Chapter 23

TWENTY-THREE

R ex sat back in his chair, a contented smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he watched Kira and Maggie banter back and forth across the dinner table. The two sisters were a force to be reckoned with when they got together, their quick wit and easy laughter filling the room with warmth and joy.

“I’m just saying,” Maggie said as she pointed her fork at Kira, “if you hadn’t been such a workaholic, you might have actually had time to date like a normal person. I mean, when was the last time you went out with someone before these two came along?”

Kira rolled her eyes, but Rex could see the affection beneath the exasperation. “I dated,” she protested, her tone defensive. “I just... had high standards.”

Nash snorted, nearly choking on his drink. “High standards?” he teased, his grin wide and unrepentant. “Is that what we’re calling it now?”

Rex chuckled, shaking his head at his mate’s antics. “Hey, I happen to think high standards are a good thing,” he said, his voice low and warm as he caught Kira’s eye. “It means she was waiting for the right people to come along.”

Kira’s expression softened, her gaze locking with his across the table. “Exactly,” she said, her voice filled with conviction. “And I’m so glad I did.”

Rex’s heart ballooned with love and gratitude, marveling at the way Kira seemed to see straight into his soul and understand him in a way that no one else ever had. He reached out beneath the table, finding her hand and twining his fingers with hers.

“Me too,” he murmured, his thumb stroking over her knuckles. “Every day, I thank the universe for bringing you into our lives.”

Nash nodded, his expression uncharacteristically serious. “Same here,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “I never knew what I was missing until I found you both. It’s like... like I was living in black and white, and suddenly everything is in color.”

Kira’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and she reached out to take Nash’s hand as well, completing the circle of their triad. “I feel the same way,” she whispered, her voice thick with feeling. “Like I’ve finally found my place in the world, my true home.”

Maggie watched the exchange with a soft smile, her expression both proud and slightly wistful. “You know,” she said, her tone conversational, “I’m really glad I got Gerri to find you some mates, Kira. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love having you all to myself. But seeing you like this, so happy and fulfilled... it’s everything I ever wanted for you.”

Rex’s head snapped up, his eyes widening with surprise. “Wait,” he said, his mind racing to catch up. “You got Gerri to find Kira some mates? As in, you set this whole thing up?”

Maggie grinned, looking slightly abashed. “Guilty as charged,” she admitted, holding up her hands in mock surrender. “I just... I saw how lonely Kira was, how much she was missing out on by throwing herself into her work all the time. And I knew if anyone could find her the perfect match, it was Gerri. So I might have... nudged things along a bit.”

Rex stared at her for a long moment. “Maggie,” he said, his voice rough with emotion, “I don’t even know how to thank you. If it wasn’t for you, Nash and I might never have found Kira. We might never have known what it was like to be part of something so amazing, so perfect.”

Maggie’s eyes softened, and she reached out to lay a hand on Rex’s arm. “You don’t have to thank me,” she said, her voice gentle and sincere. “Seeing Kira so happy, seeing the way you all love and support each other... that’s all the thanks I need.”

Rex nodded, swallowing past the lump in his throat. He looked around the table, taking in the faces of the people he loved most in the world. Nash, his best friend and partner, the man who had been by his side through thick and thin. Kira, his mate and his equal, the woman who challenged him, inspired him, and made him want to be a better man. And Maggie, the sister he’d never had, the one who had brought them all together with her love and her meddling.

“Well,” he said, his voice filled with warmth and affection, “I guess we’d better make sure we keep living up to your expectations, then. Because I don’t know about you all, but I plan on spending the rest of my life making sure Kira knows just how loved and cherished she is.”

Kira’s eyes sparkled with happiness, and she leaned in to press a soft kiss to Rex’s cheek. “Ditto,” she whispered, her breath warm against his skin. “For both of you.”

Nash grinned, raising his glass in a toast. “To the power of meddling sisters,” he said, his voice filled with laughter and love. “And to the unbreakable bond of our triad. May we always be as strong and as happy as we are in this moment.”

“Hear, hear,” Maggie said, clinking her glass against Nash’s. “And may you always remember that you have a whole army of people who love and support you, no matter what.”

As Rex looked around the table, his heart full to bursting with love and gratitude, he knew Maggie was right. They had each other, and they had their family, both born and chosen. And with that kind of love and support, there was nothing they couldn’t face, no challenge they couldn’t overcome.

Together, they were unbreakable. And Rex would spend the rest of his life cherishing every moment, every laugh and every tear, every triumph and every struggle.