Page 26 of Sass Me Again

Emily blinked, surprised by the shift. "Today?"

"Today." Rafe's mouth quirked, almost flashing a smile. "My mate, Mina, has been cooking since dawn, and my mother, Grace, will talk your ear off if you let her. Best prepare yourself."

The drive to Rafe's place wound through dense forest, sunlight flickering through the leaves. Emily's nerves hummed with anticipation as Ian's truck bounced along the gravel road. Rafe's home sat at the end of a long driveway, a sprawling log cabin that looked as if it had grown straight out of the woods, with a wall of towering glass windows that made Emily gasp at the grandeur. Smoke curled from the enormous brick chimney that rose high into the sky. The yard was already dotted with pack members, some tossing a football, others tending to massive grills. The aroma hit her nose the second she opened the door to step out of the truck.

Mina greeted them at the front door with a warm hug and a plate of cookies. "Come in, come in! It’s so good to finally have you here, Emily. Rafe’s told me so much about you."

Inside, the kitchen was a warm chaos that Emily hadn’t expected. Grace, Rafe's mother, cornered Emily by the punch bowl and peppered her with questions about her favorite recipes and whether she preferred lemon or lime in her water. It was overwhelming, but not unpleasant. For the first time, Emily felt what a real home should feel like.

When the time came for the formal welcome, Rafe stood at the head of the long table on the back deck, pack members gathered close. Ian's hand found hers under the table, providing the warm comfort that she’d grown used to.

"Emily Holmes," Rafe intoned, voice resonant. "By the ancient rites and the laws of our kind, I recognize you as a daughter of this pack. You are of us, now and always. No force on earth will change that."

A cheer went up, and Emily felt the pack bond settle around her like a cloak, warm and solid. She caught Ian's eye, and the look they shared was electric. She was finally whole. Finally home.

“Finally.” Her wolf howled in her mind.

After the cookout, as dusk settled, the woods were painted in a deep purple shadow. Emily and Ian slipped away from the crowd. They shifted into wolf form and ran through the forest, the cool air rushing through her fur, the ground firm beneath her paws. The mating bond hummed between them, bright and unbreakable. She felt like a completely different being from the one she had been a week ago.

They stopped at a small clearing by a lake, the water glassy and still, reflecting the first stars visible in the night sky. They shifted back to human form, breathless and laughing.

Ian turned to face her, suddenly serious. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box, his hands shaking.

"I know it's fast," he said, voice rough. "I know we have a lot to untangle. But I've loved you since the day I met you, through every rejection and every year apart. I've waited ten years for you to truly be mine."

He dropped to one knee, opening the box. Inside sat a stunning three-stone ring: a brilliant round diamond in the center, flanked by two deep blue sapphires, all set in a gleaming platinum band. It caught the moonlight and scattered it like fire.

"Emily Holmes," he said, voice trembling. "Will you marry me?"

She laughed, tears streaming down her face, and fell to her knees beside him. "Yes. A thousand times yes. I've always been yours, Ian. I just didn't know how to find my way home."

He slipped the ring onto her finger, and the mating bond blazed between them, sharp and bright. When he kissed her, it tasted of starlight and forever and the wild freedom of the woods that surrounded them.

They sat by the lake, hand in hand, the water lapping gently at the shore. Emily looked at the ring on her finger, felt the strength from her new pack bond and the warmth from her mating bond, and knew that she had finally found her place in life.