Diablo Lake: Moonstruck (23 page)

“You were just thinking about sex right then,” she accused, leaning in close.

“How do you propose to know that?”

“Well, a non denial is a pretty big indicator.” She sent him a raised brow that made him hard. “When you think about sex you get this faraway look—pretty similar to when the pizza is on the way from the kitchen at the pub to our table.”

He couldn’t stop the laugh at that. She knew him really well.

“Remember that time we ate pizza while we fucked?”

She blushed right down to the pretty cleavage on display at the front of her dress. “I remember.”

She’d not only showed up at his door wearing nothing under her robe, carrying a pizza, a six pack and a really giving heart. She’d even turned on the game in the bedroom, not that he watched anything but her making all his wishes come true. He might have absently kept track of the score, but he’d deny it if asked.

She probably knew anyway.

“You know me pretty well.”

“When it comes to you thinking about sexytimes, yes, I think I do.”

“And yet, you’re right there, looking up at me and trusting me to my core. How’d that happen so fast? How’d you become everything so fucking fast?”

Her cheeks darkened a little as she blushed. “I’m so strange for getting turned on at how mad you sound at the very idea of loving me like that. Grrr, feelings, I’m so mad at you!”

He took her cheeks in his hands, kissing her. “You should marry me.”

It was out of his mouth before he’d thought about it a little more. He’d planned to ask her, yes, but he had a plan to ask her once they got back home. He had champagne chilling already back at the apartment.

She pulled back, looking at him carefully.

“I know I sort of tossed it out there.” He pulled the ring box out. “But I actually had plans to ask you in a more romantic way than a blurted thought.”

And then he dropped to one knee in front of her.

Though there wasn’t an actual scratch across a record album sound, the whole room was suddenly looking at them as the music went down about half as everyone blatantly gawped and eavesdropped.

“Takes some stones to do this right now with the whole town watching,” she said, one corner of her mouth hitched up.

“I think we’ve established the state of my stones, Katie Faith. What do you say then? Marry me.”

Her gaze went down to the rings.

“Those belonged to my great grandmother. My grandma passed them on to you.”

A few tears dropped over her cheeks as she tore her gaze from the rings to his face. “Wow. Wow. They’re beautiful and,” she ran a fingertip over them, “they still have a trace of the magic she made with your great grandfather when she married him. Patty passed these on to us, so there’s a kind of magic from that too.”

“Answer the man, for goodness sake!” someone called out.

“Oh! Shit. Sorry. Yes. Yes, I’ll definitely marry you.”

He lunged to his feet, bringing her with him as he kissed her soundly. “Thank god that worked out. I was starting to worry that you’d say no.”

“No you didn’t. What kind of fool would I be to say no? I’m not any type of fool.”

“I talked to your parents already. And my family. But look, I know you want to go slow. So we’ll take it at whatever pace you need to,” he said, his forehead to hers. “If you want to wait until this whole mess quiets down, I understand.”

Everyone began to get back to their tables, or over to the bar to get something else to drink. Friends and family rushed over to congratulate them in a pretty solid stream for the next hour or so.

By the time that had settled down, Katie Faith should have known it was too good to be true that they could get through an event without nonsense.

Scarlett lumbered over, giving them both a look. Nadine got between them, surprising Scarlett into stepping back.

“You keep away from my daughter. You hear me?” Nadine crossed her arms over her chest and dared Scarlett to say anything else.

“All I was going to do was wish them well and tell her I hope things turn out better for her than they did his momma. The Dooley men have a spotty track record.”

Katie Faith didn’t even have the time to jump on Scarlett and beat her dumb face in because it was Nadine who did it first. Nadine who was at least three inches shorter and fifty pounds lighter than Scarlett.

Nadine who had a lot more magic than people gave her credit for and a whole lot of anger about what had just been said to her daughter.

There was a scuffle as Nadine got the first few blows in, mainly due to surprise. Chairs flew to the side as they went at one another. She kept her magic to a minimum, which was good as it was for self-defense as Katie Faith had done and Scarlett hadn’t shifted form.

“Y’all are trash,” Scarlett yelled out.

Dwayne waded in, trying to get her talked down.

Katie Faith got between the two women. “Momma, please. It’s over. You made your point and Daddy is going to get worked up if you don’t chill out.”

“You’re the one acting like you’re on a reality television show. No one asked your opinion of this engagement. You got no call to say that mean spirited stuff about my daughter. No call at all,” Nadine said to Scarlett, still pissed off. “What is
wrong
with you? You got grown children and grandchildren and you just did that? You should be ashamed of yourself!”

