Protecting the Black Wolf's Mate
By: wizardtho
Chapter 28:
Bella's POV
After a few moments of concentrating on the samples and what my instincts were telling me, I said automatically, “The flooring I was calculating… that’s going to be the standard for all of the wet areas. The colors for the counters and wall tiles will come from there, with each room having a different focal color or two picked out of the flooring for that. The granite colors for the kitchen come from the wood, with neutral golds/browns/creams. The backsplash is a neutral stone that transitions easily between the counters and the wall color. There’s a focal point behind the stove. No more samples will be used for color, other than paint samples for furniture colors, but I get a good feeling about using them for patterns and layouts.”
I took another deep breath, then mentally thanked the elements and ancestors for their help. I opened my eyes to see Sam smiling softly, then his hand moved from my cheek to cup my neck as he said, “You did well, My Angel. How do you feel?”
I smiled, then said, “Hungry again, and a bit thirsty… but overall, I’m good. I don’t think I lost any energy.”
He smiled, kissing me tenderly, “I agree. I can feel you acutely when you’re focused like that. I didn’t feel you losing energy. That’s a good sign, Sweetheart. Let’s get your hungry little tummy some food. Would you like a snack or a meal?”
I smiled as Kim went around the counter, then said to her, “Snack, please. I’ll need to eat a full meal at my four-hour mark, and we aren't quite at the halfway point.”
She grinned, then produced a tray full of chocolate-covered fruit from the fridge.
I hummed as Kim set the tray on the counter next to me, then Sam kissed my neck before saying, “There you are, Beautiful.”
Leah shooed him, “Out you go, Sam. We have girl stuff to attend to while you do your manly bonding thing.”
Sam chuckled, then kissed my neck one more time before saying, “Alright, I get it. I love you, Isabella.”
He turned my seat long enough to kiss my tummy twice, then my lips, before he turned me back and walked toward the side door. As soon as the door closed, the girls got all excited, then Leah said, “Let’s take a break from the house for a little bit to look at something fun.”
I looked at her questioningly, so she giggled as she whispered, “I think Paul’s going to propose soon, and I want to look at some pretty rings.”
I beamed at her, then nodded excitedly as she did a Google image search for engagement rings.
We looked at rings for a while as I ate my fruit, but nothing really interested me. Kim seemed to lean towards the standard solitaire, while Leah seemed to like side stones on the rings she looked at. I, on the other hand, didn’t like any of them for some reason. They all seemed to be missing something.
When Leah changed the search to unique engagement rings, they got halfway down the page before I grabbed Leah’s hand, my breath hitching in my throat. I immediately moved my finger over the touchpad, then clicked on the picture to bring up a larger view.
Once the page loaded, I found out that it was a 2.23 carat round brilliant cut honey-brown diamond center stone, set in a gallery-style Edwardian setting, with half a carat of European cut white diamonds in the engagement ring for side and gallery stones, as well as a third of a carat of the same in the matching contour band.
The set was absolutely breathtaking. The thing that caught my eye the most, was the center stone. The honey-brown color of the diamond seemed to swirl, and it reminded me so much of the honey flecks in my Sam’s eyes when they showed with his desire for me.
I was broken out of my trance when Leah whispered excitedly, “Oh, look, Little Mama! This shop is in Port Angeles! That’s got to be a sign that this was meant for you.”
I scrolled down the page further, then choked on the price tag. The set was nearly 25 grand! “No. No way, Leah. Look at the sticker on that! There’s no way. It’s out of the question. No matter how gorgeous that set is, it’s an outrageous fantasy to think I could end up with that. Let’s… just… take a break for a few.”
I turned away from the laptop, then said softly, “I think I want to lay down for a bit. Will you call Sam in for me?”
I didn’t know why, but the thought of that ring being sold to someone else made me sad. I didn’t want to think about it anymore. I heard Kim calling to Sam that I wanted to rest, but he looked at me worriedly as he stopped in front of me. “Are you alright, Angel?”
I nodded with what I hoped was a soft smile, but I don’t think I quite managed it. “I just want to rest for a bit in your arms until it’s time to eat again.”
He picked me up gently, then kissed my temple as he whispered, “Alright, Isabella. We’ll go rest.”
I ducked my head into his neck, then closed my eyes. Just before Sam turned to take us upstairs, I thought I felt him nod to the girls.
It didn’t take long after Sam had us both stripped down, for me to be resting comfortably on his chest. Once I was settled, he started stroking my spine as he whispered, “Are you sure you don’t want to talk about what’s bothering you, My Little Beauty?”
Sam's POV
When Kim called me in saying that My Angel wanted to rest, I was confused. She didn’t seem at all tired compared to what she has been, but she did feel sad. It was almost like she was sad something or someone wouldn’t be there for long, so I was slightly worried. Then when I asked her if she was alright, her smile was off, and she seemed to be holding back. I just hoped she would let me know what was bothering her when we were alone.
