Chapter Twenty-Eight
I’d never thought this day would come. It seemed as if everything and anything was lined up to keep me from marrying my mates. Which was why I had suggested multiple times that we cancel the event, or at least postpone it. But everyone, including my mates, Christie, and the alpha, shut me down time after time.
It was only a week after the battle, but the alpha was completely recovered, as were the handful of others who had suffered injuries. We’d lost no pack members, but the Rattlecreeks could not say the same. I was glad they had not approached me to help any of their injured because I knew what my gift would insist on my doing but wasn’t sure my human/wolf sides wouldn’t have tried to deny them. Instead, they’d hauled away those who couldn’t walk on their own and left the bodies of those who’d died behind as if they had never even met them.
The report of this act, leaving their fallen to rot in the woods, decided the final bits of our case with the council. They weren’t as upset about the war, which seemed odd to me, but then I hadn’t been raised in a pack, and my aunt hadn’t really educated me about being a shifter since she was keeping me on drugs to keep me from shifting.
I knew now it was to keep me safe because there were so many predictions about the new healer and the challenges she’d face, but it wasn’t fair or a decision someone else should be making for a child—or a young woman. But that was all behind me. The young woman in a wheel chair who’d moved to this town to try to find some semblance of a life had found so much more. I’d thought my little house and the opportunity to go to school and maybe make a friend along the way was a barely achievable dream.
The guys had stayed at Brandon’s place overnight because of some silly not-seeing-the-bride tradition, so I had slept alone for what would likely be the last time in my life. At least, that was the plan. I did have security, however. Christie, my school friend who loved to shop and knew all the stores for the cutest outfits, had also turned out to be a major warrior chick. She’d set up in the living room on the couch, a new sword I had never seen before on the floor at her side.
A real sword!
She’d used some various steel weapons in training, but this thing was special. And obviously very old. Long, and gleaming, with a jeweled handle… The kind of sword that probably had a name. I’d pin her down on this and a few other things, but as I stood on the upper landing and looked down on my friend, I loved her for being here. Was grateful for her and so glad she’d be standing at my side this afternoon when I exchanged vows with my mates. My maid of honor. I’d have to remind her she would be carrying a bouquet and not the sword. She’d have to lock it up somewhere.
As I started to turn away, a board creaked, and she startled awake and jumped up, sword at the ready. When had she become this warrior? Or had it always been inside her, waiting for a reason to emerge? Thinking back, I could remember times when I’d had a glimpse of this side of her.
“Stand down, soldier,” I crooned at her. “If you kill the bride, you’ll ruin the party.”
“Only because it’s in your honor.”
“Not just me!”
We both laughed, and she tucked her sword under the sofa cushions and bounded upstairs to join me.
As the bride, I’d been banished from any of the final preparations, told to just relax and enjoy getting ready for the wedding, and I had to admit it was the one time I didn’t mind spending hours on hair and makeup. My guys wouldn’t expect a lot of that kind of fuss, but today, they deserved the best I could do. Plus, I had to do justice to my gorgeous dress and veil. So the warrior princess and I spent the day fussing and curling and applying makeup, nibbling on little pastries, and generally living the bridal life.
I didn’t want a girls’ night out or even a shower since we had everything for our new home piled in boxes in storage, but this was better anyway. Time with my best friend to relax before I had to stand in front of some of our local friends and promise to love four of the best men ever, forever.
Then we’d eat cake and be on our way.
“Do you think they got our decorations set up okay?” I asked as Christie fitted my veil to my hair. “And are you sure the veil goes under the hair?”
“Yes, because we put your hair in an updo, and you don’t have a blusher.” She nodded at me in the mirror. “And it looks perfect.”
I smiled back at her. “I do feel kind of cute, but you’re not looking bad yourself.” Christie was actually glowing. You’d think she was the one with romance on her mind. “Which one is it?”
She glanced away then back. “This isn’t about me. Today, we talk about you. Are you all packed for your honeymoon?”
“As much as I can be. Since I don’t know where we’re going.” They’d been very mysterious about the whole thing. “What time is it?”
Christie glanced at the clock on the bedside table. “About fifteen minutes to getting married. Let’s head downstairs so we don’t have to rush.”
“In this train, rushing wouldn’t be happening. I’m so glad this is just a small party.”
“Uh-huh.” She wouldn’t meet my eyes for some reason. Maybe because I’d made the comment about her two crushes.
But she was right. Today wasn’t the day to deal with that. She’d been floating for this long, I could offer her moral support when I got back. “Carry my train?”
“Of course.”
We got downstairs just as some of the other women arrived to escort me, and there was a great deal of admiration for everyone’s outfits. They surrounded me and herded me into an open carriage decked with flowers then climbed in after me.
“Where did this come from?” I asked, but was met only with giggles. I decided it had to be a special gift from my mates. From my seat, I couldn’t see much past all the roses and carnations and things, but the noise level from the clearing where we were getting married was really high. The whole pack must have come. How sweet. But nothing prepared me for the sight that met my eyes when I descended from the carriage.
