quickly. The kiss feels so good that I almost forget what I'm supposed to do. We finally part, and my nervousness rises to the surface again.
Here goes nothing.
I step out of the car into the crisp evening air. The cold that surrounds me leads me off the sidewalk and to the front steps of my mother's home.
I haven't been here in ages, but it's exactly as I remember. Nothing has changed, and the familiarity helps slightly.
It's been so long.
I keep moving until I reach the door. My nightmares of my mother coming out without recognition on her face begin to play in my head. It forces me to stop just short of knocking.
I don't think I can do this.
I turn around and see Grant looking at me expectantly. This works as the final push I need to knock on the door. I give it three quick taps and wait patiently.
There's no answer at first, but just before I prepare to knock again, I hear footsteps coming toward me. My breath hitches in my throat as the steps get louder. They're unmistakable.
My mother opens the door, and her eyes meet mine. It's not like any of my nightmares. She knows exactly who I am.
“Hi, Mom.”
I wait to be told that I don't belong and driven away. I pause, expecting to be attacked and warned that I don't have a place here. Instead, a tear rolls down my mother's cheek as she rushes to hug me.
“I've missed you so much, Leena,” she says.
I hug her back, already bawling my eyes out. “I've missed you, too, Mom.” This time, I know without a doubt in my heart that everything is going to be okay.