“Well, I do.” Hank kissed her temple, then ruffled the fur on Charlie’s back before he stood again. “That’s enough, kiddo. You’d better shift back before your mother ruins her pretty dress.”
With a little woof, Charlie wriggled free from Ivy and jumped into the air, landing on two human feet. He was red-faced and grinning. “Pretty cool, huh, Mom?”
“The coolest, Charlie. I’m so proud of you.”
His smile lit up his face. “Take my picture and send it to Grandpa. Show him I can shift.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“Please, Mom.” Charlie’s little brow furrowed.
She understood his motivation. Clemens had made Charlie’s life hell when he hadn’t been able to turn. Charlie wanted vindication. And he deserved it. She looked at Hank as she got to her feet. “What do you think?”
Hank nodded slowly. “I say if Charlie wants his biggest doubter to know what he’s capable of, so be it. In a few minutes, we’ll be married and pack law will officially make him my son. Anyone who wants to come after Charlie will have to come through me.”
“Yeah,” Charlie said. “I’m gonna be a Merrow.”
Ivy laughed and shook her head. “Okay, back to wolf form, but quickly. We have a wedding to get to.”
The door handle jiggled. Knocking followed. “Ivy, unlock the door. It’s me, Birdie. I can’t find Hank anywhere.”
Birdie sounded a little panicked. “It’s okay,” Ivy replied. “He and Charlie are in here with me. We’ll be out in a little bit.”
“What?” she screeched. “The groom isn’t supposed to see the bride. Hank, get out of there right now.”
Hank huffed out a breath. “Birdie, five minutes. Now leave us be.”
“But I—”
“Five. Minutes.” Hank’s voice was a sharp, stern growl.
With an audible hmph, Birdie went silent.
Hank gave Charlie a nod. “Go ahead. Shift.”
While Charlie shifted, Ivy dug through the bag of supplies Birdie had brought until she found her phone. She pulled up the camera and focused. Wolf Charlie sat proudly in front of Hank. She focused, took the picture and attached it to a quick text.
Charlie wants you to know he can shift after all. Looks like you underestimated your grandson. Your loss.
She tapped the send button, then put the phone away. “Okay, Charlie. Back to being a boy.”
She looked at Hank, so crazy in love with him she couldn’t stand it. “We’ve got a wedding to go to.”
After more scolding from Birdie, Hank and Charlie took their places next to Titus in front of the justice of the peace, who’d cleared his schedule to accommodate Hank’s request. Bridget stood in as Ivy’s maid of honor. Hank’s parents and Birdie made up the entire audience.
The door to the courtroom opened and Ivy entered, escorted by her brother Sam. Even though Hank had already seen her, she took his breath away a second time. She had a short veil covering her face and something about that wisp of white between them made the idea of marriage very real.
She was about to be his wife, and the little boy at his side, his son.
Contentment filled him, melding with the sense of purpose and clarity that this was what he was meant to do with his life. Be a husband and a father. To protect and love these two. There was peace in that sudden swell of understanding, and his chest expanded with the emotion of the moment.
Whether or not he ever became alpha was inconsequential.
Soft music began to play, and Sam walked Ivy down the short aisle to Hank.
The justice asked, “Who gives this woman to be wed?”
“I do,” Sam said. Then he kissed Ivy’s cheek, patted Hank on the shoulder and went to stand with Birdie.
“Hi again,” Ivy whispered.
Hank smiled. “Hi.”
The justice cleared his throat and began. “We have gathered today to celebrate the love that Ivy and Hank have declared for each other, and to recognize and witness their decision to blend their lives as partners in marriage and in the raising of their son, Charlie.”
“Their marriage represents more than the union of the heart and body and of the mind and spirit. It signifies their wish for peace for their families and their packs. It seals the truce between the Kincaids and the Merrows and shines a light of love and possibility on the future.”
