Ember
When Devin and I head downstairs, I find Amelia curled in a chair in the hall, tears trickling down her face, Devin kisses my temple and dashes off, I roll my eyes, guys can’t deal with girls in tears, I sit next to her, the chairs used to bracket the old wired phone but now it's just two chairs and a table with some pretty flowers, she slides her phone towards me.
MOTHER: You are not getting any younger,
You finally have a high-level job,
even if it is with an unknown young pack.
I have sent you information on a few
respectable mates that could help
That pack, pick one, or I will.
I reread the message twice, shocked at the words, then looked down the list of names. Declan is one of the names, but has a question mark next to it; all are vampires, though. Victoria walks over, and I pass her the phone. She goes down the list, mumbling.
“Pompous dick, gay, gay, should be dead, snort, I think he still suckles on his mother's tits, Playboy.” The comments go on, then she passes Amelia her phone back.
“Pick Declan, and then we can ditch him and run off together,” Lia and I laugh at her.
“You are not under her control anymore, and part of your contract with us is you can’t be part of an arranged mating nor push your children into one,” She nods, pulling out a handkerchief.
“Ignore her, we will help you deal with any assholes that turn up, so Jake doesn’t have to kill them” I fire off a text to Jake's mom to rally the troops as I’m going to do Lia and Jake's ceremony next week, they have both said they are ready but they don’t know how to take the next step, Ellie May then sets up a group chat with me, Alma, Lily, Vicki and the quad, making a comment she’s not adding her mate as he can’t keep secrets and the planning for that begins.
Dad and Lily's mating ceremony is a small affair, well, kind of. Our family isn’t small by any stretch of the imagination. We’re having a pack meet tomorrow, which is part of the celebration, but tonight is just us and a nice meal.
The ceremony is similar to that of a handfasting, everyone is standing in two sections to create an aisle, and there is a flower arch where Dad is standing waiting, Grumps is doing the blessing, even though it should be the pack Alpha, but Uncle Nic didn’t argue.
Lily is wearing a simple linen dress that hugs her curves, no sparkle, no shine, no shoes.
Lia wove flowers into her hair. She has minimal makeup on and the only jewellery she is wearing is a locket that holds some of Dad’s hair, it’s an infinity symbol in platinum set in obsidian.
Dad’s wearing similar ‘not a dress’ he has light grey linen trousers and a cream top, again no shoes, his only extra is a chain I made with links of resin that contains Mine, Dec’s, Bas’ and Bray’s hair and an infinity pendant that has Lily’s hair inside, Alma blessed both pieces so they won’t break and if lost they will return to a box kept in their room.
After the meet tomorrow, Vicki is taking them to one of her properties so they can fuck like rabbits without the kiddos overhearing, Vicki’s words, not mine.
Once the words are said, blood vows and rings are exchanged, we head inside for a traditional Russian meal.
Lily commented that she missed some of the foods, so Dad said That’s what we will have.
Vicki and Dec are definitely closer. She’s spoken to Devin and me about the period situation as hers is coming up next month, but the relationship is too new, and she’s not ready for kids yet. Once she leaves, I sit Declan down and explain the situation to him, which she owes me BIG time for.