Just as I was getting ready to turn away from the girls to take Isabella upstairs, I heard Leah breathe too low for my Angel to hear, “She found one, out of about a million that we looked at. As soon as she’s asleep, text me. I’ll bring it up for you to see.”
Once we were settled in bed, making sure the tubing and IV stand were towards the bathroom, I stroked her spine while asking, “Are you sure you don’t want to talk about what’s bothering you, My Little Beauty?”
She let a breath out, then said softly, “It’s nothing, Sam. I promise. Right now, I just want to be as close to you as I can. We’ve been separated too much today. I just need you to hold me.”
I nodded, kissing from her neck to her shoulder, then cooed, “Rest, Isabella. I won’t let you go.”
It took about ten minutes of me stroking her spine and placing tender kisses on her shoulder, which was much longer than normal, for her breathing to even out as her heart rate slowed down a bit. I made sure the sheet was covering us, then carefully retrieved my phone from the nightstand. I texted Leah, letting her know to come right in.
She was closing the door quietly behind her in mere minutes. She laid the laptop next to me on the bed, then pointed to a beautiful wedding set while breathing, “This is in a little shop in Port Angeles, by some miracle. We were doing a Google image search for unique engagement rings because nothing else even hinted at gaining her interest. This was halfway down the page. Her eyes lit up as soon as she caught sight of it. Her breath hitched in her throat, Sam. As soon as she saw the price, though, her whole demeanor changed. It was like she shut down. She said it was an outrageous fantasy to think she could end up with that set. I know it’s pricey, but maybe you could find something similar.”
I scrolled down the page, then saw that the set was only 1/7th of the total sale price of my place. At this price, there would still be enough left to give my Angel a beautiful wedding, while also starting hefty savings accounts for our little miracles.
I grinned widely at Leah, then whispered, “No looking for similar ones necessary. This is the set she wants, this is the set she’ll get. Call the shop to set up a meeting time for the end of this coming week. Tell him if he holds the set for me and doesn’t sell it before our meeting, I’ll add another 2 grand to the payment.”
Her eyes widened a bit, but she nodded, “Of course, Sam. I’ll tell the boys we’re running a tally of things needed for the house, and that you’ll pick them up at the end of the week. That way there’s a valid cover for the meeting.”
I grinned in response, “Good idea, Leah. Thank you… not just for this, but for everything. Oh, have Paul get onto the bank about the mortgage and his end of the house. When Bella wakes up, I’ll phone the realtor.”
She nodded, then picked up the laptop, saying, “I will, and I’ll have Little Mama’s food ready for when it’s time.”
Leah closed the door softly behind her, then I got lost in my thoughts of how to propose to my Angel until I heard Emily’s whispered voice outside the door. I called softly for her to enter.
She smiled as she came in with my Mama. Emily went directly over to change Isabella’s IV bag, while Mama curled a piece of hair around my Angel’s ear before saying low enough not to wake her, “Leah showed me. I think it’s perfect for her, Sam. Would you still like me to go with you?”
I gave her a relieved look, “Of course, Mama. You’ve always been there for the important things in my life. This is no different. I want you with me.”
She smiled and cupped my cheek, “And I always will be. You just take care of your heart now, Sammy. Leah called as you asked. The appointment is set up for late next Friday morning, I believe. Until then, just concentrate on Bella and your little ones. Nothing else matters. They need you to help them get well again.”
I nodded, knowing she was right, then said, “She’s got a long road in front of her, Mama, but I’ll be next to her every step of the way. I just pray that the ancestors will keep guiding us in the right direction.”
She smiled in response, “Her journey was proof that the ancestors are helping to guide you both. Trust in them, as well as your mate.”
I kissed my Sleeping Beauty’s shoulder, whispering, “I do, Mama… I do.”
She kissed my forehead, then Isabella’s, smiling as she whispered, “I’m helping Leah with dinner for tonight. Did you still want your romantic night tonight, or would you rather wait until she’s off the TPN?”
I shook my head, “No, we’ll wait until she’s unhooked from the IV. I know Charlie will want to be close to her, since he’s been gone for a while and keeps calling to check in. I doubt he’s even been able to concentrate on getting the house cleaned up with Sue.”
The room cleared quietly after a few more minutes, so my thoughts again drifted to plans of proposing to my tiny imprint. I immediately discarded the more grand gestures, knowing my beautiful girl would have nothing of the sort, then started thinking of inexpensive but meaningful ways. It didn't take long before I had the perfect plan, though. I only needed to wait for Isabella to come off the TPN.
I smiled internally as my perfect mate curled closer to me in her sleep, then placed a gentle row of kisses along her shoulder while envisioning the actual proposal.