“Knowing this, Ivy and Hank do not enter into this agreement lightly, but with the understanding of all they represent. To that end, they invite those present to witness this union and ask them to become a part of that union. What say you?”
Everyone in attendance responded with, “We will.”
The justice nodded. “Hank, do you take Ivy to be your wife and your mate, promising to protect her and cherish her?”
Hank kept his gaze on Ivy. “I do.”
“Do you also agree to accept her son as your blood and raise him with the love and care due a child of your own flesh?”
He looked down at Charlie. “I do.”
Charlie smiled a lop-sided grin even as tears shined in his eyes.
The justice turned slightly. “Ivy, do you take Hank to be your husband and your mate, promising to protect and cherish him?”
Her eyes gleamed bright with tears as well. “I do.”
“And do you accept him as the father of your child, understanding that he will raise your son with the love and care due a child of his own flesh?”
“I do.”
The justice looked at Charlie. “And Charlie, do you accept Hank as your father, understanding that his line becomes your line and that he will love and care for you just as he would any child of his own flesh?”
Charlie nodded with great seriousness. “Yes.”
“Very good.” The justice smiled at Charlie. “May I have the rings please?”
Charlie dug them out of his tux pocket and handed them over, his pride at being charged with such an important task evident.
The justice held up the rings. “Let these rings be a symbol of your love, seamless and unending, faithful and true. Let them also remind you of the moon that commands your spirits and when it calls to you, may it also call to mind the vows you have made here today.”
He handed Ivy’s ring to Hank. “Repeat after me. With this ring, I take you as my wife and mate, to love and honor all the days of my life.”
Hank repeated the words as he slipped the ring onto Ivy’s finger. She was trembling slightly.
The justice then handed Hank’s ring to Ivy. “Ivy, repeat after me. With this ring, I take you as my husband and mate, to love and honor all the days of my life.”
She spoke the words as she wiggled the ring onto Hank’s finger.
The justice smiled. “It gives me great pleasure to be the first to wish you a lifetime of happiness and love. By the power of the great state of Georgia, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Hank lifted Ivy’s veil and embraced her, planting a big kiss on her as their family cheered. Charlie jumped up and down and clapped.
The justice held his hands up. “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr. and Mrs. Merrow and their son, Charlie.”
As Birdie wept, Bridget pumped her fist in the air. “Let’s get this party started.”
Another round of applause greeted Ivy and Hank as they walked into the back room of Howler’s and the DJ announced them again as husband and wife. The number of people assembled was slightly overwhelming, but Ivy kind of figured Birdie deserved to invite whoever she wanted since she was the reason this celebration was even happening. Ivy recognized only a handful of people, but the happiness and affection that radiated off the gathered crowd was obvious.
And now that she’d met Hank’s parents and they’d met her and Charlie, she could relax and enjoy herself. They were good people, which was not that surprising, considering the amazing man Hank was. They’d even brought Charlie a gift of a toy racecar.
As the evening wore on, she lost trac
k of how many hands she shook and how many people she was introduced to, wondering if she’d ever remember them all. A few stood out: Hugh Ellingham, Delaney’s husband, because Ivy knew even before meeting him that he was a vampire so that immediately made her curious. Nick Hardwin, a gargoyle shifter who had been in the Rangers with Hank and was almost as new to town as she was. Lastly, there was Corette’s boyfriend, Stanhill, who was also Hugh Ellingham’s butler of sorts.
But the thing that amazed Ivy the most was the diversity of the group helping them celebrate their wedding. Besides the expected wolf shifters, there were feline and avian shifters. And probably some species she hadn’t recognized. In addition, they were joined by witches, vampires and fae.
Never in her life as a Kincaid would she have thought such a gathering possible. Not only had marriage to Hank given her new hope for the future, but she saw such possibility in the harmonious existence of this town.
When she’d returned home from college, pregnant and unable to finish her education, life had seemed so small and closed off. Now, it felt enormous and wide open.
