Scott smiled and bowed his head. "I'll do that right now. If you'll excuse me." He left the dishes in the sink and hurried out of the cabin.
The moment the door closed behind him Susie stopped her stuffing and turned to me with a wide grin on her face. "You two get any sleep last night?" she teased.
"Did you?" I returned as I cut my food into small bites like a civilized person.
She forked another pancake and stuffed half the circle into her mouth. "Nope, but we were doing important things last night. You know, watching those guys, trying to talk them out of their homicidal tendencies, reuniting loved ones. You know, hero stuff."
I slid my plate away from me and stood. Watching her made me lose my appetite. "I didn't know it could make someone so hungry," I teased.
She waved my comment off with the end of her fork. "Nah, that's because I did that change last night. Changing always makes people hungry." She pointed her fork at my plate. "You gonna eat that?"
I scooted my plate over to her. "All yours," I invited her.
"Thanks!" She scarfed away, so I turned away and towards the door.
I walked outside and onto the sturdy deck. The morning sun shone brightly over the Garden settlement. A couple dozen people were around, and I noticed there were garlands and streamers in their arms. They smiled and nodded at me, and I returned the gesture. They all headed in the same direction, the middle of the settlement, but buildings blocked my view of their final destination.
The door opened and Susie stepped out. She moved to stand beside me and patted her stomach. "I wish Dan cooked that well. Want to switch mates for meals?"
I snorted. "I don't think it works that way."
Susie stretched her arms over her head and sighed. "I suppose not, at least not after tonight. Speaking of tonight, you ready for it?" she asked me. I blinked at her. Her face drooped and she frowned. "You know, tonight."
"I'm well-acquainted with a lot of nights, but why's this one special?" I asked her.
"Because tonight's the night we have our ceremony," she told me.
I tilted my head to one side and furrowed my brow. "'Ceremony?'"
"Hasn't Scott told you anything?" she questioned me.
"Apparently not what I need to know to have this conversation with you," I quipped.
Susie rolled her eyes and sighed. "Men. . ." she muttered. She flung an arm over my shoulders and guided me down the deck. "Remember how I told you tonight was when we would really become werewolves?"
"Yes," I replied.
"Well, there's a cute little ceremony, kind of like a wedding-birthday-fiesta-anniversary-"
"I get the idea," I retorted.
"Well, it's where we have our little ceremony to welcome us into the clan, get hitched to our mates, have a little cake, maybe some dancing-"
"And that's tonight?" I asked her.
Susie grinned and nodded. "Yep. Linda's getting everything together as we speak, and we're supposed to stay here until the guys come to pick us up. You know, bad luck to see your ceremony put together."
"It's bad luck to see your husband before the ceremony," I corrected her.
"Not for werewolves. We're supposed to stay right here and wait," she insisted.
"So what are we-watch it!" We'd reached the edge of the deck and Susie had every intention of walking us off the edge. Instead she spun us around and led me in the opposite direction. "So if we survive this pacing what are we supposed to do during this ceremony thing?"
"Oh, we just say we accept Dan and Scott as our mates, and they give us a little nibble on the neck, and then we party and drink until we can't remember our own names," she explained.
I stopped us before we headed off the end of the deck. Again. "Wait, a nibble? What kind of a nibble?" I questioned her.
"Oh, you know, just a nibble."
"No, I don't know. What's a 'nibble?'"
"Um, it's smaller than a bite, but bigger than a nip."
"Susie?"
"Yeah?"
"How much?"
She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Just enough to break the skin. Nothing serious." She paused and tapped her chin with one finger. "Except Dan did tell me it'd leave a scar."
"I thought werewolves healed fast," I reminded her.
She shrugged. "They do, but this is a special bite. The saliva from our mate is pretty much what turns us, and the scar's kind of proof that we're full werewolves and taken. You know, like a wedding ring."
"But one you can't take off," I pointed out.
"Well, mating is supposed to be for life," she countered. She scrutinized my face and raised an eyebrow. "You two are going to be mates, right?"
I sighed, but nodded. "Yeah, but I feel really in the dark about all this stuff. I mean, you know more than I do."
She beamed. "Yep."
"Don't rub it in," I told her.
"Ah, but it's the only time I do know more than you," she protested.
"Then enjoy it while it lasts because I'm going to interrogate Scott when he gets back," I promised her.
