32. Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Two

J asmine

It's been hours since the impromptu party began, but the energy hasn't waned a bit. If anything, as the sun has long since disappeared and the pizza supply finally runs out, the mood grows even more boisterous.

I'm perched on Bold's lap, his strong arms banded around my waist, surrounded by the sprawling tangle of our combined families. Wolven and human are laughing and talking and bonding like they've known each other for years instead of hours.

Dad is deep in conversation with Grandmother, their heads bent together, hands flying wildly as they swap stories. Every so often, Grandmother's raspy laugh rings out, and Dad's face crinkles with a smile I haven't seen since before Mom died.

It hits me then, with a force that steals my breath. This is healing. For all of us.

The pack, so wary and distrustful of humans, are opening their hearts to Dad. Dad is slowly unfurling from the protective shell he's worn like armor since that awful day in the hospital when Mom slipped away. And me, basking in the sun-bright warmth of belonging. Of pack.

As if sensing the direction of my thoughts, Bold nuzzles the sensitive spot behind my ear, his lips curving against my skin. "Penny for your thoughts, Nira?"

A shiver runs through me at the sound of my pack name on his tongue. I turn in his arms, looping mine around his neck as I meet his glacier-blue gaze.

"Just thinking about how grateful I am. For you, for our family, for… all of it." I wave a hand, encompassing the magical, chaotic tangle of bodies and noise and laughter. "I never thought I could have this, you know? Growing up, after Mom died, it was always just me and Dad. And after the Nature's Edge nightmare, I thought…"

My throat closes around the words, but Bold just pulls me closer, his heartbeat strong and steady beneath my cheek. "You thought you'd always be lonely," he finishes softly. "That you'd never find your place."

I nod, blinking back the sudden sting of tears. "But I have. With you, Bold. You're my home."

He makes a low, rough sound deep in his chest, his arms tightening around me. "And you're mine," he rasps. "My heart, my soul, my everything."

Suddenly, he drops to one knee. His expression is so serious it telegraphs what's about to come next. My hands fly to my mouth, my eyes wide and already shimmering with tears.

"Jasmine Sinclair." His voice is rough with emotion. "You crashed into my life and turned it upside down in the best possible way. You saw past the fur and fangs to the male underneath. You embraced my world, my pack, and my family with an open heart and a fearless spirit."

He grips my hand and I marvel at how perfectly mine fits into his much larger one. Like it was always meant to be there. "You're my mate, my heart, my home. I want to spend the rest of my days making you smile, supporting your dreams, being your partner in every adventure. Building a life and a family with you."

Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a small, smooth wooden ring. My eyes widen and I let out a soft gasp as he holds it up to the light.

"This ring… it's made from the tree limb I was clinging to when I was pulled through the Rift. When those unseen strings tore me away from my home, my family, everything I knew… the branch broke. I held onto this scrap of wood like a lifeline."

He swallows hard, the memories obviously still vivid and raw even after all these years. "I kept it with me all this time. Through the confusion and fear of those early days in the Mojave, through the hardships and triumphs of building a new life in the Zone. I never knew why I couldn't let it go. Until now."

My hand trembles as he slides the ring onto my finger. It fits perfectly, the wood warm and silky against my skin.

"I think, deep down, I was saving it for this moment. For you." He brushes a tender thumb across my cheekbone, catching a stray tear. "This ring is a piece of my past, a symbol of where I came from. But it's also a promise for the future. Our future."

He gazes into my eyes, love and certainty flooding his voice. "You're my destiny, Jazz. My forever. Every time you went into session at your office, I whittled this ring from that precious limb, sanded it until it was smooth as glass… because I want you to carry a piece of my heart, my history, with you always."

Lifting my hand to his lips, he presses a fervent kiss to the ring. To the symbol of our unbreakable bond. "I know I've already mated you. You wear my mating mark. But I got the cart before the horse. Will you wear this ring in the human tradition, Jasmine? Will you be my mate, my partner in everything, for all the days to come? Bound to me in both the human and wolven ways?"

I burrow closer, nodding frantically, tears spilling freely as I throw my arms around his neck. "Yes." My whispered voice is choked with emotion. "Yes, Bold. A thousand times yes. I love you, I love you so much…"

He crushes me close, burying his face in my hair as he breathes in my scent. "My mate. My miracle."

"I love you," I rasp, the words feeling too small to contain the enormity of what I feel. "More than anything. Always."

We cling to each other there in the heart of our new family who stilled to silence to listen to Bold's beautiful proposal. The wooden ring gleams on my finger, a tangible reminder of the incredible road we've walked to find each other. To find our way home.