Page 81 of The Enforcer’s Rejected Mate (Red River Rejected Mates #1)

THORNE

O NE YEAR LATER

“Are you sure that’s enough firewood to send with them tonight?”

I look over my shoulder at my pretty mate. She’s standing in the doorway of our cabin, hands on her hips and a frown on her face. I don’t like it when she frowns so I get to work.

“I’ll chop more.”

She brightens. “Thank you, thank you! It’s just that Maud and Jazzy are finally moving out into the woods with us and I want to make sure we’re good neighbors. It wouldn’t be right if they were chopping wood to get ready for winter.”

The sisters are close, not so close that they’ll interrupt any of the times I have a mind to take Cordelia in the middle of the day on the river bank but close enough that they’re just a short walk through the thicket to the east of us.

Ronan cleared some land that way for them when we were building our home when Maud said she liked the feel of the woods.

“It’s nice and old. Lots of power out here. I think I’d like it a good deal more than in Red River.”

I don’t think it has a lot to do with the woods and everything to do with being closer to Cordelia but nobody asked me so I kept that thought inside.

Now here I am, chopping more wood for the witches that just moved in a few weeks ago.

It’s nice having them here. Cordelia loves it which means I Iove it but the sisters are also good company.

Jazzy is a shark at cards and Maud started showing me how to make whiskey.

I might go blind from drinking it but I’m sure between the three females, they’ve got a tonic to fix that if it happens.

“I understand. We’ll be good neighbors so long as we can still have time to ourselves.”

Cordelia blushes bright red when I say that. “Thorne…” she looks over her shoulder and into the cabin. “Ronan is going to hear you.”

Tonight we had family and friends over for dinner.

Ronan and my parents are here with Lucian, Clover, Piper, Lux, Nova, Maud and Jazzy, Jenny, Carla and Gus add a human touch to the affair.

I’m glad the humans aren’t intimidated by being surrounded by shifters and witches.

Not a lot of humans would be keen on it.

It’s a jovial group, one that fills our home with love and laughter until it spills out across the clearing and into the night.

Lucian laughs and I hear Lux shriek. Whatever they’re doing, they have the group in stitches.

I take a break and lean back on my axe to watch Cordelia turn to join in with the group when Ronan comes up behind her.

She smiles and hugs him, happy and safe, and I know with every bone in my body that I got it right.

Cordelia is the gift I never anticipated. The joy that found me when I closed myself off and I will forever be grateful to the moon goddess for her blessing. No matter what happens, I fulfilled my purpose in life and made the world right for the girl that saved me.

“You need a hand out there?” Ronan asks. He’s already coming down the stairs with Cordelia on his heels. The scent of sweetgrass and wild roses fills the late summer air and a second later she’s in my arms.

“Yeah, I could use a hand.”