Not only did these diverse groups live together in peace, but because of the way Nocturne Falls was set up, they rarely had to pretend they weren’t what they were. She watched the couples dancing and the clusters of people talking and laughing and shook her head in amazement. Did they know how lucky they were? Would she take all this for granted after a few years of living here? She hoped not.
Hands slipped around her waist, and Hank’s voice whispered in her ear, “You look lost in thought. What’s going on in that sexy head of yours?”
She turned, planted her hands on his face and kissed him. “I just can’t get over everything that’s happened and how wonderful you and this town are. I feel like anything is possible. And it’s all so good. And almost more than I can wrap my head around. It’s crazy how happy I am. I don’t ever want to lose this feeling.”
He smiled. “This place does that to you.” He looked over her shoulder and laughed. “Speaking of crazy, have you seen our son?”
Our son. She almost melted from the joy of those two words. She turned to see what Hank was looking at and started laughing. Birdie and Charlie were dancing. Well, Birdie was sort of rocking back and forth, while Charlie was jumping up and down and gyrating like he’d eaten too much sugar, which was a very distinct possibility since Delaney had brought three additional trays of sweets besides the stunning wedding cake.
Ivy giggled and covered her mouth. “That kid. It’s after ten PM and he’s carrying on like he’s got all the energy in the world. I couldn’t love him more if I tried.”
“He’s exactly what Birdie needs. Someone else to fuss over. I’m pretty sure we’ve got a lifetime babysitter in her. You want to join them? I think I’ve got one more dance left in me.”
“No, I’m happy right where I am.” Besides, there would be more slow dances with Hank. A lifetime of them.
Hank’s arms encircled her waist again, and he tucked his chin into the curve of her neck. “Today is a good day.”
She nodded. “It is.”
He grunted softly. “It’s more than that. It’s…the best day.”
“I agree.”
He kissed her neck. She closed her eyes and sank into the moment, trying to imprint the sounds of the music and the laughter, the aromas of the food and flowers, and the warmth of Hank’s embrace and the gentle caress of his mouth on her skin. She wanted to remember this for the rest of her life, this flawless slice of time when everything in the universe was perfectly aligned.
“I love you, Ivy Merrow.”
She laughed at the happy sound of her new name. “I love you, too.” She opened her eyes, scanning the crowd with no real focus until her gaze tripped over a tall figure standing near the door. A figure she recognized. Her smile disappeared, and she uttered a soft curse.
“What’s wrong?” Hank stepped out from behind her to stand at her side. “That’s not a word I expected to hear out of you on our wedding day.”
She couldn’t take her gaze away from the man who’d just appeared at her wedding reception. After all these years, how had he ended up here? And why? Her heart thumped with anger and anxiety as her spine went rigid. Hell, she knew why. She forced herself to look at Hank.
He looked around, then back at her. “Ivy, what’s going on? Your eyes are gleaming, but based on your change in body language, it’s not out of love.”
Trying not to cause a scene, she responded in a calm, rational manner. Mostly. “You see the man standing by the door?”
Hank turned to look. “What about him?”
Ivy glanced that way again, but the man had moved. He was almost upon them. Bile rose in her throat as he approached, his haughty demeanor exactly as she remembered it, although the last time she’d seen him, he’d been walking away. The same direction she wished he was going in now.
He stopped in front of her, his gaze tapering into something that screamed judgment. “Ivy.”
His smarmy tone made her hands clench. “What the hell are you doing here?”
A toothy smile greeted her. “And to think I was just about to congratulate you.”
“I’m so sure.” Painful memories and the bone-deep instinct to protect her son cramped her ability to be civil.
Hank stepped forward, his voice quiet but firm. “What’s your business here?”
“The kid’s my business.”
Hank’s lip pulled back in a snarl. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
The smile returned, this time with a threatening bent. “It means I’m about to do you a favor.”
“What favor is that?”
