Her paws felt light as they ran over the plush green grass that covered Lee's grandparents' backyard. Kelsi glanced at the big black alpha as stray, fragmented thoughts flowed through their bond. Beautiful was the one most oft-repeated, intermixed with feelings of pride.

Donovan had plied her with saccharine platitudes, but they all proved false once he realized Riley hadn't inherited his gamma status. Around the same time, he began seeing Mara—although Kelsi wouldn't find that particular tidbit out until several years later. At least Mara had the grace to apologize, even though she had no idea Kelsi existed when she and Don started dating.

Try as she might, Kelsi couldn't find any hint of falsehood in Alpha Lee's words. The bond, it seemed, wouldn't allow it.

Their run was cut abruptly short as they approached Lee's grandparents' pool. Reluctantly, Kelsi shifted, blinking away a moment's disorientation. As a werewolf, she was born to run; the old alpha's edict kept omegas from experiencing that singular joy. Now that she had a taste of that freedom, Kelsi vowed to never go back.

There were new faces in the crowd—at least five, by Kelsi's count. "Shit," she hissed between clenched teeth. She'd forgotten Sawyer had mentioned some additional family members.

"It's okay," Lee assured her, putting an arm around her waist. His touch was light, but she shivered all the same. Already this man was playing her body like a violin. Goddess, what else could he do?

Lee lifted his eyebrows, lips twitching in amusement. No doubt that thought traversed their bond. Kelsi flushed and ducked her head, busying herself with tucking some wayward strands of hair behind her ears as she collected herself. She had to do some research into mate bonds. There had to be ways to keep certain thoughts private.

Lee unlatched the pool gate and guided her inside. "Auntie Lara, Uncle Royce," he began, shutting the gate behind them, "this is Kelsi. Kelsi, this is my aunt, Lara, heir to the Bloodmoon Clan, and my uncle, Royce Starfrost."

Lara Bloodmoon was a tall, athletic dark blonde, with a stately bearing. Her husband, Royce, was a big bear of a man with a thick head of brown hair and a lumberjack beard. They both waved in greeting.

"And over there—that's my cousin Ollie, his wife, Celeste, and their daughter, Rowan. His sister, Harper, lives in Boston." The cousin was not as large as his father but he still had the build of a linebacker, towering over everyone by at least two inches. His wife, on the other hand, was a tiny slip of a thing, slender and fragile-looking, with big, dark eyes and an expression that exuded joy. Their daughter, Rowan, perched on a chair next to Riley, swinging her feet back and forth. Her long, thin hair was pale blonde, nearly white, and hung down to her waist.

"Kelsi," Celeste said, taking a step forward. Kelsi, for the first time in her life, had to look down to speak with a beta. "It's so nice to meet you." She extended her hand and glanced at Lee. "Is it appropriate to say 'welcome to the family'?" she asked, arching a thin eyebrow.

"I—" Kelsi paused and took a deep breath. She locked gazes with Lee.

The alpha's eyes widened and he flushed. "Uh, well, I haven't asked her yet."

"Oh!" Celeste pulled her hand from Kelsi's; it flew up to cover her mouth. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to ruin things."

"Oh, no—no!" Kelsi exclaimed, throwing up her hands. "You didn't ruin anything." She hadn't been expecting a grand proposal, let alone a ring. Hell, she figured they'd just walk into Silver Rush as alpha and luna, no ceremony necessary.

"Kelsi."

She tore her attention away from Lee's embarrassed cousin-in-law and turned towards the alpha. But he wasn't standing next to her.

He was kneeling on the ground.

Somewhere across the pool, Riley loosed a high-pitched squeal of delight. But that sound barely registered, as it was eclipsed by the thumping of her own heart.

"Kelsi," Lee began again, reaching for her right hand. "I have been waiting my whole life to find you." He paused, tilting his head slightly and smiling. "I know that hasn't been the case for you. But here we are, two souls brought together by the goddess. This road laid out before us won't be easy, but I promise you here, as I did by the tree—and in front of both of our families—I will never leave you, I will never cheat on you, and I will always treat you with respect. We will be equals," he added, with a firm nod. "And I promise I will care for your daughter as if she were my own."

His grip was warm, fingers trembled slightly as he spoke. Kelsi fixed her gaze on his face, which slowly became blurry the longer she stared into his eyes. Something warm trickled down her cheek and it was then she realized she was crying. She used her left wrist to dash the tears away and clear her vision.

Lee squeezed her hand and grinned. She could see tears forming in his own eyes. "Kelsi Kohl, will you be my wife and luna? Will you help me form a new pack in Silver Rush, Nevada?"

She tried to speak, but there was a lump in her throat. Kelsi coughed into her free left hand and met Lee's gaze again. One word and her fate was sealed. One affirmation and life as she knew it was over. She lifted her head and looked around the pool. Everyone was staring at them, frozen in some tableau like a witch had cast a spell. No one was breathing; it was as if the whole world had come to a standstill, waiting for her answer.

Sure, her life was going to be different, but she had been looking forward to that since Alpha Owen stepped down and his son, Alpha Ryan, took over. She had already planned for change.

But instead of creating her own change, the goddess had done it for her.

Lee's fingers squeezed hers, drawing Kelsi back to the present. Warmth flooded her veins and love coursed through their bond.

"Yes," she said, and the whole world exploded in a kaleidoscope of color.