“I’d like to burn it. Everything is perfect except for the shit inside. It’s not dream material, it’s a dollar-store disaster. You deserve so much better.”One of Leon’s lingering issues from his childhood is money. Or rather lack of it. It’s why I’ve cut corners on our budget. “I’ve made adjustments so that we keep the cost as low as possible—”“And not only make me look commitment phobic, but also a cheap ass?” He jabs a hand at the book. “Paper plates? Fake flowers? BYO chairs? Christ, Annas, I don’t want this for you.”Tears well in my eyes. Is he saying he doesn’t want me or that he doesn’t want a wedding I worked a year to design? I sigh.I only get a weekend with him. Not even that after he sends me off with my sisters to shop and have lunch, giving me a break after a long week without help. I don’t want to waste these few hours arguing, but he’s left me no other choice when it comes to following my dreams to have a festive wedding. While I’m not looking like I’m wearing a wate
Leon Elsecick“Leaving, now wait a minute.” I chase after Annas all the way to the car, Tate crying and trotting after me. Annas is a badass, and just sassy enough to teach me a lesson and push my boundaries at the same time. One thing about her, she doesn’t go back on her word. I have to take her threat seriously, all five feet of her, curvy hips and all. But fuck if I’ll pretend to like it. Maybe it’s her Savoie-colored glare or the thought of her removing my name tattooed on her ass that has me considering her ultimatum. “I proposed. I promised we’d plan a wedding together. But not like this. How am I supposed to pull off a wedding and reception without more than a day’s heads up?”She slides behind the driver’s seat, giving me a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “The bank closes at one p.m. I have a thousand dollars stuffed in my undie drawer that I’ve pinched from the food budget by clipping coupons. Stores open at nine. You’ll figure it out. I have faith.”Before I can stop her
It’s closer to one p.m. by the time we load the tables and chairs. “It’ll take us an hour and half to drive back home. Another hour to get the tables set up, check with the caterer, etcetera.”“We’re having meat, right?” Jaxson pokes his head to the front seat.I grip the steering wheel, white knuckles forming. “Yeah, I tweaked Annas’s hotdogs and potato salad potluck. I added ‘formal’ to BBQ, but it wasn’t easy.”Sitting upfront on the bench seat, Maxon elbows me. “You’re doing a great job. We pick up the cake, grab the ring, and head home. Plenty of time before you wed your bride.”Again, unease strikes me. I haven’t realized how Annas’s importance in my world goes beyond words. Her loss would kill me. I have to confront my fears, even if that’s not easy. I love her that much.The cake is no less of a masterpiece than expected. It’s three tiers, with pink and white peony flowers placed in a spiral pattern. “You say these candied petals are edible?”“That’s right,” the baker confirms
Annas SavoieTears stream down my cheeks when I look in the wedding boutique mirror, spotting the woman I haven’t seen for a while. I used to wear dresses and heels instead of slippers and messy buns. I used to adorn the jewelry Leon gave me, wearing it like a trophy. Since Tate, I’ve traded multiple layers of gold and silver for rainbows of unknown forms of baby goo. And I love it. Don’t get me wrong. But seeing myself in my wedding dress, tingles of joy seem bittersweet. What if I’ve overstepped, and I lose Leon forever?“You look beautiful. The gown fits you perfectly, which is great, since we really don’t have time for alterations.” My sister, Bree, flips over the price tag and smiles, her hazel eyes dancing. “Another bonus.”I’m a new mom with a beautiful healthy son. A grieving mom, who misses the child she lost. A mom of a rainbow baby on the way. It’s all too much, and I’m feeling awful that I’ve pressured Leon, that I’ve kept my pregnancy from him, all because I’m scared. I’m
“He’s not coming,” I announce, feeling heartbroken. “You and mom should go. You have to be hungry, at least for more than crackers and cheese.”“We’re fine. The stars are beautiful tonight…” mom croons.I glance at Sadie. “Can you call Mamma Jean and tell her to put Tate to bed if he’s not already sleeping.”Mom sidles up to me, giving me a nudge. “Marriage is a test of patience. Its timing is not to be rushed if the true focus is love. Leon is a proud man. He may not have taken kindly to your threat of leaving him, but he’s not one to walk away. Neither are you.”Mom is my constant reminder of who I’m supposed to be. Not a restless soul but filled with faith and patience. Which is hard when you’re sitting in a lawn chair, waiting for your fated mate, who appears to have left you standing at the altar. I’m hurting, embarrassed, feeling stupid for forcing him to marry me, when, after all this fuss, I would rather be with him at home. I let my ego get the best of me. I let tradition tak
This is nice.No!My beast wasn’t impressed.I’d stopped just outside a mid-sized town and was eating a picnic lunch on the grass beside a small lake. The sun was shining, and the dappled light filtered through the leaves of a birch tree onto the blanket I’d laid out.There was no one else nearby as it was midweek; kids were in school, and adults were at work. But on the far side of the lake, there was a playground and a small restaurant, and elderly couples were enjoying a meal or just a coffee at the outdoor tables while young children played on the swings, watched by their parents or carers.While eating the quiche I’d picked up at a local bakery, I studied the families enjoying the pleasant weather. With my time consumed by work and keeping my beast happy, or if not exactly happy, then content, there was no space in my life for romance or a relationship, not even a one-night stand. Well, okay, maybe a couple of no- questions-asked romps after late-night drinking sessions at whatev
We developed a pattern. I’d give my leopard three months of what I referred to as roaming time. He’d take the lead, telling me to switch from a highway to a back road or vice versa. If he hadn’t found our forever home, a town or region in that time, I took control and we’d rent a place of my choosing. As renting required a commitment, I insisted we stay a minimum of six months. He agreed as long as we shifted frequently.The few shifter friends I’d made on my travels came up with suggestions as to why my beast was anxious. Their reasoning ranged from him wanting to be with his own kind, to returning to the place where I’d first heard him during puberty, and even him searching for our mate.My leopard’s answer to the first was a resounding no. Snow leopards didn’t grow up in packs or prides, much like their wild cousins. We’d met another snow leopard at college but apart from having the same beast and being students, we had nothing in common.He first revealed himself at my folks’ home
A cabin would make a nice change from the tent, and I checked the map on my phone for Barcombe. It had a couple of B&Bs, but before I booked anything, I gave my snow leopard the choice. He said he didn’t care, before curling up.I wouldn’t make it to the town this evening so I’d be bedding down in the tent tonight, but I booked a room for tomorrow and the day after. A cozy room in a B&B and then a cabin for a few days or even a week would break up the journey before we stopped roaming for six months.Who knows, it might be our last stop.But my leopard was asleep or pretending he was.DANTEPerimeter runs had been my favorite job as Beta since I first became one. Sure there was something rewarding about protecting the den and letting my bear do what he longed to do by both exploring and sometimes marking our territory. But that wasn’t why I loved it. No, for me, I loved the alone time with Alicia, my fellow Beta.Alicia was my best friend. Not that I was allowed to call him that pre-A