“I’m going to get the kid out of your hair.”
A vein throbbed on Hank’s temple. “The hell you are—”
Ivy stepped between them. “Outside. Now.”
Neither man budged.
Hank looked at her. “Please tell me this idiot isn’t who I think he is.”
Hank’s parents were watching. Aware something was wrong. Ivy ground her teeth together. This was not how this day was supposed to go. She swallowed, but nothing could remove the bitter taste coating her tongue. “I wish I could, but I’m pretty sure you’ve already figured out he’s Eric Prescott. Charlie’s biological father.”
The fresh air in Howler’s parking lot did nothing to clear Hank’s head. He stared across the lot at the man who’d not only dared to show up at their wedding and disrupt it, but actually thought he was going to leave with Charlie. Prescott was leaning against his rental car, taking a phone call.
Hank wanted to shove the phone down the man’s throat. Or possibly into a different body cavity.
Ivy came out. “Birdie’s keeping an eye on Charlie.”
“What did you tell her?” The last thing Hank wanted was for his aunt to get involved in this. He wanted it over and done with quietly.
“Same thing I told your parents. Enough to make sure she didn’t let Charlie out of her sight.”
“Good.”
She sighed, looking as deflated as she sounded. “I can’t believe Eric showed up here. On today of all days.”
“I can.”
Ivy blinked, squinting. “What do you mean? How?”
“Your father, that’s how.”
“You think he had something to do with this?”
Hank grunted. He thought Clemens had a hand in most of the trouble in Ivy’s life. “This guy shows up five hours after you text your father a picture that proves his grandson can shift after all? That’s damned convenient. Where’s this guy from?”
“Mobile, Alabama. His mother is a Hayden.”
Hank looked at her. “As in William Hayden? Alpha of the Alabama pack.”
“That’s his uncle.” She looked away, anger sparking in her eyes. “When we started dating, I used to think my dad might finally be proud of me for landing such a great catch. Little did I know what an ass he’d turn out to be.”
Prescott joined them. �
�What was that?”
Ivy glared at him. “I was just telling Hank what an ass you were. Are.”
Prescott smirked. “And I see you still haven’t matured.”
She stiffened. “I’m not the one who walked away from my child.”
Hank straightened. Ivy and Eric rehashing the past wasn’t going to get them anywhere. “What do want, Prescott?”
Prescott took a second before he answered. “I told you. I want my son.”
Hank shook his head. “Doesn’t work like that.”
“Sure it does.” Prescott smirked with the kind of self-confidence that made Hank want to punch him just for the sheer enjoyment of it. “I’m his biological father.”
“As of the ceremony that took place five hours ago, I’m now his father. By pack law, that’s as good as blood.”
Irritation thinned out Prescott’s smirk. “I’m the nephew of the Alabama alpha. I don’t really think you want to get into this with me.”
Hank laughed. “Apparently, Clemens didn’t tell you who Ivy was marrying. My father is Griffin Merrow, alpha of the Georgia pack. And I’m his firstborn. He also happens to be inside, if you want to confirm that in person.” Hank had never played the rank card before, but this was a special situation.
That took a little of the shine off of Prescott. He shrugged. “So we’re equal in rank.”
“Not even close, but I’ll let it slide since you’re about to leave. In fact, I’m willing to forget all about this as long as you disappear in the next sixty seconds.”
“Not without my kid.”
Hank could feel Ivy bristle. He reached out to hold her hand. “His name is Charlie. Which you’d know if you’d been even the slightest bit a part of his life.”
Eric waved a hand. “Great. Charlie. Bring him out here, and I’m gone.”
“You’re gone now,” Hank said. “Or I will remove you bodily. Besides being the alpha’s next in line, I’m also the sheriff of this town.” Not to mention a decorated Army Ranger. Hank wouldn’t even break a sweat removing this guy.
The Werewolf Meets His Match (Nocturne Falls Book 2) Page 18