“Congratulations and welcome, Liana. My mate, Rose, will be thrilled to know that thealpha has finally found her mate,” Selen said. She folded her arms across her chest.
Rose was a wonderful member of their clan. Her local apothecary shop had been a welcomed addition to their town.
“Welcome, Liana,” Nick said.
“Yes, welcome. I’m sure you will love it here.” Abe offered a smile to Liana.
Eddie pushed down a growl from her bear. Her animal didn’t like the fact that two unmated bears were so close to her female. Nick and Abe were two of her most loyal bears. They would never betray her. They even kept a respectable distance from Liana. A newly mated bear was a dangerous one.
“It’s so nice to meet you all.” Liana gave them a small wave. She slipped her arm around Eddie’s waist and leaned into her.
Eddie dropped an arm around Liana’s shoulders to hold her close. It pleased her to have Liana showing a little possessiveness of her own, even if she didn’t realize she did it.
“Terri called me this morning. She said her friend who she had reported missing had finally contacted her.” Selen gave a nod in Liana’s direction. “She had called earlier this week whenyou hadn’t shown. She was worried sick about you. We attempted to search, but in this storm, it was too dangerous.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate it. That was a nasty storm, but luckily enough, someone found me and kept me safe.” Liana turned her eyes to Eddie with a wide grin. “I have to call her and my sister back. I pinky swore with both of them.”
“You can once you’re settled,” Eddie said firmly. She gave Liana’s shoulder a squeeze before she turned back to Selen. She wanted Liana to herself a little while longer before the entire clan met her. “I’m sure you have updates for me. Let’s meet later tonight after I get Liana comfortable.”
“Yes, of course. There’s not much to share, but we do need to discuss a few things. All of it can wait.” Selen motioned for the enforcers to follow her to the oversized SUV that awaited them.
They waited until Selen and the enforcers were driving down the gravel road before Eddie turned to Liana.
“Come, mate. Let me take you inside,” she said.
They walked up the stairs to the porch and stopped on the top step. Liana was silent and had an unreadable expression.
“Are you okay?” Eddie asked.
“That was interesting,” she said. Her eyes widened as if she realized what she’d said. “In a good way. I knew you were the alpha of your clan, but seeing them waiting for us just made it seem all the more real.”
Eddie cupped her face in her hands. Her thumbs caressed Liana’s soft skin. She offered a smile to Liana before she pressed a kiss to her lips.
“You just don’t know what you are in for. When my entire clan finds out I’m mated, there will be tons of people who are going to want to meet you and get to know you, but have no worries. They will all be kind, respectful, but most of all—excited.”
“Excited?” Liana laughed.
“Yes, they were practically demanding that I get mated. When I returned from my little vacation, I was going to reach out to other clans and do what Selen did,” she admitted. She would have settled for a mating of convenience for the good of her clan.
But now she wouldn’t have to. Fate had delivered her mate to her.
She led Liana toward the front door. The porch creaked underneath their feet. The house smelled like cedar, warm wood, and the faint remnants of safe incense she’d burned before she’d left for her mountain retreat. When Eddie opened the door and Liana stepped inside, it suddenly felt more like home than it had ever had before.
Liana took everything in. The vaulted ceiling, the stone fireplace, the worn leather couch that Eddie loved so much.
“This is nice,” Liana gasped. She walked into the living room and turned around.
Seeing her in the home did something to Eddie.
“Anything you want to change, we can,” Eddie said. She wanted to ensure that Liana felt that this was her home, too.
“Change? Why would I change anything?” Liana spun around and stared at Eddie.
She walked across the room and stood in front of Liana. Her eyes were wide.
“I want to make sure this feels like your home, too.” She reached out and cupped Liana’scheek. She lowered her forehead to hers. “You are my mate. My partner. My heart. I want you to feel comfortable. Put your stamp on our home.”
Liana blinked. Her breath caught as she studied Eddie. Her throat moved, but no words came out.