33. Blayne

THIRTY-THREE

BLAYNE

It had been four amazing, incredible months since Ava had first shifted. I hadn't realized how much I'd craved to have another panther around until I had her. Shifting and running with the guys was great and fended off the chance that I'd go feral, but there was something different about being with one of your own species.

Ava and I had spent almost every night exploring the woods, hunting and playing. Each day was like a new gift, and I loved it.

The fact that she had changed was still a question we couldn't answer. Emily's curse had been broken. Ava had rejected me. The pain and agony I'd gone through all those weeks had been proof of that. Miles had a theory that no matter what Ava did or didn't do, the curse would always have a hold on us. Her rejection hadn't erased the magic that had already dug its fingers into her.

There were other theories, but I couldn't care less. It hardly ever bothered me after the first few days. My life was better than it had ever been. I wasn't going to question it.

The night before, we'd been out in the forest until almost one in the morning. By the time we got home, we'd both been exhausted and had collapsed into bed. My alarm the next day didn't wake me up. Instead, it was Ava's lips kissing me.

Groaning, I opened my eyes, wincing at the sunlight. "How are you up so early?" I grumbled.

"I have to take Dad to the hospital, remember?" she murmured.

Now that she mentioned it, I did remember. It was Gio's final radiation treatment. He'd finished chemo a couple of months before. The doctor let them know that he thought a couple of cycles of radiation would take care of the tumor without the need of surgery. His last checkup had been extremely positive. If everything went well, this would be the very last treatment he'd need. The cancer would be in remission.

I nodded and smiled. "Yeah, sorry. I totally forgot."

"It's okay." Ava winced and put a hand to her stomach. "Ugh."

"Stomach still hurt?" I asked. She'd had terrible indigestion and nausea for days.

"Yeah. I don't feel great. I'm going to stop by my doctor once Dad's getting his treatment. Make it a two-for-one trip."

"Are you coming home right after?"

She shook her head. "No. The treatment will take a few hours, then I promised April I'd go with her to pick out some new wallpaper for her and Steff's place. After that, we're going shopping for a gift for Miles and Celina's baby, and coffee after that. I won't be back until this evening. Is that okay?"

"No problem. I've got some work to get caught up on. Take your time. I'll see you tonight."

She kissed me goodbye and left.

I lay there for a few minutes until I heard her car pulling away. I jumped up and got dressed. I had a lot to get ready before she got home. Once I had my shoes on, I called the local Italian restaurant and confirmed my dinner order. I'd placed the order for a catered four-course meal to be delivered at five this evening.

The guy at the restaurant seemed confused about why I was calling so early, but confirmed that everything was on the books and would be ready at four-thirty.

After thanking him, I hung up and immediately texted April, letting her know that under no circumstances should she let Ava get home before five. She responded with a wink and a thumbs-up emoji. I'd already filled in all my friends and their mates with what I had planned for tonight.

My discussion with Gio months ago kept popping into my head. His assertion that marriage was important to their family. Growing up as a shifter, I'd always sort of thought marriage was weird. We mated, and once you claimed your mate, the bond was official. There was no need to have some big flashy ceremony, wear dressy clothes, and eat cake. That wasn't how we did things. But Gio was right—Ava had been born and raised a human. I imagined that she'd daydreamed about the perfect wedding day. So by God, I was going to give her that.

Steff came over later that afternoon and helped me set up the table and two chairs in the backyard. While we were placing dozens of candles around the yard, table, and back porch, Miles showed up with the four-dozen roses I'd ordered. A dozen would sit on the table for dinner; I was going to pull the petals off the rest and sprinkle around the yard.

"How do you think it's gonna look tonight?" I asked.

Steff crossed his arms and surveyed the work we'd done. "Well, since we helped, it'll look amazing. You can thank your lucky stars we were here. If it was only you, it'd have looked like garbage."

"Oh, fuck off," I said, shoving him and laughing.

"No, seriously," Steff said. His face went serious. "It's gonna be great."

"A hundred percent," Miles added. "She won't know what hit her."

Once the guys left, I showered and put on my nicest suit. It was almost four. Tate texted me and said he was on the way to pick up the food at the restaurant. Not long after, April texted to let me know they were right on time. Ava would be home right around five, give or take a few minutes.

Tate showed up with the food and helped me set everything up. The cheesecake and salad went in the fridge. Everything else went into the oven to stay warm.

Before he left, Tate hugged me. "Are you ready?"

I patted his back. "As ready as I can be. This human stuff is way more stressful than shifter customs."

Tate grinned. "Let us know how it goes."

"Yeah," I said. "For sure."

"All right. Good luck. Talk to you later."

When he left, I checked my watch. It was four forty-five. I hurried out and started lighting all the candles. The early fall day had given way to dusk. Once the candles were all lit and the rose petals spread, I had to admit it looked pretty damned amazing.

The last thing I had to do was grab the custom neon sign I'd ordered weeks ago. I'd hidden it in a box in my storage shed. Once I had it plugged in and set up on the tripod beside the table, all I could do was wait.

When Ava's headlights swung into the street, my heart started to hammer in my chest. I had no idea why I was nervous; we were already mated. What was she going to do? Say no? I turned and clicked the neon sign on. The words Will You Marry Me? lit up in bright green. I watched Ava get out of her car and frown at the pathway of candles and rose petals that led to the backyard. She followed them until she looked up and saw me standing by the sign.

She dropped her purse and her hands flew up to cover her mouth. I smiled and waited for her to walk toward me. Once she got close, I dropped to one knee and pulled the ring box out of my pocket.

"What is this?" she asked.

"Ava, I love you. You mean everything to me. I know we're already mated, but I want to make you my wife. I want to give you the entire fairytale—human and shifter. Will you marry me?" I opened the box and held the ring toward her.

Her eyes widened when she saw the ring and a huge smile bloomed on her face. Her eyes were shimmering with tears and she was already nodding.

"Yes, Blayne. Of course." Her smile faltered a bit. "I have to tell you something first."

That wasn't how things went in the movies. I frowned. "What is it?" I was confused, but too happy to really worry.

She slipped a hand into her back pocket and pulled something out. She stepped forward, and with a shaking hand, held out a photo to me.

I took it with my free hand and trembled. It wasn't a photo. Not a real photo, anyway. It was a print-out of a sonogram.

Ava pointed at two spots on the print-out. "That's baby A, and that is baby B. Congratulations, Daddy. We're having twins."

I was sobbing before I was even on my feet. I slipped the ring onto Ava's finger and pulled her into an embrace, holding her tighter than I'd ever held anything.

It was like my life was complete. Everything I'd ever wished for was right here in my arms. A mate. Children. All of it. My tears weren't sad. They were tears of joy, and my joy was only going to grow. Life was good.