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I grimaced. “Yes. Jax might be willing to do anything to prove himself to his father, even if it means setting us up.”
“Do you really think Jax would go through all of this, even getting beat up, for some… grand scheme?” she said, her tone wavering between disbelief and dread.
I told her the truth. “I don’t know—I really hope not. Despite what you think, I want to believe we can trust Jax, but we can’t be blind. We need to be prepared for any scenario, especially with the custody hearing coming up.”
She fell silent at that. The future of our family hinged on this custody hearing. The court date was coming, and while I refused to entertain the possibility that we wouldn’t prevail, we had a hard, uncharted path ahead of us.
I squeezed her hand, a simple reassurance that despite the uncertainties and danger, there was one thing I was sure of: our love. No matter what tangled webs Tomas or Jax or anyone else might weave, I knew we’d face them together and come out on top.
Mariah was my mate, and I would fight until my last breath for our future. For our family’s future.
Her eyes shone with such sincere love that it struck a chord deep within. She leaned in close, reaching up and threading her fingers through my hair as she closed the distance between us, bringing her mouth to mine. My pulse quickened at the feel of her lips. I brought my hands to her hips and pulled her closer, lifting my mate and settling her over my lap.
The kiss was soft, sweet, a slow dance of desire, love, and passion. Our breath mingled, our hearts beat in sync. The world around us dissolved into a blur, her kiss the only thing that mattered, the only thing I needed.
My dragon roared to life, but I fought to shove him back down, needing to remain in control. I pulled back from the kiss, swallowing hard. Mariah studied my face, her fingers tracing the lines, that touch leaving a trail of warmth. Her eyes held a question.
“What did you mean earlier?” she finally said. “When you called me your mate.”
I closed my eyes, resting my forehead against hers. “So, you did hear that.”
“What is that?”
I cleared my throat, not sure where to start. “There’s a lot to it. I’m more than happy to explain, but the gist is that it’s a shifter’s version of marriage.”
There was a hell of a lot more to it, but without knowing how she’d react, I didn’t want to scare her. Mariah had a hard enough time coming around to a relationship in the first place.
“Marriage?” Her eyes widened.
“If that’s what you want,” I hurried to add. “There’s no rush. I know it’s soon, but—”
“We may not have been together long, but it’s been long enough to know I love you.” Love. Mariah’s lips curved into a smile, and I marveled that this incredible woman loved me. It’d seemed too good to be true when she’d first said the words, but I’d never tire of hearing them.
“And I love you.” I kissed her once more, and it hit me all over again how very lucky I was.
We stayed out on the ledge, watching as the sun made an arch through the sky. Mariah rested her head on my chest, and I brought my arms around her, holding her tightly. It’d been a day for big conversations, but I could sense there was something else she wanted to say.
I stroked my hand up and down her back. “What are you thinking?”
When she looked at me again, her eyes were full of concern. “I’m just thinking about what you said about succession. I can’t help but wonder, what about you? Things have changed. Sebastian wants you to succeed him, once again, even if it’s not tradition.” I could sense her hesitation when she whispered, “What happens next? Is that what you want?”
“They banished me, Mariah,” I said. “Despite the revelations, despite the truth being out, that history remains. While the clan seems to have accepted me now, I’ve spent half my life away from this place. Becoming the alpha… it just doesn’t feel like who I am anymore. Then there’s Lucas, who was born and raised here, who knows the clan better than I do. Lucas should be the successor now.”
“Yes, but what do you want?”
Honestly, I didn’t know what I wanted, other than a life with this woman, raising our beautiful daughter together. I shrugged, not really sure how to answer. It’d been a question in the back of my mind since Sebastian told me the role was still mine for the taking. Her next question, however, cut through the noise.
“How do you feel about all of this?” she said. “You’ve been so worried about me that we haven’t taken the time to talk about you. How are you adjusting to everything you’ve learned about your family?”
“It’s a lot to process,” I said. “But in hindsight, everything fits. It all makes more sense.” I sighed and smiled. “It’s stupid I didn't realize sooner, really, considering I share Sebastian’s entire face.”
Mariah laughed. “Well, it is kind of obvious when you put it that way,” she said, her eyes sparkling.
Her lighthearted words eased my confession. “I was alone for a long time. Now, knowing I have a family… I have a strange sense of comfort.”
Her hand came to rest on my cheek. “Evan.” Her voice was a sweet whisper as she repeated the words that she’d said so many times before, a balm to my soul. “No matter what happens here, you’re not alone anymore. You have me.”
With that, she pulled me in for another kiss, a promise sealed between us, a beacon of hope amid the chaos. We’d get through all of this, eliminate the threat the Hawthornes posed, win the custody suitthen the three of us would start fresh. Beginning a life together was more than I’d ever hoped for.