Katie Faith turned her mother in her arms, aiming her away, using her body to propel them both from the scene as the yelling continued at her back.

“Mom, I need you to focus. Calm down.” She managed to get them both outside where TeeFay and Aimee waited.

“I will not abide that woman one more moment.” Her mom tried to get past but they managed to get her held back.

“Nadine!” TeeFay grabbed Katie Faith’s mom’s shoulders and gave her a good hard shake to get her attention. “Get yourself under control. Avery needs you right now. We got Katie Faith’s back so you can handle him. Get him home.”

“She wished my daughter to die in childbirth. She wished my child to a loveless relationship with an abusive piece of garbage. How dare the likes of Scarlett Pembry even think that much less say it aloud? I can take her.”

“Mom!” Katie Faith hugged her mother tight as she yelled. “Stop. Please. You’re totally freaking me out now.”

Shaken, she let go when her mom slumped in her arms and scrubbed her hands over her face.

“It’s not all right,” she whispered.

“I know. But I’m not going to die in childbirth and I have a really wonderful boyfriend, well, soon-to-be husband now, who loves me. I trust him. Nothing she can say is going to hurt what I have with Jace. She just showed her ass to the whole town in there.
Think about that.
”

It was all Katie Faith could think about once she’d managed to get her parents in a car and on their way home.

“You guys should go home now too. It’s okay. I’m going back in there to be with Jace.” Katie Faith turned to TeeFay. “I don’t know what I’d have done without you tonight. Thank you. And for having my back with that whole mess.”

TeeFay hugged her tight. “Girl, you’re like my own. I’ve always got your back. As for your mom, I haven’t seen her that angry in a really long time. Maybe only three times her whole life.”

“What Scarlett says doesn’t matter. I don’t care about her.”

“Katie Faith, some things once they get said gather a sort of power. Some superstitions are based on real things. Some words can’t be taken back. You know? Your mother doesn’t want that bitch putting any sort of negative energy out there waiting to hurt you. And it’s outrageous to say what she did. She’s lucky your mother didn’t snatch her baldheaded.”

Aimee hugged her too. “We’re here until it’s time to go.” They linked arms and headed back inside where things appeared to have calmed down enough to sharp discomfort.

“Oh and congratulations again,” Aimee said in a whisper.

She grinned. “Yeah, despite all this chaos, it’s a nice night.”

“Do you have a wedding date?”

“He said I could take my time. Wait until things calmed down. Until I was sure.”

Aimee cocked her head. “He’s nearly perfect except for that control freak streak. Giving you more space even though you know he’s chomping at the bit to move forward. Once a wolf makes up his mind, they don’t seem to let up.”

They all watched Jace and Dwayne have a very tense conversation in one corner for a moment.

“I notice something.” Aimee turned back to Katie Faith. “The witches are here at your back. The Dooleys are here at your back. Outraged on your behalf one and all. Know who isn’t over here? Who didn’t stand up for you during that fight and right after? Pembry.”

“I’ve been trying not to make any overt declaration that might affect wolf business. But no matter what I do I’m making a declaration. I just need to think about what I want to say.”

She caught Sharon’s eye, the two looking across the room for long moments. That attack hadn’t come from her, it had come from Scarlett. Katie Faith wasn’t going to blame Sharon for that and she was done blaming her for breaking up with Darrell which was for the best anyway.

Carl stepped between the two wolves and Katie Faith hurried over.

“That’s enough for one night. This should be a celebration. We had an engagement this evening. Love is a good thing. We’d been peaceful and you’re damned well going to hear me tell you peaceful is a good thing.”

Katie Faith moved up to take Jace’s left hand, careful to leave his dominant hand free. “I have a lot of ideas for the wedding I’m excited to talk to you about. So let’s shine this mess on. If Pembry can’t get itself together, that’s ultimately their problem.”

Dwayne’s eyes widened. He hadn’t been expecting her to take such a public stand. Even after his wife had said all that!

Jace stood taller at her side, glowering back at Dwayne.

“You’re not Patron yet, boy, know your place,” Dwayne snarled.

“As soon as they get married, he’ll take over. What’s it to you anyway, Pembry?” JJ said.

“Talk to me then,” Dwayne said.

“Shut up, Dwayne.” Katie Faith took a cue from Jace and stood taller.

“You got no call to speak for wolves,” he said.

“And
you
got no call to decide who speaks for Dooley. In any case, I’m speaking for the witches in this town.”

The leaders of the consort except her parents, fanned out at her back.

When she saw his shock she sneered at him. “Yeah, that’s right. We’re not invisible after all, huh? You come at one, you come at all.”

