Insider (30 page)

That was our cue to toss our caps in the air. Red and black caps rained down. It was over. Thirteen years of school, over. Done. Finished.

I smiled, picking up my cap and replacing it on my head before going in search of Caeden.

I easily found him weaving through the crowd and ran into his arms. He swung me around and kissed me before letting me go.

“You did it!”
I squealed. “Your speech was amazing!”

“Thanks,” he said, taking my face in his hands and kissing me again. “I was so nervous that I think I sweated through my gown.”

“I hope not,” I poked his side. “After all, it’s a rental.”

He laughed, and I let the warm, rich, sound of it soak into my bones.

“Your speech was awesome,” Bentley came up and gave Caeden that weird guy half-handshake, half-hug thing. Why didn’t girls have a cool handshake like that? So not fair.

“Ooh!” I exclaimed and grabbed Caeden’s arm. “My parents are here! Even though they said they couldn’t make it they’re here!”

Caeden grinned, dimple winking. “Did you really think they would miss their only daughter’s graduation? They wanted to surprise you, that’s why they told you they couldn’t make it.”

“And you knew?”

“Of course,” he smiled.

I hit his arm.

“
Ow
!” he grabbed it. “What w
as that for?”

“For making me think that my parents were going to miss my graduation. You all suck!”

Bentley snickered. “You got your hands full with this one don’t you Caeden?”

I put my hands on my hips, ready to retort, but was interrupted by Riley. “I told ya’ll we should call her Sassy Sophie.”

“Or Spunky Sophie,” Brody added, winking at me.

I couldn’t help cracking a smile.

“I still like she-wolf Sophie,” Evan slung his arm over my shoulder.
“That’s my mom and dad,” he pointed to a couple approaching us as families trickled onto the field. “Mom! Get a picture of me and she-wolf?”

“Sure, sure,” the strawberry blonde lady said, digging in her purse. “Aha! Here it is. I’m Elaine, Evan’s mom,” she announced to us. “Now smile!”

I smiled but just before the flash went off Evan kissed my cheek. I gasped in surprise, probably making the funniest face known to man.

Evan snatched the camera from his mom and laughed. “That is totally going to be my
facebook
profile pic. Take a look she-wolf.”

He turned the camera so I could see the image on the screen.

Oh, God.

I narrowed my eyes and pointed a finger at Evan. “You better promise me that, that picture never sees the light of day.”

“Well, technically it’s already seen the light of day, seeing as it’s the morning and all.”

“Evan, you know what I mean.”

“Fine,” he lowered his
head,
“I won’t post it on
facebook
.”

“Or twitter,
instagram
, or any other picture sharing site. Got it? Maybe you should just delete it now?”

“Nah,” Evan grinned. “I’m keeping this forever and ever as proof that I kissed the she-wolf.”

I laughed at him and the heard my mom. “Sophie!”

“Mommy!” I cried and ran into her arms. I didn’t give a crap if I was acting like a five year old at my graduation. I had missed my mommy.

She wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug.

“I thought you guys weren’t coming,” I said into her shoulder.

“We thought we’d surprise you.”

“That’s what Caeden just told me,” I pulled away from her arms.

“Oh yes,” she leaned around me to speak to Caeden. “I quite enjoyed your speech.”

“Thanks Mrs. Beaumont,” he blushed.

“Call me Christine,” she said.

I saw my dad coming and ran into his arms just like I had with my mom.

“Careful Soph,” he enveloped me i
n his arms, “you might knock an
old man down.”

“You’re not old,” I said, “and you’re far from push-
downable
.” I poked his beefy arm to drive home my point.

“Where’s Gram?” I looked around.

“Probably fussing about her shoes. Do you know that I’ve never seen her wear a skirt?” Dad smiled.

I laughed. “I must be pretty special.”

“Darn right you’re pretty special,” Gram hobbled up, her short little heels sticking in the dirt, “but if I wasn’t required to dress up I’d be in jeans, no matter how special you are.” She patted my cheek.

