Ellie approached him to grab his arm and pulled him to a stop in front of her. She reached up to caress his cheek. “Nothing bad is going to happen.”
“Something dire always happens.” He sighed but wrapped his arms around her waist while his intense gaze studied her face. “Are you sure that you don’t mind doing it this way? Breeze and some of the females have informed me that I’m making a mistake. They believe you will resent it later. I hope they have been watching too many movies. Breeze reminded me about human families and they think we should have more of your people here.”
“They have been watching too many movies. That’s true and it’s my fault. We watch them almost every day to help them learn about normal life…up to a point. This is what I want. You’re my family now, Fury. I love my blood family but they weren’t real understanding of our relationship when I spoke to them. I have to face the fact that, no matter what I do or who I’m with, they won’t be happy. They will just have to deal with it. If they don’t, too bad. This is my life now, here with you. You’re everything to me.”
Fury chewed on his bottom lip. “What about children? I wish I could give you those but I’m unable.” Sadness haunted his eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. Do you want to have some?”
Ellie’s heart missed a beat at the idea of having a little Fury running around their home. She bet it would be one adorable little baby but she knew it would never happen.
“I would like to.” Fury pulled her tighter against his chest. “But mostly I just want you. All that matters is we are together and I am so grateful to have you, Ellie. You are always going to be more than enough to make me happy.”
“I would like a few little rug rats myself.” She smiled up at him. “We’ll work it out somehow. Trisha and Ted are great doctors who might be able to find a way to fix what was done to you and if not, we could always adopt. There are always options. If we never have children, that’s okay too.”
He nodded. “We can at least talk to the doctors. It would be the first time in my life that I wouldn’t mind being tested and prodded. I never believed I’d say those words after all that was done to me inside my cell.”
Ellie’s heart nearly stilled at the reminder of their past and how they had met. “Will you ever forgive me for what I did to you?”
He met her gaze and held it. “You don’t even have to ask that. I already have. You did what you had to do to save us all.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
Fury’s smile faltered. “Are you sure you aren’t going to be sorry for today? Are you certain this is what you want? I need this to be perfect for you.”
“Hey,” Ellie whispered. “Don’t look sad. Being with you makes me happier than I’ve ever been in my entire life. How many times do I have to keep saying that before you believe me? I love you. If you had any idea how happy this makes me, you wouldn’t even think to ask me. I’m positive that this is exactly what I want, just this way, because I’m doing this with you.”
The conference room door opened and Ellie twisted her head to glance back. Justice entered and a group of people followed him. Ellie smiled at familiar faces.
“Are you sure, Ellie? We could wait and plan something better, something more traditional.”
Ellie met his gaze. “I told you. I don’t care where it’s held or how it’s done, Fury.”
“I want nothing to go wrong,” Fury growled. “No shooters. No crazy nurses.”
Ellie bit her lip hard. She didn’t want to laugh. He looked so certain something would go wrong. “This is why we decided to do this today with only a few people clued in to what we’re about to do. No one can mess up something they aren’t expecting.”
“I like your logic.”
Ellie moved closer, rising to her tiptoes to brush her lips against his ear. “I love your ass and the fact that you’re totally healed up. I can’t wait to get you alone.”
“Ellie?” Slade spoke.
Ellie turned her head. “I’m talking over here.”
“And we’re all listening,” Slade chuckled while he tapped his ear. “Keen hearing. Glad to know Fury is back to a hundred percent though.”
Blushing, Ellie glared at him. “What is it with you guys? Couldn’t you at least pretend you didn’t hear that?”
Slade winked. “Where would be the fun in that? You blush so cutely.”
Fury growled, shooting his friend a warning glare, and Slade moved to take a seat. Ellie shook her head while Fury shrugged.
A white-haired man walked through the door last. He wore a black robe and held a bible in his hand. He took his place in front of Ellie and Fury. His serious gaze traveled around the room.
“I need everyone to please take a seat.”
The room became quiet. Ellie saw confusion on a lot of faces as they sat, staring at the couple in front of them with the unfamiliar human male. Most of them had no idea why they had been called to a mandatory meeting but there were a few who smothered knowing grins. Breeze waved at Ellie from a chair in the front. Ellie waved back and then looked up at Fury. Their gazes met and held.
“We’re gathered here today,” the white-haired man stated loudly, “to join together Fury North and Ellie Brower in marriage.” He took a breath.