“I thought you were going to stay out of wolf business,” Dwayne challenged.

“I did until you all made it town business.” She shrugged before turning her attention to Jace. “If you’ll take over as Patron once we get married, I think we can pull off a wedding pretty quickly.”

“I meant what I said. Take the time you need,” Jace murmured.

“‘’Course you did, which is why I love you. Anyway, you and I both know this town is never going to calm down so if we waited for that, we’d get old and gray.”

“You best watch the steps you’re taking.” Dwayne reminding them he was still there being a giant asshat.

“I’m entirely sick and tired of you and your family threatening me. I know which steps I’m taking. You need to be sure to do the same. I’m done with all y’all.” She held up a hand toward Dwayne and spoke to Jace. “I’m going to go home now. I need to check on my parents after this mess and there are plenty parts of this wolf crap I want no real part of.”

Jace smiled down at her, bending to kiss her. “Big, bad, tough witch. I like it. I’m done here to and I want to go with you to see Avery and Nadine.”

“Tell your daddy I’ll stop by soon,” Dwayne said and Katie Faith turned back from where she’d been walking away.

“You won’t be doing that. You’re not welcome. You’ve done enough so back off.”

“I’ve known your—”

Katie Faith interrupted him. “I don’t care about anything you’re going to say right now. I told you what was what. Keep your ass off my parents’ property or I’ll handle you myself.”

He stepped back as if she’d slapped him and she wished she had. When she was assured he wasn’t going to say anything else, she and Jace left with all the witches and Dooley wolves. The cat shifters had already been edging away, but once Katie Faith had reached the door, the cats had made their way out too.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Jace’s jaw hurt from keeping his control so tight. With Katie Faith upset, her parents upset and his pack worked up, they all needed him to keep it together.

They’d gone to her folks’ place, where her mother had convinced Avery to go to bed but Nadine was still worked up. Which got his little witch upset all over again.

They’d stayed long enough to get Nadine talked down off the ledge before heading home.

“I’m sorry,” he managed to say once they were alone.

“For what?” She kicked off her shoes as she climbed the steps leading up to their apartments.

“Tonight was supposed to be our night. A good time. A wonderful memory.”

She sighed. “There are parts that are most definitely wonderful memories. It’s not every day a gal gets proposed to. The rest? Like the part where my mom got into a brawl? Well, sometimes things don’t go the way we planned. Oh shit.” She came to a halt and he nearly ran her over.

The hallway outside the apartment doors was lined with Dooley wolves.

“What’s going on?” he asked Major.

“They need some reassurance,” his brother said quietly.

“I’ll make some warm apple cider while you talk to them,” Katie Faith said, unlocking her door and disappearing inside. “You may want to run and get some cups so everyone can keep warm while they wait,” she called out to Damon.

Major looked his way and Jace nodded. “Let her be. It’ll keep her busy and I could use some warm cider anyway.” He clapped his hands. “What can I do for y’all?”

* * *

It had been as if a switch had been thrown. The scene at the dinner dance had catapulted him into the leadership position in such a definite way and the wolves who’d shown up out of nervousness or anger, whatever their reasons, had done so without hesitation.

Jace figured he’d done something right, at least, for them to have shown up. To have waited patiently and calmly as Katie Faith brought them out cups of warm cider to enjoy while they waited.

Major showed Imogene Hadry in.

“Mrs. Hadry, it sure is nice to see you. What can I do for you?” Jace asked as he helped her into a chair before he sat.

“I surely don’t like all this upset. My granddaughter is having a baby in a month and all this fighting makes her anxious. That’s not good for the pregnancy.”

Jace leaned close enough to take her hands in his. “She’s lucky to have a grandma who cares so much about her.”

“She’s young. Young enough not to remember what it was like when we were truly at war with the Pembrys. Her mother and father look to me for reassurance and I’m here looking to you.”

“That’s what I’m here for. I’m doing all I can to set this all straight. But I won’t stop until I feel like my wolves are safe and taken care of. Plenty of Pembrys are fine, upstanding citizens of this town. Our friends and family. There’s no reason to think we can’t get through this rough patch like we have before. So your great-grandbaby can have as wonderful a future as possible.”

He knew her granddaughter so they talked about that for a while. About growing up and having the next generation of wolves to fill their pack.

She just needed to be heard. To feel like she could tell her family things were going to be all right and the world that baby was going to be born into would be protected and safe.

And after she left, and several more wolves came in with the same sort of need, Jace lost his hesitance and embraced his role. The role he’d been trained for his whole life.

