Chapter 20
“How are things going in here?” Cole stepped into the packhouse kitchen, taking in the numerous platters lining the breakfast bar. More were in the dining room.
Rachel was at the stove, cooking up something that smelled delicious. “Fantastic, which means you don’t need to worry about it.”
“Isn’t it my job to worry about everything under this roof?” he countered. Cole lifted the cover on the nearest tray and took a pinwheel.
“Hey!” Rachel turned around and smacked his hand, but not before he popped the rolled appetizer into his mouth all at once. “Don’t you come in here and ruin everything I’ve done!”
“I’ve got to keep up my energy,” he defended. “It’s going to be a long night.”
Rachel let out a snort of laughter. “I bet.”
“That’s not what I mean.” Cole felt heat rising in his cheeks. “Maybe I do, but I’m just saying I’m hungry.”
“There will be more than enough to eat afterward. I don’t want this to turn out like Kelsey’s wedding.” Rachel went back to the stove.
“Yeesh.” Their cousin Kelsey had married into a different pack.
Her groom had been a little anxious before the ceremony and had eaten his way through his nerves.
It hadn’t helped, and as the couple stood before everyone they knew, all of that food had come right back up. “It was an unforgettable night.”
“Not the kind of ‘memorable’ we’re looking for!” Rachel reminded him. Someone knocked at the door, and she pointed. “If you need something to do, why don’t you go get that?”
“All right.” Cole really did need something to do.
He felt he was typically a patient man, and he understood that the ceremony would take some time to set up.
It wasn’t every day that the Alpha officially took a mate, after all.
Just then, however, he couldn’t wait for the night to be underway. He opened the door.
“Oh, Cole!” Wendy charged into the room. She wrapped her arms around him and rocked back and forth. “I’m so excited for you!”
“Uh, thanks,” he choked out, crushed in her embrace. Cole had completely forgotten that Brianna had invited Wendy.
She pushed him back so that she could observe him at arm’s length. “You look good. How do you feel? Do you need anything? Some crackers? I’ve probably got some in my purse.” Wendy indicated the large floral tote slung over her shoulder.
“I’m fine, thanks. I’m just ready to begin.”
“Got hot feet instead of cold, huh? That’s a good sign! And hey, the party can really get started now that I’m here!” She laughed loudly at her own joke and patted him on the arm. “Where’s Bri?”
“She’s helping Nia get ready.” He hadn’t seen her for a couple of hours, and Brianna hadn’t let him see Nia all day.
“Then I’ll leave them to it. Is there anything I can do to help?” Wendy dropped her bag into the coat closet with a heavy thump.
“Um, you can check in the kitchen and see if Rachel needs anything.” Cole smiled to himself.
Wendy was kind and always meant well, but she had a big personality.
His sister might not be too pleased with him for sending Wendy in there, but it was just the sort of thing Rachel would do if the situation were reversed.
“Great! I’ll be around if you need me!” She patted him again and headed for the kitchen. “Hello, Rachel! So nice to see you!”
He was still snickering and just about to close the door when another car pulled up. Great Aunt Phyllis. His stomach flipped a little as he stepped outside to help her from her vehicle. “You look lovely today, Phyllis,” he said as he steadied her.
“Don’t be such a kiss-ass. I’m already here, aren’t I?” she grumbled.
“I’m glad you are.” Though Phyllis could be a problem sometimes, Cole genuinely meant it. Her presence meant her approval. That wasn’t required, but he still wanted it. “Shall we get you inside?”
When he’d brought her in with Emilia trailing behind them, Cole sat her down in one of the armchairs in the living room. “It shouldn’t be too long before we go outside, but you might as well be comfortable.”
“Thank you.” Phyllis grabbed a throw pillow and wedged it behind her back. She looked up at him, her eyes narrowing for a moment. “Cole?”
“Yes?”
“You clean up good. Now go on and do what you need to do.” She dismissed him with a wave of her crooked fingers.
Cole headed down the hallway and knocked on the door. Everyone had assured him that he didn’t need to do anything to help the evening go smoothly, but he couldn’t help himself. Cole was used to running things.
The door opened a crack and then closed again. Cole heard murmuring behind the door, and then it opened again. Brianna stepped out. “What are you doing here? You’re not supposed to see her yet.”
