Rafa’s sharp eyes caught the glint of silver that had shown from beneath Nick’s cuff.
“What’s that you’re wearing?” Rafa demanded, his lips quivering with mischief. “Come on. Show off your pretty, pretty bracelet.”
Nick took off his new black leather jacket and displayed Raluca’s mating gift without a trace of embarrassment. Instead, he looked proud.
As everyone crowded around to admire it, Rafa made another try at getting a rise out of Nick. “Now all you need is a nice gold chain and rings on every finger, like Lucas.”
Nick didn’t take the bait. “Nope. I’ve got one fucking awesome piece, and that’s enough for me.”
Raluca knew differently, but didn’t comment. The armband was the gift he’d wear in public; the other was only for her and him, in the privacy of their bedroom.
“Also, it doubles as armor,” Nick went on.
Shane’s strike was blurringly fast, and out of nowhere; Raluca hadn’t even realized he was standing nearby. But Nick whipped up his arm and blocked it. Shane stopped his blow just before it would have bounced off the silver dragon.
“Nice,” Shane said.
“Armor was Nick’s idea,” Raluca said.
Hal laughed. “Yeah, I didn’t think it was yours.”
“I was kidding her about that,” Nick said. “But she took me seriously, and I’m glad she did. It’s badass.”
Fiona examined it with interest. “It’s quite a beautiful piece. And you could strike with it, as well.”
Shane, Fiona, and Nick began exploring the fighting possibilities of his mating gift, striking and blocking at nerve-wracking speeds. Raluca watched until she was convinced they weren’t going to kill each other by accident, then went to greet the rest of the guests.
The only housewarming guest Raluca didn’t know was the man who had come with Hal and Ellie. He had almost as many tattoos as Nick, and the same sandy-blonde hair, blue-green eyes, and snub nose as Ellie.
Ellie introduced him to Raluca. “This is Ethan, my twin brother.”
Ethan shook Raluca’s hand, then turned to Nick. “I don’t have a real housewarming gift. I drove straight up from the Marine base. But I did get this on the way.”
He produced a cooler full of American beer. Raluca politely thanked him, repressing her true feelings about liquids in cans. But Nick grabbed it with genuine enthusiasm and immediately cracked one open. “Hey, thanks, man.”
&nb
sp; That set off a flurry of gift-giving. Nick and Raluca were deluged with presents, from the practical (a promise from Fiona to personally set up their home security system) to the precious (a bottle of the rare liqueur dragonfire from Lucas and Journey, which Raluca happened to know was worth its weight in gold.)
Once the thank-yous were done, Dan, Kate, and Hal went to help Nick barbecue (which turned into them taking over the cooking), and everyone settled down to chat and drink and admire the view. Once Journey noticed Raluca’s new ring, they all admired that too.
“When’s the wedding?” Kate asked.
Raluca looked at Nick, who shrugged. “Feels like we’re already married. Up to Raluca, I guess.”
Destiny punched his shoulder. “Nick! Did you give her an engagement ring, and forget to actually propose?”
Raluca rescued Nick, who was starting to turn red. “We made our vows earlier, and shall discuss the wedding at our leisure.”
“Yeah, that’s right,” Nick said, recovering.
He sprawled in a chair with his arm around Raluca’s shoulder. He looked relaxed and happy, content to be with his mate and his friends. Raluca was happy too, but the more everyone spoke, the less content she felt. The wolves all had jobs or children or both. Journey didn’t work, but that was by choice: she traveled instead. Ethan was a Marine. Ellie was a paramedic. Catalina was a paramedic and was about to become a bodyguard as well. Raluca had Nick, of course. But soon he would be back at work. And then what would she do with her days?
Nick seemed to sense her thoughts. Quietly, he asked, “What’s the matter, babe?”
Raluca was about to say she’d tell him later, then reconsidered. She had no reason to keep secrets from his friends, many of whom had become her friends too, nor would they make her embarrassed about her lack of purpose. In fact, they might have some ideas.
“I have a question,” Raluca said. “Is there anything Americans traditionally do when they’re not sure what to do with their lives?”