Jono finished pulling his shirt at the same time the door crashed open, letting SOA agents and police inside. “You didn’t really mean it before.”
“I meant it!”
“I thought you were happy with how things were?”
“Of course I’m happy. I’m just saying we could get married.”
“And be happier than we are now?”
Patrick opened his mouth to argue before he realized the glint in Jono’s wolf-bright blue eyes and the faint twitch of his lips meant the other man was teasing him. “You asshole. Just say yes.”
“I’m an arsehole, love. Get it right.” Patrick grabbed Jono by the T-shirt and hauled him close, ignoring the questions thrown their way by the new arrivals. “In what world would I ever say no?”
“I’m still not hearing yes, you absolute?—”
Patrick’s complaint was interrupted by a kiss that stole the breath from his lungs, not that he was complaining. Jono’s hand on his face was warm and familiar, a heady presence against his body and in his soul that Patrick never wanted to let go of.
“Yes,” Jono finally muttered when he pulled away, the word ghosting across Patrick’s lips, the promise of it something he felt in his bones. “Of course I’ll marry you.”
“That was the lamest proposalever,” Wade groaned, phone pointed at them while he recorded. “I’m sending it to everyone.”
Patrick flipped him off before stealing another kiss from Jono.
4
Jono tossedLillian in the air over his head, smiling as she kicked her feet and laughed uproariously when he caught her again. Even at almost five years old, she still enjoyed the game. “I don’t see why we need to fast-track anything. We just decided to get married.”
“If you think I haven’t had your wedding plans drawn up for the last few years, then you clearly don’t know me,” Sage retorted from her spot at the dining table, focused intently on her laptop.
“I can confirm I’ve lost deposits on wedding venues every summer,” Marek called from the kitchen.
“How do you even know where we’d want to get married?” Patrick asked from where he was slumped on the new couch Sage had bought last month when they’d redone the space. “What if we had a destination wedding in mind? We could have gone to Vegas!”
“Please,” Sage scoffed. “As if any foreign country would let you past their borders, and Jono has too much class for Vegas.”
“Barely,” Wade said before shoving a handful of crisps into his mouth and failing miserably at hiding his amusement.
“Hey now,” Jono protested as he tossed Lillian into the air again. “I have class.”
“You grew up in North London. The only class you have is street class,” Patrick muttered.
“You like my street class.”
“My taste is questionable sometimes.” Patrick was smiling though, the teasing tone one Jono never took offense to. He’d grown up poor in a council estate back in England and been cut off from his family after being infected with the werevirus. Class was seen a little differently across the pond than here in America. It was nice being around people who wouldn’t peg his accent as one from a lower socioeconomic and societal background.
Jono settled Lillian in his arms, cradling her close. She curled in and rested her head against his shoulder, drawing in a deep breath that sounded like a gasp. She was still comforted by the closeness and scent of her pack, something none of them denied her.
“Love you, Uncle Jono,” she mumbled.
Jono turned his head to give her a kiss. “I love you, too, sweetheart.”
“Listen.” Sage glanced over her shoulder at them with a stern look on her face that never failed to make Jono want to hide. “Do you want to get married this week or not?”
“Thisweek?” Patrick yelped, practically jackknifing up from the couch and nearly spilling his beer. Jono sighed deeply, unsurprised that their dire had once again ruthlessly set down their schedule.
“I’m sorry,” Sage said, not sounding sorryat all, “did you think I was joking when I said I was planning your wedding?”
Wade cackled, nearly falling out of his chair. Riordan saved him from face-planting on the floor, the selkie shaking his head fondly. Riordan had certainly made a mark on their pack by the way he treated Wade. The love and care he had for Wade was something Jono was eternally grateful for. After everything Wade had lived through when he was younger, he deserved to be happy now.