Bella's POV
After a few moments of concentrating on the samples and what my instincts were telling me, I said automatically, “The flooring I was calculating… that’s going to be the standard for all of the wet areas. The colors for the counters and wall tiles will come from there, with each room having a different focal color or two picked out of the flooring for that. The granite colors for the kitchen come from the wood, with neutral golds/browns/creams. The backsplash is a neutral stone that transitions easily between the counters and the wall color. There’s a focal point behind the stove. No more samples will be used for color, other than paint samples for furniture colors, but I get a good feeling about using them for patterns and layouts.”
I took another deep breath, then mentally thanked the elements and ancestors for their help. I opened my eyes to see Sam smiling softly, then his hand moved from my cheek to cup my neck as he said, “You did well, My Angel. How do you feel?”
I smiled, then said, “Hungry again, and a bit thirsty… but overall, I’m good. I don’t think I lost any energy.”
He smiled, kissing me tenderly, “I agree. I can feel you acutely when you’re focused like that. I didn’t feel you losing energy. That’s a good sign, Sweetheart. Let’s get your hungry little tummy some food. Would you like a snack or a meal?”
I smiled as Kim went around the counter, then said to her, “Snack, please. I’ll need to eat a full meal at my four-hour mark, and we aren't quite at the halfway point.”
She grinned, then produced a tray full of chocolate-covered fruit from the fridge.
I hummed as Kim set the tray on the counter next to me, then Sam kissed my neck before saying, “There you are, Beautiful.”
Leah shooed him, “Out you go, Sam. We have girl stuff to attend to while you do your manly bonding thing.”
Sam chuckled, then kissed my neck one more time before saying, “Alright, I get it. I love you, Isabella.”
He turned my seat long enough to kiss my tummy twice, then my lips, before he turned me back and walked toward the side door. As soon as the door closed, the girls got all excited, then Leah said, “Let’s take a break from the house for a little bit to look at something fun.”
I looked at her questioningly, so she giggled as she whispered, “I think Paul’s going to propose soon, and I want to look at some pretty rings.”
I beamed at her, then nodded excitedly as she did a Google image search for engagement rings.
We looked at rings for a while as I ate my fruit, but nothing really interested me. Kim seemed to lean towards the standard solitaire, while Leah seemed to like side stones on the rings she looked at. I, on the other hand, didn’t like any of them for some reason. They all seemed to be missing something.
When Leah changed the search to unique engagement rings, they got halfway down the page before I grabbed Leah’s hand, my breath hitching in my throat. I immediately moved my finger over the touchpad, then clicked on the picture to bring up a larger view.
Once the page loaded, I found out that it was a 2.23 carat round brilliant cut honey-brown diamond center stone, set in a gallery-style Edwardian setting, with half a carat of European cut white diamonds in the engagement ring for side and gallery stones, as well as a third of a carat of the same in the matching contour band.
The set was absolutely breathtaking. The thing that caught my eye the most, was the center stone. The honey-brown color of the diamond seemed to swirl, and it reminded me so much of the honey flecks in my Sam’s eyes when they showed with his desire for me.
I was broken out of my trance when Leah whispered excitedly, “Oh, look, Little Mama! This shop is in Port Angeles! That’s got to be a sign that this was meant for you.”
I scrolled down the page further, then choked on the price tag. The set was nearly 25 grand! “No. No way, Leah. Look at the sticker on that! There’s no way. It’s out of the question. No matter how gorgeous that set is, it’s an outrageous fantasy to think I could end up with that. Let’s… just… take a break for a few.”
I turned away from the laptop, then said softly, “I think I want to lay down for a bit. Will you call Sam in for me?”
I didn’t know why, but the thought of that ring being sold to someone else made me sad. I didn’t want to think about it anymore. I heard Kim calling to Sam that I wanted to rest, but he looked at me worriedly as he stopped in front of me. “Are you alright, Angel?”
I nodded with what I hoped was a soft smile, but I don’t think I quite managed it. “I just want to rest for a bit in your arms until it’s time to eat again.”
He picked me up gently, then kissed my temple as he whispered, “Alright, Isabella. We’ll go rest.”
I ducked my head into his neck, then closed my eyes. Just before Sam turned to take us upstairs, I thought I felt him nod to the girls.
It didn’t take long after Sam had us both stripped down, for me to be resting comfortably on his chest. Once I was settled, he started stroking my spine as he whispered, “Are you sure you don’t want to talk about what’s bothering you, My Little Beauty?”
Sam's POV
When Kim called me in saying that My Angel wanted to rest, I was confused. She didn’t seem at all tired compared to what she has been, but she did feel sad. It was almost like she was sad something or someone wouldn’t be there for long, so I was slightly worried. Then when I asked her if she was alright, her smile was off, and she seemed to be holding back. I just hoped she would let me know what was bothering her when we were alone.
