Chapter Fifteen
Supper that night was another buffet-style affair, though much smaller than during the gathering.
Justin had left for a little while to pick up Tareth and baby Chal, and I arranged seating for them on the opposite side of the dining room from the buffet tables so Chal could stare, goggle-eyed, at everyone and everything, and the other guests could make a fuss over one of the few babies to be part of our world.
He was far from the only child a male werewolf had had with a human woman, but most of the time, the werewolf fathers kept their children and the children’s mothers away from the rest of us.
As Justin’s true mate, Tareth had a place in our world, even if the place was difficult to sort out, and that meant Chal also belonged.
The rest of the Boston wolves, along with Trey Damone’s human partner Jeremiah Crawford, joined us over the course of the evening, until the house felt as full as it had during the gathering.
This was a different kind of crowded, though.
Obviously there were far fewer people, but also, this was family and friends.
People Kyle and I cared about who cared about us.
Trey’s son Michael, now eight years old and a good four inches taller than the last time I’d seen him, though still a bit small for his age, entertained baby Chal for a little while.
After Chal’s yawns and drooping eyelids caused Tareth to announce that it was time for him to go to bed, Michael hung out with Quinn.
The two of them had a fair bit in common.
Quinn’s gift of seeing “colors” was something he’d had his entire life rather than a side effect of being changed into a werewolf, so he, more than anyone else besides Jeremiah, could relate to being a child with psychic abilities he didn’t entirely understand.
Although some of those present, particularly Bob’s and Oliver’s guests, addressed me by title, mostly everyone treated me like one of them.
I was still the Anax, but tonight, I was one of the grooms-to-be, and this wasn’t a formal event.
It was a party. Community. Something that had been far too lacking in my life over the past year or more. And I was incredibly thankful for it.
We stayed up way too late as people wandered in and out of the dining room, having conversations amongst themselves as well as with Kyle and me.
When we finally went to bed, Kyle, continuing in the spirit of his odd ideas about getting married after living together for a year and a half, opted to sleep in a different room from me.
I wasn’t entirely happy about going to bed without him, but as far as I was concerned, it would be the last time.
Our wedding day dawned with a gloriously colored sunrise that gave way to a bright blue, cloudless sky.
I stretched and stood near the window, but not too near since I was nude and didn’t know who might be looking up from the lawn.
Not having Kyle beside me still felt off, but I didn’t bother reaching out to him through our bond.
To him, apparently, a wedding meant we couldn’t see or talk to each other until we stood together in front of Garrett Saucier.
Which meant he didn’t join me for breakfast, either. That was all right. I had enough on my mind. The preparations for the ceremony and reception were underway, so there was nothing for me to do but sit, which wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
Trey, Jeremiah, and Michael were the first to come downstairs after me, with Michael still in the T-shirt and sweatpants he’d worn as pajamas because, as he informed me, “Dad’s making me wear an uncomfortable suit, and I don’t need to be uncomfortable yet.”
“I can relate.” I’d come downstairs in a T-shirt and shorts, because I was damned if I was going to put on my tuxedo a second before I absolutely had to. “Help yourselves to food, and then Trey and Jeremiah, I’d like to talk to you about something. Nothing serious.”
“That’s good. I think we’re done with serious for a little while.
” Trey walked over to the buffet tables, now laden with eggs, bacon, sausage, and pancakes, along with four coffee carafes and a cooling tray containing creamer, syrup, and butter.
Chloe and her assistants had gone all out even though breakfast this morning was supposed to be something simple, and I added a note to my mental bulletin board to give all of them bonuses.
When the three of them joined me again, I put my hands around my coffee cup and leaned forward. “We’re setting up some virtual groups. Packs, Kyle’s calling them, but they aren’t actual packs. He just thinks that’s terminology that will make sense to most of us.”
“So it’s about werewolves.” Jeremiah shook his head. “Why am I part of this conversation, then?”
“You’re with Trey.” There wasn’t really any reason other than that.
Even though the original plan was for the “Virtual Haven Pack” to be for LGBTQ+ werewolves, now that I thought about it, I saw no reason it couldn’t be opened to those werewolves’ partners, even if the partners were human.
