Page 55 of Brick

By the time the last guest had left and the last dish had been put away, Brick and Jade were able to sit on the back porch in a pair of wooden Adirondack chairs and stare up at the stars.

“I always thought I’d live in the alphas’ house,” he said.

“Oh?” Jade asked.

“Yeah,” he said, looking thoughtful. “When Adam took over the pack and asked me to move into the house with him and his parents, I thought it was just where I’d always be. I figured I’dget mated at some point and have kids, and they’d grow up in the alphas’ house.”

“What made you change your mind?”

“You asking me for a place for us to have privacy.”

She smiled. Privacy wasn’t too forthcoming in the alphas’ house, especially with well-hearing shifters running around. She liked being in their own place where they could be as loud as they wanted and do what they wanted without running into anyone else. Even something simple like watching TV in the alphas’ house wasn’t so simple if someone else was already using it.

“It’s nice we’re close to them though,” she said. “We can walk to their house if we want. Our kids can grow up together.”

“Like me and Adam.” He gave her one of his sweet smiles that made her whole body light up. “I love that idea.”

She tilted her head back to look at the sky again, then at Brick. “I wouldn’t change a thing, you know.”

“About what?”

“About the road here. People always say they wish they could change their past, but my past brought me here to you, the same way that your past kept you in Thorn Hollow so we could find each other. I hate that I never knew my mother or that my father was so distant, but the pack I grew up in shaped me into the female I am, and without that, I might never have come to Ohio. I can’t imagine my life without you in it. All the bad stuff, the scary stuff, brought us together, and I’m grateful for the road that led us together.”

He turned his head to her, a smile tugging on his gorgeous lips. “I’m thankful for the road that brought us here too. The only thing I want is a lifetime of happiness with you.”

“Me too.” Jade leaned into him, lacing their fingers together.

Brick squeezed her hand and she could feel through their connection as mates that he was just as content as she was, even though neither of them really needed to say it.

In that quiet moment, she felt like the future was wide open, just waiting for the next chapter of their lives to start.