“Oh honey, I am sure it’s fine. Snake’s never loved anyone like he loves you. He just as nervous about this as you are, I think. being loved is a big deal to him, he wants what his parents had. He watched his father as his mother fought for five years before she lost her battle with cancer, he never stopped loving her. His Dad always made a big deal out of Valentine’s Day, especially towards the end.” She wiped her eyes. “He’s kinda like a little girl this time of year, he always wants the perfect moment and the perfect food and…”
Terri laughed, covering her face, then started again. “It’s just Valentine’s chaos, every year he throws a special dinner for all the attached club members. He goes all out, he’s probably running all over town to find the perfect decorations or something.”
“Oh.” I felt even worse now, not only did he not think of asking me to help him, but he was doing all this for everyone else BUT me.
“And as for running off, he’s probably just out looking for the perfect card and gift ’cause he’s never had a woman worth sharing his Valentine’s Day dreams with. I mean, really? How tough can it be? Flowers, chocolate and some sexy lingerie that lasts thirty seconds before it’s in a pile in the corner.” I laughed a little, thirty seconds would be a record for us. Usually, we didn’t wear it. “Seriously, men get all wrapped around the axle about finding something meaningful, when all we REALLY want is for them to show everyone how much they love us. That’s why flowers get delivered to work and not the house.”
I laughed a little, Valentine’s Day was not exactly a Werewolf holiday. What was the point? You were mated or you weren’t, there wasn’t much courting or romance. You found your fated, or made a choice, then the bond took you the rest of the way.
“It’s like they don’t believe we’ll give them the sex unless they buy us the right thing. I finally got him to stop wasting his money on that stuff, when what I really want is…” She didn’t want to say it.
“What?”
“I want him to toss me over his shoulder after dinner and carry me out, smacking my ass before taking me home to ravish me. Oh, and I want a babysitter. It’s nice when he rocks my world and I don’t have to gag myself to keep from waking the kids up.”
I giggled. “We’ve had to get a couple new pillows, I’ve chewed through them.” She cracked up laughing.
“Oh, I… didn’t know it was such a big deal… Should I get him something?”
She just shook her head. “If you want, it’s not the same for them. They want a beer, and they want to see you naked.” That sounded right. “I got Hammer one of those combo Drill and Saw packs from Home Depot.”
“I hope it was a DeWalt, they’re the best!”
She started crying. “Viv, I can’t thank you enough for what you did last fall.” She wipe a surprise tear away. “If you hadn’t been on that road…” She couldn’t finish. She was a strong woman, a survivor of a terrible childhood and street life as a teenage runaway. She would probably have ended up dead if Hammer hadn’t practically kidnapped her from the future she faced. She loved him more than anything except their kids.
“I’m glad I was there, I think it was fate that brought me down that road because I wouldn’t have met you or the others without it.” We held each other until the tears stopped. “Now let’s go get me leashed up.”
Snake’s POV
I was sitting on a barstool, cutting peanut butter and jelly sandwiches into heart shapes with large cookie cutters for the kids, when I saw Teri come downstairs. She walked up behind me and next thing I know, she’s smacking me in the back of my head! It wasn’t gentle either. “Hey!” I checked for a lump. “What was that for?”
“You need to chill the hell out, Snake.” Terri hissed.
“What did I do to you?”
“Not me, DeWalt… You’ve been acting squirrely and she knows something is up, but she thinks it’s a bad something and not you popping the question.” Scowling, she picked up the tray of sandwiches. “Screw this up tomorrow night, and werewolves will be the least of your worries, ’cause this mama bear will be coming for your balls first.”
I shivered as I watched her going back upstairs. Terri was sweet, gentle and motherly, but I had seen her drop a guy twice her size. As much as Hammer loved her, he also feared her. Terri was not to be messed with.
I knew I had to come through with the perfect proposal, and get it done before I had to come back to prepare the big dinner. I still didn’t know what to get her, what to do, or how to do it. Valentine’s Day had never been so much pressure.
A few minutes later, Vivian’s wolf appeared in the entryway, covered with snow, and shook herself off. I got down to pet her, she smelled like a wet puppy and I laughed as she licked at my neck. “Hello, beautiful. Did you have fun?” She barked, her tail whapping the carpet. “I wish I was a wolf, I’d be the best mate you could ever have.” She whined before licking at my neck. Her teeth nipped at where my right shoulder met my neck, in the spot where Vivian said wolves marked each other. “I love you, too,” I said quietly. I led her upstairs just as the kids started filing in, their coats and winter gear filling the racks and hooks by the entry.