I would have to talk to the moderators about that, once I had moderators in place.
Which was why Trey was sitting here. “One of the groups is for werewolves who are gay, trans, whatever. Not straight and/or not cisgender. There have to be more of us. I’m not going to be part of it, because I think having the Anax involved would be too much pressure for the other members, but it’s going to be open to any werewolf in the country who fits the description.
” I paused. “And Canada. I need to talk to Silas about that.”
“What about Canada?” Blinking, with his hair sticking up in various directions, Quinn entered the room. I didn’t see Malachi behind him, which surprised me. “Good morning.”
“Good morning.” I waved toward the chair to my left. “You can come sit with us if you want. This concerns you, too. And Malachi, wherever he is.”
“He’s upstairs. He said the wedding’s going to be enough ‘appropriate social behavior’ for the day, so he asked me to bring him something to eat so he wouldn’t have to talk to people.
” He paused, staring into space, then dropped into the chair I’d indicated.
“I just told him I’ll bring him something in a few minutes. What’s up?”
I briefly went over the intention of Virtual Haven again. “I need to check with Silas to make sure he’s okay with Canadian werewolves joining. I can’t see why he wouldn’t be, but I don’t want to make assumptions.”
“Diplomatic stuff.” Quinn made a face, and Michael laughed.
“Yeah, well, diplomacy and ceremony,” I said.
“But the point is, Quinn and Trey, and Jeremiah if you’re interested, I need people to run this group.
Like I said, I won’t be part of it. Neither will Kyle, other than as a tech guy if something breaks.
I have a couple of people already signed on to moderate.
Vetting people who ask to join to make sure they’re actually part of the community, keeping an eye on the group to make sure there’s no conflict or bullying or hate.
There would probably be some time commitment.
” I wasn’t going to tell the moderators how to moderate.
They could figure out how it would work.
I paused. None of them said anything or even reacted, which made me feel a little awkward, but I kept talking.
“So if you’re working full time, or going to school in your case, Quinn, you might not be able to do it.
But if you think you can fit it in, you’re among those I would trust to keep things running smoothly.
You wouldn’t have to be the only mods for long.
Or even be a mod at all for more than the first few weeks, until additional people join.
Others might be willing to take on the role.
I don’t know who all would qualify to join or would want to, because I didn’t want people to feel like they had to out themselves to get a place in the group. ”
“I’ll do it,” Jeremiah said.
Trey stared at him. “You will? You aren’t a werewolf.”
Jeremiah shrugged. “Nope, but as Tobias pointed out, I’m dating one. I can fit it in with my work for Joel.”
“If you’re in, so am I.” Trey rested his hand on Jeremiah’s.
“I’m good with it as long as Silas approves Canadian werewolves joining,” Quinn said. “I might have to juggle things a little. I don’t have my course schedule yet. But I can make it work.”
“Thank you. All of you.” I looked at Michael, who was swirling syrup around his pancakes with his fork. “I’m sorry we don’t have a group for you, Michael.”
“Someday you will. I’m not the only kid with werewolf parents, right?” He grinned. “I’m too young to be online much, according to Dad. Maybe when I’m thirteen.”
I chuckled. “Maybe.”
Others started walking into the room and helping themselves to food and drinks, and I dropped the Virtual Haven subject.
Hearing Kyle’s voice in the front room, I forced myself to stay in my chair.
I wanted to see him. Gods, did I want to see him.
I wouldn’t have thought being away from him for a single night would be so difficult, but we almost never spent nights apart, and we were getting married.
Married! I should have been right by his side every second since the gathering attendees left, but instead, he’d decided to do things this way. Sometimes, he had brilliant ideas. This wasn’t one of those times.
Apparently he thought so too, because after a while, he came into the dining room looking sheepish. “We aren’t supposed to see each other before the ceremony.”
“Bullshit,” I snapped.
He laughed. “Okay, fine. Let’s say we won’t see each other in our tuxes before the ceremony, then. Meanwhile…” He sat beside me and took my hand. “We’re still doing this, right? You didn’t decide to back out?”