Chapter 36
Chapter Thirty-Six
Three days before Christmas, Skye and Caleb headed into town for their second appointment with Doctor Koch. She wanted new bloodwork drawn after hearing that Caleb bonded with Bellamy, who apparently also shares their Fated connection.
The doctor’s theory is that some of the lingering effects of the bond sickness might stem from Bellamy’s proximity.
Hopefully, she is correct, and our pack can move forward, creating a new life together without the weight of Caleb’s guilt.
While they were gone, I roped Quentin and Onyx into helping me decorate the house.
Yesterday I had taken the SUV into town and bought everything we would need to make the sitting room explode with holiday cheer.
A tree, bulbs, lights, stockings. All carefully hidden out of sight, waiting for the moment I could set it up to surprise my mate.
Christmas may not be her favorite of the holidays, but this is the first one we will spend at the estate. It should be special.
Onyx is hooking the last of the string lights into place when our car pulls down the driveway, stopping outside the front door. We all hold our breath as Skye climbs out. Her bond was calm and happy while they were gone, but not every reaction is easy to pick up through it.
Quentin meets her at the door, the relaxed fall of her shoulders putting us all at ease. “Welcome home, darling. How was your trip into town?”
“Busy,” she sighs, arms winding around his waist. “There were people everywhere.”
Bellamy chuckles, scooting around her to enter the house. “It’s days before a major holiday, dandelion, what did you expect?”
“Speaking of holidays, Emmett has a surprise for you.” Quentin places his hand on the small of her back and guides her toward me.
“It’s for all of us,” I correct, offering her my hand. She slides hers into my palm and squeezes, so much adoration in her jade-green eyes.
A gasp parts her lips when I step back into the sitting room, pulling her back to my chest so she can see what we’ve done. Fire dances in the fireplace, giving the room a warm glow. Multi-colored lights hang in rows across the ceiling, with bulbs of different shapes and sizes hanging from them.
Best of all is the massive tree sitting in the center of the window. Dark green branches hold brown and gold bulbs, and thick ribbons of sage green wrap between them. At the top, a copper and glass star reflects the glow of the lights.
“Oh, Em. It’s perfect.”
Skye twists and throws herself into my arms, her legs winding around my waist. Kisses pepper across my jaw before her lips meet mine. “Thank you for doing this. I can’t wait to spend Christmas morning here with you all.”
“This is great, dude.” Bellamy claps me on the back, his eyes as full of marvelment as our mates. “Y’know what this calls for?”
“Hot cocoa?” Sterling offers from the doorway. “I’m on it.”
My mate shimmies down my body, her bottom lip sucked between her teeth. “What’s wrong?” I ask, popping the abused flesh free with my thumb.
“I want to have hot cocoa with everyone, but my social battery is drained.”
Ah, that makes sense. After dealing with foot traffic and the doctor’s office, she’s had to be ‘on’ too much today. “Why don’t you soak in the bath for a bit? When you’re nice and relaxed, we can curl up down here and hang out. Play some cards.”
Skye hums, leaning into my palm. “Okay. I like that idea.” She presses a kiss to my hand before skipping to the stairs.
Wandering into the kitchen, I find the rest of our pack gathered there. “She went to take a bath,” I inform them when they pause mid-conversation. “What did the doctor say?”
Caleb shrugs. “Nothing much. We won’t know much until the results from the tests come back.”
“Doctor Koch didn’t say anything to Skye, but she showed me her chart. Our girl gained five pounds before her first visit, and she hasn’t lost it.” Sterling’s words fill my chest with hope.
There is nothing I want more than for Skye to love herself the way we love her.
“Let’s keep this quiet for now,” Quentin advises. “The next appointment is shortly after the New Year. If nothing has changed by then, we’ll celebrate with her.”
We all agree, dispersing from our pack huddle, feeling more optimism for the year to come than we’ve ever felt before.
Two hours later, Skye finds her way downstairs. She’s relaxed, her moonflower scent mellow and bright. “Mmm,” she hums, climbing onto my lap. “Hot cocoa?”
I dig my phone out of my pocket and ask Sterling to make her some. It will take him a few minutes; time I plan to spend with her wrapped in my arms.
“What’s your Christmas wish, Em?”
“This.” I squeeze her tight. “Our pack, happy and together. Making music.”
“I want that. When we came to New York a few months ago, I felt so bad about stepping back from my career. But now, I know I needed the break. I didn’t realize how much I was struggling until I didn’t have recording or touring to use as a crutch.”
Her eyes meet mine. “I don’t mind now. I’m looking forward to having extra time off. Helping you guys figure out how Caleb will fit into your band. Spending time with everyone. Taking an actual vacation and visiting everyone’s families.”
A shiver shakes her body, so I grab the blanket off the back of the couch and pull it around us. “Where would you want to go?”
Running my hands up and down her sides, I let her mull it over. She’s toured so many places, I imagine the list of stops she wanted to explore might be extensive.
“Sri Lanka.”
“Really?” I ask, surprised by her answer. I assumed she’d want to go back to Europe. Visit the beaches in Greece or a vineyard in Italy.
“It’s supposed to be beautiful there. And have amazing food.”
Hiding my smile in her hair, I’m reminded how amazing my girl is. She has fame. A name with weight behind it. She could go anywhere in the world. Eat at the fanciest restaurants and stay in literal castles. Yet all my girl wants is to explore.
Sterling arrives with a tray of marshmallow-loaded hot cocoa mugs, the others trailing behind him.
Piled around the tree, we spend the rest of our night laughing and teasing each other, cherishing the love we’ve found with each other.