“Not after all the work you put in.” Willow hugged her. “I can’t believe you did this for us.”
“Well, the humans want to celebrate with you too, and it’s not like you’d ever think to throw a party for yourself.” She angled a mock glare up at Ezra. “Either one of you.”
“True enough,” he said.
Mingling was the bane of Willow’s existence, yet when she looked around the pavilion at the folks seated, standing, helping themselves to the buffet in the back…she blinked away the burning in her eyes.
“Everybody came,” she said.
It wasn’t precisely true. Two people wouldn’t be here. She hadn’t seen them since the day Dad took her house key. She’d left a few tearful voicemails letting them know she was getting married and would like to talk. Not a wedding invitation, especially not for Dad, but she hoped maybe there could be a bridge between her and Mom.
She got no response until two days ago, Mom calling her at last…to further their attack.“I’m sick, Willow. It makes me sick, how you’ve polluted our family. Your father went after that lupine trying to protect you. He even lied to the authorities, risked getting in trouble to protect you, and you just refuse to see it. As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing left to say and I don’t see how there ever will be.”
Such words from her mother had wrenched hard sobs from her gut that nearly made her throw up. While her tears still flowed, they’d ended the call, and Willow had collapsed into Ezra’s arms. He’d held her, stroked her hair, let her wail into his shirt. After a little while, she grew quiet enough to hear him. The deep, hushed growl was comfort and sorrow sung together. Willow rested against that sound in his chest for an hour. Then she looked up at him and said,“I’m going to tell Saffron she can go ahead with the party, if she really wants to.”Her sister knew better than to throw her a surprise…anything.
As Willow stood with her mate, taking in the crowd of people who loved them enough to show up, her melancholy flickered for only a moment. Ezra’s arm tightened around her, then eased again as her mingled joy and nerves returned.
So many people. They walked together between tables, greeted and thanked everyone by turns.
“Welcome to the family,” Ann said in her ear while enveloping her in a hug so motherly Willow nearly cried.
“You said that a few days ago,” she said with a laugh.
“A few days ago I said ‘welcome to the pack.’” Ann winked, then sobered and patted Willow’s arm. “You’re a Sterling now, daughter. And you’re welcome to the name and to the family.”
Willow swiped away a tear that had escaped after all. “You don’t know what that means right now. Or, well, I guess you do.”
“I’m sure there’s more you could tell me, if you’d like to set us a coffee date.”
“I’d love that.”
She didn’t want to move on from her new in-laws. Oh, if only she’d been able to bless Ezra this way, as he’d blessed her. Instead she’d basically cursed him.
“Don’t carry that,” he whispered in her ear.
She cocked her head at him. “Sure you can’t read my mind?”
“Unless you’ve got some other reason to feel responsible and sad all at once—while walking away from the beacon of hospitality that is Ann Sterling—”
“Fair point. But I don’t need to talk about it now.”
He dropped a kiss onto her forehead. “You’re right. Not today.”
Other pack couples had come too—Trevor and Kelsey, Cassius and Sydney, Aaron and Ember. Willow’s mouth fell open as she hugged Ember. She stepped back and stared hard.
“Ember, you…”
Ember ran her palm over a small but unmistakable baby bump. “What a difference from the last cookout, right?”
“Something like that.”
“I’m going to be one of those women with a massive protrusion, I just know it. Petite-girl problems.” Her gray eyes held laughter and joy.
Willow expected the wolves and their mates to claim a table of their own at dinner. She didn’t expect the way they interspersed among the rest of the group when the meal was over. Aaron and Cassius introduced their wives to other coworkers of Ezra’s. Trevor and Kelsey mingled so much Willow lost track of them; they seemed on a mission to meet every last person here. Meanwhile she chatted with Ezra’s manager, who praised his methodical attention to detail that had “saved the behind of the entire department more than once.” Ezra met Molly and Devin, and both he and Willow met Devin’s wife for the first time.
“Congratulations,” Devin said as he shook Ezra’s hand. “Willow’s a keeper.”
“This is the most romantic story that’s ever happened to one of my friends,” Molly whispered to Willow when Ezra’s back was turned.