Still, it was after one in the morning by the time everyone had cleared out. Katie Faith came over, having changed into soft pants and a long sleeved shirt, tucked herself onto his couch at his side and listened as he talked with his brothers about the whole situation.

“I think you managed to calm them all down,” Major said. “Grandpa wanted to come deal with them, but Grandma made him go home and told us to call you if you didn’t return within the hour.”

“We stopped off at the Gradys first. Just wanted to make sure they were all right.”

Major looked to Katie Faith. “I have to say, I’ve been scared of your mom my whole life but I never really knew why. She’s tough, but she’s always been sweet to me. After that scene at the grange I now understand it was my subconscious telling me she was a predator.” He patted her knee. “Your daddy okay?”

“They’re both okay. Or they were when I left. Tomorrow, or I guess later today, will be a challenge because I feel like she’s not done,” Katie Faith said. “I’ve never seen her so outraged. Not even after I was left at the altar.”

Jace put an arm around her shoulders to hold her close. He
hated
her being unhappy. It sent his wolf to pacing.

“Thank you guys for defending me tonight when Scarlett said all that about your mom. I know it hurt you too.”

“It’s no secret that she died in childbirth. I just can’t imagine what Scarlett thinks to gain by reminding people of that. This town may not like our dad, but they all seem to have liked our mom.” Damon frowned.

“They
pitied
our mom,” Major corrected. “Not the same as liking her. But I think Scarlett is past thinking about what the outcome of her actions might be. Which makes her a bigger threat than I first imagined. She’s truly out of control and Darrell isn’t helping.”

Katie Faith exhaled sharply. “I don’t care. I mean, I do care that she’s affecting her wolves, but she needs to be removed. And if Pembry won’t do it, they deserve what they get.”

All three males looked at her with some surprise.

“What? You don’t think I can’t be vicious when I need it?”

“Darlin’, I think you’re plenty vicious.” Jace kissed the top of her head, not allowing himself a smile at how adorable she was to protest that she was mean.

“You were pretty fantastic tonight, all things considered,” Damon told her. “Here and at the dinner.”

She’d treated his wolves like her own. Already tending to them, seeking to soothe and comfort. He wondered if she’d even noticed that.

They visited a while longer until finally his brothers headed off to bed and he was alone with her once more.

“So, I think tonight will go down as one of the most memorable Founder’s Days in history.”

Tucked into his side like a kitten, she managed a laugh.

“Did you really mean it when you said we could get married soon?” he asked. “I know it was the heat of the moment.”

She shifted to sit astride his lap, facing him. “Do you think I don’t know what it costs you to give me space and time?”

Surprised into momentary silence, he thought about her question and realized maybe he’d just done it without thinking because she needed it to be that way. And he told her so.

“You’re an alpha wolf. The Prime of your pack. It’s an indelible part of your nature to want to take care of those you feel responsible for. I took that for granted a little.”

Before he could argue, she put two fingers over his lips a moment.

“No. Let me finish. I love the way you love me. I’m spoiled. Used to the way you put me first. I don’t need any more time. I’ve thought about this a lot and had long conversations with Aimee about it.

“I know I want to be married to you. It isn’t
early days
when you’ve known someone pretty much your whole life. When you make me feel like I belong to something bigger than myself. I guess I have to ask you if you still want to marry me after that brawl earlier.”

He shook his head, stretching up to kiss her quickly, his hands then settling at her hips.

“If anything I want to marry you even more. Nadine will be an awesome mother-in-law. Damn, she didn’t waste her time with any bullshit, did she?”

She giggled. “Oh my god. Jace. She flew at Scarlett. If she hadn’t gotten the upper hand through surprise...”

“Your mother can handle herself. She went straight for a punch to the face. Made Scarlett’s eyes water. Blood went everywhere, freaked people out. Nadine made her point. Don’t think she didn’t. Scarlett won’t come at you without a second thought again.”

“But she will come at me again. Let’s be real here.”

Jace was pretty sure that was going to be true. “Yep.”

“When she does, I need to be ready. I’ll use magic to defend myself.”

“Don’t say it like you’re warning me. I
want
you to use your magic to toss her off like a flea. Remember, you’re my woman. You’ll be Patron when I take over for my grandparents. I’d assumed your strength would be your brain. And I still think that. But how could another wolf take you seriously enough to let you lead them? And then I saw you tonight and I understood. You’re a force to be reckoned with because you’re brilliant and powerful with your magic. Nadine didn’t need to be a shifter to blacken Scarlett’s eye. And you don’t need that either.”

Once he’d spoken the words aloud he realized what a huge thing it was that he’d just accepted.

