Several of the women are pulling together to get the town hall ready for the reception tomorrow.
Ivy told me there were pack mating ceremony traditions that she would have liked to have integrated into the big day but with the current code orange status, it would all be handled like a mainstream ceremony with a few small exceptions, things that were often used in pagan weddings that they’d observe in homage to the old ways.
Stan, Cat’s partner of the last several years, a non-shifter who owns a pharmacy in Drowsy Hollow, had gone online this week and got ordained so that he could perform the marriage ceremony.
“Cat’s here, let’s eat,” Jase calls out from the grill as Cat and Stan stroll in.
“Everything okay?” I ask her. “Any changes? Any more cases?”
“None so far. And we’re all done with the exams and surveys. Fingers crossed everything continues to be uneventful so we can enjoy the wedding.”
“Fingers crossed,” I agree.
Riley arrives. He goes right to Tyson and throws his arms around him and the two embrace with back slaps.
Mason, Greyson, Joel, Lincoln, and Jase all head over and take turns doing the hug slash back slap thing with Riley.
“This a wedding or a funeral?” Riley calls out. “The place went dead when I walked in. Stop that shit.”
“Figures you showed in time for food,” Jase grumbles.
“That’s Riley’s parents, Ty’s aunt and uncle,” Ivy says, pointing out Lucy who I already met coming in with her husband.
“Uncle Atticus, this is my sister, Amelia.”
“Lovely to meet you,” Atticus says.
I see the resemblance to Tyson and Riley as he comes in, hugs his son and then hugs Tyson. Ivy gets scooped into hugs and then they all do the same with me, too.
With everyone here, we all sit down to enjoy some grilled surf ‘n turf, baked potatoes, and salad together.
47
Mason
“Seven of us in one place feels very fucking right,” I say, lifting my beer bottle. “We doin’ a run in the morning?” I look to Tyson.
“Of course,” he says.
Riley smiles, but it’s a little tight.
All of us lift our drinks to toast. We’re all sitting around the fire pit at the shore, facing the waterfall with a campfire going. It’s dusk and the girls are inside, doing some wedding stuff for tomorrow. Ty’s mom and Stan as well as Riley’s folks just left.
We had a nice meal. There was a lot of laughter. And two of the seven of us have our women and I truly look forward to how right it will feel when it’s us seven with our seven mates. And kids. As many as we can make between us and if Amie and I can’t have any biologically, I’m already sure I’m down to adopt.
Unburdening herself from that medical fact opened things up for us. I know it still bothers her; I saw it written all over her face as well as felt it through our connection when our eyes locked in the clinic while she was holding Sean’s new son.
It’ll work out. It all will.
My eyes move to Riley who stares into the flames. I want peace for him.
“I’m here until Tuesday,” he says, “Wednesday the latest, just for Ty’s wedding and to sort some shit out for Savage Construction. Got one quick basement job and then I’ll hit the road again.”
“I’ll jump on that and help,” I say, knowing which job he’s talking about.
“You had enough time with your new mate?” Grey asks. “You feelin’ safe enough to leave her alone?”
“We’ve come a long way in the last few days,” I reply.
“Good news,” Tyson pipes up.
“You want help?” Grey asks. “On the road, I mean?”
Their eyes meet.
“The rest of these Young people want to meet me. Maybe I can help flush her out.”
“Not a bad idea,” Joel puts in.
“Whatever you need, man,” Grey offers. “If you want me to come and then get out of your way after I try to flush her out… whatever you need. Or if not, if you wanna leave earlier, I’ll get on the job with Mase. Just let me know what you need.”
Riley sips his beer. “Thanks, Grey. I’ll think on that, let you know.” Riley rakes his hand through his hair. “Anyway, enough long faces here. I’m here for a celebration, so let’s fuckin’ celebrate. Ty’s home. He’s mated. So’s Mase. And Ty’s part of our pack. I’m putting a bookmark on the other shit until after the wedding. All’s good right now.”
All isn’t good for Riley, but I get it, his declaration. He doesn’t want to bring the mood down. I mean, I guess I don’t completely get it – nobody but Riley knows what he feels like after being put through this, but I know what it’s like to feel like life’s being ripped apart out of your control, not wanting a bunch of spectators getting a front row seat to the carnage. Riley put his pack before himself to come home for Tyson but other than this pit stop, he has a single-minded focus right now. We may be pack animals, we rely on one another and crave the bosom of the family at the best of times as well as the worst of times, but this is different. Mourning a mate would involve a very solo set of emotions, I’m guessing, and he’s not doing a typical mourning. He’s already lived in mourning for years and is now coming to grips with the reality of the betrayal.