6. Deacon

Present

As the sun rises, I trace my finger over her arm, connecting one freckle to the next as she lies sprawled across my chest. My brain never slowed down enough to fall asleep last night. Instead, it played out scenes of our future, our kids, our lives. I've always found it strange how easy it is for me to picture how our days will be, our routines, our nights.

A small cabin in the woods. Maybe Montana or one of the Dakotas. Two kids. A boy and a girl. He would look like me but have his momma"s heart; she would look like Grace but have my fighting spirit. We would spend our time swimming in a nearby lake, climbing trees, and cuddling on the couch to watch the scary movies Grace loves.

We would be happy.

Nothing like the families we've come from. No drunken fights, emotional outbursts, or violence. Just love. Love and each other.

Grace groans, turning her head so her face is now visible, and the sun sends streaks across it in patterns of the trees.

I wish I could stay here forever.

I built this tree house two years ago so we could have a place to be together. It took me seven weeks of sneaking away whenever I could. Luca helped me with the designs and told me what I needed to add to ensure the whole thing was structurally sound. I also brought him back to help place some of the larger beams, which would have been a bitch to try and work out on my own. I used it as a trial run for the cabin I would build for us one day.

Two years ago

When I finally had everything perfect, I surprised Grace with a scavenger hunt that ended in a shifted chase through our favorite part of the woods. Where I'm usually the aggressor in our game, that night, I nipped at the back of her hind leg and took off, forcing her to chase me. In an actual chase situation, this wouldn't be any fun because I'm much faster than Grace's wolf, and if I didn't want her to catch me, she wouldn't.

But I wanted to be caught that night, so I leaped up and around bushes, circled trees, and even crawled under a few raised roots I would have typically avoided. She stayed hot on my heels, playfully snapping at my tail when she got close enough, and I led her to the base of what would become our tree. Then, I turn and brace for her impact.

Red fur flashes as I hit the ground, sharp teeth grazing my throat as I give myself up, rolling to my back, exposing myself to her fully. Her jaw releases from my throat, and a small growl falls before she shifts back into her human form.

Her face's scowling and her hands find her hips, but my focus remains on her naked body. Small pert breasts complete with pink pebbled nipples that are begging for me to taste them. Shaking my head, I shift back to stop my ogling before I take it too far.

"What the heck was that? I almost had you, and you give yourself up? I never thought you'd have too big of an ego to lose a chase to a girl. Big bad Alpha wolf can't be beaten. Your dominance knows no bounds," she states, raising an eyebrow, her irritation sliding into her tone.

"Apologies, Tails, but we've reached our destination," I say, lifting my arms out in a show of "tada" before continuing and stepping closer to her, sliding my hands into the gap between her arm and waist.

"And just so you know, I will submit to you anytime. Just name the place, and I will kneel."

The innuendo in my statement floats in the air, and her expression lightens as the realization hits her, causing her to flush bright red.

Now, who's scared of the big bad wolf…

Grace and I had only officially been dating for about a year, and we had a few pretty heavy make-out sessions that led to other bases, but we hadn't had sex yet. Both of us knew it was a matter of time, and the sexual tension was palpable.

We climbed up the makeshift ladder I had created by cutting notches into the trunk and moved aside the curtains I'd hung to block off the entrance. When Grace walked into the makeshift room in the sky with a full bed, nightstands, battery-operated lamps, and glow-in-the-dark stars affixed to any place I could stick them, she gasped. Her smile filled her entire face, and her eyes watered, immediately overflowing down her cheeks.

"You did all this for me?" she questioned, looking up at me with ocean-blue eyes.

"I'd do anything for you. This is only the beginning; one day, it will be a real home, but for now, I just needed somewhere I could hold you without worrying about Ashley crashing in on us or your dad kicking me out," I respond with complete sincerity knowing my little sister had more than once in the last few weeks annoyingly hung around during our minimal time together.

Grace is my future, and I want that future to start now.

She slowly spins, taking in every tiny detail I added to the space to make it ours. Books lay stacked neatly in the corner by the bed for the nights when I read to her. On the opposite side of the space is an old record player, prepped with a song ready to go. The last thing she notices is the small box, neatly tied with a bow on her pillow.

Her hands fly to her mouth covering the expression of her jaw-dropping, and more tears slip down her cheeks.

"D…" she almost whispers.

"Open it," I reply, trying not to come across as nervous as my heart rate increases and my palms sweat.

I saved for months to buy it, and all I could hope was that she felt how I felt.

Slowly, almost tentatively, she crosses the area and sits down on her side of the bed. With a shaky exhale, she picks up the small red velvet box and sets it on her lap. I almost start to speak, to rattle off that it isn't a big deal or that she didn't have to like it, so to stop myself, I cross the room and start the song on the record player.

It's one of my favorites. Elvis Presley is a classic, and I've always been drawn to his style, even if it is a bit before my time. Grace says I'm an old soul, and that's why I like him, but she also once told me his music now makes her think of me.

Tonight's song has a deeper meaning: "Can't help falling in love" fills the room, and as the words begin to play, she opens the box.

"I love you, Grace Davidson," I announce when her eyes meet mine. "You probably already knew that," I say as I walk toward her, "but I've never said the words out loud, and I need you to know you're it for me. I may only be sixteen, but I know with absolute certainty that my heart belongs to you."

The music continues to croon in the background as she sits silently, staring from the box to me and back with an expression I can't decipher flashing across her face. More tears fall, and I stand holding my breath, waiting for the response that will change everything.

….Take my whole life, too.