He nods and stands to take it all in. “It’s looking good.”
Parker’s voice floats into my head through the mind-link. “She’s in the bath now with a face mask on. She’s relaxed, Rye. So don’t rush, you’ve got plenty of time.”
I let out a sigh of relief, closing my eyes to settle my nerves. I can imagine her right now, her skin flushed from the heat, hair damp and curling, completely oblivious to what we are doing.
My pulse spikes, and I press a hand against my chest, calming myself. This night isn’t about hunger. It’s about her. It’s about giving her the memory she should have had the first time. It’s about binding myself to her forever.
“Ryder,” Remy snaps me back. “You sure about the flowers right next to the candles? They could catch fire.”
He’s right. The last thing I need is a wildfire. I adjust them, listening to Jaxon’s quiet chatter beside me as he attempts to fold a napkin into a triangle.
Callen drops down from the trees, brushing his hands off on his jeans. “You’re laying it on thick, brother. She won’t know what hit her.”
“She deserves it,” I growl without meaning to. The words come out rough and with more intensity than I meant.
Jaxon frowns, mimicking me with his little fists on his hips and attempting a growl. “
Mummy’s going to really love it.”
I have to fight hard not to laugh, not just at Jax but at the look on Callen’s face.
“Christ, no DNA test needed here,” he chuckles, ruffling Jaxon’s hair.
Parker pushes into my head again, this time tinged with amusement. “Oh, just a heads up… She asked about why we don’t look at her in our wolf form earlier. I did a little show and tell.
Now she wants a one-on-one meeting with the three of you too.”
Jealousy spikes through me before I can shove it down. I wanted to have that moment with her too. My wolf surges under my skin, possessive and restless, desperate to meet her properly. I grit my teeth. “I hope you didn’t keep her out too long. I need her rested for tonight.
“Relax,” Parker answers smoothly. “She’s fine. I’ll deliver her to you glowing.”
I roll my shoulders, forcing myself to breathe.
The sun dips lower as we finish, and the clearing transforms before my eyes. This is nothing like the rough camp from our teenage fumble, it’s closer to something out of a dream. Lantern’s glow and candles flicker. The tent looks warm and inviting. It doesn’t look like a teenage boy’s mistake. It looks like a man’s promise. It’s perfect.
“Okay,” Callen says, straightening. “Everything’s ready. Now we just wait.”
Jaxon bounces on his toes. “Can we hide, Daddy?”
I scoop him up, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Yeah, bud. We’ll hide, and then we’ll let Mummy see what we made for her.”
He wriggles in my arms, too excited to keep still. I carry him toward the tree line, casting one last look over my shoulder at the scene. I hope she likes it and that tonight we can rewrite the memory that haunts us both.
“Thank you, all of you.” I say to Parker, Cal and Remy through the mind-link. “I couldn’t have pulled all this off without you.”
“Sure you could, you did most of this, we just helped a little,” Parker responds.
“Speak for yourself. We had to lug an entire bed out here.” Remy quips.
“Yeah, and that tent was a b***h to put up,” Callen adds. “Just remember this when it’s our turn to have our night with her.”
“This isn’t just about mating with her. It’s fixing a mistake. I want to prove I’m no longer the boy who ran away scared and left her in a tent alone. Tonight, I’ll give her the night she should have had, that she deserved.”
Callen grips my shoulder, squeezing it. “I think she knows that already, Rye.”
I don’t respond, because maybe he’s right, maybe it’s myself I need to prove it too. hug Jaxon tighter, reminding myself that night was not a total mess. We got this amazing little boy from it, and I know without a doubt that Paige wouldn’t change a single thing about that night if it meant Jax was never born. I find peace in that.
As the last of the light fades from the sky, Parker’s voice brushes through the mind-link again.
“She’s ready. I’m bringing her now.”
My heart skips a beat and then pounds against my ribs. I set Jax down, smoothing his hair. “
You remember what we talked about?”
He nods. “I won’t say anything. I’ll just smile big when she comes!”
I grin despite the nerves coiling in my stomach. “That’s my boy.”
Then I take my place at the edge of the clearing, every muscle in my body thrumming with anticipation, waiting for the moment Paige steps through the trees and sees everything we built for her.
I’m already hers, but tonight, I’ll make her mine.
** Paige’s POV **
The forest floor crunches beneath my shoes, each step lit by the faint glow of lanterns strung through the trees that I’m sure were not here before. Parker walks beside me, his fingers laced with mine, guiding me carefully like I might trip any second. He’s been acting odd all afternoon, avoiding answering my questions, distracting me with massages and face masks until I didn’t have the energy to argue. Now he’s brought me out here with a cryptic, “Trust me,
” and a glint in his eyes that makes me both suspicious and curious.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” I ask, trying not to trip on a root I can’t see.
“Nope,” he says simply, lips twitching like he’s holding back a laugh.
I narrow my eyes. “You realise this could be how horror films start, right? Girl follows a mysterious wolf man into the woods at night.”
Parker chuckles. “Good thing I’m not mysterious. You already know I’d never let anything happen to you.”
I roll my eyes, but I know he’s right. Whatever this is, I trust him. I already trust all of them more than I’ve ever trusted anyone in my life.
We step into a clearing, and my breath catches in my throat. Lanterns sway from the trees, their golden glow spilling across the grass, and candles flicker in little clusters. In the centre is a blanket with small flowers scattered around it like confetti, food is laid out in covered platters, and there’s wine chilling in a bucket of ice. Behind it all is an enormous tent. Not a flimsy thing, but a glowing cream teepee-type thing, big enough for us to stand in.
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