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“Iver, please tell Chey that you don’t care about her mark,” I sigh, deciding to just put it out there so Cheyenne can stop worrying and actually enjoy this moment. I know my brother well enough that I’m certain he’s not about to embarrass Cheyenne or make an ass out of himself. Plus, I have a little bit of experience now in the fated mates department- if their bond is anything like mine and Javi’s, I’m betting Iver finds Cheyenne pretty damn irresistible, mark or no mark.
Iver flinches back with a scowl like I’ve offended him, his gaze sliding from me to Cheyenne. “You think I give a shit about that?” he scoffs, shaking his head. “You’re literally my dream girl. I know we don’t really know each other that well, but c’mon, you’ve gotta at least give me a chance.”
“Where have I heard that before?” I mumble under my breath, smirking at Javi as I toss him a side-eyed glance.
Chey lifts her drink to her lips, still looking profoundly uncomfortable as she downs half of it in two gulps. Javi slides in closer, murmuring something to her, and I grab Iver’s arm to pull him away and give them a second to talk.
“Do the two of them have history or something?” Iver asks suspiciously as soon as we’re out of earshot, eyeing the way Javiand Cheyenne are huddled closely together, whispering to one another. “Like, romantically…?”
“What? No!” I snap, a little too forcefully for someone who used to wonder the same damn thing. “Cheyenne is like a sister to him.”
Iver snorts in amusement.
“What’s so funny?” I ask, narrowing my eyes on my brother.
He shakes his head as he chuckles to himself. “Fate just has a sense of humor, that’s all. A sister for a sister.”
I roll my eyes, stepping in closer and dropping my voice low. “How are you feeling about all of this? Be honest.”
“Honestly?” Iver pauses in contemplation and I hold my breath, bracing myself for his response.
Iknowmy brother. He’s one of the least judgmental people I’ve ever come across. If anyone can help Cheyenne come to terms with her past trauma and make her feel loved and accepted, it’s Iver, and I’m just praying he’s not about to let me down by saying otherwise.
His gaze pings over to Chey, then back to me, the corner of his mouth lifting in a little smirk. “She’s hot as fuck, and she’s a total badass. What more could I want?”
I heave a relieved sigh, throwing my arms around my brother and hugging him tightly. His drink spills a little bit on my shirt as he wraps his arms around me to return the embrace, but I don’t even care. I’m just so happy for him, for Chey, for all of us.
“Congratulations, little bro,” I whisper, giving Iver one last squeeze before letting him go and pulling back. I glance over atJavi and Cheyenne, both of them now looking our way, then turn back to my brother with a grin, nudging him in encouragement. “Now go tellherthat.”
42
“Well, this is it,” I proclaim, lifting my hands from Lo’s eyes to reveal the landscape in front of her.
It admittedly doesn’t look like much right now. It’s just a large clearing in the forest with a dirt track running down the middle, a large backhoe parked on one side and piles of cedar and ash planks on the other, left over from the six-pack’s last building project. But when I look at this place, I can already picture the streets we’ll walk down and the houses my pack will live in. I can envision all the possibilities for our future home.
Lo’s head swivels back and forth as she looks around to take it all in, her wide blue eyes alight with excitement. “It’s perfect,” she breathes, advancing forward a few steps. “We can put the packhouse there…” she trails off as she points to the far side of the clearing, “Oh! Or what if we built it right in the center of town?!”
“Slow down,” I chuckle, coming up behind her and wrapping an arm around her waist, hauling her back against my chest. “We’ve still got a lot more trees to clear out before we can start construction.” I dip my head down, tucking my chin over her shoulder and pressing a kiss to the corner of her lips. “But first, we have to figure out what we’re gonna call it.”
“Hmm,” she muses, tapping her chin in contemplation as she sweeps her gaze around the landscape once more. “How about Ashwood?”
“Ashwood?” I repeat as she turns to face me.
“Just a thought.” Lo shrugs a shoulder nonchalantly, gesturing to the piles of lumber. “Those are cedar and ash planks, right? And the ski resort is called Cedar Ridge, so…”
“Ashwood,” I say again, testing the way it rolls off my tongue. “I like it.”
Her lips spread into a gorgeous smile as she gazes up at me hopefully. “Really?”
“Yeah,” I nod, grinning back at her. “We’ll be the Ashwood pack. Has a nice ring to it, huhLuna?”
She steps in closer, looping her arms around my neck. “Sure does,Alpha.”
I dip my head down to press my lips to hers, savoring the way she tastes and how perfect her body feels against mine. The only thing better than finally building a home for my pack is the fact that Lo and I will get to build it together. This is where we’ll lead our pack, where we’ll raise our pups. I can see it all so clearly, and though I’m looking forward to every wild, wonderfulmoment of our future, I’m also making a point to stop and enjoy every second of the journey along the way.
This property is just to the south of Westfield, adjacent to Lo’s home territory. We’re geographically close to her family, and I’m hoping we’ll also be able to maintain the close-knit relationship she’s had with them thus far when we start our own. Iver and I are quickly growing closer since he’s mated to my best friend, and I’ve been giving him a lot of advice while they sort their shit out. The more time I spend with the two of them together, the more I can see why fate chose them for each other. It’s only been a week since the full moon, but Chey’s already growing more confident; more like her old self. And I have no doubt that Iver’s the one responsible for that shift.
I guess what they say is true- fate doesn’t make mistakes. I see that with Iver and Chey, and I see it every time I look at my own gorgeous, brilliant, clever mate. Lo Anderson was made for me, and I was put on this earth to love her.