“Christie,” I said, faintly, “who the hell are all these people?”
Then entire clearing was filled, far more than I’d ever seen here, and up at the front, a row of older, very distinguished looking men and women sat. It had to be the council. What…?
But there wasn’t time for me to ask a lot of questions because we were already a few minutes late, and I didn’t want to keep everyone waiting. Everyone meaning the four handsomest men in the world who waited for me at the side of the front opposite the seated dignitaries. As I followed Christie down the aisle, I took in the decorations. I supposed the ones I’d selected were there, but they’d been multiplied a hundred times over. We even had a flower arch at the front where we stood while Samson pronounced us mates. I kissed each of my mates and presented them with rings. They gave me a single band to add to the four I already wore. Even as thin as they were, together they added up to a substantial weight. A weight that reminded me of them.
As I’d already guessed, the wedding had gone from the scaled-back version to the one Samson really wanted. Shifters were camped all over the lands, and many stayed in homes with any extra room. After we left on our honeymoon this evening even this house would be taken over by a number of guests. I just hoped they didn’t leave a mess. But after two weeks of traveling with my four mates, I probably wouldn’t care, and we’d be moving to our new house eventually.
When we stood at the front of a giant tent erected for the purpose to cut our cake, Cash handed me an envelope, and I opened it to find a deed to the house—I hadn’t even been sure how that worked on pack land—and a key. Also a small card with the words: Move-in Ready. Eventually started tonight.
In our recently scaled-up wedding, dancing was a thing, and with four new husbands, I danced all night until my feet were about to fall off. It was so worth it. Every minute logged away in my mind. I couldn’t even be mad that they’d changed everything without telling me.
After all, it was magical.
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Epilogue
The world was right again, or at least with this pack. I was a married woman now with four formidable and incredible mates.
I was me, but somehow, over the last few months, I’d grown into someone else.
Independent, worthy, knowledgeable, and powerful in my own right. I was loved beyond measure.
“Time to go, sweetheart.” Moss kissed my temple and grabbed for my uneaten piece of banana bread. Escher and I had gone on a baking spree over the weekend, a celebration of sorts.
Plus, with a kitchen like ours, how could you not want to cook all the time?
“Back to school,” I groaned. We’d extended our honeymoon over the whole break, making the best of our time and moving in completely to the new house. We’d fallen into a lovely routine, but life had to put its nose in our business. Brandon and Cash had to get back to work. Escher was starting online classes, and Moss and I had a new semester to start.
Reality bit hard.
“Maybe I should do school online like Escher. I mean…”
Moss chuckled while Brandon came down the stairs, followed by Cash and Escher.
“Come on, you’ve got to be bored by now staying home with us all the time.” Brandon came over to give me a lingering kiss that made me want to do anything but leave this house.
“Bored? With you four? Never ever.” I got off the stool and went to put my plate in the sink, but Escher intercepted, taking it from me and wrapping me up in his embrace.
“Getting out of here and into the world is good for you. Plus, you have your job at school.”
Cash was right. It was good to get out into the world and see…people. But he was not correct about the job. I didn’t need it anymore. What Mirella had left me was enough for six lifetimes and four degrees with plenty left over.
“About that…” I still debated whether or not to keep it. The fact was, no matter the money, I loved working at the library. But I loved being at home with my family even more.
And there was healing to do. And studying. Both of which were almost full-time jobs in themselves.
“What? Come on, you love your job.” Cash pressed a kiss to my forehead while I was still wrapped up in Escher. I loved the zero jealousy among them. Or at least, they didn’t show it.
“I do, but I have other things to do.”
Excuses. I wanted to be home with my men all the time. Truth. Life was short, and I intended to relish every moment I could be with them.
War had taught me much.
“We’ll be here when you get home, my love,” Brandon said and grabbed his toolbelt from the mud room.
“Fine. I might work there one day a week. But no more.”
“Fine by me,” Escher groaned into my ear. When he did that, all was forgotten. School, the world, work, breathing. All of it.
“Our girl wants to be a doctor, and that’s what we are going to support, right, Escher?” Moss picked up my bag and held it in the air.
“Yeah, I guess.” Escher let me go after kissing the side of my neck. “Go, be a doctor and all the amazing things.”
On the way to school, I couldn’t help but smile out the window at how things had turned out. I was walking, for one. I could shift. I belonged to a pack. I was married to four loving mates.
All was well.
“What are you smiling about, mate of mine?” Moss took my hand in his.
“Life is good,” I answered, not wanting to get gushy.
He smiled at me. “Agreed.”
Thank you for reading Dominion. Next in series is Torn. Wendi and her mates have found happiness, but while their adventures aren’t over, Christi’s have just begun!
A Sneak Peek at the next Shifter of Consequence Tale
Available Here
Christie
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I slammed the phone onto the counter. Samson wasn’t taking my calls. Tris was acting like I wasn’t alive.
It was hard to live day to day when you felt like your heart was being ripped in half constantly.
