23. EPILOGUE
EPILOGUE
Cassidy
I smile at Harper as I pass her desk on my way to Graham's office.
"Is he in?" I ask more out of politeness than anything else.
"He's on a call," she replies, subtly telling me to enter silently. She continues talking as she follows me with her gaze. "He's been complaining how you still haven't moved your office up here."
I smile even wider, all the thoughts of being quiet gone from my head.
"Thanks for the heads up," I say with a wink before quietly opening Graham's office door.
He has his back turned to the door, his eyes on the impressive view. His attention is on the phone call, though I have no doubt he's aware of my presence.
I rush toward him and throw my hands around his middle. Graham chuckles and places one of his on mine, leaning his cheek toward me so I can place a small kiss on it.
"Yes, I am aware of the repercussions...uh, well, I'll be happy to provide funding to keep them locked up," he says to the guy on the phone, no doubt talking about the radicals that were thrown in specially enhanced cells nearly three weeks ago.
He rubs his cheek against mine, then continues. "My family owns a small private island. We can build a prison there."
Whoa. That's something I didn't know.
He quickly glances in my direction and winks.
I wink back, then gesture at him with my chin to go back to his call.
He smirks, turns around, and paces the room. "Something that secure won't come cheap, but..." he trails off as the guy on the other end of the call interrupts him.
As he discusses payment plans, I stroll around the office, adjusting his books on the shelf. These two don't like to be placed in the wrong order. Though Graham's order differs from mine.
His clean desk draws my attention. It looks so organized and appealing. I rather like it because it makes it a lot easier for us to slip in an office quickie without having to clear up the area first.
I chuckle softly at my silly thought. The sound catches Graham's attention, but he doesn't turn to see what I'm doing. He's so self-controlled.
I love it. He gives me all the attention in the world when we're alone, making me feel like I'm the center of his life.
"Will that be all?" he asks, wrapping up the conversation. "Perfect. Now, if you don't mind, I'll go and tend to some urgent business that just walked into my office."
I grin. Yes, please, Graham, I think as he waves the phone through the air until the screen shows a normal working desktop instead of an incoming call.
My body warms with anticipation as he leaves the phone on the desk. He takes my hand and pulls me against him, his lips landing on mine. I melt into him. Our skin isn't touching, only our clothes, but it feels good to taste him.
"I'm sorry for the delay," he says as he glances at the watch. "We should probably go before my family sends a pack to get us."
"Surely they wouldn't go that far, would they?" I muse. "I mean, it's only a picnic."
"It's the start of the tradition," Graham replies with a tone that tells me this is serious. "It's the first Grey and The Mates Picnic."
I snort at the name. "You are aware of how it sounds, right?"
"Hey, Garren was the one who named it, not me," he replies with a shrug, a mischievous grin tugging at his lips.
We have a strange connection between us that I can't exactly place, a sense of familiarity that goes beyond the reason we're mates. Sometimes, I suspect Graham would claim this is typical pack stuff.
I would believe him if I was a wolf, but I'm not. I'm a human, and this doesn't make sense. None of it does. But it fits. It's perfect. And so, I don't fight it. There are some fights worth letting go of.
It's not every day you find the one you want to spend forever with.
The one that gives meaning and purpose to your life.
The one you simply fit together with.
And this is mine.
Graham.
Despite the storm of shit we went through, we came out on the other side unharmed, scarred but whole.
I have to respect and admire a man who would fight to keep me safe. Graham would've walked through fire for me. He practically did in the warehouse when he fought Jason.
Just remembering the worst night of my life sends shivers of terror down my spine. That place will always haunt me, but with Graham's support, I can do anything. Together, we can get through everything. No obstacle is too hard.
With him by my side, I have courage. With his guidance, I have wisdom.
"I want to stop somewhere on the way to the manor," he informs me. "Are you okay with that?"
"Sure," I confirm with a nonchalant shrug and follow him to the elevator. The doors open and we get inside. He uses the key to take us straight to the garage.
"We're taking the SUV today," he tells me and walks past his Nissan.
"The next time we're taking your Nissan, I want to drive," I tell him.
He grins. "I'll expect you to because I planned on giving it to you."
"Really?" I ask, unsure what to make of it. "I can't have that."
"You'll always be the owner of my soul," he replies with a smooth as cream tone. "Adding my favorite car to that equation only makes you more desirable in my book."
"Oh, I don't know, I quite like you in it," I tease as I climb into the passenger seat of his trustworthy SUV. I have to admit, it's a comfortable ride.
"Where are we going?" I ask when I realize he never told me.
"You'll see," he replies with a secretive smile.
We're driving through the busy streets, the area getting richer and the cars passing us are more expensive than the ones before. We're entering a private urbanization. An elite community. There's only one road that leads here, and we go down it until the houses become mansions.
"Who lives here?" I ask, gluing my face to the window to get a better look.
"I was hoping we would," he replies. "Remember I promised I would find us a place that wasn't in the same building as our work? Well, this is it. This is where I'm hoping we'll create our family with time.”
He pauses to look over and search my face then continues, “If you want...I mean...We didn't talk about kids yet, so if you don't want to, that's totally fine by me. I won't force you into anything. If you don't want kids, then that's that."
"Whoa," I manage to say, still a little bit shocked.
Graham clears his throat, tapping on the steering wheel. He appears to be nervous as he drives toward the furthest house on the block.
"You didn't give me a chance to reply," I quickly say. "I'd love to buy a house with you and start a family. You'll make a wonderful father, Graham."
He gazes at me, his eyes lighting up with relief. His excitement is almost palpable as he beams at me.
"Yeah?" he asks, just to be sure. "You'll really have kids with me?"
"Of course," I tell him with a laugh. "I'd love nothing more."
"Good," he says with a huge sigh. He turns toward the last house to the right, revealing a two-story mansion with a red roof. "Then you'll like our new home."
"What are you talking about?" I ask, shaking my head.
"This is it. I bought it for us, Cassie. Will you move in with me?" he asks, his eyes locked on mine.
"Yes!" I exclaim in joy and excitement. "Are you insane?"
He tilts his head to the side as he mulls it over. "I wouldn't like to say it aloud, but...yeah, sure."
I burst out laughing.
"So, what do you say, shall we take a look at our new house?" he asks and waves me over.
"But what about the picnic?" I ask. "Won't your family be angry we're late?"
"They're already in the backyard," he replies. "I can smell the barbecue. Just open the door and you'll hear the kids playing."
"They are all in on this?" I ask, still in disbelief.
He shrugs. "They helped me find it. The owner belongs to the Lafayette court. Leia was happy to give him a call for me."
"So, is there anything they didn't help you with?" I ask, grinning from ear to ear.
He lifts an eyebrow and playfully stares at me. I get the hint without him saying anything. The light blush on his skin tells me he’s thinking of the same thing. His eyes dart to my cleavage, and he shakes his head.
"Nope," he replies. "Our night is all arranged by me."
My mouth drops, and I’m unable to close it due to the shock.
He chuckles. "Come on, baby. Our family awaits."
The sound of that warms my heart. My family. A real family. One that I never had. Not until I met him. Now, I have everything.
A smile plays on my lips as I take Graham's hand, allowing him to lead me toward our home where we'll live our happily ever after.
Thank you for reading The Wolf Prince’s Fated Heart.