Dominick found me a few minutes after I got my fill and threw his phone at me. Both he and Theo gave me a tongue-lashing about just disappearing. Once I told them it was that or drain everyone, they agreed I’d done the right thing. So I can understand the concern on my mum’s face now.
“I’m all good, Mum. Surely I can’t look as peaky as Alyssa does,” I reassure her, giving Alyssa a concerned look of my own. She’s an unhealthy shade of green.
“Morning sickness,” Alyssa gripes grimly, before thinking about that assessment a little more. “More like all day sickness.”
“Ginger ale will help with that, and a couple of ginger nut biscuits,” Selena announces, as she makes a move to get up.
“Don’t get up Selena, I know how hard that is for you. I’ll get them,” I offer, placing my glass on the table and heading into the kitchen.
Selena settles herself back into the cushions of the sofa. “Thanks Ruby.”
I walk around the breakfast bar and into the kitchen. Seeing me, Bel pulls me into a hug still holding the half-empty champagne bottle in her hand. The cold bottle I feel through my tank top was a drastic difference in the heat coming off Bel.
“I’m so glad you came. If you need to leave at any time, I will completely understand,” she says, giving me an out if I need it; no doubt remembering my speedy exit the other night.
“Thanks. I had a little wobble as I came in, but managed to push it down, should be fine,” I say as I pull away. “Are you nervous about tomorrow?” I ask, leaning into the fridge and pull out a can of ginger ale.
Bel reaches a glass down out of the cupboard and slides it across the bench to me. “Not yet, I’m more worried about what the guys are doing to Theo right now. He better arrive in one piece,” she confesses, taking some ginger nut biscuits out of the ‘Cookie Monster’ cookie jar on the bench top. Its cry of ‘cookies’ makes us both giggle.
Theo is a big cookie eater, he loves chocolate chip cookies, so I bought him the jar a couple Christmases ago when I saw it in a shop. Selena hated it, she used to hide it in the back of the pantry. It’s nice to see it on show and holding Selena’s biscuits. She probably grumbles every time she takes one out.
“He’ll be fine. Knowing Theo he’ll have ordered them all to behave,” I say with a laugh, pouring the ginger ale into the glass.
“You’re right. He won’t make it easy for them to have fun.” She places the ginger nut biscuits on a side plate. “Come on, let’s go have enough fun for everyone.”
We both make our way to the sofa and give a green-looking Alyssa our ginger goodies, hoping they do the trick as Selena promised. Alyssa takes a healthy sip of the ginger ale, as Bel and I both find a spot on the sofa to squeeze our butts in.
These people are family, I don’t want to be on edge for the rest of my life when I’m around them. I’m immortal, for crying out loud. After I fled the last get together, Dominick assured me that in time I’d be fine. I do believe him since a number of vampires drink at Misty’s without draining the werewolves there.
Although Misty probably has some form of ward or spell up to protect her customers. In saying, that if a vampire really needed to feed on a werewolf, they would do anything to get their fix. They’d probably attack before the unsuspecting werewolves even made it into the safety of Misty’s. I know there are laws against feeding on a pack member, and serious consequences if we break those laws, but that doesn’t seem to affect my fangs and feeding urges just yet.
“Don’t get comfy, I think it’s time we start some games,” Alyssa says, around a mouthful of ginger nut biscuit, her voice pulling me out of my worries. “Okay girls, we need to go outside for the first game, ‘Pass the penis,’ we’ll need plenty of space. Let’s make two teams of four. Selena, you might have to just be a referee for this one.”
“That sounds like a good idea to me,” Selena says, as Chloe reaches down and tugs her up off the sofa. “I’m not sure this beast I'm carrying around with me is very game-friendly.” She gives her ample stomach a loving stroke before waddling out to the yard.
As everyone makes their way outside, I take my empty glass to the kitchen and almost fall over Alyssa; who’s on her hands and knees with the majority of her body in the fridge. “What the hell are you doing?”
