Rome had come to meet his namesake—Rome Arbor (whom we called Arbor)—so we told him to meet us at the restaurant.
“What’s going on?” he asked, glancing around warily. Being from a small pack in the wilderness—and a former loner—big crowds weren’t his thing.
“It’s a surprise party for one of the pack members who works here. It’s her birthday,” Ramsey explained.
“A surprise party?” Rome looked incredulous. Likely because he was shocked that we’d asked him to meet us at a party for a stranger, but Ramsey just smiled cheekily.
“Yeah. It’s this thing we do when someone we care about gets another year older. Thora thinks she’s coming in to cover a shift for someone. Then when she arrives, we all jump out and yell, ‘surprise!’ Hence being called a surprise party.”
“Smart-ass,” Rome grumbled.
The lights suddenly flickered and went out, signaling that the birthday girl had arrived.
The room was silent until the kitchen door slowly opened, and Thora whispered, “Hello? Anybody here?”
When the lights turned back on, everyone shouted…except one person.
Rome was staring at my coworker, his mouth open, his eyes rounded, and I wasn’t sure he was breathing. After a few seconds, he sucked in a fast breath and blinked, then shook his head as if to clear his vision. I followed his line of sight and realized he was staring at Thora.
Kace walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. The next thing I knew, Rome was out of his seat and growling as he stalked across the room.
Ramsey’s shoulders were shaking, and I looked down to see her stifling her laughter. “He’s gonna have to eat crow, isn’t he?”
“I imagine he’ll happily do it if it means he gets to eat her next.”
Ramsey gasped dramatically and slapped my arm. “Aero!”
“Don’t worry, bright eyes. I’ll give you a demonstration tonight after Arbor is asleep.”
Her cheeks turned crimson, and I laughed before capturing her mouth in a deep kiss.
“I love you,” she murmured against my lips.
“I love you, too. More and more every day.” And I had no doubt that my love for her would continue to grow forever.
Epilogue
Ramsey
I’d waited for this day, anticipated it, dreamed about it. And it was finally here.
Aero held my hand tightly in his as we walked deeper into the forest. I was so excited that I wasn’t even tempted to drag my naked mate to the nearest patch of grass and have my wicked way with him. Okay, tempted, but it was overshadowed by my need to be with Aero in every way possible.
“Are you ready, bright eyes?” He was watching me with an equal measure of excitement, and I felt his love through our bond, wrapping me up in a cocoon of bliss.
“Beyond ready.”
My falcon had finally molted a couple of weeks after Aero and I returned to Timber Ridge. Right around the time we realized that he’d knocked me up—probably the first time we made love.
Normally, it would take around a year for a falcon’s feathers to fully grow back, but the pregnancy must have aided the process. A month after Arbor was born, I was fully healed.
However, it had still taken me a few more weeks to be willing to entrust our son to the care of someone else so that Aero and I could have some alone time.
Finally, our falcons were going to fly together. We’d given them time to bond, but without my feathers, they hadn’t been able to take to the skies. Which had frustrated them to no end.
They were anticipating this every bit as much as our human sides.
Aero and I stopped in a clearing that was awash with sunlight. It was beautiful and peaceful. The perfect place to let our birds fly free.
My mate drew me into the circle of his arms and kissed me tenderly. “I love you, bright eyes,” he said once we separated.
“I love you, too.”
After giving my hand a squeeze, he let it go. Then he winked right before he shifted and soared into the sky. I laughed and followed his lead.
My falcon called to his, and they flew together as one.
Hours later, our falcons returned to the clearing, content and satisfied in a way they’d never been before.
Aero and I shifted to our human forms, and I barely had a chance to blink before he yanked me into his arms and claimed my mouth.
Heat exploded between us, and I felt his desire through our bond. He wanted me as much as I did him, and it always made me feel beautiful and loved.
And it boosted my own arousal, so there was no resistance when he dragged me down to the soft earth. He covered my body and immediately thrust his hard cock inside me, filling me completely. I cried out in rapture and curled my legs around his hips.
“Fuck, you’re amazing,” he rasped as he began to move in and out at a slow, steady pace. “Majestic. Gorgeous. More than I deserve in a mate. But I’m never letting you go. You’re mine.”