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“Hold on a second.”
She got up from their table and moved toward the front door. As she got closer, she noticed that the woman was small, curvy, and seemed to feel out of place. She held her palms together, gazing around absentmindedly before Eliana addressed her.
“Hi, are you looking for someone?”
The woman looked at Eliana, a little startled. So Eliana moved in closer, her sweet smile so inviting.
“Hi, I’m Jean. I’m looking for someone named Tao.”
Eliana knew within an instant what was happening. She felt like she could leap over the moon.
“Yes! Yes, he’s here!”
Eliana turned and shouted out into the crowd, yelling over the throbbing music.
“Tao! You have a visitor.”
Tao had been laughing with a group of shifters when he looked up at Eliana. His eyes glided from her to Jean, and she swore she saw something spark in them.
It was the same way she looked at Lucas and how Lucas looked at her. It was the woman Tao had spoken about from California. His fated mate.
Tao hurtled through the bustle of shifters and dashed with elation toward Jean. She grinned as he came up to her and scooped her into his arms like she was a petite doll. Eliana watched, an undefined joy surging through her heart.
“What on earth are you doing here?” Tao implored as he put her down.
Jean giggled, then rested her hands upon Tao’s chest as she spoke.
“I had to find you. I couldn’t wait anymore to tell you this; I can’t live without you. I want you to come back.”
The playful look on Tao’s face was snatched away by stark reality. He looked at Eliana, their mournful spirits mingling.
“Jean,” he said, returning to her and stroking her cheek tenderly. “I … I love you. I’m in love with you. I figured you knew that. But I left for a reason, and it’s because the pack here needs me.”
Feeling the tragedy of her own reality beginning to crash around her, Eliana felt the need to step away to give them some privacy. But she felt a hand on her shoulder and a familiar sense of security wash through her from head to toe.
Lucas was there, looking the most reassuring he ever had.
“That won’t be necessary, Tao,” he said. “I am going to stay here and take care of the pack. That is if Eliana will have me.”
Eliana slowly craned her neck to Lucas, hoping she wasn’t dreaming. The bubble of their conversation seemed to mute the revelry surrounding them.
“Lucas … Lucas, what about the pack back home? What will they do …”
Eliana spoke, barely recognizing her voice. She was ready to burst into gleeful or crestfallen tears. Either would surely destroy her.
Lucas ran his hand along her shoulders, resting it upon her neck. He gazed into her very soul as he spoke with the utmost confidence.
“My brother, Vincent, has been wanting the alpha position for years. I believe he would make a suitable one. He can take over for me while I take over here, and Tao can go back to California.”
Jean, who had no clue who Eliana or Lucas were, was the first to react. She wrapped her arms around the thick trunk of Tao’s waist and began to cry.
“Oh, Tao, I’ve missed you so much.”
Tao laid his cheek on Jean’s head, staring in complete shock. Eliana embraced Lucas, and the two sets of lovers felt the chain of obligation break free. They could love who they wanted in a way that was natural to their kind while also doing well for the legacy of the pack.
“Now, isn’t that something …” Tao said, his eyes brimming with tears.
The rest of the night was amazing, as there was exponentially more to celebrate. Lucas held onto Eliana the entire time after informing Bria and the entire pack about the decision. They all welcomed him into their community, enormously appreciative of what he had already done by defeating Garth.
