“The rest are in the dishwasher.” With a shrug, Ben flipped the blade and handed it over to Elliott, handle first.
“How much blood gets exchanged here?” Fern glanced around. “There’s no, like, drinking from goblets or anything, right?”
“You read too many vampire books,” Liv muttered.
It was true, she’d been expecting some vampire shit. Instead, Fern joined Liv beneath the wedding—pack initiation—arch. Elliott and Ben approached while Noa stood on a chair, recording on her phone, and Adam nursed his beer.
“Are you ready to join the Beckett Falls pack, Fern Walsh?” Ben asked.
“P,” Elliott added.
“What?”
“Her middle name’s P,” he clarified.
“Just the letter?” Adam checked, his interest piqued.
“Yep,” Fern replied.
“Focus!” Olivia called, and they all snapped to attention. “Fern, are you ready to join our pack, to support your fellow packmates, to stand beside us should we need to fight, and to keep the secrets of shifters forever and always?”
“Are those official words?” Noa whispered loudly.
“No,” Ben replied.
“Oh my god, pay attention. Fern, yes?”
“Yes, absolutely. Can I say something sappy? When I moved up here, I had no idea if it was the right choice, I just knew I needed to start fresh, to try to figure out who I wanted to be, and find what success looks like for me. I did it, with all of you. I fucking wish there was a pizza place though.”
“I think Fitz should open one,” Noa commented.
“Shut up,” Ben scolded her.
“Yeah, I have no interest in that,” Elliott murmured to Fern and Liv.
“Anyway,” Fern continued, “I think you’re all amazing, and Beckett Falls is the best. Listen, I’m not being super eloquent about this, but inside—” She tapped her chest, half expecting it to ripple like a waterbed with how mushy and gushy she felt. “I’m super sappy.”
“She is,” Elliott confirmed.
Finally, they completed the ceremony. With the tip of the knife, Elliott pricked Ben’s, Olivia’s, and Fern’s fingers, and they pressed them together, the tiny drops of red commingling.
“Welcome home,” Liv whispered as the magic took hold, coursing through Fern, raw and powerful.
It wasn’t the same as sealing her mate bond with Elliott; she couldn’t feel Ben’s or Olivia’s emotions, but the connection between her and her alphas grew thick and strong, a tether uncoiling from her mind to their will. If she didn’t like them both so much, it would’ve freaked her out. With that connection came a web. It enveloped her, settling beneath her skin: hundreds of touch-points to every person in Beckett Falls.
After hugging Liv and Ben at once, she spun into Elliott’s arms. His pride, his strength, filled her, and she knew she was sending pure happiness back to him.
“Did it work?” Noa asked, bouncing over as she shoved her phone in her pocket.
“I felt it,” Fern confirmed with a nod.
“We could test it?” Liv suggested before lacing her next words with what could only be alpha energy. “Go make me a chocolate milk.”
Though Fern balked, a fizzle of delightful energy, a desire to do exactly as she was asked—or told—overcame her. “Anything for you, Mama,” she said with a wink, unable to stop herself from spinning and dashing toward the kitchen.
Noa’s laughter rang out, supported by the low chuckles from the men.
“Don’t call me that!” Olivia shouted before the back door closed at Fern’s back.