“Thanks Gram,” I laughed.

“Alright guys,” my mom waved her arms around, “I need pictures! Lots and lots of pictures!”

“Oh no,” I looked at Caeden, “we’ll be here for two hours.”

“We better not be,” Caeden eyed my mom.

She laughed. “An hour, tops, I promise,” she held up one finger.

“Let’s get one with my teammates,” I told her. “Hey guys!” I called and waved them over. “Do you mind taking a picture?”

“Nah, of course not. Anything for our she-wolf,” Brody grinned. His dark wavy hair was escaping from the confines of his cap.

I looked over at Evan. “And no stealing anymore kisses.”

He tilted his head back a bit. “You ruined my plan.”

“Squish together,” mom said, bringing her hands together as if she could move us herself. “Now smile.” The flash went off. “Let’s do one more, and this time no funny faces.” Flash. “Great, thanks. Now I want one of Sophie by herself,” she dismissed the guys.

“Bye,” I said to them. “I’ll see you guys this summer right?”

“Oh yeah,” Riley grinned. “You’ll see us. Hey dad!” he disappeared into the crowd and the others with him.

“Smile Soph,” she said. “Yeah, just like that. Oh that’s a keeper. I’m going to put that one somewhere I can see it. Caeden, get over here.”

Caeden came over, putting his arm around my waist.

“Smile!”

Flash.

Flash.

Flash.

“My eyes hurt now
,” Caeden whispered in my ear.

“My face hurts,” I said. “Mom, I think you have enough pictures.”

“Sophie, don’t spoil my fun. I wasn’t here for prom.”

Amy showed up then, the pack on her heels, and pulled her camera out. “Pictures!” she
squeled
.

“Oh God,” Caeden and I said simultaneously.

*
* *

“I think my face is frozen,” I poked my cheek as Caeden drove out of the school parking lot. We had posed and smiled for a good hour.
Separately, together, and with the pack.
I was utterly and completely exhausted just from taking pictures.

“I thought they’d never give it up,” he clicked his blinker on.

“Are we not going back to Gram’s?”

“No,” he shook his head. “Everyone’s going to my mom’s house. She’s put together a joint party for all of us.”

“That’s really nice of her.”

Caeden grinned crookedly. “It may be nice, but expect lots of crying.”

“I hope you have tissues.”

“I told Bryce to stop at Walgreen’s and get some,” he grinned.

“I hope he remembers.”

“It’s Bryce, so probably not. I guess she can always use my shirt,” he plucked at the blue button down, tucked into gray slacks. It was a drool-worthy look on him.

“Who all’s coming?”

“Lucinda, your parents, the pack, the pack’s parents, and I also invited your teammates and their parents. I hope that’s okay? I should’ve asked you first,” he gave me a sheepish glance.

“Of course that’s fine,” I laced my fingers with his. “It just might get a little rowdy.”

Caeden chuckled. “Soph, it’s already going to be rowdy with Bryce in attendance.”

“True.”

There was already a crowd of cars at Amy’s house. Caeden took my hand and instead of leading me into the house, led me to the edge of the woods. He held a branch up above my head. I gave him a questioning glance.

“I need to talk to you,” he fidgeted. “In private.”

“And we can’t do it in the car?”

“No.”

“
Alrightie
then,” I ducked under the branch. “Lead the way.”

The earth crunched beneath my feet as I followed Caeden deeper and deeper into the woods.

“Where are we going?” I asked, taking Caeden’s hand so he could help me over a log.

“Patience,” he flashed me a crooked grin and I relaxed a bit.
“We’re almost there.”

After a few more minutes of walking he stopped. “Hang on a sec,” he rummaged through his pockets. “Crap,” he muttered and began untying his tie.

He started wrapping the fabric around my eyes and I laughed, “Caeden, what are you doing?”

“I think that’s pretty obvious. I’m blindfolding you, silly girl.”

He secured the knot on the back of my head. “You better not mess up my hair,” I warned.

“Never,” he took my hand.

