Page 21

Last night with Christa had felt like a dream. Waking up with her in my arms and seeing her sleepy smile looking up at me had made me feel like the most powerful man in the world. All the hard work of fixing myself had paid off in a way I never could have anticipated, and I had finally been able to be with my true mate in the way we were meant to be.

Although we had slept together many times before, this was the first time we had sex and were completely open with one another. She knew my faults and weaknesses and accepted me, anyway. The bond between us had grown so strong, I felt completely comfortable with her in a way that was indescribable, except to those who had felt it themselves.

I had dreamed of proposing to Christa once before, and had let that opportunity slip through my fingers. Now that I knew she loved me, too, I wasn’t going to waste another day before asking her to be my wife.

“Where are you heading?” Christa asked as I slipped on my shoes.

“I just have an errand to run in town,” I explained. “I’ll be back soon. Wait for me, okay?”

“Of course,” she said with a smile.

I took a deep breath as her smile made my heart stutter, and kissed her goodbye before heading into town. No matter how impatient I was to ask for her hand in marriage, I refused to do it without getting her the ring she deserved.

I arrived at the same jewelry shop where Christa had found the necklace for Jenny—the only jewelry shop in our small town—and headed inside.

“Good morning, Alpha,” the shopkeeper said as she lowered her glasses from her face. “What brings you in today?”

“Good morning. I need a ring,” I told her, a half-hidden smile creeping up my face.

She gasped, her hand fluttering to her heart at my declaration. “Is Pack Marsden getting a luna?” she asked excitedly.

“I surely hope so,” I responded. “That all depends on whether my mate accepts me, I suppose. Can you help me find the perfect one?”

“It would be my honor,” she said, hurrying over to a display case near the back of the store.

After I glanced through the available options, only one ring caught my eye. It was a white-gold band set with a brilliant diamond of near-perfect clarity. Flanking the center stone on either side were two trapezoid diamonds that made the center stone appear even larger.

“This is the one,” I said.

She placed it in a ring box, and I pulled my wallet out to pay.

“Absolutely not,” she responded, offended by my action. “This pack has been waiting long enough for you to find your luna. It is a gift. May she bring us prosperity.”

Touched by her generosity, I tried to refuse, but it was no use.

“Thank you,” I told her.

I left the shop, still stunned by her benevolence, when I saw Gage walking up the street toward me.

“You’re here again,” I commented. “Should I be concerned?”

“You should always be worried when it comes to me,” Gage said.

“Comforting,” I replied sarcastically. “But seriously, why do I keep finding you sneaking around in my territory? Don’t you have anyone else to harass?”

“Don’t be like that, Marsden,” Gage replied, leaning against the wall. “I’m just here to have a chat with you.”

“About what?” I asked.

“Axel told the rest of us that you didn’t want a piece of the pie when we took over that last area,” he said, picking at his fingernails in the same manner I had when I interrupted his conversation with Christa in this very spot.

“So?” I asked. “What does that matter to you?”

“I just wanted to make sure you didn’t need anything. Like a lobotomy,” he said with a grin. “It’s a pretty weak alpha who doesn’t take what is rightfully theirs. Should the Dark Alphas be looking at your territory next?”

I stifled my growl, but my eyes shot daggers at him in response to his threat. In the past, I would have already fought with him. But now that I had Christa and Jenny, it was important that I try a different tactic. Men like Gage thrived on violence and one-upmanship. Giving into my baser instincts would be playing right into his hands.

“Look where you’d like,” I told him flippantly, “but the rest of the Dark Alphas won’t join you in attacking one of our own.”

“Are you sure about that?” Gage asked.

“One hundred percent. And I’m not going to let your peacocking affect me. Not today. I hope you have the day you deserve,” I said with a smile.

I could see that Gage was furious, but when I didn’t play along with his tactics, he ran out of ways to try to get under my skin. With a huff, he turned on his heels and walked away.

I chuckled to myself at how easy it had been to turn the tables on him and continued walking towards home. I had more important things to worry about today than an alpha with an attitude problem.

I arrived back at the house, finding Christa exactly where I had left her.

“You weren’t gone long,” she said, surprised by my return. “Did you find what you were looking for on your super-secret mission?”

“I did,” I responded.

I gave her a hug and pulled back to look into her eyes, wanting to remember this moment for the rest of my life. Gage’s sudden appearance wasn’t going to dampen my day.

“Hey, is everything okay?” Christa asked.

She looked concerned, and I realized a slight shadow must have crossed my expression when I had thought about the encounter with Gage. Deciding not to keep anything from her, I divulged what happened.

“I ran into Gage again,” I explained. “I was outside the jewelry shop, in the same place you ran into him last time. I don’t know what he was doing there, but he confronted me about not taking any territory in the last raid.”

“Did you two get into a fight?”

“Not this time. I decided to take a page out of your book and kill him with kindness,” I said with a smile.

“I bet he loved that,” she said, a matching smile creeping onto her face.

“He was pissed.”

“Good,” Christa said with a laugh. “But what were you doing outside the jewelry store? Did you get another gift for Jenny?”

I shook my head.

“Not this time,” I said, pulling the ring box from my pocket. “This time, I got something for you.”

I opened the box and dropped to one knee, holding the box out in front of me to display the ring inside. Christa’s hand covered her mouth in shock as she realized what I was doing.

“Christa Lionel,” I began, hands shaking with anticipation, “will you make me the happiest man in the world and be my wife and true mate?”