Page 94 of Two Years Gone

“I’m glad we got a moment alone, we’ve been so busy lately,” I said, smiling and leaning back on the blanket as well.

Ella turned to me and laughed.

“We’re together most of the day!”

“Yeah, but that’s different! It’s work. It’s not as fun.” I gave her a wink and she nudged my arm with a laugh.

Ella looked out at the field, her eyes glowing from the reflected sunlight.

“How about making this a regular thing? Once a week we’ll come to this spot and have a picnic, just the two of us.”

“I like that.” I smiled, glad she wanted to spend special time with me.

“It’ll be our own little spot.”

Ella sat up and ran her hand through her hair, the hem of her shirt rising slightly. My breath hitched, and all I could think about was what fun things we could do on this blanket.

“What’s for lunch?” Ella turned to me with a smile, and I had to calm myself down.

“I-I… Well, let’s see,” I managed to stutter, amazed at how much she could fluster me. I turned to the basket and set it down in front of me, opening the lid to reveal its contents.

“Okay, we’ve got what looks like chicken salad sandwiches, some fruit, and some type of rabbit food.” I scrunched my nose at the container of salad, making Ella laugh.

Chapter 43

ELLA

When I woke up that morning, I felt disgusting. My stomach had been bothering me since last night, and I had hoped it would have gone away when I woke up.

Assuming I just ate something weird, I went on with my day, excited for my little picnic with Zane.

I had caught him staring for most of the time we were in the office, and it excited me to know he wanted me so much.

That field, though. When we stepped into the clearing, I just about died. Wildflowers and long grasses dotted the whole field, and I knew this was heaven.

The sun was bright, making the grasses glow a golden hue. Sitting under the tree, spending time with Zane, it was all perfect.

I still felt gross and attempted to nibble a bit on my sandwich before finally just settling on eating some grapes. Our lunch was relaxing and exactly what I needed.

I was enjoying my new way of life and all of the time I had to do things like this. Before Zane, all I did was work. I looked over at him and smiled warmly. I loved that man.

We packed up the basket and began making our way across the field when we heard a growl from the tree line.

Zane perked up and pushed me behind him, taking up a fighting stance.

Suddenly, a wolf I knew all too well jumped out of the trees and circled us.

“Mariah…,” Zane growled. I saw his eyes glaze over for a second and I heard him over the mind-link speaking to his father.

Mariah shifted back to her human form, completely unashamed of the fact she was nude.

“You look good, baby,” she said coyly, as though I wasn’t standing right there.

DID SHE JUST HIT ON OUR MATE?my wolf yelled in my head.

I let out a low, involuntary growl, and Zane squeezed my hand.

“I’ve been looking for you, Mariah,” Zane replied, his voice cold.