Chapter 34

Willow smiled at her mate and held his free hand as he drove. Yeah, they were already one of those couples. He pulled into a driveway and she looked around as he made it to the end and parked. They were to have a small, quiet mating ceremony that day, at this cute little log cabin overlooking Blue River.

It had only been two days since he’d claimed her in the kitchen of his brother’s house, three since she’d returned the renqua to all of the bearen who’d been at the chief’s estate, but neither of them wanted to wait for the mating ceremony. When something was right, it was right.

He held up a finger. “Wait for me,” he said, then jumped out and ran around to her side of the police truck the wolves were still letting him drive. She smiled as she imagined what Bruin might say or think about the wolves. Good guys, those wolves, every last one. Who would’ve thought?

Her mate opened her door, the purring telling her he was going to kiss her before he let her put her feet on the ground. She smiled at him and tilted her face up for it. She knew the drill. He fit himself in between her legs and curved his body to hers, then kissed her solidly, thoroughly, covering every inch of her lips with his, kissing, sucking a bit, maybe nipping. Whatever the moment called for.

Willow put her hand on his chest and tapped and he stopped immediately, pulling back and surveying her with that sweet look of his, waiting to hear what she wanted. “Bruin,” she breathed. “You can’t kiss me like that and then expect me to act like nothing happened.”

He grinned sunnily, showing his dimples and making the new lines on his face fall away. He took her hand and brought it to his zipper, where his cock stood hard and ready for her. “Maybe we should find a quiet spot somewhere, take the edge off.”

“My dress,” she said, pulling at the simple ivory forest dress her mother had been able to find for her at a moment’s notice. “We can’t get it dirty till after.”

He cupped her cheek. “You outshine it. It doesn’t matter what you wear.”

Willow sighed. He knew how to make a girl feel good. He was in a simple suit, dark gray, the only one in Conri’s closet.

She looked over his shoulder at the line of vehicles. “I thought no one was coming. I didn’t want to call my sisters away from the pups, and from Heather.” Heather was still in labor, her energy starting to fade. Remington was advising against surgery as long as the baby’s vitals were still strong. No one knew how long a dragen labor was. They were on their way over there later to see if Willow could do anything for her.

Bruin glanced at the vehicles, pointing at a truck. “I think Mac is driving that, so they beat us here. That’s Wade’s jeep. And those-” he frowned. “Those belong to my brothers. But I don’t recognize that car at the end.”

Willow stretched to see it. “That’s my mom’s.”

Bruin touched foreheads with her. They’d wanted to do something small for now, and something bigger later, and hadn’t told a soul except her mother, but still, those closest to them had found out.

The door opened and Mac stuck his head out. “We’re waiting on you two!”

They were having a small, double mating ceremony, none of them wanting to put it off any longer. Now felt right, and they all had learned from Bruin that you did it when it felt right.

Bruin smiled at her, lifted her from the truck, and carried her to the building. “Put me down,” she urged, and he finally did.

Rogue met her at the door, wearing a white lace cat suit that hugged her curves. Willow exclaimed over it. “You look so good.”

Rogue smiled. “You too, Will. I’m glad we’re doing this together.” Her face held a hint of sadness that was duplicated in her lacy gray thought-form. Resignation. She thought she would never find Amaranth. Willow reached up and combed at the thought-form with her fingers, drawing the emotion out and flinging it away. Rogue’s face lightened instantly. “Thanks,” she said, then hugged Willow. The two headed to the back of the cabin together, where a false door had been moved aside to open up the entire room to the outside. Colored banners were hung quickly but neatly and flowers blazed cheery faces from every spare surface. Willow’s mom waved at her from a chair in the front.

Willow smiled and waved back, then pointed out Bruin. Lucinda gave her a big thumbs up. You did good. Bruin met her at the end of the aisle, Mac and Rogue falling in place behind them.

Willow grabbed a bouquet of flowers and made her way down the aisle next to her mate, waving at Conri, Beirne, Hartz, and Mato, then Lorna.

Wade stood at the other end, waiting for them, a simple smile on his face, an instrumental “All You Need is Love,” playing on someone’s phone.

Willow and Bruin broke to the left, while Rogue and Mac broke to the right. They all faced Wade, and he began immediately, speaking to the audience first, then turning to Bruin and Willow.

He addressed Willow first, saying her full name, Willow Meadow Kendall, but Willow barely heard the rest of it. Rogue had lit up like a Christmas tree, staring at her and frowning, clearly wanting to interject, but trying to keep a lid on her mouth. Willow raised her eyebrows at her sister. Later.

The ceremony was simple, sweet, and exactly what she had wanted. When it was over, Bruin’s brothers embraced him, then embraced Mac like he was a long-lost sixth brother.

Rogue snuck around the touchy-feely males and ran into Willow, grabbing her by the forearms. “Kendall. That’s my last name,” she said, her voice saying she almost understood.

In a rush of emotion, Willow saw it, saw her five-year-old self on the playground twenty years ago, running and giggling with two girls who had made a big enough impression on her that when she’d had to pick a last name, she’d picked theirs.

