The atmosphere changed a bit after each elimination, but now with only three guys in the house, things were changing quicker. The mood was a bit somber after Torrence left.

The guys headed off to grab some grub.

I needed time to just think with nobody around. I was certain all this hadn’t been easy for Caleb, and now, I had a very precise understanding of what he went through. With less competition, it made it even more difficult to narrow it down, especially because I care so deeply for all these men.

Apparently, while we were all asleep, there was a bit of action.

Adam, being the brave soul he was, got up and took care of business. My blood ran a little cold at the possibilities of what could have happened, but Adam said not to worry. He downplayed his involvement, but from what I gleaned, he single-handedly whipped the stuffing out of the would-be burglar. Really, one would think the producers of this crazy show would take into account situations like this and take care of it before any of us were involved.

The next day was to be another community outing, and I decided it would be nice to visit the Fall Festiva

I hadn’t bobbed for apples in years, but it was heaps of fun doing that with the guys.

Then, Tyrone dared me to ride the roller coaster with him. I started laughing and said, “You’re on, but don’t expect to get me sick, Wolfman.”

It brought back memories of a time long past when Linc and I visited a carnival with Doug and Christie shortly after we all were married. The guys dared Christie and me to go on the roller coaster, and we all took bets on who would get sick first. As it turned out, Christie was the one to succumb, and Doug had to do some fancy footwork to avoid his shoes and himself getting hit with everything Christie had in her stomach. She never lived it down, and we always had a hell of a time getting her on a roller coaster after that.

I smiled at the memory and snuggled up to Tyrone as the roller coaster took off. I’ve always loved roller coasters, but I knew guys love it when the girl screams and hangs onto them. I screamed as we went down the hills and hung onto Tyrone, who put his arm around me and held us both in place. We laughed like a couple of little kids as the thrill increased and took us over. When the ride was done, he helped me out of the car and made sure I was steady on my feet before letting me go.

The other guys thought it would be fun too, so I thought it would be nice to have a ride with each of them. I went with Terrill next. I squealed, laughed, and held onto him, then squealed again when we hit the water segment. He was quite a bit quieter than Tyrone was, and the poor guy looked a little green when we got off.

Then, I went with Adam. Once again, I squealed and laughed while holding onto him. He grinned at me and put his big arm around me. I could tell he was having the time of his life. After the water segment, he tucked a wet lock of hair behind my ear and grinned again.

After the ride, we hung out for a while before heading back to the house. The next day was another set of individual dates and an elimination.

I had to take the dates to the next level. Now that I’d kissed the guys, I needed to get to the point where I could make out a bit with the three remaining ones. This called for a bit of mood setting and strategy, as I didn’t want it to feel forced.

As I read the itinerary, I blushed a little, feeling a bit like a brazen hussy. I was never the aggressor, as Linc had to work to get me. With the other relationships after Linc’s death, I never pressed matters because it just never felt right. Now, I had to be the pursuer and figure out where things stood with each of them. This wasn’t going to be easy.

I started with Tyrone. I smiled at him, and he immediately took my hands. His touch was so gentle, and my fingers tingled when he ran his thumbs over them. My heart skipped a beat as I looked into his handsome face.

I offered him a massage to try to set the mood. He accepted, and I smiled as his muscles relaxed under my ministrations. He groaned in contentment, heaved a sigh, and turned to me. What he said next sent my soul reeling and plummeting into hitherto realms of uncharted territory.

“I love you, Lenora,” he whispered, his eyes never leaving mine.

“Wh…what?” I stammered.

“You heard me, but I’ll say it again. I love you, Lenora.”

I bit my lip and swallowed hard. I hadn’t expected a declaration of love, but now, here it was. “Tyrone, I…”

He put his arms around my waist and looked into my face. “You don’t have to say anything now. I know this is a lot for you to take in, but I had to say it or I’d regret it for the rest of my life. I’ve never said it to any other woman before, well, except for the women in my family. I don’t say it unless I mean it. No matter what, I needed to tell you.”