She pulls out of the fridge just enough to look up at me. “I know they’re in here somewhere,” she says, before ducking back in. “If Theo’s eaten them, I’ll kill him. Ah huh! Looks like Theo lives to see another day.” She rises to her feet with a joyful smile on her face and a cucumber in each hand.
I laugh and point at the cucumbers. “The penis for the game?”
With a nod and a grin, she confirms my suspicion. “We can’t play ‘Pass the penis’ without a couple of penises.”
We join the others in the backyard and they have already assembled two teams, Bel, Misty, and Lucy are on one team; with Delly, Mum, and Chloe on the other.
“Ruby, come and join us,” Mum shouts. Having no issue with being on their team, I join them in their little huddle as Alyssa explains the rules.
“Okay, ladies. This game is essentially a relay race with a cucumber as a baton. Only you can’t touch it with your hands, it must be held between your legs and passed to your team members legs,” she says, giving a cucumber to each team. “The first team to have all members complete their turn of the race wins.”
Bel and Delly both get a cucumber in position.
“On your marks. Get set. Go!” Selena shouts from the lounger at the finish line. Bel and Delly both shoot off the line, they're holding back their were-speed to a degree. If clueless Selena weren't the only human here, I’d worry someone would notice. They reach the end of the yard and run back, Delly taking the lead by a stride. The cucumber Bel is holding is slowly working its way lower down her legs.
“I’m losing my penis,” she shouts with a giggle.
“I’m sure Theo would be happy to offer you his,” Alyssa shouts back, as we all burst into laughter.
The handover between Mum and Delly goes off without a hitch and Mum is halfway down the yard, when Bel and Alyssa have managed to get over their laughter enough to pass the ‘penis’ between them. It doesn’t take Alyssa long to make up ground. Mum makes her turn and drops her ‘penis,’ the delay allows Alyssa to overtake her. The handover between Alyssa and Misty is quick and she makes it halfway back before Chloe manages to pass her.
We fumble our pass and I set off with the ‘penis’ between my knees, which makes running harder, even with the grace being a vampire gives me. I cross the finish line with Lucy on my heels.
“Thank God, that’s over. I need to pee,” Selena says, getting up as quick as she can in her state and dashing inside.
“We had a disadvantage with two human teammates. It would’ve been a whole different race if we had been able to use our speed,” Bel complains, as my team jumps up and down hooting about our win.
“The way I was running then, I could have done better than that when I was human,” I state with a laugh. I’m not even kidding. I was abysmal.
“Fair enough. The next game isn’t as strenuous, so even Selena can play. Let’s head back inside,” Alyssa orders.
Lucy and I both carry our cucumbers to the kitchen dumping them on the counter and join the others who are huddling around something on the wall, just as Selena reappears from her pee break. Once I get close enough, I realise there’s a theme going on with these games. There is a large poster of a naked, good looking guy pinned to the wall. He has a target where his penis should be. The words ‘Pin the Junk on the Hunk’ are written across the top.
“Where the hell did you find these games? Did you do a Google search for penis-themed games or something?” I ask with a giggle, as I turn my attention to Alyssa; who chooses that moment to hand me a penis-shaped sticker.
“I’ve been to plenty of hen’s parties, so I have a heap of penis games stored in this head of mine. No need for Google here.” She winks.
&nb
sp; As Alyssa passes Selena, she gives her huge baby bump a gentle rub. “I can’t wait until I get to this size. To feel the baby moving must be an amazing feeling.”
Selena holds Alyssa’s hand firmly in place and smiles. “Feeling it like this is fantastic, but feeling it from the inside is indescribable. There are just no words good enough.”
I stand and watch the moment passing between them as I suddenly come to the realisation that I’ll never experience that. I’ll never feel a baby move inside me. I’ll never have a baby of my own.
A tear escapes down my cheek and I quickly reach up to wipe it away. Not quickly enough, though. Mum grabs my wrist and pulls me through the house and into what used to be my bedroom. It hasn’t changed one bit. I begin to wonder if anyone has been in here since that night.
Mum’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts. “I’m sorry, honey. I was hoping you’d have longer before you thought about the things that won’t be part of your new future.”
