Ivy pokes her head out the door. “Ty?” she calls out.
He rises and jogs over there. I lift another log and put it on the fire.
Commotion makes all our gazes swing to the back patio.
“Not happening,” Tyson growls.
Ivy throws her arms up in the air with frustration.
Amelia and her mother look like they’re trying to diffuse a situation where Ty’s losing his cool.
“Tell him!” Ivy pleads, looking in our direction.
“Tell him what?” Jase calls out and then we’re all on the move to the back patio.
“That the bride and groom part ways the night before the wedding until they see one another at the altar.”
None of the other six of us say anything.
“She’s correct,” Amelia remarks.
Kathleen nods. “It’s customary.”
“It’s bullshit is what it is,” Ty remarks. “I’m not spending a night away from you.”
“Tell him guys,” Ivy pleads, looking to the six of us for help.
“That’s a human custom, not a shifter one,” I pipe up.
“You’re not helping,” Amelia mutters while her sister’s eyes slash across me with anger.
“It’s a fact,” Jase adds. “We have other traditions for old school mating ceremonies, but you girls might not be down for some of them and sadly, our code status means we can’t observe the others.
“I’m not being apart from you.” Tyson folds his arms over his chest.
“It’s one night!” Ivy whines. “We’ll have the rest of our nights together.”
“No,” he denies. “You’re already mine. I’ve already got you for all my nights. I won’t spend a night apart from you for a human custom that doesn’t make sense. That’s stupid.”
She frowns. “You said you’d let me have my style of wedding.”
“And I am. I have a suit. We’re having a party. I’m doing that, Ivy.”
“This is part of that.”
“No,” he refuses.
“Maybe we should head home,” I offer. “Amie?”
She shakes her head sharply. “Me and Mom will stay here with Ivy. Take Tyson home with you. How about that? All of you go and have a boys’ night. Go play some pool. Hang out. Get drunk.”
“I don’t get drunk,” Tyson clips.
Amelia rears back. “Or not. Just go sleep somewhere else.”
“It’s tradition for the bride and groom to split up,” Kathleen says in a placating tone. “It’ll be less than twenty-four hours. Think of how excited you’ll be to see your bride tomorrow at the altar when you haven’t seen her all day.”
Tyson bares his teeth but doesn’t speak.
“This is important to Ivy,” Kathleen whispers, touching his arm. “A marriage is about compromise, isn’t it? My daughter will have to compromise with you on some things and you’ll do the same for her. If everything is only about what one person wants, a marriage will become bitter and unhappy. Trust me, I know.”
Tyson, who has stopped baring his teeth lets out a heavy sigh, eyes on his mate. She pouts and he sighs again before nodding and grabbing Ivy’s hand, tugging her toward the door.
Five minutes later, Tyson comes out with the bag containing his suit and his shoes.
Ivy peeks out the door and gives her sister and mother a smile.
“Goodnight everyone. See you tomorrow,” Ivy waves.
Amie steps up to me, lifts up onto her tiptoes, and says, “Goodnight, Doggo. See you tomorrow.” She kisses me.
“Wait. I didn’t sign up for a night away from you,” I say against her claiming mark, wrapping my arms around her waist.
“My sister needs me. And absence will make the heart grow fonder.”
“My heart is pretty fucking fond, wildberry.” I grab her ass with both hands.
She’s wearing a pretty pink dress today and ever since I saw her in it, I’ve wanted to bend her over and lift it up over her sweet ass.
She gives me a bright smile. “Take care of Ty for Ivy. Sweet dreams, Mase. See you tomorrow.”
“Love you, baby,” I say. “Be good.” I squeeze her ass for good measure. “And I’m giving you tonight so if you make me have a human wedding, I won’t be giving you the night before that.” Her eyes shine briefly and then the light dims. “I don’t want a human style wedding.”
I shrug. “That’s fine. We’re already married anyway.”
The spark is back in her eyes. She smiles and bites her lip. She looks happy. It feels like she’s happy. This makes me very fucking happy.
“We runnin’ to my place?” I ask the guys.
“Good idea,” Tyson says. “Your mate said play pool. You have a pool table? I like a game of pool.”
“I do. Let’s go,” I say, then aim my eyes at Amie. “We’ll come back for the clothes.”
“On my call, last one there makes drinks for everyone,” Riley quips.
48
Amelia
Suddenly, there are seven incredibly hot men shedding their clothes in front of me, Mom, and Ivy – doing it without a shred of modesty. For a second … they’re all bare-naked. All of them.
I don’t get a chance to leisurely take that all in, and there’s a whole lot to take in, because then there are seven massive wolves with flowing manes. Tyson, pure black. Mason, pure white. Riley, a solid chocolate brown color. Greyson as a wolf is, not surprisingly by his name and his dark gray eye color, a light gray with darker gray around his face. Jase’s fur is sand-colored and his tail looks like the tip has been dipped in white paint. Lincoln’s wolf is a faded ginger color with a darker ginger mask around his face and kohl-like outline around his eyes. Joel has a white face but black body, mostly white legs.