He still called me Uncle Valens, and I wasn’t pushing him to change any time soon. I hoped one day I might get upgraded to Dad, though.
Lucien chuckled after their retreating backs. “Let’s head to the amphitheater. The sooner we’re all there, the sooner the bonding can begin.”
“But notatthe amphitheater, right?”
“No, man. We wouldn’t do that to you. The bonding clearing is ready, except for whatever flowers Oli’s planning to add with Bence.”
I nodded, relieved.
We wanted to keep the bonding small, and most of our allies who’d fought—and quite a few so-called allies, like the centaurs, who hadn’t made it to the fight—had arrived for the peacetalks after. Every species, every IGC representative, all together to make a new accord. One that didn’t persecute wolves, or overlook the smaller, less powerful species.
It had been a busy few weeks, but this afternoon, a new peace deal was signed into law. I didn’t know all the specifics, but I knew omegas were no longer banned, and the ODL had been completely abolished.
Our pack’s females were safe now, at least from the law.
Elodie and I would be there to guard them from anything else. We were officially on the pack payroll as guardians, and after the honeymoon, we’d be back to work. But first, we had to bond.
I was ready.
We arrived at the amphitheater as Kane and the other species’ leaders were finishing. The dragons had even stayed for the ceremony, and I saw the two of them in human form off to the other side, looking bored. The IGC looked a little different with more seats added. Fourteen individual species were represented now, but every species, no matter how small, had the right to request their own seat if they wanted it. We watched as everyone shook hands, the crowd cheered, and Kane waved as he walked off the dais.
I wasn’t a political wolf, but even to me it felt like a great big sigh of relief. Wolves had been persecuted forso long. This was how it always should have been. Equal, free, and safe. For everyone, no matter their designation.
That’s all we’d ever wanted.
Now, we had it.
Kane spied us waiting on the fringes and walked over. “You ready for the best day of your life?”
I grinned. “The best day was the day I met her.”
He shook his head. “It’s about to be even better, trust me. Come on.” He slapped me on the shoulder and led the way to the bonding clearing as the gathered crowd dispersed.
We took our places on the flower mound, Lucien prepping to hold the ceremony as my Alpha, while Kane took a seat next to Brielle in the front row.
She carried the omega stone with her openly now, and I took a moment to admire the beautiful blue hue. It was yet one more sign that things were back to rights. No more red, and seeing the stone reminded us all of that every day.
Lucien cleared his throat, grabbing my attention. “You remembered the bonding gift?”
I snorted. “She doesn’t want one. Insisted that I’d already given her two swords, and that swords were a girl’s best friend.” Elodie was a woman who didn’t want for much, and her newfound fortune hadn’t changed it. She insisted that everything she needed, she already had. Usually right before kissing me. Other than buying some things for Bence and a few new outfits to replace her leggings, she hadn’t touched it. We’d been talking about using it to help rebuild, though, after the war. When the time was right, I knew she’d use it for good. She hadn’t opened the personal letter either, but I wasn’t going to push her before she was ready. We’d all been through enough. There was no rush.
Lucien threw his head back and laughed. “Fair enough. If she’s good with it, so am I. The rings?”
“Dirge has them,” Reed said as the two of them walked up, both offering me fist bumps as they took their places.
“Gael volunteered, but he and Leigh are keeping Bence for the night,” I added, grinning at the little boy sitting in what remained of Leigh’s rapidly shrinking lap, next to Shay and Fiona. They’d become fast friends, he and his honorary aunts.But was that… akittenhe was holding? The thing was gangly legged and awkward looking, but that was definitely a cat.
Fuck it.That’s a problem for tomorrow.
The music started, and I forgot all about the kitten. I whipped around, staring intently toward the end of the flower aisle, desperate to catch the first glimpse of Elodie today.
The women had all hidden her away from me, and when I’d gone sniffing around this morning, hoping to steal a kiss, myown sisterhad run me off, claiming it was bad luck.
She was fully team Elodie now, and I couldn’t have been happier.
Okay, well, if she’d let me steal a kiss, maybe. But I was eternally glad they were becoming friends.
I spotted Galyna first, walking down the aisle with a bottle of perfume. Savannah walked right behind her, beaming a smile as she carried the special fertility water in a jar. They were dressed in simple but elegant dresses, Galyna’s the traditional maiden’s robes. My eyes barely skimmed over them, though, because I was so anxious to see my mate.
