Page 36 of Jared

“It is, but there are small fairy houses tucked in the trees and stuff.”

“Small...”

“Yeah. They can make theirselves really small, like the size of a dragon fly.”

“Okay. My brain is about to overload. I think I get it. I'm, uh, ready to do something else. Something ordinary I think.”

“How about we go see my parents and let them know the mating is going ahead and all that? We can grab some lunch, then go see a movie.”

“That works.Just let me feed the cat and then we can go.”

It's happening at last. I wouldn't trade the time we've spent together for anything in the world, but man, being near him and not having him was seriously making me wanna howl.

Steve's inner wolf chuffed in agreement.

Not long now, buddy, he reassured his inner wolf and himself. His wolf gave a low whine and Steve twitched his shoulders as they itched. Yeah, yeah, I wanna shift and go run too. Maybe tonight I can get one of the Fae to open the portal and we can go for a run while Jared gets his first look at the home place, yeah?

The more Steve thought about that idea, the more excited he came. The joint wedding and Alpha succession ceremony, after party and pack run would take place beyond the Veil. Jared would benefit from experiencing a crossing and seeing the ancestral home before the main event. Yes, best strike while the iron is hot, he decided. I'll make it a surprise so he doesn't have time to freak out about it. Just get it over and done.

“Earth to Steve.” Jared nudged his shoulder as called him out of his reverie.

Steve blinked. “Oh, sorry.”

Jared smiled. “You were a million miles away. You went dead silent on the elevator and stayed spaced out the whole time. I think you only walked out of the elevator because you were holding my hand and I pulled you along. Anyways, we're here now. Time to face the music.”

“I'm sorry, babe. Was just thinking about what we needed to arrange.”

“It's all right. I figured it was something like that. Umm, the pack will giving us some say so on things, right? Like what we wear, what kinda cake...” Jared's voice trailed off as he mentally ticked off items that had to be chosen.

“Sure. They'll just make sure everything is in place in time, okay?” Steve knocked on the door in front of him. He had barely returned his hand to his side when his mother opened the door.

“I told your father I thought I heard you out here talking.” Taking in the serious expressions on the two men's faces, her smile faltered. “Everything's all right, isn't it?”

“Devil's food is my favorite and I only like buttercream,” Jared blurted out.

“You only like- oh! Cake? You came for cake? I don't know if-”

“Cake. Wedding...” Jared's face was a deep red as he fought to explain his outburst. Steve gave a soft chuckle beside him.

“He's talking about what he wants for our wedding cake. He asked me if Laurie's bakery could do it.”

“Wedding cake.Oh! You boys best come inside.Oh! You've decided!” she gave them a deep sniff as they passed her. “Not mated yet, though.”

Steve wondered if Jared could turn any redder than he became as the implications of the sniff became clear to him.

“Mom!” he hissed. “Don't do that!”

“What? I was just curious.”

“He's going to have to get used to that sort of thing living in a pack of wolves,” his father chimed in as he stood up from the sofa. “You look like you could use a drink, son,” he told Jared. Jared nodded gratefully. “Have a seat, I'll go make us some.”

“You do that, and I'll go call the rest of the family!” Steve watched his mother practically bounce as she went onto the balcony to make her calls. He watched as Jared sank onto the sofa as if his legs had lost the will to hold him up and sat next to him.

“You okay?”

“Yeah. Just... overwhelmed, you know?”

“It's a bit intense, yeah. It's bound to get even more intense before it's all over, you know?”