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from his face as he spoke. When he said those words to me, my breath caught in my throat, and my heart felt like it was going ot beat out of my chest. “I…I don’t know what to say to you. I don’t want to hurt you…any of you.”

“I know that. Whatever happens, I’m a grownup wolf and I’ll be okay. I know this will put you into even more of a dilemma and I’m sorry. It’s just…well, you see, wolves have certain urges that sometimes we can’t resist, and telling you this was one of them.”

I was silent as I tried to process all this. It felt natural for his arms to be around my waist like this. It felt as if my heart had come home after being restless for so long.

Tyrone’s arms tightened around me and drew me closer. I melted into his embrace and sighed as I rested my head on his shoulder. “Just let me hold you like this for a while. I won’t ask anything else of you until I’m the last one standing, if, indeed, I am. Will you let me do that?”

I nodded against his shoulder and closed my eyes while his fingers buried themselves in my hair. His hands ran down the very long length of it, and I realized I didn’t want this moment to end.

“Lenora,” he whispered against my ear.

“What?” I asked, my eyes still closed and my body totally relaxed.

“There’s always an agenda when you bring us into this room. What must we do now?”

I blushed and lifted my head to grin at him sheepishly. “I…um…have to attempt to make out with all of you,” I said, my face still flaming.

“Sounds like fun to me,” he quipped.

I grinned wickedly. “Well, I don’t know that Adam and Terrill would find it fun if you tried to make out with them.”

Tyrone’s laughter rumbled deep within his chest, and he tapped me playfully on the nose. “I didn’t mean them, funny lady. I meant it will be fun to make out with you.”

“Oh,” I whispered.

With that, Tyrone’s lips were on mine, and I forgot everything else. He kissed me passionately and held me gently but with a werewolf’s strength. I could feel that what he’d told me was true. He did love me. However, I sensed there were other things he was holding back from me, things he didn’t want to tell me until he needed to.

My heart was pounding; I was breathless by the time we were done. Tyrone invoked emotions in me that I thought had died long ago with the loss of Linc.

Terrill was next, and we flirted a little.

Then, we held hands. However, I could tell that neither of us were feeling the spark needed for having a good make out session. I didn’t want to force it, but I wanted to do my best to see that we got there.

I suggested a massage to try to get us in the mood, and I accepted when he offered to give me one.

The back rub was amazing, but we still weren’t feeling it.

Terrill gave me a hug and said he wished he had some flowers to give me. I smiled at the thoughtful gesture and looked into his eyes.

Terrill looked regretfully at me, but I gave him a soft smile. “I’m sorry, Lenora. I guess I blew it.”

“Don’t ever be sorry for how you feel,” I told him. “If the spark isn’t there, it’s not there, and there’s nothing to be ashamed of. One day, you’ll find who you’re meant to be with, and that spark will be there. I wish nothing but a wellspring of happiness for you.”

He kissed my cheek and then silently left the room.

Adam was last.

Things went better with him. We flirted and held hands.

Then, he wrapped those big, strong arms around me. My body felt instantly warmed by his muscular frame, and he kissed the top of my head as he held me.

“You’re a beautiful woman, Lenora,” he said huskily into my ear. “No matter what happens, I want you to know it was a privilege and an honor to meet you.”

“Oh, Adam, you’re such a sweet man. Any woman would be lucky to have you. Whatever happens, please know that I care deeply for you.”

“As I do you,” he said, kissing my forehead.

Adam’s lips met mine, and I parted mine to encourage him. He was a man of few words, but he was very expressive in other ways. We made out, but he didn’t grope me as though we were juiced up teenagers looking for a good place to park. He was warm and gentle, and he kissed me as though he were tasting the rarest of divine fruits.

The elimination was upon us, and I had to make a decision.

Tyrone remains at 100.

Adam is now tied with Tyrone at 100.

Terrill comes in at 82.87495.

Sadly, we must say goodbye to Terrill.

The last two gentlemen grabbed some dinner while I headed straight to bed. These eliminations always wore me out, and as always, I had a lot to think about.

The next day dawned, and according to the schedule, I was to have one more date with the final two and declare a winner. I decided to just let things happen for most of the day and wait until the evening to have the dates and make my final decision.

