Tears streamed from her eyes and she laughed while she cried, clinging to him as tightly as he clung to her. “Do you mean it?”
“Of course, yes. I mean it. Mean what?” he said and then laughed, because it was all beautiful, crazy nonsense, and he’d say yes to her from now until eternity—it didn’t matter about what. He had his wolf back and he’d never let her go again.
“That you love me?” Her blue eyes gleamed. “Did you mean it?”
Forcing her to look deep into his own eyes he grew silent, because he knew it wouldn’t be in words, but through his heart that she’d know the truth. “Can you not feel it, my wolf?”
She bit her bottom lip. “Yes, knight. I do.”
“Welcome home, my heart.” He rubbed his nose with hers, grateful beyond words that he had a second chance. That they had a second chance to get things right.
“Giles?”
He heard the question in his name and knew what she was asking. He nodded. “If you will have me as your mate and your man, I would honor, cherish, and protect you for all eternity.”
Gasping, she covered her mouth with the back of her wrist. “But the children, you would never—”
“Lilith, you are my world. Children or not, without you I wouldn’t be whole again. Say yes.”
Her smile grew broad and tears shimmered in her eyes, but she didn’t say a word.
Lacing his fingers through hers, he gently pried her hand away and gave her a small grin. “Well, Lilith Wolf? Will you take this thick-headed clod to be your mate?”
The longer she stared at him silently, the more he worried that she wouldn’t agree.
Hopping to her knees, she threw her arms around his neck and murmured a heated, “Yes.”
And then they were kissing, long and slow. Tasting and nipping at one another and though Giles wanted nothing more than to take Lilith to his quarters and make love to her throughout the night, he knew there were things they needed to do first.
She was the one to reluctantly pull away first. “I cannot mate with you until my father gives us his blessing.”
“Then we will go together and I will ask for your hand.”
“Yes. Together.”
They were seated around the family dining table, so reminiscent of where their journey had first begun many weeks ago. Lilith stared at her brothers and mother with pride, knowing that as long as her father gave his blessing, she would never have to leave her pack after all.
What a fool she’d been to make that deal with Rumpel all those years ago, believing that staying within her own kind would bring her happiness. At thirteen she’d not been able to imagine that love could come in many different shades and species and that however it came, it was beautiful and just the way it was intended to be.
Violet reached over and grabbed her hand. “Don’t worry, daughter. Your father will say yes.”
She sighed. “I’m not really worried.” She flicked her wrist. “Well, okay, just a little, but they’ve been in that back room an awfully long time. What if he says no after all?”
Her mother snorted. “Dear, I think the mere fact that you brought someone other than a wolf to our home makes your father happy. Not to mention,” she touched the pad of her thumb to Lilith’s cheek, “how happy Giles clearly makes you.”
“Yeah,” Lleweyn grinned, “and the guy is pretty badass—did you see the way he lit his hand on fire when mom’s flame died? Oh, the things I could make my brother-in-law do to that bastard St. John.” He rubbed his hands together gleefully.
Lilith rolled her eyes. “Not that I hold any love for that jerk—”
“Yeah, did you hear he got himself hitched while you were gone?” Erich, the youngest Wolf brother, piped up. At only fourteen he was barely coming into his manhood, but soon he’d be just as handsome as the rest of her brothers.
“Yes.” She nodded. “And I saw that poor thing sporting a black eye, how sad.”
Lleweyn shrugged. “She knew what he was when she mated him. We made sure to tell everyone what that bastard tried to make you do.”
Sighing, she picked at her half-eaten pork chop, casting a quick glance at her father’s still-closed study door, her palms growing more and more sweaty the longer they stayed back there.
“I feel kind of bad for poor Jewel,” she murmured. “To tie herself to someone so cruel.” Lilith shook her head.
“Yes, but that’s the way of it with most of us,” Uriah, the middle brother who had the unfortunate distinction of bearing a skunk stripe of color down the center of his sandy blond hair, said. “If it hadn’t been for Mother and Father showing us a different way, we’d all have been just like them. I’m sure if you asked Jewel she’d think she’d gotten herself a prize, considering St. John is an alpha.”