Page 32 of Gathered By the Green Man
There was something different in the way he looked at me—a cautious respect that hadn’t been there before. I wondered what he saw, what traces of my transformation were visible to those who knew what to look for.
I nodded. “Nice suit.”
“Thanks.” Randy smoothed his lapel self-consciously. “I took a job with an environmental advocacy group. Turns out you can effect more change from inside the system than shouting at it from the woods.”
“Who would have thought?” I said, but without the bite that would have colored my words a year ago.
He lingered a moment, as if wanting to say more, but then turned to the brides. “Whenever you’re ready. The music will start when you reach the meadow.”
The ceremony was being held in a lush field that had once been a parking lot. Chairs filled with friends and family formed a ring around a stone circle—including my horrible ex. I managed not to gloat too much at the way his jaw dropped when he got a look at me, because I honestly didn’t give him a second thought anymore. Not when I only had eyes for the Green Man.
My breath caught as it always did when I saw Faelan now. He’d taken his human form for the occasion—his wild hair tamed into a loose braid, his clothes a simple linen shirt andpants that wouldn’t look out of place at a woodland wedding. But his eyes gave him away—deep and green as the heart of the forest, ancient and knowing.
His expression shifted when he saw me. That quiet, easy smile undid me, just as it always had, no matter the guise. Through our bond, I sensed his pleasure at seeing me, his amusement at my role as bridesmaid, his patience with this human ritual that meant so little in the grand cycle of seasons, but everything to the moment we inhabited.
I took my place beside him as Callie and Bethany prepared to walk the circle. The music began—not the traditional wedding march, but something older, played on wooden flutes and hand drums.
“They look happy,” Faelan’s voice was like rustling leaves.
“They are,” I replied.
“And you?” he asked, though he already knew the answer. He could feel my contentment through our bond as clearly as I felt his curiosity about the ceremony.
“I’m exactly where I need to be.”
Around us, a hush stole over the grove—the birds quieted, the breeze ebbed, and the very earth beneath our feet grew still. It was as if the land itself was bearing witness to this moment of human joy.
The brides stepped forward, hands entwined. And as Randy spoke the words that would marry my best friend to the woman who had captured her heart, I felt my own heart expand with gratitude for the unexpected path that had led me here—to this day, this place, this form, this love. To a life poised between worlds, rooted in both, belonging to all.
The wind picked up again, carrying the scent of wildflowers and possibility. Somewhere in the distance, thunder rumbled—a promise of rain, and renewal, and beginnings disguised as endings.
I smiled and slid my hand into Faelan’s. Our roots were deep, and our future was wide open.