Just as I was getting ready to turn away from the girls to take Isabella upstairs, I heard Leah breathe too low for my Angel to hear, “She found one, out of about a million that we looked at. As soon as she’s asleep, text me. I’ll bring it up for you to see.”
Once we were settled in bed, making sure the tubing and IV stand were towards the bathroom, I stroked her spine while asking, “Are you sure you don’t want to talk about what’s bothering you, My Little Beauty?”
She let a breath out, then said softly, “It’s nothing, Sam. I promise. Right now, I just want to be as close to you as I can. We’ve been separated too much today. I just need you to hold me.”
I nodded, kissing from her neck to her shoulder, then cooed, “Rest, Isabella. I won’t let you go.”
It took about ten minutes of me stroking her spine and placing tender kisses on her shoulder, which was much longer than normal, for her breathing to even out as her heart rate slowed down a bit. I made sure the sheet was covering us, then carefully retrieved my phone from the nightstand. I texted Leah, letting her know to come right in.
She was closing the door quietly behind her in mere minutes. She laid the laptop next to me on the bed, then pointed to a beautiful wedding set while breathing, “This is in a little shop in Port Angeles, by some miracle. We were doing a Google image search for unique engagement rings because nothing else even hinted at gaining her interest. This was halfway down the page. Her eyes lit up as soon as she caught sight of it. Her breath hitched in her throat, Sam. As soon as she saw the price, though, her whole demeanor changed. It was like she shut down. She said it was an outrageous fantasy to think she could end up with that set. I know it’s pricey, but maybe you could find something similar.”
I scrolled down the page, then saw that the set was only 1/7th of the total sale price of my place. At this price, there would still be enough left to give my Angel a beautiful wedding, while also starting hefty savings accounts for our little miracles.
I grinned widely at Leah, then whispered, “No looking for similar ones necessary. This is the set she wants, this is the set she’ll get. Call the shop to set up a meeting time for the end of this coming week. Tell him if he holds the set for me and doesn’t sell it before our meeting, I’ll add another 2 grand to the payment.”
Her eyes widened a bit, but she nodded, “Of course, Sam. I’ll tell the boys we’re running a tally of things needed for the house, and that you’ll pick them up at the end of the week. That way there’s a valid cover for the meeting.”
I grinned in response, “Good idea, Leah. Thank you… not just for this, but for everything. Oh, have Paul get onto the bank about the mortgage and his end of the house. When Bella wakes up, I’ll phone the realtor.”
She nodded, then picked up the laptop, saying, “I will, and I’ll have Little Mama’s food ready for when it’s time.”
Leah closed the door softly behind her, then I got lost in my thoughts of how to propose to my Angel until I heard Emily’s whispered voice outside the door. I called softly for her to enter.
She smiled as she came in with my Mama. Emily went directly over to change Isabella’s IV bag, while Mama curled a piece of hair around my Angel’s ear before saying low enough not to wake her, “Leah showed me. I think it’s perfect for her, Sam. Would you still like me to go with you?”
I gave her a relieved look, “Of course, Mama. You’ve always been there for the important things in my life. This is no different. I want you with me.”
She smiled and cupped my cheek, “And I always will be. You just take care of your heart now, Sammy. Leah called as you asked. The appointment is set up for late next Friday morning, I believe. Until then, just concentrate on Bella and your little ones. Nothing else matters. They need you to help them get well again.”
I nodded, knowing she was right, then said, “She’s got a long road in front of her, Mama, but I’ll be next to her every step of the way. I just pray that the ancestors will keep guiding us in the right direction.”
She smiled in response, “Her journey was proof that the ancestors are helping to guide you both. Trust in them, as well as your mate.”
I kissed my Sleeping Beauty’s shoulder, whispering, “I do, Mama… I do.”
She kissed my forehead, then Isabella’s, smiling as she whispered, “I’m helping Leah with dinner for tonight. Did you still want your romantic night tonight, or would you rather wait until she’s off the TPN?”
I shook my head, “No, we’ll wait until she’s unhooked from the IV. I know Charlie will want to be close to her, since he’s been gone for a while and keeps calling to check in. I doubt he’s even been able to concentrate on getting the house cleaned up with Sue.”
The room cleared quietly after a few more minutes, so my thoughts again drifted to plans of proposing to my tiny imprint. I immediately discarded the more grand gestures, knowing my beautiful girl would have nothing of the sort, then started thinking of inexpensive but meaningful ways. It didn't take long before I had the perfect plan, though. I only needed to wait for Isabella to come off the TPN.
I smiled internally as my perfect mate curled closer to me in her sleep, then placed a gentle row of kisses along her shoulder while envisioning the actual proposal.