She smiled at him with a little cunning at the edges and his cock throbbed at the sight. “You know what it does to me when you get vicious, right?” he asked her.

“I know enough to let her come at me first so I’ll have the ability to use my magic to defend myself.”

He growled as he yanked her down to kiss her.

“I have to confess something though. Before we go any further.” She pulled back, her lips kiss swollen and her hair a sexy tumble around her face.

“Am I going to like this?”

She grinned again, swiping her thumb over the line between his eyes. “That frown line is so sexy. I don’t know what to do with myself sometimes.”

“I have some suggestions. If you face that conundrum again, I mean.”

“I told myself I’d be circumspect once we married. Let you make all the decisions.” She shot him a look. “About the pack I mean. I told myself that even after we marry I can do my witch thing and you do your wolf thing. But I’m not sure now.”

“What do you mean?”

“I have opinions about things, Jace.”

“Good Lord, Katie Faith, did you think that was a secret? You have opinions on lots of things. Hell, most things.”

Snickering, she gave him a quick kiss. “Har har. I don’t think I can be married to you, be Patron at your side, without truly being involved.”

Relief flooded him. And then so much joy that she wanted to be a real partner in the running of the pack.

“Like tonight?”

“They stood up for me.” Her bottom lip wobbled a little, but she sucked in a breath and kept going. “Dooley wolves defended me tonight. They cared about me and I don’t know. It feels like a special sort of magic happened tonight between me and you and your wolves.”

He agreed.

“I’m going to remember who defended me tonight. And who didn’t. When we marry, my magic will make you all stronger. The power balance will change. I know it and to be truthful, I want that. Because unless new leadership takes over Pembry, they’ll just get worse and worse.”

“I didn’t expect you. Not to be this. Hell.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “I didn’t expect to love someone so much it hurt a little sometimes. The way it feels to watch you switch gears from sexy lady about to have hot sex with her man to concerned alpha when we got to the top of the stairs and saw everyone waiting. I don’t know that I’ll ever forget this night for as long as I live.

“Not for the fighting, but for the myriad things I learned about us both. You’re not just my witch, though you most assuredly are. You’re Dooley’s witch. I really do think that. When are you going to marry me then?”

“No way. You can’t say all that sweet stuff and not let me coo over you a bit.” She tried to look stern, but the kisses she laid all over his face belied that. “The Dooley wolves
are
mine. I feel that too. Strange. Wondrous. I’ll have to figure out how to work with both parts of my life, but I figure that’s a situation by situation thing. I’ll learn as I go along how to be a witch who loves the wolves she’s responsible for even though she’s not a werewolf.”

“When are we getting married?” he repeated.

“I need a few things. A dress being one of them. Carl can perform legal marriages. You’ll have to handle the wolf side of things. I don’t know enough and I don’t want to leave anything important out.”

“Well we eat raw deer liver under the full moon.”

She reared back, her lip curled and he burst out laughing.

“Hey!” She punched his arm. “Not funny, mister.”

As he was still laughing, he disagreed.

“You’ve planned a wedding to a werewolf before. I’m more handsome and my family is less crazy than that one. You’re good. We could go to city hall and have Carl do our vows. All I need is you. The ceremony around it doesn’t change the commitment.” And he didn’t want to have to wear a suit if he could avoid it.

“Darrell didn’t count. On pretty much every level. This is the first time I’ve done this. I didn’t feel for his wolves the way I do ours. I never felt for him not even the tiniest bit what I do you. So the wedding was a silly, fluffy fun thing for me, but it wasn’t necessarily a commentary on who or what I was. Most assuredly not about my relationship with Darrell. Which I suppose explains why we didn’t get married.

“This is our forever.”

He drew her close, resting his chin on the top of her head.

“So, in a month? A week? Tomorrow?”

“I have to set up a few things. We don’t need a big church wedding, but my parents will want to have a party or reception of some kind. I expect Patty and your aunts will too.”

He growled again, annoyed. He wanted her right then. But would he deny her this? Not a chance. If it pleased her, he’d make it happen.

“Give me two weeks. Okay? That’s not even very much time, especially with Thanksgiving coming up and you know we’ll hear about that.”

Two weeks was doable. He could live with that.

“I imagine my grandma has some help she’d love to give.”

“Of course. The rings, they’re special. She gave them to you for me?”

“She told me she’d had them and was waiting for the right woman to pass them on to.”

“That’s a really nice thing,” she said sleepily, her body a warm, comfortable weight in his lap. “I’m sure my parents will want to do the food. How many do you think will be there? Is this a whole entire pack feed four hundred thing or what?”