I spent a sleepless night, holding Vivian in my arms and trying to figure out how to do all this. It was somewhere after three in the morning when I finally asked myself what was important to her.
Family. Club. Medicine. Motorcycles. Me.
I’d start there.
Vivian’s POV
I woke him up on Valentine’s Day morning the best way I could think of. Sliding under the sheet, I popped his morning wood into my mouth, slowly sucking on the tip. He moaned in his sleep, his hips moving up towards me as I took more of him into my mouth. I loved his cock, it reached deep inside, but wasn’t so big it was difficult deep throating him. I kept working my way down, feeling his hands move to my hair as he pushed into my throat. “Fuck,” he whispered. I took him all the way, feeling his long cock deep in my neck, before pulling off slowly. “Happy Valentine’s day, baby,” I said before I took him deep again. He was gripping the sheets, his body quivering as I brought him to a quick orgasm. I loved the feel of him firing into my throat, his cock pulsing as his seed poured in. When I popped off, he had his orgasm smile going.
“Good morning, love,” he said. I smiled as he pulled me up to kiss him, all I needed to get him was a steak and he’d have the perfect day. At least that’s what the girls told me.
“What is the plan,” I said as I looked over at the clock. It was just after eight in the morning.
“Dress casual and warm, with boots, we’ve got some driving to do,” he said.
“No hints?”
“Nope.” It was a Saturday, so the breakfast grill wasn’t open. “We’ll get some food on the way.” Twenty minutes later, we were in his truck and heading south on Highway 52. He had brought a couple bags with him, placing them behind my seat where I couldn’t see them. He even smacked my leg when I tried to turn around. “No peeking.”
It was when he took the Zumbrota exit that my stomach sank. I grabbed his leg, nervously looking at the familiar town. “Are we?”
“Going to your land? Yes.” I didn’t let go as we went through the town, finally turning into the road that led up to the old Pack houses. “The Sheriff’s Department investigation closed; there have been several other property crimes like this, where buildings are burned, and dogs are killed. They released it last week. I knew you weren’t ready, so I took care of the arrangements for you.”
“Arrangements?”
“The remains. After they determined they weren’t human, they were going to toss them. I convinced them to give them to you, I picked them up yesterday and had them cremated.” Tears were flowing down my face. “I wanted you to have a chance to say goodbye to them.”
He hopped out, taking the key and opening the gate before driving through. He parked in the driveway of what used to be my parent’s house, and now was a pile of rubble covered by snow. I couldn’t move; he came around, unbuckled me, and set me on my feet. Reaching into the truck, he pulled out the box and took my hand. “What was your favorite place here?”
“The point,” she said. She walked through the snow, leading me through the woods until we broke through to a rocky point overlooking a bend in the river. “We used to swim here, and you could jump off the point into the water if it was high enough.”
I handed her the box, she opened it up, the ashes were in the plastic bag. “Do you want to say anything?”
Tears were streaming down her face as she looked at all that remained of her family and friends. “I love you all, I miss you every day. May Luna hold you tight in her embrace.” She moved to the edge and opened the bag, slowly letting the ashes fall to the river below as I hugged her from behind. When it was over, she collapsed in my arms. I carried her back to the truck. “How are you doing?”
“I’m restless.” I looked into her eyes, I could sense her wolf wanted out by how her eyes looked.
“You should run then.” I helped her out of her clothes, and she shifted into her wolf. “I’ll wait here for you.”
She spent a good two hours running around her old Pack grounds before she returned to me. She jumped into the truck, shifting, and I wrapped her in a blanket. “Better?”
“I said goodbye,” she said softly. “I’m selling the place, I can’t be here again.” She pulled on her clothes before buckling up again. “Snake? Thank you.”
“I’ll do anything for you, Vivian, even if it is just to be with you during the hard times.” I pulled back onto the road. We stopped for lunch before I took her to St. Paul Harley Davidson.
“What are we doing here?”
“You can’t ride, you can’t vote, those are the rules,” I said. “The guys say that bike of yours isn’t worth the money to fix it, so I thought we could do some shopping together.”
She pulled me inside, excited over the idea. “You romantic fool, you!”
“As much as I like you riding with me, I’d rather see you riding by my side,” I said. We spent a few hours there before she made her choice. It was a classic style, a Sportster 1200 Deluxe. It had lots of power but wasn’t so big it would be difficult for her to ride. She was giggling like a schoolgirl as she filled out the papers, it was a sweet ride.