Chapter 24
Ronan reached up and wiped away whatever was tickling his face.
He turned over, intent on going right back to sleep, but a few high-pitched giggles had him waking enough to realize he wasn’t alone. He glanced over his shoulder at two suspiciously pleased with themselves little boys. “What are you two up to?” he asked.
“Something was tickling your face. I know because I saw you trying to make it stop,” Matteo said with a wide grin, unable to hold back his giggles.
“Oh, is that what happened?” Ronan asked.
“Yep. It wasn’t us!” Leo said, wearing his own huge smile.
Ronan pretended to be stretching as he slowly turned over, but when he was facing them, he grabbed them both and pulled them in to his body as he sat up, tickling both as they shrieked and kicked their legs, laughing delightedly.
When he finally let them go, they rolled onto the floor, still laughing and trying to catch their breath.
“I’m pretty sure it was the two of you,” Ronan said, reaching out toward them.
Leo and Matteo squealed and rolled out of reach.
Ronan swung his legs over the side of the sofa and sat up, taking a few moments to get his bearing, scratching at his head and yawning a time or two as he looked around.
“Morning,” Maverik said from his spot stretched out on the opposite side of the sectional.
“Hey, Daddy.”
Maverik grinned. “It was killing ‘em. They were just itching to wake you up.”
Ronan chuckled.
“They been up for about thirty minutes, so your mom started breakfast.”
“I can smell the sausage. Making my mouth water already.”
“Same. She shut off the food with strict instructions to stay the hell out of the kitchen when she heard your Giada moving around in the bedroom. So it will be a minute.”
Ronan jumped to his feet and started out of the living room.
“Not a one of them called for us. In fact, your mom said and I quote, “stay here”.
“Giada’s awake? I’m not waiting here!” Ronan insisted.
He heard a bathroom door open and stopped in his tracks as Giada, led by his mother, walked toward him wearing the robe and slippers he’d bought her.
Giada smiled as her gaze met his. “Hi,” she said as Valerie came to a stop right in front of him.
“Hi,” Ronan said, relief apparent in his features. “You don’t know how happy I am to see you up and around.”
“As glad as I am to be up and around, I hope,” Giada said.
“At least,” Ronan said. “How are you feeling?”
“Groggy, but okay,” she said, as Valerie handed her off to Ronan.
“I’ve got to get back to breakfast,” Valerie said.
He looked down at Giada, her hand holding securely to his. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and hold her until she made him let her go, but he knew she’d been through a lot, so he didn’t. Instead he just looked down into her eyes.
Before he knew it, her eyes filled with tears and she practically lunged into his arms, her arms around his waist, her head pressed against his chest.
Ronan held her tightly, kissing the top of her head, as he whispered about how sorry he was.
“It’s not your fault,” Giada said, still snuggling against him. “Wasn’t your fault at all.”
“He might not have pushed you to the ground if I hadn’t…”
“He would have done worse. You saved me. You saved Leo and Matteo. I can’t believe I ever questioned you.”
“I would have, too, especially considering what you came from.”
She loosened her hold on him and leaned back just enough to remain in his arms, yet look up at him. “I won’t do it again. Not ever.”
Ronan smiled. “Does that mean what I think it does?”
“Would that be that I choose you, or that I might be okay with hanging out for a little while?”
“That you choose me!” Ronan said.
“I don’t know,” she teased. “I remember hearing someone telling me that no matter what I decided to do, it’d be okay as long as I’m happy.”
Ronan grinned at her. “You remember me talking to you while you were sleeping?”
“Every word,” she said.
“I meant it.”
She nodded. “I know. And I choose you. All day, every day, from this day forward, or well, from yesterday forward.”
Ronan kissed her, slowly, acutely aware of Leo and Matteo, as well as his parents in full view of them. “Forever?” he asked, looking down at her as he cupped her cheek against the palm of one hand.
She shook her head. “Longer.”