“I can’t have kids, Mum. I won’t be able to give you grandkids,” I say, as tears run freely down my face.
Mum pulls me into her arms and strokes my back soothingly. “Maybe you can’t give me biological grandkids, but you can still give me grandkids. You can adopt or foster.”
Her words run through my head on a loop.
Adopt or foster.
Adopt or foster.
I realise she’s right, I can still be a parent one day. I just have to think and go about it a different way now. “You’re right,” I say, with a smile as I pull back out of her arms and wipe my face free of tears.
“Good,” she says as she takes one last look at me before turning for the door. “We best get back downstairs, they’ll be wondering where we got to.”
With a quick glance in the mirror to check I don’t have panda eyes, I follow Mum downstairs, determined to forget my worries and make sure my future sister-in-law has the best last night of freedom she can have.
I briefly wonder if Alyssa has a stripper booked.
Twenty-Nine
THE ROMANCE OF A WEDDING
RUBY
Looking at my brother standing in the fairy-lit garden, watching proudly as his beautiful bride and mate, walked down the aisle is a sight for sore eyes.
When things went wrong between him and Selena I never thought I’d see him happy again. I can see now that even in their happiest days he was never this happy. The love is pouring off him. Bel has been a gift to us all.
The wedding was meant to be during the day, but Theo wouldn’t have it without his little sister attending, so the plans were changed and Alyssa went out and bought what looks like a million fairy lights. It’s gorgeous. She’s done such a good job, if she ever gets sick of being an accountant she should go into wedding planning.
Jesse O’Keefe, alpha of the Rossi Pack, has flown over from Western Australia so he could officiate the ceremony, bringing his mate, Frankie, with him. He’s a big warrior of a man, built like a gladiator. Even with his suit on you can see he’s all muscle, his blond hair is trimmed short on his head.
Frankie had arrived with Cain when news of my death had spread, but she flew back to Western Australia a few days later once Cain decided to stick around. Jesse had flown someone else out here to accompany Frankie on her journey back. Unfortunately, I hadn’t been able to meet her before and even though everyone trusts me, I don’t trust myself to speak to her now. I wouldn’t want to have a mishap and anger one of the only alpha allies Theo has.
As Bel reaches us in her beautiful lace gown, with her brunette locks pinned up on her head in a fancy up-do, she hands Jared her bouquet before kissing him and her uncle on the cheek.
Bel’s Uncle Jack, Aunt Lilian, and cousin Benji, arrived yesterday. The wolves are used to having Jared around, so they didn’t seem to care about having an extra werelion on pack territory; which was good because Bel wouldn’t have it any other way. It appears the lions come with Bel, like it or lump it. She turns her attention on Theo. The growl he releases in the back of his throat makes me think his wolf is pretty pleased with his mate’s appearance, too.
“Behave,” Bel says with a giggle, as she taps him playfully on the chest.
“I’ll take that as my cue to start, shall I?” Jesse jests, before clearing his throat and addressing the crowd.
“Friends, family, and pack mates of Rosabel and Theodore, welcome and thank you for being here on this significant day.
“We are gathered together to celebrate the mating of Rosabel McGuiness and Theodore Wilson, alpha pair of the Mount Roxby pack.”
He focuses his attention back to Bel and Theo.
“Rosabel and Theodore, you’ve already claimed one another and started the mating process. Your mental bond has formed and with today’s ceremony, it will solidify.”
Jesse reaches into his inside jacket pocket and pulls out a green cord and places it over Bel and Theo’s joined hands.
“As this knot is tied, so are your wolves now bound.”
So that is why Theo needed to trust the person who was officiating, he wouldn’t allow just anyone to tie his and Bel’s hands together.
“With the fashioning of this knot I do tie all the desires, dreams, love, and happiness wished between you, to your lives for eternity.
“As your hands are bound by this cord, may your mating be held by a symbol of this knot.
“May it be granted, what is done before this pack is not undone by man nor wolf.”
I jump where I stand, as the wolves all stand in unison and howl to the couple.
