24. Emily

Chapter twenty-four

Emily

" E mily, we need to reschedule lunch with your friend. Something's come up."

Easton steps into the bathroom. His brow is furrowed with worry. He looks at me standing in a towel and sighs. "You and I need to have a talk."

Warning bells go off in the back of my mind. Peachy. The perfect time for a talk is always when one is not dressed and unable to immediately run. I bite back the sigh that threatens to escape my lips and try to appear unphased. "Sure. Do I have time to get dressed or…?"

It's like he doesn't hear me. "I'm going to be blunt. Your ex's family is dangerous. They showed up at the gate while you were in the shower demanding you come back with them. We have reason to believe they sent the men who tried to kidnap you as well. We think they want your baby."

I open my mouth to respond, but then close it again. Definitely not what I thought he meant when he said we had to talk. "What happened at the gate?"

"I sent them away."

I want to ask how, but something in the way his eyes flash makes me think better of it. He runs a hand through his hair and it's then that I notice blood splattered on his cuffs. My stomach drops.

"I know that we have just started things, you and I, but I can protect you and the baby more easily, if you were to agree to be my Luna."

"Your Luna? Like…your wife?"

He nods. "It's a little more than that. But yes. There's a contract that Luna's sign, an agreement to bear heirs…and since you've already proven that you're more than capable of bearing a child, there won't be any worry…"

My heart picks up as Easton's eyes turn solid black. I feel naked in front of him despite the towel. Standing in this immaculate bathroom in this mansion where his personal chef makes his every meal. It suddenly goes from exciting to incredibly uneven, lopsided. Ivan once again, ruining everything.

"So this contract…it's like a prenup?" I ask, pressing my back to the counter.

He nods. "It's a wolf thing. It gives me the right to do whatever I need to do to protect you. If you'd like a prenup, then we can have that too. My brothers would like us to have one, just so they could keep the house in the family."

"That seems reasonable."

He looks around and runs a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry this isn't more romantic. I thought a year from now, I could propose with a ring and dinner…"

I shake my head. That's not how things go for me. I don't get proposals and romantic gestures–except for expensive air purifiers. "It's okay," I manage to get out. "Draw up the paperwork and I'll have my lawyer look over it."

He nods and turns to walk away, but then stops. "Emily, I really do care for you. Even if it's too early to talk about love, I really think we'll grow to love each other. I can see myself falling in love with you."

His words are practical and kind and they really shouldn't bring tears to my eyes, but they do. This is not at all what I pictured. I'm not sure who I'm mad at more–Easton or Ivan and his stupid family or myself. I just nod and look away quickly as Gremlin Baby begins to kick me mercilessly in my ribs. "Can you shut the door so I can get dressed?"

Easton does as I ask, closing the door with a soft click, but not before I hear his soft sigh.

***

I wouldn't say I spend the day hiding from Easton, but I definitely don't seek him out. I spend the afternoon catching up on bills and invoices from my room before I realize I've been clenching my jaw for hours. My neck pops as I stretch. Everything is stiff from sitting way too long. "Time for some air," I say to Sir Jon and Kevin, who probably never get stiff or achy. The French doors at the end of my suite lead to the garden, so I step out and nearly suffer a heart attack when Darius appears from the shadows.

"Darius, you scared the crap out of me."

"There was trouble at the gate earlier," he says in response. He offers no other explanation, but honestly he wouldn't. He's not much for words.

"Is it okay for me to be out here?"

He nods. "Boss told me to stay close."

I really wanted a long walk to clear my head, but instead it ends up being more like a stroll one would take with a man one isn't quite sure of in a Jane Austen novel. I feel incredibly awkward as I move from plant to plant, with Darius not far behind.

To make matters worse, as I wander, I manage to attract an entourage of cats–at least four more, along with Sir Jon and Kevin, follow me everywhere I go, like tiny bodyguards ready to take out squirrels and mice in my defense. They pack in so close it's like a small river of shiny fur flowing behind me as I move. After twenty minutes of this, I give up and head back inside. Maybe when things have calmed down, I'll be able to explore, but for right now, neither man nor beast will let me out of sight.

"I see you have a security detail," Easton says as I leave Darius behind and step back into my suite. He's sitting sprawled out on the couch and sits up quickly as I come into the room.

I look down at the cats at my feet. "It appears I do." The cats peel off from their formation, finding various spots suitable to nap or clean themselves.

"You have Darius stationed outside my door. So it was serious? What happened earlier?"

He nods. "There was some concern they might have more men hidden on the property. We've combed every inch and haven't found anything yet."

"Then I'm sorry…about earlier…I didn't mean to be ungrateful…"

Easton stands and slowly moves toward me, his eyes flashing black for a moment. He stops just outside of my bubble, far further than he normally would, and stares at me. "No. I should have calmed down before I came to speak to you. I just–the audacity of that family to come to my door and demand I turn you over…it terrified me. I don't want to lose you, Emily. I'm not lying to you when I tell you I'd burn the world for you. I mean it. I would destroy it all just to save you."

The look in his eyes makes me suck in a breath.

"May I hold your hand?"

I nod and he takes my left hand in his as he drops down on one knee.

"Emily, my life is not normal. You won't get a man home at five, mowing the grass on weekends and taking the kids to soccer practice. But you'll always have me and my heart. I will go to the ends of this earth to protect you, Gremlin Baby, and any other children we have. You will always have a full belly, a roof over your head, and a man who believes in you and your abilities." He releases my hand for a moment and pulls out a box. "This is where I've been all day," he says, huffing a laugh. "Will you marry me?"

I'm certifiable.

An idiot.

This is the worst idea ever.

I nod, the lump in my throat keeping me from saying yes and he slips a ring on my finger that fits despite the odds.

He stands and pulls me to him, his nose immediately at my neck. "I'm so sorry. I never meant to make you feel like you did this morning…the look on your face in the bathroom..."

I huff a laugh and hold up my hand at the rock now weighing down my left hand. Angie hasn't even met him yet. This is insane. "I think you've more than made up for it."

He leans back and cradles my face in his hands. "Thank you, Emily."

I shake my head. "For what?"

"For being incredible."

I laugh and roll my eyes. "You mean for being incredibly bad at choosing baby daddies?"

He smiles and kisses my hand. "His loss is my gain."