loved Ria from afar for far too long. Being with her was like every good dream he’d ever had, coming true all at once. He hadn’t been able to express himself to her very well up ‘til now. He was still coming to terms with the somewhat overwhelming enormity of what being with her in reality—instead of just in his visions—was really like.
He’d had to keep himself from daydreaming several times during the planning session. The other men didn’t seem to mind, though he thought he intercepted a few pointed looks and veiled amusement from some of the older guys.
He couldn’t have asked for a better group to help him defend his mate. Each and every one of these guys was a battle-hardened warrior. Most had multiple tours as combat-zone Special Operators. And they were all shifters. They had the cunning and instinct of their animal side combined with the intellect and experience of the human. It was a deadly combination. Deadly for their enemies, Jake prayed.
Ria was in true danger here and he wasn’t able to see the outcome of the coming confrontation. His gift worked like that sometimes. It showed him the lead-up, and sometimes several different possible outcomes, but very often, it didn’t show him the outcome of a single, key event that was crucial to the possible futures. It was a hinge point. A nexus.
Tomorrow would decide not only Ria and his fate, but the fate of millions of shifters all over the world. He only hoped he’d been convincing enough to the allied warriors gathered all around. He thought they understood the importance of what they were going to do in those mountains, but he was never really able to express the true depth of his visions in plain language. It was something you had to see and feel to really understand. Words just couldn’t capture the true nature of his vision.
As they wrapped up the meeting, Edvard slapped Jake on the back and steered him toward a deck he hadn’t yet explored. He had wanted to go back to the cabin to see if Ria was there and to freshen up a bit, but Edvard wasn’t letting him get away that easily.
When he cleared the last stair and saw what waited up on one of the observation decks, he understood why Ed was so insistent. The crew had set up a party. A buffet groaned under the weight of platters of food. Decorations had been found somewhere and put up. Colorful streamers gave the deck a festive air. And Ria was already there, standing by the bar, surrounded by women.
But the crowd was quiet, watching him with eager smiles on their faces. They parted to let him through as he walked directly to Ria. He stopped in front of her, aware of the curious onlookers only in a peripheral way. Ria was all he saw, really. Her smile filled his world.
Jake went to one knee before her, taking her hand in his. By that simple gesture, he declared his loyalty, his allegiance, and his love. There was no need for words. Ria’s eyes filled with tears, but they were happy ones. She reached down to kiss him and he stood, taking her into his arms and returning the kiss with all the depth of emotion pent up inside him.
Wolf whistles finally penetrated his hearing as the shifters all around them whooped and applauded. This was a party and the shifters were ready to celebrate.
Jake pulled back, looking down into Ria’s upturned face. “The party is for us?” he asked, just to be certain.
“Yeah. An impromptu mating celebration, since they knew we wouldn’t have a chance to celebrate with my Clan for some time yet.” Unspoken between them was the added if ever .
Everyone knew they were up against something grave here and might not make it out alive. This party then, was to celebrate a mating while they still could. Tomorrow might never come, but today, by the Goddess, they would party.
Chapter Six
The spur of the moment party touched Ria deeply. Her life had seldom included such commonplace things as a simple mating party. Most shifters loved to party,
He’d had to keep himself from daydreaming several times during the planning session. The other men didn’t seem to mind, though he thought he intercepted a few pointed looks and veiled amusement from some of the older guys.
He couldn’t have asked for a better group to help him defend his mate. Each and every one of these guys was a battle-hardened warrior. Most had multiple tours as combat-zone Special Operators. And they were all shifters. They had the cunning and instinct of their animal side combined with the intellect and experience of the human. It was a deadly combination. Deadly for their enemies, Jake prayed.
Ria was in true danger here and he wasn’t able to see the outcome of the coming confrontation. His gift worked like that sometimes. It showed him the lead-up, and sometimes several different possible outcomes, but very often, it didn’t show him the outcome of a single, key event that was crucial to the possible futures. It was a hinge point. A nexus.
Tomorrow would decide not only Ria and his fate, but the fate of millions of shifters all over the world. He only hoped he’d been convincing enough to the allied warriors gathered all around. He thought they understood the importance of what they were going to do in those mountains, but he was never really able to express the true depth of his visions in plain language. It was something you had to see and feel to really understand. Words just couldn’t capture the true nature of his vision.
As they wrapped up the meeting, Edvard slapped Jake on the back and steered him toward a deck he hadn’t yet explored. He had wanted to go back to the cabin to see if Ria was there and to freshen up a bit, but Edvard wasn’t letting him get away that easily.
When he cleared the last stair and saw what waited up on one of the observation decks, he understood why Ed was so insistent. The crew had set up a party. A buffet groaned under the weight of platters of food. Decorations had been found somewhere and put up. Colorful streamers gave the deck a festive air. And Ria was already there, standing by the bar, surrounded by women.
But the crowd was quiet, watching him with eager smiles on their faces. They parted to let him through as he walked directly to Ria. He stopped in front of her, aware of the curious onlookers only in a peripheral way. Ria was all he saw, really. Her smile filled his world.
Jake went to one knee before her, taking her hand in his. By that simple gesture, he declared his loyalty, his allegiance, and his love. There was no need for words. Ria’s eyes filled with tears, but they were happy ones. She reached down to kiss him and he stood, taking her into his arms and returning the kiss with all the depth of emotion pent up inside him.
Wolf whistles finally penetrated his hearing as the shifters all around them whooped and applauded. This was a party and the shifters were ready to celebrate.
Jake pulled back, looking down into Ria’s upturned face. “The party is for us?” he asked, just to be certain.
“Yeah. An impromptu mating celebration, since they knew we wouldn’t have a chance to celebrate with my Clan for some time yet.” Unspoken between them was the added if ever .
Everyone knew they were up against something grave here and might not make it out alive. This party then, was to celebrate a mating while they still could. Tomorrow might never come, but today, by the Goddess, they would party.
Chapter Six
The spur of the moment party touched Ria deeply. Her life had seldom included such commonplace things as a simple mating party. Most shifters loved to party,
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