Jared and Jack both join in with a roar before Bel and Theo howl, too. There aren’t many humans here only Lucy, Misty, and those that are mated with other weres. The way Lucy and Misty are flinching at the sound is proof they don’t frequent mating ceremonies.
Theo bought Selena a pregnancy spa weekend so she would have a chance to relax before the baby was born. The excitement of a full house of wedding guests would have been taxing on the mom-to-be. Selena pretty much agreed that she would love to stay but was really dying for some time to be pampered. It appealed to her selfish nature. It also gave the pack the chance to really be themselves for the wedding. It worked out for everyone.
Once the noise dies down, the happy couple makes their way hand in hand down the aisle. Being Bel’s Man of Honour, Jared follows behind them with Bel’s bouquet of flowers still in hand. Wes, Theo’s Best Man, and Misty, Bel’s Head Bridesmaid follow behind them. Leaving Ed and me to walk arm in arm after them.
“You look absolutely beautiful,” he says, after a sharp intake of breath, before tucking my arm into his.
“Thanks,” I mumble. I can feel the flush run over my face. “You look pretty dapper yourself.” It isn’t a lie, he looks amazing. But then, he always looks amazing.
I glance into the crowd and see my brother Cain grinning back at me, dressed in a smart suit and tie matching the purple of our dresses. His dark hair gelled back smoothly as opposed to his usual just out of bed look.
I hope he and Theo can sort things out between them. He was Theo’s Best Man last time. It’s going to be strange listening to Wes give the Best Man speech instead of Cain, but you can’t sleep with your brother’s wife and expect to be Best Man for him at his next wedding. I’m just glad Cain is here and they seem to be talking.
By the time we get to the end of the aisle, most of the guests are out of their seats and wandering around the yard. Bel and Theo are getting hugs and kisses from anyone that can get near them. Cain steps out in front of us and I release Eddie’s arm.
“Thanks for being my date tonight. I’ll see you on the dance floor.” Eddie gives me a wink before making his way to a group of guys across the yard.
Cain throws his arm over my shoulder and pulls me into a side hug. “How are you doing little sis? Not wanting to sink your fangs into anyone yet, are you?”
“Now that you mention it, there are plenty of wolves here. I think I could take a few drops from a couple without
anyone noticing.” I make a show of looking around the yard at the unsuspecting wolves.
His arm tightens across my shoulder. I can’t help but laugh at him for taking me serious.
“I’m kidding,” I say, digging him in the ribs with my elbow. “I had a good feed before I left. I’m fine, honest.”
“You little shit, you had me worried.” He laughs and pushes me away from him playfully.
“I’ve missed you. Please tell me you’re back for good,” I say, as I hug into his side.
He gives a long sigh before speaking, “I don’t know. I don’t really belong here anymore. I ruined everything when I fell for Selena.” Something in his voice makes me pull away and look at him. He fell for her? He doesn’t give me time to dwell on that thought, before he carries on talking. “But I don’t belong to the pack I made while I was away anymore either.”
I follow his eyes and see them trained on Frankie. She’s looking at her mate, Jesse, sheepishly. It’s almost like she doesn’t know him and they are on a first date, but they’ve been mates for years. There’s got to be an interesting story behind that look.
* * *
The chairs were moved to the tables and the reception went without a hitch. Jesse brought Ben, one of his wolves with him, who happened to be a world-class chef. So needless-to-say the food was divine.
Well, it smelled divine and everyone else said it was. As a vampire I don’t eat food anymore. It’s not that I can’t eat it, it’s just that I don’t have bodily functions like I used to as a human. I can still chew and swallow, but after that it won’t do anything, it’ll just sit in my stomach like a lead weight until it decomposes and breaks down on its own.
It wouldn’t be a pleasant experience, no matter how good it may taste going down. Instead of looking odd watching everyone else eat, I’d offered to help Ben in the kitchen. I’m clearing the leftovers off plates as I feel a wolf’s energy behind me, thinking I’m in Ben’s way again, I start to apologise, “I’m sorry. I’m good at getting in the way,” I say, as I hastily scrape the last plate.
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