I tripped over some unseen obstacle but Caeden caught me before I could hit the ground.

“I’m just going to carry you,” he swept my legs out from under me, and the air whooshed out of my lungs, “I don’t want you tripping and ruining that pretty dress.”

I held onto Caeden’s neck with one hand and used the other to keep my dress from flashing my fanny at any unsuspecting woodland creatures. The sight might shock them to death.

Caeden walked a short distance before setting me down with a steadying hand on my lower back.

“Can I take this off yet?” I tugged at the blindfold.

“Not yet!” His hands grabbed mine. “I’ll tell you when,” he tightened the knot so that it wouldn’t slip.

“This isn’t some weird training exercise where ya’ll are going to jump out at me and see who I tear into first, is it?”
I could hear the sounds of a stream trickling nearby. The peaceful sound of it calmed my nerves.

Caeden laughed. “No silly girl. You’re not even close.” He shuffled around, the twigs crunching underneath his feet. “
Ow
!” He cried.

“Caeden?” I almost tore the tie off my eyes.

“No, no, no! I’m fine. Leave it on.”

“What happened?”

“I cut myself on a stick. Don’t worry, it’s a
lready healing.” He took a deep breath, “Open your eyes.”

I opened my eyes and was greeted with the most beautiful sight. Red poppies were growing everywhere, even coiling themselves around the trees. There reddish orange color was so bright against the greens and browns of the forest. The small little stream I had heard, trickled through and around the flowers. The white and gray pebbles gleamed from the sun shining through the clearing. “Caeden, this place is beautiful,” I turned to look for him but he was gone. He cleared his throat and my gaze fell. “Oh my God,” tears stung my eyes.

Caeden was down on one knee
surrounded by
the bright red
poppies, and a ring
was
held
tightly
in his hand.

“Caeden?” a tear fell from my eye.

He cleared his throat and then swallowed. His jaw clenched and unclenched in nervousness. He took my hand in his free one.

“Sophie,” he let out a breath, “I’ve wanted to marry you ever since I first laid eyes on you in the cupcake shop. I knew then, that you were far too good for me, but I also knew that you were mine. Not because we’re mates but because we will always, in any universe, belong together. You were a shining light when I was bathed in darkness.
You were my miracle, sent to save me. I’m so lucky to call you my shooting star, my she-wolf, my mate, and I hope… my wife.
Will you marry me, Sophie?”

Tears coursed down my face and I knew I was a very unattractive snotty mess. But none of that mattered. What mattered was this moment and what it meant to me, to Caeden, and to the rest of our lives. I lowered myself to both knees and put my hands on each of his scruffy cheeks. He was waiting, as if I would have any other answer, so I said, “Yes.”

Caeden whooped
and wrapped his arms around me.

“Yes, yes, a thousand times yes,” I said and kissed him.

Our mouths melted
together. Softly. Lovingly. His fingertips caressed my skin. I breathed him in. Pine, c
innamon, citrus, and wood, engulfing my lungs. I was still crying, I couldn’t help it, and my tears coated our lips.

Caeden pulled away and I was surprised to see tears falling from his eyes.

“I hope it fits,” he held up the ring. “It was my grandmother’s.”

“It’s beautiful,” I held my hand out for him to slip the ring on.

“Perfect fit,” he said when it slid easily over my knuckle, settling on my ring finger, where it would stay forever.

“It’s perfect,” I breathed, tracing the marquise shaped diamond, and then the unique vine and leaf like band.

“I thought so. It’s-” he searched for a word. “
Naturey
.”

I smiled and kissed his cheek. “When you blindfolded me, I never in a million years, imagined you’d propose to me.” I cupped his cheek and leaned in so that our lips brushed when I spoke, he let out a shaky breath. “And by the way,
you
are my miracle.” My fingers tangled in his wavy brown hair.

He swung me around, the poppies brushing my feet. “I should let you know though. There’s a bit of a… catch, to marrying me.”

“A catch? What do you mean?” My eyebrows narrowed.

He leaned in close. “You have to marry me before we start our first semester of classes.”

