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“Good idea,” I said. “You get a spot near the center of the group. I’m going to make an announcement before the whole thing, and I want you to be by my side for it, okay?”
Marley gave me a blissful smile. “Okay!” she said, scurrying off.
I had to clench my teeth to keep from jumping out of my skin.
I checked in with Travis, and he told me he was ready. He was still a nervous wreck, maybe only slightly more than I was. But he followed me to the middle of the large group that was gathering at the center of the party. The space in the center cleared a bit more when I got there, and a few moments after the crowd quieted, Houston handed me the mic for the PA system.
As the moon cast its silvery glow over the forest and the lake and the gathering of people all around me, I felt my heart squeeze in my chest. Only a couple of months ago, I was more than content to keep things going as they were. Now I was surrounded by what looked like a hundred people, all of them quieting down to hear me speak. All of them calm and happy and ready to work together.
I looked over at Marley and forced myself to take a deep breath. It was now or never. I brought the mic to my lips.
“Thank you all so much for being here for our second’s final injection and first shift. I can’t tell you how much it means to me, my mate, and Travis that you’ve all gathered to support someone on this momentous occasion. When I first started putting these things together, I was so scared that none of it would ever work out, that I could never lead a group of individuals who were as strong and hard-headed as me.” At that, the crowd laughed a little. “But I’ve learned over the last couple of months that it really is steel that sharpens steel. We hone each other as we come together and bump into one another, make mistakes, and learn from each other.”
I looked out over the crowd. “When I see you all gathered here like this, it really does feel like one enormous, happy family. I’m so excited to see how we learn and grow together.”
I put my hand out to Marley, and she blinked at me before looking around as if to see who I was beckoning. Chuckling, I waved her over. “Yes, sweetheart, I’m gesturing for you,” I teased, drawing another laugh from the group. “Come here.”
She gave me a funny little look, a cross between curiosity and a desire to pummel me for pulling her out in front of everyone. Despite her initial reluctance, she finally ventured out from her spot in the front and shuffled over to me.
“This beautiful woman,” I began, wrapping my free arm around her shoulders, “is my mate, Marley Cage. For those of you who don’t know, this wonderful woman is the one who arranged everything for this little soirée. All the decor, the food, the drinks, the music—it was all her. Let’s give her a nice round of applause!”
There was a chorus of clapping and a few hollers and whistles. Marley shrank further against me. “Cole,” she whined. “Come on, you don’t have to do all of this. I was fine standing over there. People don’t care about me.”
“I care about you,” I emphasized. “And if I care, my pack members should care, too.”
“I don’t want to make an idiot of myself.”
“You won’t, baby. I would never let you look silly. Just give it a moment and trust me, okay?”
She squinted at me and pursed her lips, but she nodded.
“Good girl,” I said, kissing her temple before talking into the microphone again. “Marley and I have been together for about…what? Four months now?”
“Feels a lot longer,” she said jokingly.
A laugh rippled throughout the group, and I joined them. “Yeah, it can be that way with me. But when I first met Marley, she took my world and flipped it upside down in all the best ways. I was ready to live my life as a single father with a moderately successful business. I figured I’d get back around to dating when my son was in high school, or just live a contented life as a bachelor. But this little sweetheart careened right into me while I was holding a cup of coffee, and I swear it was the closest thing to love at first sight that you get these days.
“We’ve only been together for a few months, but I’ve never been so sure about a person in my life.” I turned to Marley. “So sure that you’re the only one for me, the only person I want to spend my life with.”
A hush fell over the crowd, the group seeming to realize the gravity of the moment a few moments before Marley’s expression shifted. I heard her heart race in her chest and felt the flip of her stomach as it became clear to her what I was doing.
I dropped down on one knee, pulling the small velvet box from my pocket. The pocket that had carried the weight of a life and a promise for the entire day.
Marley’s eyes widened in surprise, her hand flying to cover her mouth as I opened the box and revealed the engagement ring.
“Marley Cage,” I said, “you’ve taught me how to love again, and you’ve reminded me how important it is to have someone in your life who can call you out on your bullshit, encourage you to grow, and pick you up when you fall.”
I looked into her beautiful eyes and smiled, feeling tears starting to gather on my lower eyelids. “Now, I know I’m dropping this on you out of nowhere, so if you’re not ready to give me an answer, you can tell me later. But Marley, would you do me the absolute honor of becoming my wife? Would you make an honest man out of me, and a wonderful mother to my son, and a permanent part of my pack and my family?”
She gave a quick nod, dropping her hand from her mouth and holding it out for me. “Yes. Of course I will, you idiot,” she said through tears, drawing another laugh from the group.
I pulled the ring out of the box and slid the slender band onto her finger. It looked exactly like I’d hoped it would on her pretty little hand. It was white gold with a faceted moonstone set at the very center with two small diamonds off to the sides. All the stones were framed in complex floral filament work, the little flowers and leaves seeming to grow out of the stones before twining through the rest of the band.
Her hand was still shaking as she lifted it to look at it. “Cole, it’s beautiful,” she gasped. “God, I love it. I love you. I…I’m so happy.”
I stood and swept her into my arms, leaning down to kiss her deeply. “I love you,” I said, quietly enough so only she could hear it as I brushed my nose against hers. “Thank you for making me the happiest man in the world.”
“Thank you for being the world’s most amazing mate,” she said, beaming blissfully.