I thought it would be nice to have our final date in the hot tub, but unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate. Instead, we had to go inside when the storm hit, and I had to think of a Plan B.

I decided that Plan B would consist of another individual romantic date where I’d try to get each guy to make out with me twice.

I called for Tyrone first.

Tyrone stroked my cheek, his gaze penetrating my own. “Lenora…” he whispered as his finger traced over my lips. I kissed his fingers and felt as though he held my heart in his hands.

It didn’t take long for his lips to find mine and claim them. I felt my knees go weak, and Tyrone’s arms held me close. It didn’t feel like two separate make out sessions, as they seemed to just melt into one steamy interlude.

After that, he just held me and gazed at me as though I were a beautiful goddess. I could feel his love for me through my empathic senses, and it flowed over me like sunshine on a summer’s day.

And then, Adam joined me.

He held me, then our lips met. He was an amazing man with a gentle, loving heart. His kiss was sweet and tender, and his embrace was safe and warm.

Adam held me for a long moment and looked into my eyes as though he were searching for something.

Then, he drew me close once again, and we were kissing. His body felt solid, but yet, he held me protectively and tenderly at the same time. As we kissed, I sensed him holding back. Oh, I knew he cared about me and I felt the same about him, but I didn’t feel the pull of love and passion toward him. I felt the restraint on his part too and knew that our destinies weren’t meant to be intertwined romantically.

The final decision was upon me, and I knew what I had to do.

Tyrone remains at 100.

Adam is also at 100.

I thought long and hard about this elimination and took extra deliberation time. I cared so much for each of these wonderful men, but the bottom line was, I had to go by what and how I felt when I was with each of them. I cared so much about Adam and knew he felt the same about me. However, love, true love, just wasn’t there. Had it been an arranged marriage, I had no doubt that love would come in time. This was not the case, and there was someone else involved.

The someone else involved was Tyrone. I knew I loved him the first instant I saw him. I knew how corny and cheesy it sounded, but it was true. Tyrone and I just clicked from the very first instant. He was the one who conducted my symphony of love and who made my heart come alive again. When Tyrone professed his love for me, I couldn’t say it in return because I had to see this through to the end, but oh yes, how I loved him!

It was with a very heavy heart that I said goodbye to Adam. Like the brave and stoic man he was, he nodded, kissed my cheek, and then headed to the door. He seemed to know his fate before I did, and that hurt. I didn’t want to hurt him, but I knew it would hurt him more if I pretended to love him. I had to believe there was someone special out there for him who could love him the way he deserved to be loved.

I came into the living room to find Tyrone. I had to tell him the good news and return the declaration of love he’d given me the night before. When I entered, he got up from where he sat on the sofa and took my hands. “Lenora…”

“Tyrone,” I said, then took a deep breath. “I want to tell you that you are my Soulmate.” 

He produced a small gasp, his hands tightening their grip on mine. “Lenora…are you saying…?”

I brushed my fingers over his cheek, smoothed his hair back from his brow, then framed his face with my hands. “I love ye, Tyrone Landgraab. I love ye with every ounce of my being.”

Tyrone’s POV

I held my breath when Lenora came into the living room. I tried not to overhear the exchange with Adam because that kind of thing just isn’t polite. I am a wolf, however, which gives me a keener sense of hearing than most have. I knew I was the last one standing, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. These things don’t always work out, and the couple calls it quits even before the show is done. I might be the last one, but that didn’t mean that Lenora wanted to be with me.

I felt my stomach clench when she spoke my name in that soft, melodic, beautiful voice of hers. She smoothed my hair back with an angel’s touch and caressed my cheek. “I love ye, Tyrone Landgraab. I love ye with every ounce of my being.” Her lovely blue gaze met mine while she spoke the words I’d been longing to hear since long before the first day I entered this house. To hear them spoken in that soft Irish lilt made my heart melt.

