“This is a special place…filled with magic,” Remy said softly, feeling the sparks running up and down his outstretched arm. Swirling his hand, the clearing suddenly lit up with tiny rainbow-colored light flashes, all floating upward until they formed a soft glowing arch overhead. Then, with another wave of his hand, more tiny lights were draped from the lower tree branches, emphasizing the etherealness of the clearing.
“Oh. My. Gods!” Theo exclaimed. “I love it!”
“Now, what else did you have in mind for your proposal to Smokey?” asked Remy.
“The bed! Just like this,” Kieran said, holding up a picture of a canopied four-poster bed. “And it absolutely has to have soft pink sheets cuz everyone looks good lying on them, a deep-pink down comforter to keep the love birds warm and toasty, and a bunch of plump pillows. Don’t forget to use sheer pink fabric for the canopy so in case Smokey is shy about doing hanky-panky in the woods, Norm can close them so no one can see.”
“If I make them sheer,” Remy pointed out, “Smokey will still be visible.”
“Oh I know, but it’ll give him the illusion of privacy,” Kieran replied, grinning. “Theo loves doing hanky-panky in public, so this way they’ll both be satisfied. Of course, Smokey could always change his mind and want to show his big cock to the world, but I don’t think Norm would like that very much even if Theo did. No, it’s better if the bed is covered in sheer pink because it gives them lots of options.”
Smiling, Remy raised his palm and on it sat a miniature bed with all the accouterments Kieran had wanted. “Like this?”
Bouncing on his toes and clapping his hands in excitement, Kieran shouted, “PERFECTO!”
“Uhm…isn’t that a little small for Smokey?” Fionn joked, his eyes twinkling.
“Duh…of course it is,” Kieran replied, lifting up the miniature bed from Remy’s hand. “This is for Theo to remember this very special time.”
Taking the bed from Kieran, Theo held it reverently in his hand. “Ki is right…it’s perfecto,” he murmured. Then, shifting his gaze to Remy, he added fervently, “Thank you.”
Touched, Remy only nodded, before turning his attention back to the clearing, where he spied a perfect location. Then, in a blink of an eye, a full-size copy of the miniature bed appeared among the wildflowers adorning the ground. Grinning, Remy proceeded to add touches of his own. By the time he was finished, the clearing had everything Theo needed to make his and Norm’s proposal to Smokey one that would be remembered for the rest of their lives.
Gazing at the scene that was clearly out of a fairy tale, Theo fought back tears of happiness. Quietly, so as not to break the spell the clearing had cast over him, he whispered, “It’s beautiful!” Then passing the miniature bed to Kieran, Theo threw his arms around Remy, hugging him tight. “Thank you so very much! Smokey will love it and so will Norm.”
“I’m happy to have been able to help make this night special for all of you,” Remy murmured, returning the hug. “It’s the least I could do in return for you protecting my brothers from a demented killer.”
“Smokey was the one responsible for taking down Josiah,” Theo said, softly.
“I know, but you were the one who made sure Galen and Eamon felt safe. At bedtime last night, they spent an hour telling Carson and me how exciting it was and how your bear protected them. That was a far cry from how they were when our parents died—two fearful boys who had retreated into themselves. Smokey may have eliminated the threat, but it was you who turned what could have been another traumatic event for mybrothers into a grand adventure. I owe you a lot for that.”
“You would’ve done the same for my cub,” Theo murmured, blushing.
“That’s what makes this pack the bestest!” Kieran exclaimed.
“Yup…the bestest,” Fionn echoed, thrusting a fist into the air.
Looking around the clearing, Kieran said, “We should make Remy a member of the Love Queens cause this is just absolutely fantastic! Let’s bring it up at our next meeting.”
“What meeting?” Fionn asked, confused.
“The one we’re gonna have to vote on Remy’s admission to the Love Queens, of course,” Kieran announced.
“Oh…okay,” Fionn replied.
“Uh…that isn’t necessary…” Remy started to say.
“It is,” Kieran said, nodding emphatically. “Otherwise, how else can you become a member?”
“Right…how else,” Remy muttered under his breath. Then, changing the subject before Kieran could come up with any other ideas, he asked Theo, “What are you going to wear for the big night?”
Theo’s eyes grew round as he looked at Kieran and Fionn. “Oh my gods! I don’t know! You guys have to help me! And what about Norm? Should we wear the same colors or…or…?”
“C’mon, we need Quin…he can tell us what’ll be perfecto for your big night!” Kieran said, grinning. Then, grabbing hold of Theo and Fionn’s hands, he pulled them through the hidden entrance to the clearing and onto the moss-covered trail leading back to the pack house.
Chuckling softly to himself, Remy smiled one last time at the magical scene he’d helped create before following the trio down the path.
~/~/~/~/~
