Page 85 of Wolf Bane
That was a sufficient enough enticement for Mariska; she had brand new Mary Janes that were not only silver but sparkly to boot, covered in some sort of holographic glitter stuff that miraculously did not shed all over the place.
Ethan slipped up beside me, his arm warm and sure across my lower back as he bent to kiss me just behind my ear.“I gave ‘em a heavy-duty coating of Krylon sealant two days ago,” he informed me.“That glitter’s not going anywhere.”
I watched Mal carrying his daughter on one hip while she waved her arms, telling him all about something no doubt related to the adventures of Pretty Pegasus Unicorn Force Sparkle Pony Monster Truck Rally or whatever that show was called.“She’s really taken to living here.”
Ethan grunted softly in agreement.“So have you.”
“Huh?”
He turned me in his arms, so I was looking up at him, his eyes crinkled just a tiny bit at the corners with the smile just starting to tease his lips.
“You were poised like a bird ready to take off for so long, Landry.I was sure I’d wake up one morning and you’d be gone.If not physically, then up here,” he tapped my temple gently.“Ready to just get the fuck out of Dodge.”
“Well, yeah… that’s not untrue,” I muttered.His ensuing tickle was enough to make me shriek, startling Tyler and Justin from their bent-headed conversation near Ethan’s prized barbecue grill.
“Careful,” Ethan called out.“You break it, I’m gonna take that out of your hide.”
Justin’s eyes were wide and startled, but Tyler just flipped him off.“Blood is thicker than barbecue, bro.”
Ethan slipped away to gripe at Tyler about endangering his baby, Justin edging closer to Tyler, and for the first time in a long time, getting involved in some good-natured ribbing.He was still weak but definitely improving, slowly rebuilding himself and figuring out who he was not just because of everything that had been done to him, but everything he’d hidden away from.
Gina Perrin really knew her stuff.
“A moment, Landry?”
Cullen’s low tones pulled me from my little reverie, watching the handful of people in my backyard being happy and whole.
Ugh, I was turning into a sap as I rocketed towards middle age.
Cullen inclined his head towards the open back door, letting in some of the late autumn warmth.“After you,” I murmured, mirroring his gesture and followed him back into my kitchen, raising a brow as he shut the door behind us.
“As you know, things are rather undefined right now with regards to your standing in the council’s graces,” he began without preamble.“However, as a wedding gift to you, I have entered my formal recommendation that they allow you a voice in community proceedings, particularly regarding health matters.”
I was legitimately touched and more than a little surprised but judging by the uncomfortable way Cullen was looking anywhere but at me and keeping himself still and stiff to avoid giving any mistaken signal that he might enjoy a handshake or even a friendly slap on the shoulder, I just nodded.
“Did it hurt?”I asked.“Being nice to me?Do you need a cold compress, maybe some painkillers?”
Cullen relaxed fractionally—I’d made the right call, snarking at him—and rolled his eyes.“No thank you.I shall somehow manage to persevere.”But, just for a second, not even a full second really, his lips quirked at the corner and that mansmiledat me.
Jesus.
Maybe I really had died in the fire, and this was some weird afterlife situation.
Then Ethan’s booming laugh and Tyler’s squawk of protest erupted in the backyard, Mariska’s high-pitched giggles underscoring whatever they were doing out there that would likely end in someone getting their nice clothes dirty and a bruise somewhere obvious.
If I was dead and this was what came after, maybe it wasn’t so bad.
The wedding was small and a little awkward, the justice of the peace first fumbling and fuming over two men (I thought Landry was a girl’s name!)before getting with the program and smoothing over his embarrassment with effusive compliments on our attire (apparently, off the rack suits from the mid-2000s werefetching) and how sparkly Mariska’s shoes were, a few jokes that landed heavily on the side of sexist, then finally he started the official part of things.
It was… beautiful.Amazing.Weird.Kinda weird.I wasgetting marriedto Ethan Stone.My inner teenaged Landry was losing his shit.
As the justice read the dry words and we declared our intent, I stared up at Ethan’s familiar features, only a little surprised to see his eyes shining with tears.Mine were, too.
The entire ceremony was less than twenty minutes, even including the justice’s startled rambling when he realized he was marrying two men.
After, it felt otherworldly stepping into the mid-autumn sunshine.
“We’re married,” Ethan said happily, squeezing my fingers on the justice building’s steps.“Married!”
