Page 45 of Marked
I roll my eyes, elbowing him in the ribs. “Yeah? Well just for that, I’m gonna come back and visit you every day.”
“You better,” Javi laughs, slinging his arm around my neck and putting me in a headlock.
I giggle as I fight him off, shoving him away and combing my fingers through my disheveled hair as I dart a glance toward Iver. Thankfully, he’s not jealous of or threatened by my relationship with Javi, like other men might be. I’m glad, because this is how Javi and I have always been with each other– we tease like siblings, and it’s strictly platonic. Besides, there’s only one man I’m head over heels for.
Iver twirls his keys around a finger, eyeing his truck. “We’ll need to get you a car,” he muses.
“Stop trying to buy me stuff,” I laugh, making a grab for the keys.
He catches my wrist as my hand closes around them, pulling me in close and pressing a kiss to my temple. “Just taking care of my mate.”
“Trust me, you have nothing to worry about,” Iver reassures as we work in tandem to prepare the half dozen charcuterie boards spread across the kitchen island, making terrible ‘flowers’ out of the prosciutto and arranging the cheese in ridiculous patterns. We gave up on trying to match our boards to the sample picture pretty much right away, when I had to concede that he’s right– it’s harder than it looks. These boards may not be pretty, but they’ll taste great, and that’s what really counts.
“I’m not worried,” I say, fanning out pieces of gruyere into the shape of a crescent moon. Miraculously, my statement isn’t even a lie. The thought of being in a room full of strangers would normally make me want to drink or hide away–both, if I’m being honest– but right now, I’m sober, and I’m shockingly calm. All thanks to the man beside me.
Iver has given me the confidence to face anything, even this little ‘meet and greet’ he set up to introduce me to the members of his pack. He kept it casual, telling people they could stop by between noon and four if they wanted to meet me personally before we all come together for the full moon run this weekend. I’m a little nervous, but I’m not worried. Not with Iver at my side.
“They’ve been dying to meet their Luna since the last full moon,” he says, wiping his hands off on a dish towel and stepping back to appraise his handiwork
I swear my pulse skips every time he calls me his Luna. I can hardly wrap my head around the fact I have a fated mate, let alone that I’m going to beLunato a pack. I’ve spent the last two years shying away from any attention, making myself small inan attempt to hide my shame. Now, I realize that in doing that, I was only giving Alpha Paul more power. The bastard was still controlling my life from the grave.
Not anymore.
Iver helped me take back my power. He showed me that there’s so much worth living for, and I’m going to make every day count.
As I arrange the aged cheddar, my eyes catch on the edge of the scar adorning my left wrist, peeking from beneath my cuff bracelet. My heart squeezes as I glance back at Iver over my shoulder. To think I almost missed out on this. Onhim.
The sting of tears pricks behind my eyes, but I fight them back, focusing on remaining in the present as I place the last few pieces of cheese on the board. My past is exactly that;past. I’m focused on the future.
“Do you think we’ll have enough?” I ask, stepping back to join him in admiring our masterpieces.
“For sure,” he breathes, slipping an arm around my waist and pulling me into his side. “Who knows how many people will show up?”
A lot. The answer isalot.
I swear every single person in the pack stops by to introduce themselves and offer their congratulations. We run out of charcuterie after the first hour, but nobody complains about the lack of snacks. Iver remains at my side as we greet his pack, holding my hand and offering his support whenever I start to feel suffocated. He senses it every single time I tip toward social overload, rubbing gentle circles over the back of my palm while a sense of calm radiates through the mate bond. It’s the only thing that holds me together, keeping me smiling until the last person leaves and only his family remains.
I’m exhausted. I fielded so many questions, got pulled in for so many hugs– I wasnotprepared for the amount of hugs I wasgoing to get today, but by some miracle, I didn’t implode– and now my social batteries are completely drained.
Covering my yawn with a hand, I wave my other at the couple that just left as I watch them get in their car through the front window, warmth blooming in my chest when they smile back at me and return the wave enthusiastically. The heat of Iver’s body envelops my back as he comes up behind me, looping his arms around my waist and nuzzling into the side of my neck. “Tired?”
“A little,” I admit, tilting my head to give him better access as he nips at the junction of my neck and shoulder, where I bear his mark.
He suddenly pulls back, lifting his head and turning to press a chaste kiss to my cheek. “Then we’d better go upstairs so you can get some sleep.”
I lean my head against his shoulder, glancing up at him with a smirk. “Well I’m not too tired forthat.”
His arms tighten around my waist, his chest vibrating against my back with his low chuckle. “Time to get rid of our family, then.”
Ourfamily. I spin around, glancing past Iver to take in the scene before us. His mom and dad are picking up stray soda cans, Javi and Lo are at the sink washing off the charcuterie boards. Tanner is slumped on the couch, texting on his phone, and Harper is coming to visit this weekend for the full moon run. All Iver’s people are mine now, too. This… this isourfamily.
I always dreamed of finding my mate, but I also dreamed of having a family. I never thought either would happen for me, and now I literally have it all. It’s like a real-life fairytale.
“Nah,” I breathe, my lips curving into a smile as my eyes return to Iver’s. “Let’s hang out with our family a little longer.”
epilogue
IVER
