Page 37 of Alpha's Second Chance

Some of the human traditions were cool, some were nerve-wracking. Shifter mating ceremonies were much simpler. Once the couple announced their intention, everyone got together in the woods to shift and then hunt together. Once the mating couple caught something -- hopefully a deer or something large -- then the clan went back to have a moonlit picnic. Then voila, the couple was mated in the eyes of the clan.

Simple. Easy. Fast. The ring-giving the humans did was cool, but I wouldn't be able to wear one most days -- if I shifted, I’d lose it. However, if Eve kept practicing law, she’d be able to wear a ring to work.

She laughed and I pulled her in tight again. “Seriously, if it works out, great. If not, we can form a new clan, just the two of us,” I said.

She turned to face me head on. “Speaking of clans. Your team treated me like your mate. Did you tell them?”

“No. I didn’t say a word to them. They must have been going on instinct.” Which was a perfect place for me to try this human proposal thing. Jeez. I should have watched a few of those romantic comedies my parents liked.

“Eve,” I said, trying not to let my voice become oddly formal. Not only would Eve be suspicious, I’d sound like a dope. She was already staring at me with her eyebrows drawn together.

If I didn’t get it together, she’d be howling with laughter before long. I licked my lips. “We’ve already discussed mating, and I can’t tell you how happy you’ve made me. But I know we’ll probably spend time living among humans too.” I drew in a big breath.

“So,” I said as I got down on one knee. “I’d like to have both traditions, if you’re interested. A clan mating ceremony, and a human one. Would you marry me?” I fumbled the envelope out of my pocket and handed it to her.

“Owen.” Through all of the chaos, I’d never seen Eve cry. Now she sniffed, and her eyes were wet as she pulled open the paper and found the ring. “Did you make this?”

“Yes.” Something made by our own hand meant more in the shifter world than in the human.

“And these are spruce needles,” she said. She pressed her face close to the envelope and closed her eyes. “Because you’ve always said I smelled like honey and spruce.”

I nodded. She still hadn’t said yes.

She sat with her eyes closed for a few moments. She opened those bright green eyes and the corners of her lips turned up.

She placed the envelope on the hearth and flung her arms around me. “Owen Brady, I would love to marry you and be your mate.”

My muscles went lax. Relief. I stood and lifted Eve into the air, spinning her around. My ribs creaked in protest. Afraid of dropping her, I sat her down quickly. I couldn't stop my gasp.

“Oh no. Owen! I’m sorry. Did that hurt?”

“It’s fine,” I groaned. My ribs felt like someone was prying them apart with a crowbar.

Not much was going to affect me at this moment. Eve was going to marry me. She’d be my wife. And most importantly, she’d be my mate.

Eve

Igot Owen some ice for his ribs, and helped him wrap them up. He’d been so distracted after the shower and our lengthy lovemaking, that he hadn’t taken care of himself at all. “You already asked me to be your mate,” I said.

“Yes,” he said, still taking shallow breaths.

“And now you asked me to marry you.”

“Yes.”

“Do you mean in a legally-binding, human way? With paperwork?” In the clan world, matings didn’t come with paperwork. A record was made by one of the elders, and the Alpha kept a list, but no one signed a paper. Making it legal was of little consequence, since the pairing was for life.

“Yes again. That’s exactly what I meant.”

“That is wonderful.” I cupped Owen’s jaw and kissed him. “Do you think you can walk outside?”

“Sure. Where are we going?”

“Come on.” I wanted to share the news. And I wanted to share it with shifters first. I’d lost all my relationships with shifters when I left, but now I could start to rebuild that bridge with Owen’s crew. “Let’s tell your team!”

“Right now?” Owen looked sideways at me. “I mean, I’m sure they’ll be happy for us, but they can wait.”

I knew how much he valued his team. Why was he being so weird? “Do you not want to tell anyone?”

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