Chapter 53

Isolde spun on the dance floor with Ellie and the other bridesmaids, laughing. The difference between the woman in front of us and the Omega who came down the escalator in the airport couldn’t be overstated. Where she’d been timid and fearful before, and rightfully so, now she was vibrant and full of life.

Before her I’d heard stories about people who met their Omega and had their lives changed as quickly as this, but you could never understand the depth and totality of it without experiencing it firsthand.

I thought we were happy before, and we were, but it was nothing compared to what I felt now.

Cade stepped up beside me and nudged my arm. “Back.”

“You got it?”

“Yup.”

“She didn’t notice you were gone.”

He smirked. “Good.”

Surprises were going to be much harder now that we were bonded. So covering the surprises with big emotions, like the wedding, was a good idea.

Across the tent, I saw Isolde’s stepfather approaching our table with the others. I nodded to Cade. “Let’s go.”

It wasn’t far, and we approached just in time to hear him start speaking. “Thank you for listening before, and for what you’ve done for her. Isolde hasn’t been like this in… a very long time.”

Rowan nodded, looking past him at our Omega. “It’s our pleasure, sir. We love your daughter very much.”

“My wife and I are looking forward to getting to know you better. Guess it shouldn’t be too hard being just up the cliff.”

“I hope not,” I said.

“Well,” he cleared his throat. “Besides that, I protect my family. You’re a part of that now.” Reaching out, he handed a card to Joel. “If you need anything, especially if Beau decides he hasn’t had enough, you let me know. Or if you need help with the new careers.”

Cade chuckled. “How much did you find?”

“My guys are still digging through it all. But, approximately? Everything.”

We all laughed, and Henry pointed at Hawk. “We’ll talk later about a manager for you. I represent several.”

Hawk looked shocked, and for once, speechless. “Thank you.”

“I won’t keep you. I’m sure the last thing you want to do is talk to me when you could spend time with Isolde. But we’re grateful to have you here.”

“Is there anything—” I cut myself off, and Henry looked at me. “Is there anything we can do, legally, to make sure Beau stays gone?”

Rowan inclined his head. “Given most of this happened because of perceived damage to his ego, I don’t trust him not to hurt Isolde again. Or us. Or you and Mrs. Caruso. He wasn’t exactly pleased when he left.”

The smile on Henry’s face was exactly why he had the reputation he did. There was no kindness in that smile, only ruthlessness. “Don’t worry about that. He won’t be bothering any of us anymore.”

There wasn’t anything else to say after that. Henry slid his hands into his pockets and walked away.

Hawk blew out a breath. “I don’t think I even want to imagine the shit Beau has coming for him.”

I looked at them. “What do you guys think his real first reaction was when he found out about the escort thing?”

Joel shook his head. “I think that man is a vault, and we’ll never know.”

On the dance floor, the song changed, and Isolde was now dancing with Ocean and Trinity. Ocean checked her phone and said something. Suddenly they all stopped, Rin and Isolde staring at Ocean. The quieter Omega spoke again before hurrying off the dance floor and into the main house. It didn’t look like she planned on coming back. A second later Trinity pulled her phone out of the top of her dress and spoke to Isolde, stepping off the dance floor.

So she looked at us.

Our Omega made her way to our table. Isolde’s eyes were alight with happiness, skin glimmering with a sheen of sweat after dancing. “Hi.”

“Ocean okay?”

She blinked. “Yeah. I think so. We’re not really sure yet. But maybe?”

“That was… not an answer at all,” Hawk said with a laugh.

“No, but it’s all I’ve got at the moment.”

Isolde grabbed a glass of water and downed it. I was tempted to ask her to just pour the water over herself, but that could come later. “Thirsty?”

“Dancing is thirsty work. You all should try it. Are you going to dance with me?”

“Hell yes,” Cade said. “We will.”

Out over the ocean, the sun sank toward the horizon, painting the sky in an almost violent display of pinks, purples, and golds. I glanced at the others, feeling the confirmation in our echoing bonds. “But first, want to take a walk on the beach with us?”

The sass in her expression made me want to kiss it off. “If I say yes, am I about to get chased and wet? Cause I’m not sure I’m done with the party yet, so any ‘let’s get dirty on the beach’ ideas might have to wait.”

Joel stood and came around the table. “No getting dirty on the beach. Right now, anyway. The sunset is beautiful, and we just want a second with you.”

“I won’t say no to that.”

Ellie saw all of us going toward the beach and looked like she might come intercept us before I held out a hand. Her gaze fell on me and I winked. We would be back, along with our Omega. But first, we had to fix something.

We’d gone about a lot of our relationship backwards, and there was so much still in front of us. But we wanted every little thing with Isolde. To show her everything she’d missed and things she hadn’t even begun to dream of.

Starting with showing her forever.