“I didn’t realize you thought those kinds of old-fashioned traditions were important,” Cole noted. To him, a shifter wedding didn’t have the same feel or tone as the ones humans usually held, and each pack had slightly different customs.
Brianna held her chin high. “It’ll be much more dramatic this way.”
Cole chuckled. “I didn’t know that was what we were going for, but all right.”
“Is my surprise ready?” Brianna asked.
“Ready and waiting down in the basement, just as we discussed,” he promised.
“Perfect! This is so exciting!” she squealed.
Her hair was in an updo, and Cole touched one of the hanging pieces that she’d carefully curled. “You look really nice, honey.”
“Thanks, Dad. So do you.” She put her arms around him and held on tight.
For just the briefest moment, Cole felt like he was holding his little girl again.
He was picking her up after she’d scraped her knee.
He was holding her hand while she crossed a creek, jumping from one stone to another in her little rubber boots.
And as they pulled back, he was watching her twirl in her pretty new dress.
His little girl was still in there somewhere. She hadn’t been completely replaced by this beautiful woman who stood before him now.
“I’m really glad you’re here.” It meant she’d been genuine about accepting his relationship with Nia. As far as Cole was concerned, he and Nia truly had sailed through the stormiest of seas together already. Nothing that lay ahead of them would compare to his blowup with Brianna.
“Of course,” she replied matter-of-factly, as though it’d never been a topic of discussion. “Where else would I be when my best friend is about to get married?”
“And how’s that going? Aunt Phyllis is here, and it’s almost time.” He checked his watch, but the actual numbers on it didn’t truly register with him.
Brianna rolled her eyes at the mention of Phyllis. “Tell her not to get her girdle in a twist. Nia’s ready.”
“Okay. I think a few more guests are arriving. I’ll see you out there soon.” Cole walked back through the house. Nia was ready. Was he?
Stepping outside, he knew he was. White lights had been strung through the yard, giving it a soft glow.
An archway of twisted vines had been set up between two trees, a simple creation for their sacred ceremony.
Rows of chairs stood waiting for their guests.
In many ways, it looked like any other wedding, but Cole knew it was far more special than that.
Linda came outside, wearing a dark purple dress that brushed the tops of her sandals. She smiled at him. “Are you ready?”
“Yes,” he said confidently. He’d never been more ready for anything in his life.
“Good, then we’ll get started.”
Everyone began to get into place. There were no ushers, but none were needed. Guests, all dressed in dark colors that reflected the night, took their seats. They murmured softly to each other as they waited. He and Linda remained near the archway, watching.
A hush fell over the yard as Brianna came outside. She walked up to Cole, smiled at him, and turned to stand by his side.
The door opened once again, and Nia stepped out.
Unlike everyone else, her dress was a shade of pale, silvery blue that shimmered like the moon.
It hugged her curves and highlighted the deep shade of her skin, emphasizing her beauty.
Her hair flowed down her back in a cascade of curls, flowers, and braids.
She might as well have been the moon herself, and it took Cole a moment to realize the music he heard as he watched Nia walk toward him didn’t come from inside his own head.
Nia came to stand with him before Linda, facing each other. She smiled at him and then winked.
He caught the tiny sparkles in her ears. “I see you got the gift I left for you,” he whispered.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she replied. “I’m already getting the best gift in the world.”
“Montclairs,” Linda intoned. “We have come together this evening for a very special purpose. It is a night that we have all desired, a night that will help bring our pack ever closer together and ensure that it continues through the years.”
Cole took a deep breath, barely listening to Linda as she went on. His attention was solely on Nia. He held his hands in hers, a woman far more beautiful, intelligent, and inspiring than he thought he would ever deserve. This would be one of the moments of his life that he would remember forever.
The vows were a blur as he accepted Nia as his lawfully wedded wife. Cole would promise anything in the world to anyone, as long as it meant he got to be with her. Sickness, health, family drama, and late nights. He wanted to be there for all of it. “I do.”
The way Nia gazed into his eyes told him she shared his mindset. Nothing matters, as long as they were together. This part of the night would give them a piece of paper saying they belonged together, but they already knew they did. “I do.”
There was no applause or cheering just yet, because it wasn’t over. Cole and Nia turned slightly so that they were still angled toward each other but faced the guests. This part was all about them.