My mouth fell open a bit. “Caeden, that’s less than three months
from now
.”

“I know,” he said. “But I don’t want to start college as a bachelor. I
gotta
let the ladies know I’m taken,” he grinned, his eyes squinting.

“You’re full of it,” I said as he took my hand and held it in the air, his other hand rested on the small of my back and we began to dance to our own music.

“I’m serious Sophie,” his blue eyes darkened. “
I’m ready to be married to you. I want to call you my wife.” He leaned towards my ear and whispered, “And I want to make love to you until your toes curl.”

I gasped.

“Three months, Sophie. That’s all you
’ve
got to plan a wedding. Can you do it?”
He bent, plucking a poppy
from the ground
, and sticking it in my hair.

“Of course,” I stuttered, still recovering from his previous statement. A delicious sense of excitement had settled in my stomach.

He grinned and then dipped me down. My hair brushed the poppies and a ladybug whizzed by.

Caeden lifted me up and held me so our whole bodies were touching. Smiling he said, “We’ve got a party to attend.”

* * *

I kept looking at my ring as we walked back to the house. It truly was beautiful and I loved the fact that it had belonged to Caeden’s grandma. I traced the leaf and vine design on the band with my thumb. It fit the fact that as shifters, we spent most of our time outdoors.

“Does anyone know?”

“Know what?” he asked.

“That you were planning to propose to me.”

“No,” he shook his head. “I didn’t tell anybody but… I did ask your father for permission.”

“What?” my jaw dropped.

Caeden blushed. “It didn’t feel right
not
to ask him,” he shrugged his shoulders.

“When did you ask him?”

“While we were in Germany.”

“Oh,” I said, several things clicking into place.
The mysterious conver
sation that I had not been privy to.

Caeden lifted me over the fallen
log; my red ballet flats skimmed the top.

“I didn’t get a chance to tell you that I love this dress,” Caeden fingered the sleeve of it. “Red is definitely your color.”

I blushed and looked down at the red dress with little white birds on it. “Thanks.”

The house came into view and Caeden took my hand. “My mom is
gonna
freak,” he said.

“Your mom? What about my mom and Gram?”

Caeden laughed. “I’m sure Gram will burst into her ‘no baby’ talk.”

“Oh God, I hope not,” I put my head in my hands. “Especially in front of everyone.”

“Lucinda has no filter,” he grinned, leading me to the front door.

It opened just as Caeden put his hand on the knob. “There you are,” Amy huffed. “Everyone was wondering where you were. This is your party.”

“It’s everyone’s party, mom,” he said, leading me past her and into the family room. “Besides, I needed to talk to Sophie.”

“You talk to Sophie every day,” she followed us.

“Thank you oh wise one.”

Everyone was gathered in the family room, holding drinks, and munching on food.

“Oh my God,” Amy gasped from behind us.

Caeden
squeezed my hand and whispered,
“I thought it would take her a little longer to notice.”

“You’re engaged!” she screamed and the whole room went quiet. I turned as red as my dress as every pair of eyes in the room turned to me.

My mom dropped her cup on the floor. Thankfully it was empty. “You’re getting married!”

“Caeden decided to put a ring on it!” Evan joined in. He and my teammates started to do the
Single Ladi
es
dance.

The pack came over to congratulate us. Bentley’s smile was the biggest of all as he hugged Caeden and then me. “I’m so happy for you guys. You deserve to be happy.”

Charlotte and Christian squealed before they both squeezed me tightly. They then did the same with Caeden, who seemed at a loss as to what to do.

Logan said, “Congratulations.”

And Bryce. Oh, Bryce.

“Does this mean ya’ll are going to be even more grossly in love?”

“Probably,” Caeden laughed.

“Yuck,” Bryce said. “I think I’m going to throw up.”

“There’s a trash can over there,” Caeden pointed to the corner of the room. “Help yourself.”

Bryce rolled his eyes and walked off after Charlotte. I watched him take her hand and kiss her cheek. I was so happy to see those two together.