“Does that mean Ronan is our daddy?” Matteo demanded.
Giada looked toward her boys, now their boys, then up at Ronan.
Ronan nodded.
“It sure does,” Giada said.
Both boys jumped off the sofa and charged Ronan, almost taking him down in their excitement.
“Hang on, hang on! Your momma’s not a hundred percent! Let Ronan get her somewhere comfortable before y’all knock them both down,” Maverik said laughingly.
“We knowed she was awake first,” Matteo said as Ronan led her over to the sofa and sat her down.
“And you didn’t tell me when you first woke me up?” Ronan asked.
“They did,” Giada confirmed. “They came running in the bedroom right behind your mom. They couldn’t wait to tell me that they had a new grandpa named Puppy and a new grandmother named Val,” Giada said as she eased back on the sofa to sit beside Ronan.
Ronan curved his arm around her shoulders, supporting her gently. “Which is why they weren’t all that excited to see you walking into the living room. They’d already seen you.”
“Exactly,” Giada said.
Valerie walked over to them carrying two cups of coffee. “Here you go. Enjoy these while I finish up breakfast.”
“Thanks Mom,” Ronan said.
“Thank you, Mrs. Valerie,” Giada said, gratefully accepting the steaming cup of coffee.
“Nope. What did I say?”
Giada smiled as she looked up at Valerie. “Mom. Thank you, Mom.”
“That’s better,” Valerie said. She reached out and tucked a piece of Giada’s long dark hair behind her ear. “I’m so glad you’re here and you’re alright.”
“Me, too,” Giada said.
“And you can call me Dad or Maverik, or Mav, or Poppy. I really don’t care, as long as you call me something other than Mr. Maverik. We ain’t strangers. You’re as much my family as any of my kids, and I’m proud to have you join us.”
Giada blinked away a sudden rush of tears. “Thank you,” she said.
Maverik inclined his head acknowledging her answer, but then turned his attention to his mate. “How long until the food’s ready, baby? I’m about to have my stomach eat itself from the inside out.”
“In a few minutes,” Valerie said. “Boys, go wash your hands and get ready to eat.”
“Yes, ma’am!” they both shouted as they jumped up off the floor where they played with their superheroes and ran down the hallway.
“What’s this for?” Ronan asked, catching a tear on his fingertip.
“Because this is what it feels like to belong to a family who truly cherishes you. To be safe in every sense of the word. I haven’t known that before.”
“You do now!” Maverik said.
“Brace yourself. You have a much larger family than you think. Not just my parents, but everybody. All my aunts and uncles. All my cousins, some of which were there last night.”
Giada nodded. “I remember,” she said softly as she relaxed back into his arms. “I remember you were talking to me while I lay in your bed.”
“I did.”
“And you know what else I remember?” she asked.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“I remember the most beautiful tawny colored Wolf racing toward me, but I wasn’t afraid. Somehow I knew that Wolf was coming to save me. I knew it was you.”
Ronan smiled down at her and kissed her again.
“Your soul recognized mine. That’s how you knew,” he said.
“And there was a Bear there, too, running behind you, following you.”
Ronan nodded.
“Who was that?” she asked.
“Brandt. He’s our Alpha.”
“The leader.”
“Yes.”
“And Havoc?” she asked. “He’s a Wolf shifter like you said he was, and Analise is a Fox. You were laying it all out before me.”
“I was telling you the truth.”
“And I’m a Wolf, just like Ronan,” Maverik said.
“Not exactly,” Valerie said. “Ronan has my Lion in him, too. He’s a Wolf shifter, but he’s got my coloring and some of my mannerisms. I’m a Lion shifter.”
Giada was exceedingly calm as she sipped from her coffee cup, then leaned her head against Ronan’s arm. “So everything you told me wasn’t just to amuse me. You were serious.”
“Every word I said was true. When I realized you thought I was teasing you, I just kept telling you about all of us so when it all came to light, you’ll already know the connections and details.”