Chapter 8
I had a long wait. Susie kept me company, and kept my mind at the fine line between sanity and insanity. We sat on the deck and watched the progress of our ceremony travel by like a disjointed circus parade. There were streamers, balloons, tables, chairs, and even a few presents that piqued our interest.
At five o'clock Scott returned, and he brought Dan with him. They were dressed in clean, simple clothes. Just a dress shirt and pants with matching black shoes. They met us as we sat on the edge of the deck impatiently awaiting the start of the ceremony.
Susie jumped to her feet and glared at Dan. "About time!" she complained.
Dan stepped in front of her and smiled. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to the ground in front of her. "Good things come to those who wait," he scolded her.
"Yeah, but there's nothing about me having to wait patiently," she retorted, though there was a grin on her face.
Scott took my hand and I hopped onto the ground in front of him. "Are you ready?" he whispered to me.
I sighed and shrugged. "As ready as I'm ever going to be considering I have no idea what I'm doing," I replied.
"Just a few words and a small bite from me," he promised.
A teasing smile slipped onto my lips as the men led us to the center of the Garden. "That's easy for you to say when you're not the one getting the permanent hickey."
He chuckled and pulled my side against his. "But you always have the honeymoon night to look forward to," he reminded me.
I shifted my gaze to the ground and blushed, though I didn't miss the festive change in our surroundings. Streamers, wreaths, and banners with pictures of the full moon covered the walls of the cabins. The color theme was a shimmering silver and white to reflect the sacred moon. Petals of white and red covered the ground beneath our feet.
The audience started on the rooftops where they looked down with grins and smiles at us. Some of the younger watchers tossed a few stray petals from full baskets that sat beside their parents. I noticed some of the crowd looked newly scrubbed, and their hair was messy.
Scott noticed where my eyes lay, and he leaned towards me. "A mating ceremony is a sacred and merry time. It's hoped this will bring the two communities together," he whispered.
"No pressure there. . ." I muttered.
He chuckled and squeezed my hand. "No pressure at all," he teased.
We passed through the streets between the cabins and the crowds thickened. People stood and sat on their decks, and when we passed they followed behind us. The way opened up and revealed a large square. The crowds were shoulder-to-shoulder, but there was an aisle ahead of us that was covered with the shimmering petals. Dan and Susie were in front of us, and they led the way down the aisle.
Linda stood at the end of the aisle beneath an arch wide enough to fit two couples side-by-side. In her hands was a thin pamphlet. Dan and Susie moved to the right of Linda, and Scott and I took the l
eft. Linda held up her hand and the crowd behind us quieted.
"We have called you all here to celebrate the union of these two couples," Linda called to the crowd. "By the grace of the moon they have found their true mates, and they now wish to cement their ties to one another and perform a mating-changing ritual. Who wishes to go first?"
Susie raised her hand. "Us! We do!" The crowd erupted in laughter.
Linda turned to Dan and Susie and opened her pamphlet. She waited for the amusement to die down before she spoke. "Daniel Nelson, do you swear to protect your mate for as long as you live?"
"I do."
"Susan Baker-"
"Susie," she corrected her. There was a stifle of laughter from behind us.
Linda smiled. "Susie Baker, do you swear to protect your mate for as long as you live?"
"Yep."
"Then you may now join your lives."
Susie tilted her head back so her neck was bared. Dan leaned forward and sank his teeth into her sensitive flesh. I cringed, and Scott squeezed my hand. When Dan pulled away there were two deep marks in her throat, but no blood poured forth. Linda turned to us.
"Scott Young, do you swear to protect your mate for as long as you live?"
"I do."
Linda looked to me. "Abigail Lee, do you swear to protect your mate for as long as you live?"
"I-I do," I stuttered.
Linda shut her pamphlet and stepped back. "You may now join your lives."
Scott turned to me. My hands trembled, but his shining eyes gave me strength. "Are you ready?" he whispered.
I smiled in return and leaned back my head. He leaned towards me, and at the last moment I closed my eyes. I felt a sharp pinch at my neck, and then the crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Strong arms swept me off my feet, and I opened my eyes to find myself in Scott's arms. He grinned down at me.
"Ready for that honeymoon, my mate?" he asked me.
I slyly grinned back and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Only if you are, my mate."
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Mac Flynn, Garden of the Wolf
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