“Don’t say it.” Fury gave the minister a scary look. “Don’t you dare ask if anyone has any objections. We talked about this.”
“Something dire always happens.” He sighed but wrapped his arms around her waist while his intense gaze studied her face. “Are you sure that you don’t mind doing it this way? Breeze and some of the females have informed me that I’m making a mistake. They believe you will resent it later. I hope they have been watching too many movies. Breeze reminded me about human families and they think we should have more of your people here.”
“They have been watching too many movies. That’s true and it’s my fault. We watch them almost every day to help them learn about normal life…up to a point. This is what I want. You’re my family now, Fury. I love my blood family but they weren’t real understanding of our relationship when I spoke to them. I have to face the fact that, no matter what I do or who I’m with, they won’t be happy. They will just have to deal with it. If they don’t, too bad. This is my life now, here with you. You’re everything to me.”
Fury chewed on his bottom lip. “What about children? I wish I could give you those but I’m unable.” Sadness haunted his eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. Do you want to have some?”
Ellie’s heart missed a beat at the idea of having a little Fury running around their home. She bet it would be one adorable little baby but she knew it would never happen.
“I would like to.” Fury pulled her tighter against his chest. “But mostly I just want you. All that matters is we are together and I am so grateful to have you, Ellie. You are always going to be more than enough to make me happy.”
“I would like a few little rug rats myself.” She smiled up at him. “We’ll work it out somehow. Trisha and Ted are great doctors who might be able to find a way to fix what was done to you and if not, we could always adopt. There are always options. If we never have children, that’s okay too.”
He nodded. “We can at least talk to the doctors. It would be the first time in my life that I wouldn’t mind being tested and prodded. I never believed I’d say those words after all that was done to me inside my cell.”
Ellie’s heart nearly stilled at the reminder of their past and how they had met. “Will you ever forgive me for what I did to you?”
He met her gaze and held it. “You don’t even have to ask that. I already have. You did what you had to do to save us all.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
Fury’s smile faltered. “Are you sure you aren’t going to be sorry for today? Are you certain this is what you want? I need this to be perfect for you.”
“Hey,” Ellie whispered. “Don’t look sad. Being with you makes me happier than I’ve ever been in my entire life. How many times do I have to keep saying that before you believe me? I love you. If you had any idea how happy this makes me, you wouldn’t even think to ask me. I’m positive that this is exactly what I want, just this way, because I’m doing this with you.”
The conference room door opened and Ellie twisted her head to glance back. Justice entered and a group of people followed him. Ellie smiled at familiar faces.
“Are you sure, Ellie? We could wait and plan something better, something more traditional.”
Ellie met his gaze. “I told you. I don’t care where it’s held or how it’s done, Fury.”
“I want nothing to go wrong,” Fury growled. “No shooters. No crazy nurses.”
Ellie bit her lip hard. She didn’t want to laugh. He looked so certain something would go wrong. “This is why we decided to do this today with only a few people clued in to what we’re about to do. No one can mess up something they aren’t expecting.”
“I like your logic.”
Ellie moved closer, rising to her tiptoes to brush her lips against his ear. “I love your ass and the fact that you’re totally healed up. I can’t wait to get you alone.”
“Ellie?” Slade spoke.
Ellie turned her head. “I’m talking over here.”
“And we’re all listening,” Slade chuckled while he tapped his ear. “Keen hearing. Glad to know Fury is back to a hundred percent though.”
Blushing, Ellie glared at him. “What is it with you guys? Couldn’t you at least pretend you didn’t hear that?”
Slade winked. “Where would be the fun in that? You blush so cutely.”
Fury growled, shooting his friend a warning glare, and Slade moved to take a seat. Ellie shook her head while Fury shrugged.
A white-haired man walked through the door last. He wore a black robe and held a bible in his hand. He took his place in front of Ellie and Fury. His serious gaze traveled around the room.
“I need everyone to please take a seat.”
The room became quiet. Ellie saw confusion on a lot of faces as they sat, staring at the couple in front of them with the unfamiliar human male. Most of them had no idea why they had been called to a mandatory meeting but there were a few who smothered knowing grins. Breeze waved at Ellie from a chair in the front. Ellie waved back and then looked up at Fury. Their gazes met and held.
“We’re gathered here today,” the white-haired man stated loudly, “to join together Fury North and Ellie Brower in marriage.” He took a breath.
“Don’t say it.” Fury gave the minister a scary look. “Don’t you dare ask if anyone has any objections. We talked about this.”
