Rightfully Hers

XXXI

[Isabelle's engagement ring above!]

"Is that everything?"

"For someone who basically spends their life travelling, you have way too much crap," Isabelle replied back, placing a box down on the ground in the living room.

"I'm the one with too much crap?" I teased, lifting up a random porcelain wolf from the mantel of the fireplace. "The house looks like a Hallmark!"

It didn't, actually. I'd never been inside Isabelle's house before- I'd only ever briefly seen it when we dropped her off the day we went to the beach. The house itself was absolutely ginormous, way bigger than Arabelle and Isabelle had needed. There were six bedrooms and four bathrooms including the master bathroom. The floors were a glistening marble, the ceilings high and the lights bright and sparkling.

When you walked into the house, there was a huge entrance, a staircase curling up the right wall. There was a railing on the upstairs hallway, so you could see who was walking upstairs. The dining room was through an entryway on the left, the kitchen was facing the beach, as well as the living room.

There were so many windows in this house, all of the curtains open to allow the unexpected sun in Kauai shine into every inch of this spectacular place.

I glanced over the sparkling kitchen island at the woman I absolutely adored, and the velvet box given to me by my mother almost burned through the pocket of my carry-on bag that I still had pressed firmly against me.

Isabelle left Toronto a month ago, but because school had ended for our eldest, Arabelle asked to stay in Toronto with me. I kept Charlie and Ari at my parents' place with me while Isabelle went back home to Hawaii and dealt with everything she'd missed while away.

She was a werewolf, an Alpha at that, and she wanted to keep her pack and her position as Alpha. It would have been selfish of me to want to take that away from her- lord knows I've been selfish enough as it is. So I decided to move to Hawaii with her.

I spent the month packing up my things and spending time with my parents and my brother as much as possible. Isabelle facetimed the girls and I everyday, and I knew she missed being there with us, but when we went back to Hawaii, it would be permanent.

I still wanted to be a Hunter, it's who I am, both genetically and emotionally. I spoke to Gabriel Caine, and he had me transferred to the Hawaii Institute, which had just opened up and was looking for a leadership position. I was the new head of an Institute. I worked from home now, mostly, only flying out to Honolulu where the Institute was located once every couple weeks for meetings and important events.

My missions slowed, but didn't stop completely. I liked working the field, and I was scheduled to go to New York City in September for a mission. As the head of the Hawaii Institute, it was necessary for me to stay close to the Institute as much as possible, but I still loved travelling, as different as it would be without Julian.

After a month of being apart, I said goodbye to my parents and my brother. I said goodbye to Julian. It was difficult, more than I thought it would be, but he'd kissed the top of my head and told me we'd visit each other, and then he stepped back, knowing he'd go home to a half empty apartment. It would be good for him, my moving out. I hoped he'd be okay.

So here I was, the end of July, a resident of Hawaii, head of an Institute, a Luna to Isabelle's pack, a mother to two girls. And, after tonight, hopefully a fiancée.

Isabelle broke my train of thought when she swiftly slid over to my side of the kitchen, pulled her arms tightly around my waist, and leaned in to press her lips against mine. I responded enthusiastically, tracing my palms down her thighs before I scooped her up and placed her on the island, her legs now wrapped around me.