They turned to face Rob, and he smiled at them. A full-on fucking smile.
I hadn’t noticed it all that much before, but the older he got, the more he looked like our dad. His bearing was that of an alpha. His voice, as he spoke of love and a permanent bond, was full of authority. He was made to be a leader although we all wished he’d have been able to wait a few years.
Our parents would have loved this. Loved Audrey, the baby she was carrying. And Marina.
“You may kiss the bride.”
Boyd leaned down and kissed Audrey while everyone clapped and cheered. I’d missed the entire ceremony, lost in my thoughts. Hell, I’d turned sentimental. A romantic. Next, I would need a hanky to wipe my tears.
But I wanted this with Marina. To profess my love for her. Completely and honestly in front of everyone we cared about. There were no secrets between Audrey and Boyd. I wanted that with Marina, but it couldn’t happen. Not now. Fuck me, I was screwed.
The first clap of thunder made everyone cheer, like it was the pistol-shot starting off the celebrations.
In true wolf-pack fashion, the place instantly transformed to a party. The Barn Cats struck up their instruments before the chairs were even moved to the sides. I pushed my way to Marina’s side, drawn like a magnet.
“Hey, beautiful.” I swept her up into my arms and twirled her around. Her scent flooded all my senses. It must have been the full moon because I could swear it made me drunk. The room suddenly spun even though I’d stopped moving. When I looked down at Marina, her eyes widened.
“What?”
“Your eyes look strange in the light—almost gold.”
Shit.
I should tell her what I am. She was my mate, she needed to know. Then again, if I weren’t taking this to the next level yet, I’d be breaking pack law. And right now, I was fucking surrounded by pack members all looking on with curiosity.
I’d made my decision to give her the life she deserved. The alpha had agreed.
“Hey, Colton. Looks like Boyd’s not the only one who found his—” Shelby, one of our younger pack females, stopped talking when I gave a tiny shake of my head. “—found himself a woman,” she said after a slight hesitation.
Dammit. This was getting downright awkward. I really needed to tell Marina, whether the rest of the pack approved or not. Or Rob. What kind of mate was I keeping such a crucial secret?
Honestly, when I first learned from Boyd that his mate was human, I’d been surprised the pack had accepted her without much fuss. I’d expected to hear some snide comments or whispers tonight, but I hadn’t. Maybe it was because the alpha was on board with it. Maybe it was because Boyd would probably rip anyone’s head off who spoke bad about his mate, no matter her DNA.
Their acceptance though, gave me hope. Would they be fine with both human sisters as mated into the pack?
“Shelby, this is Marina, Audrey’s younger sister,” I said, settling my hand at the small of Marina’s back. I wouldn’t stop touching her.
Shelby studied Marina with curiosity. “Sister, huh? Interesting. Well, this whole town loves Audrey. She’s everyone’s favorite doctor.”
Marina smiled. “Yeah, she’s pretty killer, isn’t she?”
If she thought there was anything weird about the conversation. She didn’t let on.
“Come here, sweetness, I need to tell you something about me.” I hoisted her legs up around my waist. I fucking loved carrying her. The wild, riotous cravings I had being near her calmed when I had all of her in my arms. Like my wolf knew I had her. She was safe. Mine.
Thunder boomed again and the rain came on, hard. Like suddenly the faucet in the sky got turned on full-blast. Just like the other night. It was storm season in Montana, but hell, they were strong. It pounded the barn roof, which unfortunately wasn’t completely water-tight.
I heard squeals and laughter as people had to move to avoid getting wet. The Barn Cats stopped and moved to a dry spot, then started back up. Boyd pulled Audrey close and spun her away from a drip. They were happy, completely unfazed by the change in weather. Thank fuck, they wouldn’t let a little rain ruin their night.
Marina laughed and squeezed her thighs around my waist, her arms looped around my neck. I found a quiet corner and sat down, arranging her on my lap, facing me. “What did you want to tell me?”
I glanced around. My wolf was tearing at the surface, but I shoved him down. Yeah, she had to know. She had to understand why I was pushing her away. Why I couldn’t kiss her. Couldn’t fuck her like I wanted. She deserved to know because keeping it from her was wrong. She’d be mine, no doubt of that. Later, sure, but I wanted her to know everything now. No secrets. “You see all these people here?”