She flicked off the light to her new room and made her way downstairs. Everyone else was already there and Jake handed her a beer and planted a quick kiss on her mouth in greeting.
“Are you getting settled in okay?” Laurel asked from where she sat in Xavier’s lap at the head of the table.
“Yes, thanks again for letting me have the room,” she told them both.
Xavier smiled. “After what you did for us, it’s the least we could do. The room is yours as long as you like.”
“Until you’re ready to move into mine,” Jake whispered, nipping at her ear.
“The Lodge is your home now,” Xavier told her.
“Thank you.” She snuggled closer against Jake, enjoying this moment. Family. She hadn’t had it since her dad died. But she had found it here. Warm acceptance and a group that always had each other’s backs. A family. Here dad would be proud of her.
She had a feeling she’d be moving into Jake’s room in no time. But she wanted just a little while to establish her independence here. Not just as Jake’s girl but as Delilah of the Blue Bears. And she knew he understood that. They all seemed to. Laurel had already assured her it’s what she’d done too.
Xavier cleared his throat. “Besides, you’re not the only one benefitting from the arrangement.” He tugged Laurel closer and she laughed.
“Right,” Laurel said. “You get a place to stay and Xavier gets to stop thinking of creative ways to convince me to just sleep in his room every night.”
Xavier kissed her shoulder. “I win,” he said simply.
“Can we get on with the vote and what-not?” Harley asked from where he leaned on the counter.
“Why are you so grumpy all the time?” Jake asked but he shook his head like it was a rhetorical question.
“I’m not grumpy,” Harley argued. “Just not in the mood for the group orgy that’s about to come next. I’d rather cast my vote and get the hell out just like I did for Laurel a few weeks ago.”
Lucas snorted. “The Wilde Crew didn’t get its name for nothing,” he said and Nash laughed.
Delilah wondered what sort of stories lay buried in the crew’s past. Probably juicy stuff. She made a mental note to get Jake drunk sometime just to hear it all.
“Harley’s right. Let’s get on with it,” Xavier said. “All those in favor of voting Delilah into the Blue Bears crew, raise your hand.”
Delilah’s breath caught as one by one, everyone’s hand went up. Even Harley’s. Her eyes filled with tears.
“It’s unanimous then,” Xavier said and Jake whooped, spilling his beer as he jumped around behind her.
She grinned as everyone else applauded. Nash whistled.
“You’re one of us now, Delilah,” Xavier said. “Not a guest. Family.”
“Family,” Laurel echoed.
Joy and gratitude rose in Delilah’s chest and when Xavier raised his bottle in a toast, she raised hers as high as she could, too. “To family,” they all murmured and Delilah smiled at everyone as they drank together.
When she’d drank deeply, Jake pulled on her arm until she was facing him. His arms locked around her, holding her tightly in the circle of his embrace. “You’re mine now,” he said with a ferocious kind of affection that made her shiver.
She nodded, reaching onto her toes to kiss him. He kissed her back softly, drawing her in and running a soft hand over the place on her shoulder where he’d left his mark. So close to the almost-healed bullet wound. She loved that he’d bit her there. A glaring symbol that he’d been the one to save her. From so much more than he knew. She was his now. His polar bear. His mate. And she didn’t plan on ever giving that up.