The bites, the sex, the loving words came back. These men belonged to her. She couldn’t ask for more.
Chapter Sixteen
Six weeks later
The winter threatening to blanket Florida in cold air thankfully never materialized. It was late February and as close to balmy as one could get. Liz Wharton had organized a dinner party at the Ocean Breeze restaurant on the beach and had invited many of the Pack members. Ever since Trax and Dante had installed the security system in the place, they’d become friends with the owners. According to Clay, reserving the coveted top floor of the restaurant on short notice was unheard of. The fact the owners were also werewolves helped.
If the people of Gulfside ever learned the true nature of some of the town leaders, they might freak. Elena, however, couldn’t be happier. Her joy continued to escalate with each call home. While her parents weren’t rushing to make reservations to fly to Florida to meet Clay and Dirk, they’d become more accepting. Losing her virginity before marriage had been a low hurdle compared to the concept of her loving two men. She totally understood their hesitation. Patience was the key.
“Excuse me.” Clay tapped his glass with his fork.
Only nineteen of the twenty-one guests were present, including her new close friends, Liz and Chelsea. Neither Liz’s two men nor Clay would say who was missing.
His eyes lit up as he faced two newcomers. “I see our final guests have shown up.”
A tall, broad shouldered man with thick, silver hair entered with a petite Asian woman, delicately dressed in a silk blouse and thin, black pants. Elena leaned toward Dirk. “Who are they?”
“The general and his wife.”
“Ah, the infamous general.”
“His wife bought your first set of clothes, and she also was responsible for taking care of all the girls we found in Hood’s grasp.”
Her heart softened. “They’ve never come to a party before.” At least, none she’d attended.
“They don’t socialize often.”
So why now? A few of the men stood and spoke with the general. His wife smiled and sat, not overtly engaging in conversation. When the time was appropriate, Elena wanted to thank her.
Once the group settled, Clay tapped his glass again and stood. This time Dirk stood alongside him. She looked up at her amazing men still in awe they were her mates.
“I want to thank Liz for organizing this get together to celebrate our good fortune,” Clay said.
Hood was already in jail, and the human trafficking operation was all but shut down. No one questioned it would spring back to life someday. For now, the women were safe—all except those already sold. Her heart ached for Cheryl Johnson. No word had been heard of her location, but Sam and Brandon assured her they were working hard to find her.
Clay cleared his throat. “As you know, the world works in strange ways. Had it not been for a few of our more nefarious gangsters, Liz, Chelsea, and Elena would not have come into our lives.” He held up his glass in a toast.
After a round of clinking glasses, he continued. “As you know, Elena was on her way to Costa Rica when Hood’s men kidnapped her. Her luggage and purse were taken and never found.” He reached into his back pocket and retrieved an item he kept by his side. “While she’s been able to replace her driver’s license, credit cards, and other important items, her most valuable possession remained lost.” He faced her. “Today, this came in the mail.”
He handed Elena a precious gift. “My passport!” She stood and hugged him. Elation mixed with dread. Now she could visit her parents. While the reunion would be strained at first, with time they would forgive her.
Dirk lifted his glass. “You all know I’m not much for talking, but I want to say thank you to all the men and the general for helping take down some of our societies’ worst criminals.”
The group clapped. Chairs scraped. Both Dirk and Clay stepped away from the table. Dirk took her hand, lifted her to a stand, and led her three feet from her seat.
Both men dropped to their knees, and her heart slammed against her ribs. Dare she hope what this position implied? Dirk and Clay each took one of her hands. Clay’s eyes shifted to Dirk who pulled something out of his pocket.
Sweat beaded on his forehead. “This is harder than I thought. Going after a Colter is a hell of a lot easier.” Once more, a few laughed. He let go of her hand in order to open the blue velvet box.
Her knees weakened and her stomach squeezed. Dirk held up the most beautiful ring. In the center was a huge white diamond surrounded by two amber stones and another one more brown in hue. The amber must represent a wolf’s eyes in lust.