Page 30 of His Lucky Charm

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Later, as we walked home through the quiet streets of post-festival Cloverton, Rafferty’s arm draped comfortably around my shoulders, I found myself reflecting on the journey that had led us here.

“What’s going on in that brilliant mind?” he asked, noticing my contemplative silence.

“Just thinking about how much has changed,” I admitted. “When I came to Cloverton to debunk your ‘ridiculous’ legend, I never imagined…”

“That you’d end up engaged to a werewolf?” He grinned, squeezing my shoulders. “Life has a way of surprising you.”

“Indeed it does.” I touched the pendant at my throat, still getting used to its weight. “Though I maintain that your courtship strategy was questionable at best. All that manufactured clumsiness and ‘accidentally’ brushing against me.”

“It worked, didn’t it?” His smugness was palpable. “You’re wearing my ring and the Alpha-Mate’s Token. I’d say my techniques were highly effective.”

I couldn’t argue with the results. “Your scientific methodology was unsound, but your conclusion is valid,” I conceded.

His laugh echoed down the empty street. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

We turned onto the path leading to our home—no longer the apartment above the pub, but a spacious cottage at the edge of town, close enough to participate in community life but with direct access to the forests for Rafferty’s monthly runs. It was the perfect compromise between human convenience and Guardian necessity.

“So,” Rafferty said as we approached our front door, “now that the proposal’s done and the blessing’s official, how are you feeling about all this? Any second thoughts?”

I stopped, turning to face him fully. “About marrying you? Not a single one.”

The sincerity in my voice made his expression soften. “Even with all the supernatural complications? The full moon schedules? The pack politics? The fact that our children might inherit some very unusual traits?”

“Children?” I raised an eyebrow. “Moving ahead in the planning process, aren’t we?”

He had the grace to look sheepish. “Just thinking ahead. Pack leaders typically start families within a few years of formalized bonding.”

“Well, fortunately, modern science offers various options for same-sex couples, even when one partner occasionally grows fur.” I reached up to touch his face, suddenly serious. “And yes, even with all the complications. I chose this life, Rafferty. I chose you—all of you. Wolf and man.”

The look he gave me made my heart stutter in my chest—pure love, tinged with wonder, as if he still couldn’t believe his good fortune.

“What did I do to deserve you?” he murmured.

“You spilled beer on my favorite tweed,” I reminded him. “Very strategic.”

His laugh was warm against my lips as he leaned down to kiss me—a kiss that quickly deepened from affectionate to hungry. Three years together had done nothing to dampen the chemistry between us; if anything, it had only grown more intense as our bond strengthened.

“Inside,” I gasped when we finally broke apart. “Before we scandalize Mrs. Henderson again.”

Our elderly neighbor had already caught us in several compromising positions in the garden over the past year—incidents Rafferty found hilarious and I found mortifying.

“She’s in Florida this week,” Rafferty murmured, nipping at my earlobe in the way he knew drove me crazy. “But you’re right. I have plans for my fiancé that require privacy.”

The word ‘fiancé’ sent a pleasant shiver down my spine. I allowed him to guide me inside, where he immediately pressed me against the closed door, his larger body caging mine in the most delicious way.

“Have I mentioned,” he said between kisses down my neck, “how incredibly sexy you looked wearing that pendant? The Alpha-Mate’s Token suits you.”

“You might have mentioned it,” I managed, tilting my head to give him better access. “Though I wouldn’t object to hearing it again.”

His hands were already working at the buttons of my shirt, fingers deft despite their size. “It’s tradition, you know, for newly recognized mates to celebrate their formal engagement.”

“Is that so?” I helped him push the shirt from my shoulders, then reached for the hem of his t-shirt. “And what does this celebration entail?”

His eyes flashed gold in the dimness of our entryway. “Let me show you.”

In one smooth motion, he lifted me, my legs automatically wrapping around his waist as he carried me toward our bedroom. The display of strength still thrilled me, even after years together—the reminder of the supernatural power contained within his seemingly human form.