I folded Lenora into my arms and repeated her name softly over and over again. I loved saying her name, and oh, I loved her so intensely. With a deep sigh, she relaxed in my arms as she always did when I held her. She always gave a contented little sigh when I pulled her against me. Because I’m a wolf, it doesn’t take me long to become aware of such nuances, especially when it comes to someone I love. Even so, it’s more than just loving her that’s involved here.

There is a phenomenon that happens to a wolf when they meet their true mate for the first time, and it’s something that happened to me the first time I ever saw Lenora. I’ve Imprinted on her, which means I am forever intertwined with her. It’s something a wolf cannot control and often times comes as a great surprise. It certainly did for me, and I have never been the same since. Lenora needed to know all this. I always wanted to be truthful with her.

I pulled back enough so I could stroke her cheek, reveling in how soft her skin felt. “Lenora, there are some things I need to tell you,” I said.

She smiled and nodded. “I thought there might be. When we had the date after we came back from the festival, I sensed there were some things you were holding back.”

“I remember. It was the night I told you I loved you. I knew I said too much then, but I had to say it. It was something I couldn’t not do, but the other stuff had to wait. You had enough to think about without me complicating things,” I told her. I pulled her close and began. “There is something that happens to a wolf when they meet their soulmate for the first time, a kind of phenomenon, Lenora. When it happens, it can be a true and beautiful thing, or it can cause unspeakable, unbearable pain. When a wolf sees the person their soul knows they’re destined to be with, something comes over them. It’s more than love and promises. It’s more like a state of being. It happens almost instantaneously and is called Imprinting.”

She nodded. “I read about that somewhere during my studies, and Amadeus has told me about it.”

“Yeah,” I said, remembering she was good friends with my mother and father. “Well, you see, Lenora, it’s happened to me because of you. I…well, I’ve Imprinted on you.”

“What?” she asked, lifting her head from my shoulder in surprise. “You mean, when you walked in here and saw me…”

I laughed a little and shook my head. “It was before that. Do you remember that time we were first introduced? You’d come to visit and have dinner with my mother and father on the anniversary of your husband and son’s death. I was home from my continuing educational courses. You looked like a goddess standing by the window. Mom introduced us, and that was it for me. That was the first time I saw you, and that was when it happened.”

She looked at me in momentary shock. Then, a soft nostalgic look came over her. “I remember that night. We barely met, then I blubbered all over ye.” Her cheeks flushed prettily. “Ye dried my tears and held me to ye. Something stirred in me that night. Somehow, being in your arms felt right, safe.”

I wasn’t sure how to put this next part delicately and without hurting her. However, I knew I needed to be honest with her. “You drew me to you and I wanted more than anything to just be near you, but I knew I couldn’t. You were still grieving the loss of your husband and son, so you weren’t ready. Because my soul became irrevocably intertwined with yours that night, I could sense the unbearable pain you were still in. It was painful…so painful for me because you were in such despair. I ached to be with you, to take it away, but what you needed was your space. With the Imprinting, I will always become what you need, no matter what.”

“And all those times after when I came to visit, ye made sure ye were away,” she said, sadness etched in her voice. “Oh, Tyrone, I didn’t know, and I’m so sorry.” Tears shone in her eyes, which tore at my heart.

I held her tight and stroked her beautiful golden hair. “There is nothing for you to be sorry for. I knew in time I’d be able to tell you, and that was what kept me going. Because I become what you need, there was no choice but to wait until that perfect time rolled around. At that time, you needed me to keep my distance so I did. But later, I knew you were ready to start looking for a relationship when it was clear you were coming on the show. I knew I had to get on there too. I used every connection my father had, threw around our family name, did anything I could to secure a spot, and here I am. I don’t always like to do that, but in this case, there was no choice.”

“And here we both are now,” she whispered, her voice choked with tears. I framed her face with my hands and kissed away her tears. It was the second time I’d ever seen her cry, and it ripped out my heart.

“And here we are now,” I echoed her words. “Please don’t cry, Lenora. Damn, it kills me when you cry.” I drew her close again, laid my cheek atop her golden head, and rubbed her back.

“It’s just I never meant to cause ye pain,” she whispered. “Forgive me…forgive me.”

