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The room erupted in congratulatory howls and joyful yips. Kisses and hugs and back thumps were shared all around. My signature on the parchment looked like a barely recognizable shaky scribble. Desarae’s was much more elegant. Einar signed, and so did Ralph. When Gunner announced it was time for the tree, the room emptied out in three seconds flat, all the little cousins squealing in joy, sweeping our two sweet little daughters along with them.
Like the rest of the adults, Des and I stood back out of the way and enjoyed watching the young as they gazed, wide-eyed, around the room in wonder. Simone and Gunner had gone all out. There were gifts piled on every surface and took up half the floor space. The nine-foot tree was almost as wide as it was tall and lit by hundreds of soft, white lights that twinkled like stars. Sparkly white ornaments, snow-frosted pinecones and glittery snowflakes covered every branch. The glowing star on top nearly touched the high wood-beam ceiling.
It was the first Christmas I could recall that Gunner’s former mate, Neeta, hadn’t done all the decorations. Like Gunner, Neeta had recently found hersakana, Blaze, and they were busy up in San Francisco settling Rule Arwan’s estate. Daelyn had gone there to lend a hand.
And Brutus had gone there to find his son.
“Hey.” Warm fingers touched my cheek.
With my arms around her, Des stood with her back to my chest. She’d tilted her head to look at me, her eyes full of worry.
“Just thinkin’.” I kissed her. Then kissed her again. Would’ve kept on kissing her if we weren’t standing in a room full of cousins who would jump at the chance to cheer us on in that teasing way cousins had.
“Dad! Mom!” Neri raced through the crowd of young. She wore a new lavender snow jacket with a matching beanie, scarf, and gloves. “Look! Don’t I look beautiful?”
Dad.
I grinned.
“You always look beautiful, Neri, and you betcha. Those look great on you.”
“Arteisma’s are green, see?” She pointed across the room where an older cousin knelt, helping Arteisma into her pastel mint-green jacket.
Then Neri was off, back through the crowd, smiling and laughing and having fun.
My dad leaned over toward me. “Wait until you see what’s in the barn. Looks like they bought out a bicycle shop.” He grinned. His joy was as great as everyone else in the room, making their cotton candy happiness the only thing I could smell.
And I didn’t mind one bit.
Later, after the big buffet breakfast, the females booted my ass outta the kitchen and told me to go play. On the way out the front door, I grabbed a pencil and notepad from a side-table drawer in the living room. Instead of joining the games with Gunner, my dad, the various cousins, and my daughters, I took a chair on the front porch, pulled one of the small drink tables over, and sketched out an idea I’d been mulling around in my head. Once satisfied with the design, I folded the paper in half and held it between my finger and thumb, contemplating when I would present my idea to Desarae.
“Hey, champ,” Desarae said from the front door. “You got a moment?” She tilted her head and gave me her sexy eyes. “You wanna race?”
Holy...fuck.
I got my ass outta that chair in the next second, raced her up the stairs and straight to our bedroom. I had my T-shirt off before we closed and locked the door. She wore jeans and a lacy, see-through, pale peach blouse over a sparkly matching tank top. Though I wanted to rip off her clothes, I took my time and peeled off each piece, slowly revealing her perfect body in a pair of silky white panties. Our scents, mixed with orange blossoms and honey, filled the room. Again, overwhelming love flowed through my veins, threatening to buckle my knees with its intensity.
I searched around and found the picture I’d drawn tossed on the bed. I grabbed it and held it out to her.
“This.” I took a slow, deep breath, trying to ease my racing heart. “I want this tattooed on my chest.”
She took the paper from my hand and unfolded it. Her bright eyes scanned the drawing. Then, she smiled.
“Seff, this is beautiful.”
“I copied the head of your wolf tattoo. Since you keep me grounded, at the base of the mountain, I want the word ‘sakana’ big and bold, like it was carved into my skin.”
She blinked. “The mountain?”
“Yeah, that triangle has two meanings—Beartooth, where we met, and each point symbolizes the three new females in my life surrounding me with their love.”
Ah, fuck, that sounded so corny. She’s gonna laugh.
“It’s perfect.” Her turquoise eyes sparkled with happy tears. “I love it.”
“I love you, now and always...until my last breath.” My words came out gruff and husky. “I promise.”
I made Desarae a lot more promises after that.
Fulfilled quite a few right there in that bed.
And she kept a running tally.
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~ THE END ~
