“This is it, bro,” Jason said as he helped Matthew with the tie on his tuxedo. “Are you really going to go through with it? I’m pretty sure you can still back out before you say ‘I do’.”

Matthew laughed. “Yeah, I’m sure. She’s the one, man.”

Jason gave him a tight smile. “I’m happy for you. I really am.”

“You know, you can be happy too,” Matthew said in a quiet voice. “I know I said I wouldn’t push it, but Chris—”

“Oh my, don’t you look handsome!” Riva exclaimed as she walked in with Hank. She looked beautiful in her pale lavender dress, while Hank looked distinguished in his tux. “I can’t believe my baby is getting married.”

Jason sighed inwardly with relief. Saved by Mom. He really didn’t want to listen to Matthew give him a hard time about Christina. He already had enough of that from his own dragon.

“Mom—” Matthew began as she came up to brush some lint off his tux.

“I know what you’re going to say, but you’ll always be my baby.” She looked at Jason with tears in her eyes. “All of you.”

“You’ll have to forgive your mother,” Hank said dryly. “She hasn’t stopped crying since she unearthed your baby shoes from storage yesterday.”

“Oh, Hank,” she said, swatting him on the arm. But her eyes shone with love for her mate. “Go call Sybil and Luke. I need family pictures.”

Matthew rolled his eyes, but Riva paid him no mind. As soon as they were all in the bedroom, Riva made them all pose together for pictures, snapping away with her camera phone. Much to Jason’s surprise, even Luke participated, though he was scowling in most of the pictures. He wondered if his adopted brother had changed his mind after all these years of staying away. Maybe even Luke wasn’t immune to weddings. He’d even worn the matching tux Matthew had gotten for them all.

“Almost ready?” Meg’s face popped in through the doorway. “Everyone’s here and seated.” She turned to Jason. “Even your date is here. She must have asked me ten times where you were.”

“Your date?” Matthew raised a brow at him.

“You have a girlfriend?” Riva asked, excitement in her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” he said sourly. “Just a date. This is a wedding, right? People bring dates to these things all the time.”

“But this is a family affair,” Sybil pointed out. “Are you introducing her to us?”

Hank cleared his throat. “C’mon now, let’s leave Jason alone. And we need to get going.”

Jason shot his father a grateful look and followed the rest of his family as they filed out of Matthew’s bedroom and out of the castle.

With spring just around the corner and the weather finally getting milder, Matthew and Catherine decided to have an outdoor ceremony on the back lawn, though the reception would be in the Grand Ballroom since it was still cold in the evenings.

The ceremony area was cordoned off with swathes of white cloth, interspersed with pastel colors. There were rows of chairs and an aisle down the middle decorated with flowers and cloth in the same spring color theme. At the front was a raised dais with an arch made of flowers. Judge Cornelius Atherton was waiting there, dressed in his black robes.

Matthew took his place in front with Jason beside him as his best man. Hank and Riva took their seats on the groom’s side.

The orchestra began to play and everyone sat down. The bridesmaids and groomsmen came out first, Sybil and Luke, Nate and Kate, and Amelia and Ben. When Jason saw a flash of blonde hair turn the corner, he held his breath.

Christina walked down the aisle by herself. She was wearing a light-blue dress with delicate straps. The fabric around the torso clung to the curves of her firm breasts, and exposed just a hint of cleavage. Her long, golden hair shone as it tumbled past her creamy shoulders. He’d never seen anyone look as stunning as she did in that moment. They locked eyes and she quickly turned away, a blush staining her cheeks.

Last night had given him hope as he swore he could not only see the wanting in her eyes when she looked at him, but smell her arousal. As she came closer, she glanced at him one more time then took her position opposite him on the dais. Behind her, Cordy, as second maid of honor, finished her walk. Jason gave her a wink and she beamed a smile at him.

The music changed and a hush went over the crowd. Soon, the bride and her father were walking down the aisle. Catherine looked radiant in her white gown and he heard Matthew’s breath hitch. She was a beautiful bride, but Jason couldn’t help but be drawn to Christina, who was staring at her sister as tears glistened down her heart-shaped face. Soon, the ceremony was on its way, with the bride and groom up front and their attendants beside them.

“Jason,” Luke whispered from his left, his voice barely perceptible.

“What?” he asked, glancing at his brother.

“Do you hear that?” Luke asked, his thick blond brows drawing into a frown.

“Huh? Hear what?”

Matthew glared at them then turned back to Judge Atherton. That quickly shut them up. But a few seconds later, Luke called his attention again.

“Jason—”

“Shut up,” he hissed. From the bride’s side, Sybil shot them a warning look.

“I swear, I hear something. Like a buzzing sound,” Luke said. “Don’t you hear it?”

“No, dude,” Jason said. “Now pipe down.” God, what the hell was wrong with Luke?

“And so,” Judge Atherton continued, “should anyone here present know of any reason that this couple should not be joined in marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

Luke’s voice cut through the reverent silence. “Everyone get away! Now!”

“What the hell?” Matthew exclaimed. A murmur rushed through the crowd. In the front row, Hank was getting to his feet, while Catherine’s family looked at each other with puzzled expressions.

Jason whipped around, ready to face Luke and take him down if it came to that. He expected to see a crazed expression on his brother’s face, but all he saw was clear determination. Something was up. “What’s wrong?”

