There was merely an hour left to the time that Xavier had promised her to come back. Now all she had to do was wait for him patiently and she was doing that by sitting in her room right in the spot where he had proposed to her last night.

Her eyes once again found the ring in her finger. He was right when he said that she deserved this.

Maybe this was not what she had in mind but she had surely dreamed of it once in her life. Now it was just in a forgotten corner of her mind.

She smiled, feeling all giddy inside before palming her entire face and squealing on the bed.

***

Xavier had come to her backyard in the words and she could see him coming from the dense area of the forest but did not go in herself.

Mission activated, her eyes narrowed when he came closer.

"Hello, sweetpie!" Adelene squealed and jumped into his arms as he grabbed her legs around his waist and effortlessly caught her.

"Hi, baby," he kissed her head through her hair. "Everything is alright till now?"

She nodded, nuzzling close. Everything was perfect.

She continued to hug him wordlessly and silently. His warm body provided comfort and calm to her.

"So," he said after some time, "do you want to get down so that we can talk?"

Adelen stretched her lips into an impressed smile as she pulled away from him but did not unwrap her legs from his waist.

"Sugar snap pea," she said the first thing that came to her mind, then proceeded to point at his bulging biceps, "what use are they of if you cannot carry me during a walk?"

"Sugar pea what?" He grimaced and then shook his head as shaking himself out of it. "If you wanted me to carry you then all you had to do was say."

Pressing a kiss to her forehead, Xavier turned around when started walking to the forest with her clinging to him and nuzzling in his neck.

A comfortable silence blanketed then and none of them tried to break away.

Adaline appreciated The silence. She found herself cherishing it at the moment. It was just him and her and no one else.

"Cutie Patootie," Adeline murmured into his neck, "do you know that you were our most handsome boy in the school?" She randomly stated the fact that she remembered from almost a year ago.

"Boy? I was never a boy." He scoffed. "At the age of 17, one grows into his wolf and he is no longer a boy."

"Boi," she muttered under her breath. "Ah!" She yelped at the smack that came on her but where his hands were placed. "What?!"

"Don't be a Brat," he warned and she could feel him grow stiff.

Hmm, she hummed loudly.

"Why?" She craned her neck up and whispered into his ear, "Honey butter biscuit going to punish me?"

"What—Wait, hold the fuck on," Xavier pulled her away from him but let her legs be wrapped around him. "What the hell is going on with you and these names? Is honey snappy shit?"

A frown marred his head as he narrowed his eyes at her.

She gave him a small smile, "I was trying to find your nickname." Then she gave him an outrageously bright grin, "which one did you like?"

His lip twitched. "None," he barked, "fucking none, Adeline. Where the hell did you find them?"

He didn't need to know that.

She pouted. "I like it."

"I don't," he threw back at her but was a little sceptical. "Do you really like it?"

She nodded.

Still sceptical about it, Xaviers stared at her before eventually letting out an exhausted sigh. "Fine." He exaggerated, "but only when we are alone and never with people. All right?"

She nodded.

Adeline was going to do the exact opposite of that but he did not need to know that not until she actually did it.

****

When they went back to have dinner with her family they were surprised by the fact that his family was also present there.

Cassandra and Javier along with Ashlynn were sitting in the living room chatting with everyone when both of them arrived and to her horror, Adeline was still clinging onto him.

"Leave, leave, leave!" She had his shoulder as she and wrapped her legs from his waist but he did not let go of her. "Xavier!" Adeline hissed as her face reddened and in anger and humiliation.

"We are mates," he softly whispered to her, "when we behave like this, loving each other, touching each other, it is considered good because this is normal, Adeline."

She gulped slightly. " Really?"

He nodded. "They all would love to see us like this, especially after such a long separation."

She might not be a fan of PDA but holding hands and kissing him publicly was the least of it and even she enjoyed doing that.

Adeline gave him the smallest of nods and he smiled before taking her into the living room and sitting on the single seater sofa.

"Hello, you," Cassandra reached over and pinched her nose. "Show me the choice of my son?"

Even though her words barely made any sense, Adeline grinned and raised her left hand and shoved the ring in Cassandra's face letting her see the sapphire ring.

"Wow, look at that," she gripped her hand as she gazed over the ring. "It is beautiful!"

Adeline chuckled and kissed his chest in appreciation. It was when she looked away she realised what she had done.

She very discreetly ran her eyes over everyone in the room. No one seemed to have noticed it or was paying attention enough to them for them to witness it.

Yet it still made her feel out of place.

"We were thinking," Cassandra lowered her hand into her lap before speaking up, "how about we start planning your ceremony? It is a long way ahead and maybe we should start?" historical

At the moment Cassandra seemed to be hesitant and slightly hopeful that she would agree.

It made her feel nice that they were not trying to pressure her into it but nevertheless before giving her answer, Adeline give them a huge grin.

"Start rightaway!"