Page 79 of Warlander Beast Cat

She was ready, and so was he. This was the best moment of her life.

“Wait there,” he murmured, and then got out of the truck.

She tracked his progress as he jogged around the front and opened her door. He was so sweet about that stuff. Big, badass, apex-predator shifter, but around her he was soft and caring. He was the perfect balance of dominant and protective and thoughtful.

To her, he was perfect.

He held out his hand and helped her out of his jacked-up truck, then shut the door behind her as she greeted Jenna with a hug. They walked through the gravel parking lot as a group, laughing.

When they got to the front door, she noticed something off.

Through the window, the bar looked empty.

With a frown, she slowed her progress through the front door that Kru held open for her.

“No one is here,” she said softly.

“Everyone who needs to be here is here,” he assured her.

Inside, the tables were set up strangely. They were rearranged in a loose circle like they had been on speed-dating night.

The Warlanders had gone quiet behind her, and she turned to look questioningly at Jenna and Lucia.

Lucia wore no expression at all, but Jenna’s eyes were full and her lips were pursed with emotion.

Jenna jutted her chin toward the bar, and all along the bar-top were people Cadence recognized. Mom. Dad. Kirk and Ally, Lucas’s parents. Mason and Beck Croy. Bash and Emerson Kane. Clinton and his love, Alyssa. The Boarlanders were here. And at the very end of the bar, Damon sat there with his mate, Clara.

“What’s happening?” she whispered thickly to Kru.

“I made you a present too,” he said. “I’ve been working on it. Trying to make it perfect, like you deserve.”

He offered his hand, and she slipped her fingertips against his palm. Kru led her to the table she’d been sitting at. There was a spotlight on the table. He led her to her seat, and then took the seat across from her.

Her favorite musician was playing on the jukebox, and the people she loved were being so quiet as Kru reached across the table and slid his hand around hers.

“I remember that night like it was yesterday,” he murmured. “I’ve thought about it so much. I hated that night, in a way, because I can’t forget the way your face fell when Sasha showed you that ring. It has replayed in my mind a thousand times.” Kru eased back and pulled something from his pocket. He held out a diamond ring with a white-gold setting and ivy vines with more diamonds down the sides.

Cadence gasped and clapped her hands over her mouth as her eyes burned with tears.

“I meant to make you a pair of earrings back when I was just apologizing for my animal trying to hurt you, but then you came in and…” He cleared his throat. “You fixed things, didn’t you? That’s what you do. You fix things.” He held the ring closer. “This is from me. It’s not something someone asked me to do. I spent so many hours learning how to make this, making mistakes, fixing them until it was perfect. You gave me a key tonight.” A handsome smile crooked his lips. “This is my key.”

Cadence looked over at her parents, Harrison and Audrey. Her mom was leaned into her dad as he hugged her tight against his side, her eyes full of joy. Her mother nodded. Approval. Happiness. Pride.

Tears streaked down both of Cadence’s cheeks as she dragged her attention back to Kru. Her Kru. Her mate.

At last she chose someone who chose her back.

Her throat felt too thick to speak, so she nodded and held out her left hand.

“Yeah?” Kru asked.

“Yeah,” she whispered raggedly.

He slid it onto her finger, and as her mother rushed her for the first hug…

As her father rushed to pull Kru out of his chair, shake his hand, and pull him into a rough, manly embrace…

As Damon ordered drinks for them…

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