Chapter Two #3
He tucked her head under his chin. “Would you have been satisfied if I swooped in and saved the day without you understanding how life outside Storm Keep works? Never knowing the sense of accomplishment in earning your own money?”
“They would have been happier.”
“What about you?”
“I don’t matter.”
“I beg the differ.”
“I swore I’d take care of them.”
“And you have. They are both strong and love you very much.”
“They were just babies and I couldn’t watch them and go to work. And when I did work, I wasn’t making enough to feed them. If my uncle hadn’t taken us in, I don’t know what I would have done.”
“Kiera, I am so proud to call you, my mate. You have sacrificed everything for them. You all survived long enough for me to find you. If you think about it, five years is almost nothing to us, who live so long. Every night I prayed to whatever god was listening to give me a family. I trained hard with the units because I hoped that what I was doing would be enough to keep my future family safe. Every penny I saved, I saved for my family. I don’t think we found each other too late, I think we found each other, exactly when we were supposed to. ”
He looked down into her striking sapphire-like eyes. “Do you think you can be happy with a unit warrior as a mate?”
He watched as his mate blushed.
“What? What has you blushing so prettily?”
She mumbled something.
“I couldn’t make that out.”
“I love your uniform,” she admitted quietly.
“Does my mate appreciate a man in uniform?”
She nodded.
“Especially me?” he prompted.
She traced the fabric on his chest. “I especially like the way you fill out your uniform.”
Now Hunter was the one blushing. His mate admired his form. “I work out a lot.”
She nodded absently. “I will support that.”
“I’m not special like a witch. Can’t do magic or even college level math.”
“Who needs math?” she said, trailing her fingers over his collarbone.
“I’m just a warrior and even then, I’m not the strongest or the smartest.”
“I’m a low-grade witch,” she said, tilting her head back to look up at him.
“I’m just a warrior,” he repeated. “But, I swear to be the best mate to you and dad to those kids.”
She smiled. “Our family,” she said, as if she were testing the word.
“Yeah, our family. Nothing else matters to me.”
“I’m so lucky to have you.”
Hunter didn’t want to ruin the mood, but had to let her know what he had said to her brother. “I asked Keran to tell me what’s going on.”
She frowned. “You and not me?”
He smiled and took his fingers to bop her nose. “This is between men. In his mind, he’s been protecting you. Let him.”
“He’s a child.”
“He’s your brother. You are no different to him than Nicol.”
“I am significantly older.”
“My older brother Graham admitted to me, that I will always be six to him. When he looks at me, he sees the child he helped raise. It’s the same for me and Ewan. A sibling is a sibling. You love and protect them no matter the age.”
“Will you tell me what he says?”
“If he agrees to it.”
She sat back. “That’s my baby brother, Hunter.”
“I told him he would feel better if he told you. Please let me do this my way. I don’t want to break his trust.”
“What if it’s serious?”
“Then I’ll have him tell you and we’ll face it together.”
She rested her forehead on his sternum. “I’m scared to know.”
“That’s why I’ll field this first.”
She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”
He squeezed her until she laughed. “The Goddess realized I had learned everything I needed to, to finally be your mate. I’m sorry I took so long.”
“Do you really think the kids will be okay away from us?”
He nodded. “Keran is right. We’re newly mated and there’s stuff neither of them need to learn yet.”
“Hunter!”
“That being said, it also gives them bonding time with their new grandparents. Once all the craziness has calmed down, I see them running back and forth between the houses as they want. They will be loved wherever they go.”
“Is the Nu estate that close?”
He pointed past the house. “Just a couple minutes' walk that way.” He turned and pointed in the opposite direction. “Sigma is that way. We’ll never be short on babysitters.”
She straightened in his lap. “I think I’m ready to meet your unit, if you think they’ll like me.”
Excitedly, he took out his phone. “What’s your number?”
She gave him her number and watched as his large fingers flew across the tiny screen.
He texted her both of his parents’ phone numbers and contact information.
“I gave them your number, in case they need to reach out to us.” He then stood, with her in his arms. “The guys will love you!” He took one step forward.
“I can’t wait for you to meet Meryn, she’s the Unit Commander’s mate.
She’s adorable, though the guys call her Menace. ”
“Hunter, I can walk,” she said wiggling.
“Why would you have to?”
“Oh, my Goddess, you’re serious.”
“Remember my love, I have been training to be your mate for centuries. That includes physical prowess.”
He looked down at her wide-eyed expression and felt a sense of triumph as she began to blush furiously again.