Page 177 of Forget

Lifting my head, I grin down at her as I place her on her feet, watching as she winks at me before running upstairs.

“Tonight is going to be great,” Caelin rumbles, wrapping his arms around my waist.

“It really will be,” I murmur, leaning against him.

Caelin

The drive out to the lake is peaceful, the long, winding roads filled with pretty views. Aiden drove out alone in his SUV, eventhough I told him I’d go with him. He of course refused, because he’s one of the most stubborn men on the planet.

I wasn’t very happy about it even though he’s a big, strong alpha, the asshole is one of the more sensitive of us all.

There’s a variety of reasons that are possible, from wanting some distance from how good our omega smells, to simply deciding a drive alone sounded good. What’s scrambling my anxiety is I simply don’t know, and he didn’t want to offer up any details.

My arm wraps around Aisling’s shoulders, enjoying the way she leans toward me. While we may have been able to squeeze us all into the truck, we’re too fucking big to do so comfortably.

The roads are deserted, or so it feels, as we drive into lesser traveled areas.

Aisling is wearing thick gray leggings and a long-sleeved dark red maxi dress with a coat. I’m unsure if she’ll need the coat with the heaters, but that’s why we told her to wear layers.

It’s easier to remove clothing than add what you don’t have. Her hair is braided back off her face in a complicated way that keeps it at the base of her neck. Gray ear warmers make me smile, because she looks adorable.

Somehow, she managed to finish up in a half hour, and her lips look pouty and delicious. I have no idea how women are able to walk out as if they spent hours on themselves when they haven’t.

“We’re almost here,” Evan murmurs, turning onto a back road. I’m grateful for the good tires on the truck, because this area isn’t well maintained during the winter. It’s a bit bumpy, but nothing Evan can’t handle.

“Is that the lake?” Aisling breathes, leaning forward to see the wide expanse of the frozen water.

Evan smirks as he carefully turns the truck around, so he can back it up as close as he dares to the water.

“That’s part of the surprise,” Evan murmurs. “I’m going to set up the next part. Sit tight, beautiful.”

“You guys,” Aisling says with a small smile. Anyone else would peek to see what Evan is doing, but she simply continues to cuddle with me.

“You understood the assignment about layering I see,” Domh teases her.

Her combat boots are visible underneath her dress, and Aisling shrugs with a giggle.

“I have a thermal shirt underneath the dress,” she explains. “Dad took me snowmobiling and it was so much fun, but also so cold in the woods.”

Evan had watched her with Cian while we were stalking her, and I smirk as I remember that.

“He’s very well prepared,” I say. “Did you bring things over from the house?”

“Mmhmm. When I last went to see him, I packed a few things that I wanted to keep with me,” she says.

Aisling acts like it isn’t a big deal, but she could walk out of the house and never come back. We wouldn’t force her to stay. She’s already driving herself to work alone again. It doesn’t mean I didn’t still watch video cameras throughout the day to make sure she was okay, I absolutely did.

I’m obsessive and paranoid about her safety, especially after how ROWS spoke to her at their meeting.

Evan opens the door with a grin, helping Aisling out of the truck, and I see Aiden standing next to him. His cheeks are flushed, which means he was out here helping him while we sat in the warm vehicle.

I feel a little guilty as I get out of the truck and glance into the bed of the truck. It’s meticulously put together, a clear sign that Aiden helped, since Evan is a bit chaotic at times.

“Ready for your surprise?” Evan asks with a smile as Domh turns off the truck and joins us outside.

“Yes!” Aisling squeals, excited. I notice that we’re all grinning, unable to hide it. Our poppet is absolutely perfect.

The snow crunches under our feet as we walk, and I’m glad it isn’t fresh powder so we don’t sink. Aisling’s eyes grow wide as she sees the bed of the truck. A large mattress fits perfectly back there, and Aiden and Evan rigged a heavy tarp over the top, so it would balloon up and keep out any snow that may fall later on tonight.

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