“There is nothing to forgive,” I said, wiping away the new tears that replaced the ones I’d kissed away. “It happens that way sometimes. The important thing is we’re here like this, you said you love me, and now, I can be completely forthcoming.” I tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and smiled at her. “Another thing is, a wolf mates only once in a lifetime. I’m not talking about sex.” I grinned at her. “What I mean is, a wolf has only one true soulmate in life and will never mate with another. Even if it didn’t work out with you and me, if you ended up loving another, I still would never truly be able to be with anyone else.”

She smiled at me then. “I read about that too. And you’re telling me…”

“I’m telling you that you’re it for me, Lenora. I can never truly be with anyone else now that I’ve Imprinted on you and declared my love for you,” I said matter-of-factly.

She blinked at me, and I could tell her mind was racing. “Something tells me we have to do something to…er…seal the deal, for lack of a better statement.”

I grinned wolfishly at her. “Actually, there is, and it’s about as primal as it gets. You did the first part by saying you love me. However, it’s the first act of lovemaking that seals it. Once we are together for the first time in that way, the bond will completely entwine us, bringing together our souls. We’ll be two beings, but essentially, we’ll be one because we won’t be complete without the other.”

“It sounds very romantic,” she smiled. “But most importantly, it sounds very special and personal.”

“It is, and I couldn’t have imagined sharing it with anyone else,” I said, touching her hair. “In saying that, there is something I have to do first.”

Ever since I’d Imprinted on Lenora and knew I loved her, I bought a ring and had been carrying it around with me ever since. I knew it sounded foolish and I’d gotten way ahead of myself, but I couldn’t help it. I pulled it out of my pocket and opened the box. “Lenora, from the first moment I saw you, I knew you were the one. You took my breath away. You were so beautiful, like an angel, and yet, you were so sad. I wanted to hold you and take away your pain, but I knew all good things are worth waiting for. Then, we came on this crazy ass show, and you chose me in the end. When you told me you love me, it made my life complete for the first time. Lenora Atherton, will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife and being my forever love? I want to be the one to see your smiles, to wipe away your tears, to lie beside you at night, and wake up next to you in the morning. Your face is the last thing I want to see before I sleep and the first thing I see when I wake. Please marry me, Lenora.”

Tears slid down her cheeks, but she was smiling. “Aye,” she whispered. “I will be marrying ye, I will, my brave, handsome wolf.”

It took me a moment to digest what she said. “Yes? You said yes?”

“I said yes,” she said, laughing and crying simultaneously.

I let loose with a long howl before sliding the ring onto her delicate finger. Then, I brought her into my arms to just hold her for a long, long stretch.

After a while, she pulled back just enough to look into my face. “Ye can read about most anything in a book, but books can’t always express how something feels. What was it like to…when ye Imprinted on me?”

I smiled and smoothed some hair away from her face. “It’s hard to explain, but I’ll try. I don’t always have the poetic words to do it justice.”

“Just tell me what’s in your heart,” she said.

“Well,” I said, then was silent for a moment as I tried to gather my thoughts. “The first time I saw you, it felt like a warmth was spreading through my solar plexus, into my heart, and extending to my very essence. Your face etched itself into every fiber of my memory, and I could hear you singing. When I spoke your name the first time, I nearly doubled over. But then, I felt the incredible pain you were still in, and for a moment, I thought it was my own. You see, a wolf has this sixth sense, and we can feel things most people can’t. I know how corny this sounds, but your pain was my pain, and I felt it so acutely.”

The compassion in her eyes as I spoke these words nearly did me in. She ran her thumb over my cheek and smiled. “It’s beautiful but so sad at the same time. Please go on.”

“The…uh…moment of reckoning, let’s call it…was over almost as quickly as it came, but the feelings afterwards were, and still are, just as strong. It’s like gravity pulls me toward you, and without you, a piece of me is missing. I become what you need. It’s not changing for a person, not like giving up a bad habit or something like that. It’s simply that I become what you need. Like, when we first met, I knew you needed to heal and weren’t ready for a relationship, so I knew I needed to keep my distance because that was what you needed at the time. As painful as it was for me, there was no other choice. And now…” I kissed her softly. “Now, we’re both ready for love and a life together, and I’ll spend every minute loving you and making you happy.”

