24. Levi

24

Levi

F or the next few days, Levi was walking on air.

Sofia was his mate, and she’d finally acknowledged that. And most importantly, they were going to have a baby.

He couldn’t believe how much his fortune had changed in just one day’s time. When he’d woken up, he’d been alone.

When he’d gone to bed, he had not only a mate, but a child. A family.

During lunch that day, Brennan stopped by the clinic during one of his patrols. He whacked Levi on the arm. “You can’t stop grinning, can you?”

“Not even for a second,” Levi said. He wasn’t embarrassed one bit. He had spent too many sleepless nights obsessing over whether or not Sofia would ever get over her fear of commitment. So, he was going to cherish this euphoric, cloud-nine sensation that had taken over his brain.

“It’s good to see you so happy,” Brennan said. The rest went unspoken—they’d thought he would sink into a deep depression if Sofia had left. And the truth was, he probably would have.

“I’m going to propose to her tonight,” he said.

“Oh damn. You move fast,” Brennan said.

“When you know you’ve found your mate, why wait?”

“You are exactly right. Trust me, as someone who had to chase his mate quite literally through the ocean to Cuba, don’t screw around. Lock her down now, while you still can.”

They both laughed, and then Brennan congratulated him again.

He had a proposal to plan. He already had the ring. It was a plain silver band because he’d heard her express admiration for Brynne’s once. Just like Brynne, she’d also have a chain to wear it around her neck, so that it didn’t get lost when she shifted.

He just needed a place. They hadn’t had a chance to establish any special places in Cedar Lake yet. After the battle, he’d been injured, and then after they’d laid low on Kellan’s ranch. He sure hadn’t wanted to ask her out on a date at that point.

What if he proposed by the lake where they’d first swam together? She’d still been in her bear form that day, and then after they swam, she had transformed into her human self. Then they’d shared their first kiss. It seemed like a romantic spot.

It had some good memories attached, but possibly some bad memories for her too. But then again, because of the circumstances, most places in Cedar Lake would have some bad memories for her, at least until she’d lived there long enough to make some new ones.

He finished work early that day and packed up a basket of food. Based on what she said, only certain foods sounded good to her. She was able to eat crackers, grapes and olives, all things that were easy to buy and pack. He threw in a blanket and made sure his phone was charged.

Full of nervous energy, he drove to Kellan’s house. She knew he was coming and met him at the door. He’d already dropped the blanket and the picnic basket off at the lake. Being February, it was a little chilly, but the cold wouldn’t bother either of them. “Let’s go for a walk,” he said.

They strolled through the yard and across the field until they got to the lake. The sun set, and the moon cast a yellow glow over the spot where he wanted them to sit.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

She smiled. “I’m always hungry now.”

He helped her sit down, even though she didn’t need it yet. But soon enough, she would. He loved picturing the way she’d look with her belly round with his child. Their baby would be born in the fall, so he had plenty of time to look forward to impending fatherhood.

Once she was settled, he pulled the ring from his pocket and got on one knee.

Before he opened his mouth, she was already tearing up.

“Sofia, you know how I feel about you, but I’ll tell you again. You are the love of my life, my mate. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you and raise our children with you. Will you be my mate?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “I will.” She held out her shaking hand and slid the ring on. Then he pulled out the matching necklace and slipped it over her head. She held her arms out, and he quit kneeing and moved close enough to hold her. “Yes. Forever yes. I want to be your mate.”

“Were you surprised?”

“Um. Yes.”

She was turned on too. He could tell. Under her cotton dress her nipples were visible.

He lifted her into his lap, moving her legs so that she was straddling him. As soon as her core touched his hard cock, he rolled his hips up, pressing against her. The friction was unbearable. “I need to be inside you,” he said.

“Please,” she said. “I don’t want to wait.” She struggled and moved her legs to the side, stripping off her panties while he shoved his pants down, revealing his erect cock.

“Oh, we aren’t waiting. I’m going to have you out here, right by this lake.” He slipped his hand under her dress, rubbing his hands over her round backside.

He held her up, with one hand on her hips, while he positioned his cock with the other hand. Thank God they didn’t need a condom. He didn’t want to stop, not that the condom had worked for them anyway.

“Oh Christ,” he moaned as her slick heat enveloped him.

He grasped her hips, letting her slide down slowly on his length as he filled her all the way up.

“I can’t wait. I have to move,” he said.

She beat him to it, grinding her hips against him and pressing her breasts into his face. He took her nipple into his mouth, and put his fingers on her clit, while she rolled and rocked her hips, riding his cock.

“Sofia!” he shouted, coming seconds later. ‘I love you,’ he said, and she followed him over the edge.

They sat there, panting, until their skin cooled off. Then they rinsed off in the lake and got dressed.

And he was really glad they had, because when we walked back into Kellan’s house, every shifter that lived in the state of Texas jumped out from behind the couch and screamed, “Surprise!”

Disoriented, he looked at his mate. Was it her birthday? No, her clan hadn’t celebrated birthdays, so she’d chosen her own date, but it was in June.

“It’s a surprise wedding shower,” Clara yelled. “They’re very popular right now.”

He wouldn’t know about that, but it was nice of them. So, he and Sofia sat in two plush chairs and opened one gift after another. He had a fully furnished house, and she was going to move in the following week, and then later they’d move to Kellan’s property, so he was a little confused as to why they needed another crock pot. Then he realized—Sofia had nothing of her own. This was their way of making sure she had her own belongings.

The best part was when she leaned over and kissed his cheek. “All of this stuff is for us to start our new life together.”

Yes, it was.