“Not all of our clan are shifters. One in particular is something else entirely.”
“Tempest,” Giada said.
“Yes! You met her, huh?”
“Not exactly. But I saw her when I was asleep. And she told me that she was healing me, and that I had no more reason to fear. She showed me… well, let’s just say she showed me a little of what happened in Chicago while you were all saving us here.”
“She’s a good friend to have,” Maverik said. “I met her when she was a child, a little child, a very long time ago, and she came looking for me a couple of years ago and found not only me, but Brandt and all the rest of us. I love that girl. She’s something special.”
“Yes, she is,” Valerie said.
“I look forward to meeting her in person, while I’m awake this time. All of them, really — the only ones I know are Havoc and Analise. I’ve seen a few of the others coming and going, but haven’t really met them.”
“They all know about you, and are looking forward to meeting you,” Ronan assured her.
“Really?” she asked, surprised that she would garner that much attention.
“You’re mine. That’s all that matters. That makes you family. And then when they heard just a little of what you were up against, the protective instincts in all of them came out,” Ronan said. “Emmalyn especially wanted to jump into the middle of it and protect you.”
“She’s across the street from Havoc and Analise, right? Didn’t you say she’s Analise’s sister?” Giada asked.
“Yeah. And though Analise is a Fox, like her mother, Emmalyn is a Bear shifter — a huge one, like her dad,” Ronan said.
“And just so you know, you’re not the only human in the family.
Daisy’s husband is human, and Bane’s mate is human, and Avaleigh, she’s human, and even if they weren’t and you and the boys were the only ones, you’d still belong here.
Honestly, we’re all as human as you, just with a little extra umph,” Maverik said.
Giada smiled at Maverik. “I like that. But believe it or not, after all I’ve lived through, and all I’ve seen here, I’m more concerned when I have to deal with humans out in the world, than with — the other options I’ve recently learned exist. I have no problem believing that the human race is the more cruel of any of the others.
Humans can be brutal, and callous. There’s very little empathy left in the world.
It doesn’t matter to me where anyone came from or what category they fall under in a literal sense so much as I care about their heart and the way they treat those they come in contact with every day, as well as those less fortunate than they are.
It only takes a moment to show respect, empathy and kindness toward other living things, no matter what species or race they belong to.
Every living creature matters. Every heart deserves a chance at happiness. ”
“They do indeed, sweetheart,” Valerie said. “I couldn’t agree more, and I’m glad you found yours here with us.”
“Me, too,” she said, turning to look at Ronan. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”
“I love you,” Ronan said. “There wasn’t a chance of me giving up on you — at any point.”
Giada smiled at him while she fought tears again. “I love you, too. I really do.”
“Puppy! We want to go outside,” Matteo shouted as he ran back down the hall toward the kitchen.
“Our Val said that we have to eat first,” Leo explained as he climbed up and perched on one of the stools at the kitchen island. “I already told you that.”
“Vaaalll,” Matteo begged making the one syllable name three or four syllables.
“Oh, no, sir. We have to eat so we have some energy for the day,and so we grow big and strong,” Valerie said.
“We got energy,” Matteo said.
“But we gotta be strong, too,” Leo said.
Matteo huffed a very beleaguered sigh, then he climbed up on a stool beside Leo. “Okay, Val. Feed me.”
“That’s a young man after my heart,” Maverik said with a chuckle.
Valerie laughed.“Your Val is always going to feed you,” she said to Matteo, leaning over the island to ruffle his hair.
“Can we go outside and play after we eat, Dad?” Matteo asked, as though it was the most natural thing as he spun his stool in a circle and waited for breakfast.
Ronan’s gaze shot to the child and he grinned, then looked at Giada who smiled at him, too. “Yeah, we can. We can definitely do that.”
“And just like that, all the pieces fall into place. We’re a family,” Maverik said.