But I’d kept it together, for the battle, for my best friend’s wedding, for normalcy.
Why were they being so stubborn?
I walked outside, basking in the morning sunlight beaming down on my face. Stopping beside the flower beds, I put my hands on my hips and raised my eyes to the sky. Breathe in and out. Listen to the wind caress the leaves and branches. Feel the warmth of the sun.
Be here in this moment.
A noise in the distance caught my attention.
Tris.
He was getting into his truck across the road. My wolf senses picked up on his scent, all crisp linens and amber. He paused outside the open door, his hand gripping the door, and looked down.
He knew I was here as vividly as I knew he was.
There was something between us—even my wolf perked up in his presence. She called him that word, but I refused to recognize it yet.
Especially when I was torn between two men.
I’d known since I was a girl Samson was mine.
But now Tris was in the picture.
If only those two were speaking. If only they weren’t in some kind of decade-long feud.
If only they could both be mine. Wendi’s four men got along fine. But these two? Not a chance. I had to accept that.
He exhaled, climbed into his truck, and drove down the road, not even lifting a hand to wave or dipping his chin like guys tended to do.
Something had happened between the last time I’d seen him and now. He had flirted with me before and nearly kissed me several times.
Maybe I was just dreaming.
Torn between two men was a crappy place to exist.
An Excerpt from Survivor
Available Here
Chapter One
“Little lady, your phone has been beeping for quite a while. Might want to tend to that.” The man’s gruff voice broke through my thoughts and slammed me back into reality. Great. Time for my pills. Again. Shit, didn’t I just take them? I pressed the button at the side of the watch and made it stop beeping. The man with the Mario mustache and tan jumpsuit took it as proof I’d heard him and grumbled something about kids these days.
Didn’t consider eighteen a kid, but I guessed to him it was.
I pushed the wheels of my chair forward a little until I could lean sideways and reach my purse without splaying myself all over the carpet in front of the movers. That kind of thing was generally avoided in my life, but it tended to happen when I least expected or wanted it.
As if I ever really wanted it.
My purse rattled with the sound of capsules in a glass bottle and I fished the green and white speckled one out of the bottle and popped it into my mouth, no water required.
I had been taking them for so long. They went down with no help whatsoever.
Another man, one with the name Charlie embroidered into his jumpsuit, crouched down in front of me with a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. His fingernails were dirty underneath, and when he smiled, his chapped lips cracked a little. “That’s it for us. Are you sure you don’t want help getting the few things from the car? It would be no charge and wouldn’t take more than a minute.”
I sighed and signed the bill for the movers without answering. What he was really saying was he wouldn’t mind getting the stuff out of my car since I was ill-equipped for the job. Probably make him sleep better tonight knowing my belongings weren’t stranded in the car.
The thing was, even if it took me seven times as long to get everything out, I liked to do as much for myself as I possibly could. “No, thank you. I’ve got the necessities right here. I'll handle it. But thank you. I know it was a lot of books to haul around.”
He chuckled and took the clipboard back, glancing over it to make sure everything was in order then tapping the pen against it with a brisk nod. “Heaviest boxes are always books. Always. You take care now, Wendi.” He had to reference the clipboard to get my name right, but
fine. At least he’d tried.
The movers filed out, waving at me as they got in their trucks. I listened to the sounds of rustling gravel as they pulled out of the driveway and then onto the almost deserted road. After closing the door, I wheeled myself into the center of the room and braced myself for what came next. The moving part.
Somehow, I had to managed to pack all of this stuff on my own. Suddenly, I was wishing I had been more of a minimalist. The movers had put the furniture where it belonged and gone so far as to put my bed together, but that was as much as I would allow them to help. I had to do this on my own.
Part of being a big girl and all.
It wasn’t as if I couldn’t move. No, I’d been blessed in that way. It was more that it took me a thousand years to do things it took average people only seconds to do. Like moving from this chair, my ever-present friend and foe, to the couch placed right where I wanted it, the larger-than-life window in the living room facing the forest beyond. I’d picked this place for the view. Tree branches bowed to each other in the distance, and I could see the sloping and elevation of the land.
After eyeing the transition and mapping it out in my head, I put one hand on the arm of the couch and the other on one arm of the chair. With a great groan, I hoisted myself to standing and took a few steps forward, so when I collapsed into the couch, and I would, my ass would land first. My legs shook from the weight. I couldn't stand more than five minutes at a time. Any more and my muscles would just give out.
It didn’t help that I’d been up at the butt crack of dawn, all kinds of nervous about moving.
Still, it was better than falling over.
I’d been in situations where my ass hit anything but the place I’d wanted it to. Like the floor, the side of the toilet, and my personal, painful favorite, the edge of the bathtub. That bruise lasted for a month.
This time, however, my ass hit the softness of my couch, and I gave myself a second to catch my breath. Yeah, just that little movement made me feel like I’d run a marathon.
Dominion: A Shifter of Consequence Tale (Shifters of Consequence Book 4) Page 11