Chapter 21 - Harvey

I would have never imagined in a million years that I would be spending Christmas Eve with my mate and her family. I was sitting in the kitchen of Kiara”s home, which was situated just across the street from her father and Regina’s home. All three of them were being warm and familiar with each other. I felt like such a fish out of water, sitting there with my cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows sticking out of the top. Kiara crossed the kitchen to stick a peppermint candy inside of my cocoa, and I glanced up at her, noticing how her eyes lit up every time I looked into them.

There was more warm support out of her than I could have ever imagined. Holidays were never particularly special for me; my parents had left when I was young, and I began working as soon as I was old enough. It was at my first job that I met Clancy, and that was where I started my journey with the Grimpaw pack. The Grimpaws were simply a collection of misfits and discarded clippings. We were a family that took care of each other, and now we had the chance to rebuild our family—to grow even stronger than before. Because we finally had a cure and a plan that was going to push us forward.

Kiara stirred the peppermint candy into my cup and then stroked my cheek. “Do you want anything else, handsome?”

I sniffed the air. “It smells like the sugar cookies are ready.”

The timer dinged, and I heard Eric share a laugh with Regina across from where I was sitting. He hadn”t glanced at me much tonight, but he had at least included me in a few jokes. He even laughed once or twice at a few of my own haphazard jokes. Regina was easygoing and sweet, with lovely hair and lavender eyes. Her floral sweater seemed to be out of place for Christmas, but no one seemed to care about that because she was happy and comfortable. Eric himself was a bit dark and broody, but otherwise fine.

Kiara was brighter than everybody else in her pink bell bottoms and her red Christmas crop top. The large cardigan she wore over it was a delicious sea green that complimented her eyes. Her hair flowed over her shoulders, flying freely—just like she was now. As she pulled on some kitchen gloves and took the cookies out of the oven, she set them on the counter, drawing my attention just as she always did to the way that she moved; graceful and fluid, sweet and full of intention. I loved all of that about her.

Eric cleared his throat and then tapped the table a few times, his eyes rolling around as if he were searching for a topic. I coughed once and then tried to change the topic to something else.

I leaned forward and said, “I heard you’re a farmer and you work in the field. Is that right?”

He nodded. “Yeah, I work on the farming equipment or fix cars. I can fix houses, build houses, or tear them down. I can garden. I can do pretty much everything.”

I smiled. “A jack of all trades.”

“Yeah, something like that.”

“I am a bit of a mechanic myself. I actually helped build the village for my pack.”

His eyebrows rose with interest. “You did that all of that?”

“Well, I wouldn”t take all of the credit but I did a good bit of it, yes.”

Eric looked impressed. Regina beamed as she took his hand and said, “He has a bit of an obsession with the way things are built.”

Just as she made that joke, Eric leaned forward and started to talk shop with me, using language that only carpenters would understand. I told him about how Clancy had the incredible ability to look across a field and tell the exact dimensions of a barnyard from a large distance. Eric was impressed and wanted very much to meet Clancy to see what they could build together. As the conversation continued, Kiara set the cookies on the table and put out plates so everyone could have some. The sugar cookies were the usual holiday fare with little Christmas trees or snowmen patterns. I didn”t much care for the imagery, but something made me feel warm. I realized the feeling I was experiencing was because all of this was incredibly normal, and I’d never had normal. How had my life changed so drastically in a week? It didn”t actually matter how, I just wanted it to stay that way.

Kiara slid into the chair next to me and I put my arm around her, casually draping myself over her shoulders. It felt strange to sit across the table from her best friend and her father, but the conversation became so casual that it felt like we had been doing this for years, as if it was just any another Christmas in this household. Considering my family was non-existent, and all I really had growing up was Clancy, it felt surprisingly easy to slide right into place with them. Regina was so welcoming, and although Eric was hard and his expressions were judgmental, he was opening up a little bit at a time.

Kiara assured me with comforting glances, smiles, and loving touches to my knee, my elbow, and sometimes to the back of my neck where she rested her hand, every so often scrubbing her fingers in circles to remind me that she was there. Comfort like this didn”t come easy to somebody like me. I was used to getting glares at or being chased off. I was used to eating scraps with Clancy or cleaning up after members of my pack who had gone off the deep end, or even collecting them off the streets where they had passed out from being in some kind of demonic rage. Things weren”t going to be easy going forward, but I knew they were going to get better eventually. They had to, because I wanted them to.