I giggled nervously and fanned myself. “It’s…um…not supposed to be X-Rated, but…ye know…”

He growled long and low in my ear, which sounded way too sexy to be allowed. “If it’s action they want, it’s action they shall have.”

I squealed and buried my head in his chest to stifle the hysterical giggles. “Landon will call me a shameless hussy. Your parents will call me a shameless hussy. Mathilda will curse me. My Grandda will roll over in his grave.”

“And the world can go to hell and we’ll be the last two survivors because we’re that awesome,” he grinned. “We’ll make history, and this first season of this dumbass show will be the best thing ever because of us.”

I rubbed against him like a cat in heat and purred in his ear. “Ye are incorrigible.” By the Ancients, the man turned me on faster than Alexa could turn on the lights. “Let’s give ’em hell.”

Tyrone needed no further encouragement. He swooped me into his arms and carried me to my bedroom as easily and romantically as any movie hero could do. Our lovemaking was beautiful because of our love, but as Tyrone said, it was an experience I will never forget. As we joined, warmth and Tyrone’s presence filled every pore of my very being. I was pulled to him, body, soul, and mind, and I immediately sensed his thoughts and feelings. Oh, I could feel him through my empathic senses, but this went so much deeper. His soul was entwined with mine now, and where I ended, he began. He was mine in every sense, and I belonged to him the same way.

//I love ye so,// I thought in my mind, directing it at him as we lay together.

//Oh, Lenora, I love you with everything I am,// he thought back to me. We could speak aloud, but I found we didn’t need to. I was telepathic and wolves had their own sense of telepathy, but with Tyrone and me, it was so much more. We completed each other, and one could not be without the other.

“I’d say this couldn’t have ended any better,” I whispered, snuggling close.

“And this is only the beginning,” he said, stroking my hair.

“The beginning,” I said drowsily. My eyelids began to close, and I felt myself drifting.

“Go to sleep, my Lenora,” Tyrone whispered, continuing to stroke my hair in methodical, rhythmic movements.

“OK, just as long as ye keep holding me,” I murmured.

“Always,” he said, kissing my forehead.

And so began the start of my new life with Tyrone Landgraab, who was my soulmate and would soon become my husband. As I drifted further toward sleep, I could have sworn I saw Linc standing by the dresser and smiling. He blew me a kiss, and I was quite certain I heard him say, “I knew you’d find what you needed, Lenora. You will be very happy and I’ll be smiling at you every day. I’ll love you always and will watch over you.” I blinked, and he was gone the very next instant. I would always love Linc, and a part of me would miss him every day. I knew he was gone from this life, but he was giving me his blessing to be happy and to love again. For that, I will always be grateful because I now have the peace of mind and heart I was missing for so many years. Tyrone gave it back to me, and I would spend every moment of my life showing him how much I loved and needed him. For the first time in a long, long time, I was truly content and at peace.

Author’s Note: For the first dates in this chapter, I did a few romantic interactions to try to get them to “Irresistable” so they could make out. I didn’t want to press it too much with too many because I didn’t want three Sims ending up at 100 relationship. With Terrill, it never got there with the amount of interactions I did, so I just let them break it up on their own.

For the time at the Fall Festival, I did control them in order to get them into the Apple Bobbing Contest and for the roller coaster rides. That took a while to do, and a lot of Sim time was spent on those activities. Other than that, they did whatever they wanted to do on free will.

As you can see by the pictures, Tyrone and Adam both ended up being at 100, which I really wanted to avoid. It was a tough decision in the end, but when it came down to it, the only fair thing I could do was declare Tyrone the winner. He was the frontrunner from the beginning, he got to 100 first, and he and Lenora just clicked. Adam would have made a wonderful partner and I love him to bits, but Lenora and I just felt that Tyrone had that leading edge the whole way through.

Thank you so much for reading and for following Lenora’s journey so far. It’s not over yet though so please continue on with Forever in Time.