They had been Rogue and Amaranth.

Her eyes filled with tears and she grabbed for her sister, really feeling the connection for the first time since she learned of it. The connection of fate, and blood and belonging that united them.

Her sisters.

***

Bruin gazed at his mate who was standing by the door to the small cabin. His mate. His wife. They meant the same thing to him. The woman he would spend the rest of his life serving, pleasing, standing beside. The rest of his life started now, and he couldn’t be happier.

Willow, lovely in white, her hair a stark contrast as it cascaded down her back, kissed her mom goodbye, then looked around for her mate. Their eyes met, and that idling motor in his chest turned over. He wanted her.

Wade plucked him on the sleeve. “Can I talk to you? Over here?”

Bruin nodded. “Yeah, let me get Willow.”

His brothers had left immediately after the ceremony, called away to some sort of emergency. Bruin felt a tiny pang of longing to be a part of that, to get back to work with his brothers, but he wasn’t sure what the new chief would decide about him. When he’d asked Conri if the council had voted on a chief yet, Conri had looked at him strangely and said they had, that morning, but then the emergency had come in and he hadn’t been able to say more.

Willow came to him, looking as much like an angel as she had in the meadow when he’d braided her hair. Heart-stoppingly beautiful, his mate was, and he got to look at her whenever he wanted.

“Wade wants to talk to us,” he said quietly, folding her hand in his and pulling her to the corner where Wade was already sitting, his serious face on.

Mac was there, standing next to Wade’s chair, pacing slightly, his face agitated, like he knew he was about to hear bad news. Rogue was sitting a row away, her legs crossed, as she watched everyone, her face unreadable. Willow would know if she was upset or not.

Bruin and Willow sat down across from Wade. He spoke immediately, getting right to it. “Bruin, we’ve just gotten official word. You aren’t going to be able to work with us anymore.”

Mac swore and rolled his eyes skyward. “They got a new chief already, huh? Bruin can't work with us? Well, fuck that, it's not his business. We don’t need his permission.”

Wade held up his hands. “Calm it, Mac. It’s not that simple.”

Willow gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. Bruin turned to her, confused. She was staring at Wade, her eyes wide.

Mac didn’t notice. He shook his head. “The hell it isn’t. Who's this new chief? I'll go talk to him myself. Or better yet, maybe we can get him kicked out, get someone competent in there.” He motioned to the door. “What about Conri, that one who looks like Bruin with a bad shave? He seems like he’s got his head screwed on tight.”

Wade motioned at Bruin, his lips quirking as if something were funny. “It won’t be that easy. The new chief was nominated by unanimous decision by the fire board, and all the bearen are insisting on him with petitions and marches. He’s got the backing of every single bearen in the nation.”

Mac snorted. “He sounds like a kiss-ass. Who is this quintessential diplomat who’s gotten everyone’s panties wet?”

Wade lifted his chin at Bruin. “He's sitting right there.”

Bruin frowned. “Me? The new chief? No. I’ve never been in charge of anything.”

Wade shrugged. “You’re in charge of everything now. Like I said, unanimous.”

Mac stared at him for a long minute while Bruin blinked hard at the wall over Wade’s head. Fire chief? Him? An inane thought went through his head and he snorted. “Can I make everyone call me B4?”

Wade raised his eyebrows and nodded, but he was overshadowed by Mac, who ran a hand through his thick hair. “Get the fuck out of town,” he murmured, his face breaking into a wide smile. “Bruin, you’re the new fire chief. I always knew you were someone special, you big fuzzy fucker.”

Mac rushed forward and socked Bruin on the shoulder, still grinning like his team had won the super bowl. Willow hugged Bruin hard from the other side. Rogue stepped over a chair to pat him on the back. Even Wade was smiling broadly.

Bruin didn’t say anything for a long time. Too many thoughts were running through his mind, and that was unusual for him. Normally, his thoughts were slow and steady and easy to control. He’d always been a thinker, a philosophical bear, but this was different. Now he had decisions to make.

He kissed his mate, shook his best wolf friend’s hand, and smiled at his mate’s sister, then he turned to Wade, knowing exactly what he was going to say. “I want a special task force created to address bear-wolf relations. We all need to work together if we are going to have any chance of beating Khain.” Wade nodded, his gaze solemn.

Bruin gazed at his mate. “But first, we have renquas to return. If you’re game.” Her eyes lit up and he smiled at her, the decisions coming easy now.

He faced Wade and Mac, grinning at Mac’s proud-papa look. “I’ll put Conri in charge in the interim. Willow and I leave tomorrow.”

Wade stood and put out his hand. “Whatever you need from me, Chief, it’s yours.”

Bruin stood also, tucking his mate into his side, shaking Wade’s hand.

There was much work to be done, but that was when a bear was happiest: when he had a sweet and loving female, a strong clan, and a simple life to work hard for.

<<<<<< <3 <3 >>>>>>>>

No extended epilogue for this one!! Sorry! I’ll explain why in the following notes. Harlan’s book is next. I don’t know when. Will explain that too.

For now, please check out a new series I have been working on with a co-author!! available now for pre-order, will be in KU