Luke growled at the Judge, Matthew, and Catherine. “Leave. Get off this stage! You’re all in danger.”

The determination in his voice struck Jason like hammer. “Do as he says. Now!”

Matthew rushed everyone off, with Ben and Nathan helping. Meanwhile, Luke was already bending down, his hands digging under the wooden boards, before he lifted the entire dais off. He flipped it over with one motion.

“Fuck!” Jason cursed when he saw what was underneath. There was a suitcase-sized package wrapped in duct tape. Attached to it was a large, red digital display that ticked down every passing second. Three minutes and five seconds.

He heard Matthew swear loudly before turning to the guests. “Everyone, please go back into the castle. It’s not safe here.”

A buzz rang through the crowd, and a few people rushed to get up. Matthew put an arm around Catherine and whispered to her. Together, they gathered the groomsmen and bridesmaids then dispersed, helping people off the lawn and into the castle.

“What’s going on?” Christina rushed over and then her gaze landed on the bomb. “Oh, my God.”

Jason grabbed her by the arms. “Get out of here, Christina. Go back inside with everyone.”

“No!” she protested. “We need to diffuse it. What are you doing?”

Jason was taking off his jacket. “I’m going to fly it away,” he said. He checked the dial. Two minutes and thirty seconds. He could clear the mountain in that time.

“You can’t!” she said, wrapping her fists around the collar of his jacket.

“I have to,” he said. “It’ll be okay. There’s a lake a few miles from here. I can drop it there.”

“And if you don’t make it?” Blue eyes searched his. “No. Nikos!” she called to her brother.

The youngest Stavros brother ran toward them, and as soon as he saw the bomb, he nodded to Christina. “I’m on it.”

“On it?” Jason asked, confused. “What do you mean, on it?”

Nikos knelt down next to the bomb, and took out a small pouch from his pocket. Xander and Kostas followed, speaking rapidly in Greek as they approached Nikos.

“What the hell is going on?” Jason asked Christina.

She hesitated. “Nikos trained with the Greek Special Forces. He’s done this before.”

Jason’s gut told him that wasn’t the entire truth, but that wasn’t important. “You have to go, Christina. Go somewhere safe.”

“I won’t leave you,” she said, desperation in her voice as she clung to him. “Don’t make me go, please.”

Her words struck something in him, and while he didn’t want to be away from her, he knew he had to get her to safety. He looked back at the Stavros brothers who were now examining the bomb. “What are they saying?”

“They’re working on it. Nikos keeps saying something about the timer and fuse … a couple of kilos of C-4 … enough to level the castle.” Her face grew pale.

“Dammit!” He looked around and saw Nate a few feet away. “Nate! Get everyone back to town! Now!” Nate nodded and ran toward the castle.

“How much longer?” he asked.

“Less than one minute,” Kostas called.

“He won’t be able to diffuse it in time,” Jason said. And he wouldn’t have much time to get away now. But if he flew as high as he could … “Christina, please let go. I need to do this.”

“You can’t. You won’t make it.”

“But everyone else will,” he said in a quiet voice. You will.

“Jason…” she reached down to take his hands, lacing her fingers through his. She closed her eyes. “I—”

“It’s done!” Nikos said and whooped. “Yes!” He jumped up and raised his fist in the air. “Opa!” His brothers slapped him on the back.

Christina’s eyes flew open, her pink lips parted. She looked up at him and her shoulders sank with relief. “I…” She turned red, dropped his hands, and trudged toward her brothers. Jason stood there for a moment, his heart slowing down as he realized how close they had been in that moment. He took a deep breath and followed her.

“How did you know?” Jason turned to Luke as he stood next to the three brothers who were now examining the bomb.

“That high-pitched sound. You really couldn’t hear it?” Luke asked. “It was driving me nuts.”

Jason shook his head. “No, couldn’t hear a thing.”

“You’re a lion shifter, right?” Kostas asked. Luke nodded. “Cat hearing. You can hear higher frequencies than most animals. Even wolves.”

“I’ll be damned,” Luke said, shaking his head.

“Are you sure it’s diffused?” Jason asked. Nikos nodded in the affirmative. “We should call Blackstone P.D., just in case.”

“And we need to find out who did this,” Matthew said as he approached them from behind.

“Where’s Catherine? And Cordy?” Christina asked. “Papa? Are they okay?”

“They’re safe,” he said. “I saw them off in the limo with Mom, Dad, and the rest of the girls.”

Christina released a breath, her shoulders sagging in relief. “Thank God.”

“Don’t call anyone back yet,” Xander said. “There may still be other bombs around.”

The thought made Jason clench his fists in anger. “We need to sweep the place. The rangers might be able to help,” he said, referring to the Blackstone Rangers who were in charge of protecting the mountains. “They have a few big cat shifters on their team too.”

“Can’t hear anything else around here, but I’ll start looking around,” Luke said, as he began to take off his jacket. “I’ll be faster on four feet.” He stalked off into the distance, discarding his clothes as he disappeared into the tree line.

The sounds of approaching sirens broke the silence in the air. “That’ll be Meacham,” Matthew said. “We should go talk to him. Get everything sorted out.”

Jason glanced over at Christina and her brothers, who were quietly talking amongst themselves. The feeling that something was not quite right kept nagging at him. Christina turned her head and locked eyes with him, but quickly looked away. Something was definitely going on.

“Jason,” Matthew called. “Are you coming?”

“Yeah. Right behind you.”