Kiara gasped suddenly. “Tomorrow”s Christmas and I haven”t gotten you a gift.”

I laughed. “I”ve already got the best gift, you don”t have to worry about that.”

“No, I want to get you something. I just want to make it special, you know, as it”s our first one together.”

“Well, it can”t argue with that kind of logic. But I can assure you that I don”t expect anything else that you already haven”t given me.”

Her smile was easy, loving. “You really are easy to please, aren”t you?”

“Yeah, I am. But I also really should get you something.”

She waved off my comment. “I don”t need anything from you either. I”ve got your bite on my neck. That”s enough for me.”

Regina laughed. “Will you two just kiss already?”

I blushed and pushed my hair back, trying to play cool. Eric looked annoyed but was generally pleased with the fact that his daughter was happy. I didn”t want to offend him or make him feel awkward, so instead of going in for one of those romance movie kisses, I just gave Kiara a peck on the forehead and pulled her into my arms. She settled in close to me and it felt the best thing in the world—the best kind of gift I could ever receive. I didn”t need objects or things, I didn”t really even need a lot of people, I just needed to belong somewhere, and that was what she had given me.

“We should hold a feast for the whole village,” Kiara suggested. “Wouldn’t that be really nice for everyone?”

Regina nodded and asked, “Where are they now? Are they back at your village?”

I shook my head. “Blake actually offered to put them up in the mansion, so they are there getting rest. Clancy is doing his best to help get some of the demonic sickness under control.”

Regina smiled. “Let me know if there”s anything else I can do. I”m always happy to assist.”

She was a saint; Eric was really lucky to have her, and Kiara was lucky to have her as a best friend.

Eric leaned his elbows against the table and crossed his arms, then said, “You know, they should just join us for the Christmas feast we are holding for the pack tomorrow. That way, you don”t have to spend any extra money.”

I felt a wonderful, joyous sensation grow inside of me that was almost completely unfamiliar. The invitation caused me to break out in a grin so wide that I thought it might break my face. “I think that sounds like a great idea.”

Tiara threaded her fingers with mine. “See, everything works out in the end. We don”t have to do anything extra. I just hope they don”t act up.”

Regena laughed. “Don”t worry about that. I can help with a little bit of magic if necessary.”

“I guess that leaves only one thing,” I said

Everyone seemed to lean forward at my comment. I looked at Kira and held her hand up to my cheek, keeping it pressed there. Her eyes were wide with attentiveness and her pupils were blown out while looking at me. I took that to be the greatest sign of affection that she could ever convey, other than the fact that she loved me.

I continued. “I”ve been thinking this whole time about being mated to you, and I realized that we got off on the wrong foot.” Regina chuckled while Eric groaned.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and focused on the oceanic gaze of my love. “I don”t want to do anything else wrong. So let me start off by doing something right. Kiara, will you marry me?” The room seemed to stiffen with anticipation and Kiara trembled under my touch. She stared into my eyes for a very long time, her lower lip quivering as tears pooled in her eyes. The liquid turned her irises into glossy marbles. I never wanted to see her cry, even if it was happy tears. I didn”t want to see her in any kind of pain. Yet, the longer I stared, the more I realized she wasn”t crying out of grief or sadness, or even happiness—she was crying out of relief.

She shuddered as she kept my face between her hands. “I”ve been waiting for you to ask me that for so long. Yes, I would love to marry you. We can do it right now.”

Regina cheered as Eric clapped, both of them seeming rather excited, and maybe even relieved. As Kiara chatted about a ceremony held by the pack, I couldn”t help just leaning into the moment and letting myself get swept up in the emotions. Once we decided to have the ceremony on New Year”s Eve, that was it—I was hers forever. It didn”t matter whether or not. The rest of my pack was cured because I knew she would lead us to victory, just like she had done for me. Just as she had liberated me, she would do so for the rest of my pack, because our bond was cemented in stone. It was a faded bond, one that would always last. I would ensure that it lasted for the rest of our lives and beyond that.

No matter what happened.