Page 59 of Awakened
“If he wants to be brought back,” I said helplessly, putting words to my fear. No one could make Seth do anything he didn’t want to.
She squeezed my hands one more time and then let go. “Come to my house before you leave town. I want to have a chat with you.”
Before I could ask why, she turned to the person to her right. Over the next ten minutes, the tables filled up with pack members. Alpha Williams, Aiden, and Whitney took their seats at the head of the table. Next, Brandon, Emily, and Connor sat. Platters of barbecued meats and different sides lined the center of the table.
Once the whole pack was seated, Brandon stood. “Excuse me. Excuse me.” Everyone quieted, and Brandon smiled. “So, you all know I have had the pleasure of dating the wonderful Emily Williams for the past year.”
Oh shit. Is Brandon proposing?
“And well, Em, I love you more than I thought was possible. When we were younger, I was terrified you would be my mate, but when I discovered you weren’t, I was disappointed and couldn’t explain why. I think I understand it now. You drive me absolutely crazy, but I can’t imagine my life without you and your personal brand of chaos. This may seem too soon to some people, but who cares?” He dropped down on one knee and took a ring box from his pocket. “Will you marry me?”
I looked over at my beautiful best friend, and she was actually crying. Crying and nodding. She jumped out of her seat andwrapped herself around Brandon. She didn’t say anything, but if her kiss was anything to go by, I would say it was a yes. A few tears rolled down my cheeks as I smiled at my brother and his new fiancée. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Aiden watching me with a small, sad smile. Our engagement had been a sweet, private event. Something just for us, but nonetheless special.
As I sorted through the emotions flitting across his face, Whitney rested a hand on his shoulder. He turned and gave her a brilliant smile that didn’t contain an ounce of the sadness he’d shared with me.
It was then that I felt the pain that had been missing before. Only it wasn’t for Aiden—it was for my loneliness. I missed being looked at like that. I missed having someone to share my joy with. When I glanced back at the newly engaged couple, Brandon was looking at me. His eyes shone with tears, and the joy on his face took my breath away. I got out of my seat and went over to my baby brother and soon-to-be sister.
Crushing them both in a hug, I said, “Congrats, you two. I couldn’t be happier. Thank you for making sure I was here for this.”
“Of course. It’s just you and me,” Brandon said into my hair.
“And now, Emily.” I grinned, wiping the tears from my cheeks.
The afternoon continued with the happy couple being congratulated, hugged, and kissed within an inch of their lives.
When it was time to leave, Grandma Rose asked if I could drive her home. The short ride to her house was quiet. Believe it or not, I wasn’t feeling particularly chatty.
Stopping in front of her small ranch, I took a deep breath and got out. We walked down the driveway over the oil stains that Seth, Aiden, and I had spent hours trying to get up after we’d rebuilt a motorcycle one summer.
The stairs where I busted my tailbone during a vicious snowball fight six Christmases ago groaned loudly under my feet.
I’ll have Brandon come out and replace these boards.
The porch swing where I was sitting when they told me my dad had been found dead in the woods creaked as it swung gently in the breeze.
And oil those chains.
Shooting off a quick text to my brother, I followed Grandma Rose into the house. She hung her keys on the hook at the front door and took a seat on the long couch in the living room.
I sat in “my” recliner, purposefully looking away from the Seth shrine on the mantel. When it became apparent Grandma Rose wasn’t going to speak, I asked, “So, what did you want to talk about?”
“You and my grandson, of course.”
I sighed. Ever since the first time Seth brought me home to his grandma’s house, she swore we were meant to be together. Even when I was there with Aiden, she would make comments about what a cute couple Seth and I made. Seth’s cheeks would turn bright red, and Aiden would scowl, always holding me closer to his side. It was kind of an asshole move on her part. I guess I should have known something more was going on, but I was clearly oblivious.
“Grandma, there is no Seth and me. The timing was wrong, and I blew it.”
“No, honey. You didn’t. Things happen for a reason. You are meant to be with my grandson.”
I shook my head and frowned. “We aren’t mates.”
“Psh. Mates.” She waved me off. “What you and Seth have is more than a mate bond. Believe me, I know.”
“What do you mean, you know?”
“I chose Grandpa Jack over my mate.”
That got my attention. I had never heard of someone choosing another over their mate. While the modern understanding of the mate bond was that it was an extreme physical attraction, those who had experienced it said it was like love at first sight. Fighting it was supposed to be impossible.
