“A homeless shelter?”
He chuckled. “I know, it’s a far cry from Huntington Park. But I realized that you were telling the truth. About traveling through time and such … and so my new friends at the shelter showed me this wonderful tool. It’s called Google.” Elise laughed, and he continued. “I tried to remember all the details you told me. I found the website of the animal shelter where you worked in San Francisco, and I had a detective get more information on you, which led me to the New York clan.” He looked over at Lucas. “Please forgive me for hiding out in your territory.”
“Under the circumstances, you’re forgiven.” Lucas massaged the bridge of his nose. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around this, but please continue.”
“I was here for your first ascension ceremony, Alpha. I thought that would be the time Elise, Cross, and Julianna would travel back to 1820, but I was wrong.” He looked down at her tenderly. “The first time I saw you again, I thought my heart would burst. I wanted to come to you and tell you who I was, but I couldn’t. I knew I would have to wait until you traveled back. I befriended a few Lycans at Blood Moon, and finally, I got news about the new ascension ceremony. And I realized tonight was the night.” He gritted his teeth. “I followed you today. From Bloomingdale’s all the way to Tribeca.”
“That was you!” She cried. “Someone was watching us from across the street when we came out. I thought it was the mage.”
“It nearly killed me letting Daly kidnap you.” His chest rumbled as his wolf reached for the surface. “But I knew I had to let it happen. So that you would come back to me.”
“Oh, Reed, I—” She frowned, then looked at Cross. “You said he was going to die. That William would be Alpha. What happened?”
Cross thought for a moment. “He did die, in a way. Reed came to the future, and he never became Alpha. His family must have seen him disappear and declared him dead.”
Elise felt a pang in her heart. Oh no. Eleanor, Jeremy, William, the dowager. They were all gone. “Reed. I’m so sorry.”
There was a sadness that passed over his face as he squeezed her to his side. “We’ll talk later.”
“Oh God, this whole time-travel paradox is giving me a headache again!” Julianna exclaimed.
“Yes, it’s giving us all headaches,” Lucas declared. “Why don’t we all get cleaned up and, uh,” he glanced at Reed’s naked form, “dressed, and we can all debrief? The mages are still out there.”
“The mages!” Julianna exclaimed. “Where’s the dagger?”
“Here,” Cross said as he held up the dagger. “I secured it first chance I got.” He turned to Reed and waved his hand, and suddenly he was dressed in a white shirt and tan colored breeches.
“Thanks,” Reed said. “I prefer jeans though.”
Elise laughed as happiness bubbled inside her. She couldn’t believe it, but the proof was standing right next to her. Reed was here, in her present. And he was here to stay.
“Elise, darling,” Lara began as a knowing smile formed on her face. “Anything else you want to tell us?”
“Yes,” she looked up at Reed. He looked different with his beard, but also, there was something different about him she couldn’t quite put her finger on. “But maybe I’ll tell you later.”
Chapter Eighteen
The debriefing didn’t take too long, as almost everyone already knew the story of their time traveling escapades, and Reed had mostly filled them in on what had happened to him when he landed in New York. Lucas declared that they were going to put the dagger in a safe place, while also begin searching for the only missing artifact—the ring of Magus Aurelius—as part of their overall strategy to defeat the mages once and for all.
However, dinner took much longer as Julianna ate five cheeseburgers, French fries, two pizzas, and four milkshakes in one sitting. Reed surprised everyone when he volunteered to order all the food using his smartphone. “I swear, these things are like magic,” he had declared. “All I have to do is think of something, and someone will come by and bring it to me!”
Yes, he’d had three months to explore this strange new world, but all of that paled to the wonder of the woman standing beside him. The Alpha had generously offered them a suite in The Enclave to use for the time being. Reed heartily agreed, seeing as he really couldn’t see bringing Elise to his bachelor room at the homeless shelter he had lived in for the past three months.
And now, here they were alone, and he was speechless. One would think he would have spent all this time practicing what he was going to say to his True Mate, the love of his life, but right now, all words escaped him.
So, he decided not to use any words. He took her hands, pulled her close, then lifted her up into his arms to carry her to the bed. She didn’t protest at all, in fact, she was an eager participant as he helped her take off her gown.
He made love to her like he’d dreamed of doing all these lonely months. Slowly, eagerly, aching, and full of love. She was amazing, and though his memory of their last encounter was burned into his brain, it was just as beautiful as he remembered, and more so. When she came apart in his arms, he thought for sure that he had really died and gone to heaven.
They lay in the dark afterwards, arms around each other, enjoying the silence.
“I think I’m about as speechless as you are,” she began, a blush creeping into her cheeks.
“I don’t know what to say either,” he began. “So, let me start by saying the words I’ve been wanting say. I love you, Elise.” Sliding his hands down her
