But he kept a smile on his face and hid his true feelings. "I'll miss you, Aims. I'm not sure I'll be able to visit you anytime soon, but I'll always be thinking of you."
There was no response from his sister.
He wanted to kiss her cheek or give her a hug, but couldn't risk an episode. So he merely said, "I'll fetch Mum, and you can be off to start your new life."
Once he did, his mother managed to get Aimee into a car.
Honoria moved to his side and together, they watched them drive away.
As his mother and sister vanished from sight, Honoria took his hand. In that instant, something became crystal clear to him. His sister and mother may never return to Skyhunter. Honoria was his everything now, and he needed to make it official.
He tugged her back into his mother's house and pulled her up against his chest. Cupping her cheek, he murmured, "I have something to ask you."
She tilted her head a fraction. "What is it?"
Asher knew what he wanted and didn't hesitate. "Will you be my mate?"
She blinked. "Huh?"
"Honoria Wakeham, will you do me the honor of becoming my mate?"
"I want to scream yes, but why the change in attitude? I believe you said something about waiting until the clan is more stable."
"Together, I know we'll make it stable. But I can't risk losing you, Ria. And I want the world to know you're mine."
"More like you're mine."
The corner of his mouth ticked up. "I think it can be both."
She smiled, and the world instantly became brighter. "I think so, too. And yes, I'll be your mate, Asher King. And not just because I want to do this anytime I want and stop sneaking around."
Pulling his head down, Honoria kissed him.
As he put every bit of love he had into that kiss, both man and beast couldn't wait for the mating ceremony. It would be Skyhunter's first since they'd taken over, and in a way, it was the most fitting.
Two former lovers torn apart by hate had found their way back home, into the arms of each other. Skyhunter would start over with love.
And over the next few hours, Asher showed Honoria how much he loved her privately, over and over again, until they both drifted off to sleep, wrapped around each other, as if proving to the world they'd never let each other go.
Epilogue
Years Later
Honoria had never been more grateful that her newborn son liked to sleep. A lot. A gale-force wind could blow through the area, and he wouldn't bat an eyelash.
While introducing new babies to the clan was important, it wasn't exactly quiet inside the great hall. Under the circumstances, a sleeping baby was rare indeed.
Her beast grunted. It's all thanks to Aimee's in-laws. The Scots are incorrigible.
Skyhunter has its fair share of rambunctious younger folk, too.
Nowhere near as bad as them. I wouldn
't put it past them to fire up some bagpipes at some point. The grandfather, especially, will cause trouble before the night is done.
Archie is harmless.
Only because it's a special night will I pretend you don't know his reputation.