Page 11 of Backstage at the Freak Show
He smiled humbly, lowering his head, but he was right.Thatwas why Mel and her guys invited shifters from all over to attend. To be here was to witness history.
“And now,” the officiant said after everyone quieted and sat down. “I’ll hand it over to one of the men of the hour,” a soft chuckle arose from the guests as that, “to say the vows they have prepared.”
A microphone was passed to Connor, who pulled a velvety ring box from his pocket with his other hand. The mic picked up the tail end of his long breath before he began speaking.
“I’m not a shifter. There’s nothing special about me—”
“Shut up,” Mel interrupted, earning a laugh from everyone in attendance.
A massive grin of joy erupted onto Connor’s face. “Clearly, I’m wrong about a lot of things but you’re the one thing I got right. I’ll always cherish you, babe, through the highs and the lows. I’ll be the shield that protects our family, whether shifter or human, for the rest of my days.”
Blinking tears away, he passed the mic and ring to Hunter, who took a long moment to gaze at his bride before speaking.
“Some wolves believe in fate,” my brother began. “I never did until I met you. My children are yours. My heart and soul is yours.” He paused to glance at Razvan, the tattooed dragon shifter returning his gaze with wide, dilated eyes. “I’m blessed with two incredible mates I’d do anything for. This is the pack I was meant to have. I’ll always put our children and you two first.”
Mel sniffed, blinking rapidly as Raz took the mic and ring next.
“What can I say,steluta, that I haven’t already promised you before?” His Romanian lilt was low and thick with emotion. “You have my loyalty, my love, and my trust for the rest of my days.” Looking at Hunter, he continued, “And you’re just as much my mate as Melody is. I’ll light up any motherfucker stupid enough to come near either of you.”
A few laughs, gasps, and wide-eyed looks from children came over the crowd as he passed the ring and mic to Arjun. But it just wouldn’t be a Razvan wedding without some expletives and threatening to set something on fire.
“I’m going to be a massive pain in your arse,” the tiger shifter smirked. “I’ll take the piss out of you every day because that’s how I show I love you. But I’ll also make you a proper cup of tea and purr you to sleep every night. I’ll love you to the end of my days, dove, and I promise you’ll never have a dull moment with me.”
The vows of each man seemed to soak into everyone attending as the mic was handed to Melody. She drew a shaky, emotional breath before her voice rang musically from the speakers.
“I would make vows to you all individually, but our guests need to eat and drink before the day is over,” she joked. “So my promise to you, the four loves of my life, is that my heart will always have room for each of you. I’ll never pick favorites or pit you against each other. I’ll always make time. I’ll always listen and give you someone to lean on the way all of you have done for me. I have a unique story with each one of you, but the greater story ofusis just beginning.”
Barely any eyes were dry by the time Mel finished speaking. Even Gabe sniffed in front of me and wiped his eye as if the wind blew something into it.
“You may now exchange rings,” the officiant said when the mic returned to him.
Arjun, the last to hold the ring box, slid a white gold band onto Mel’s left ring finger. Miriam and Jeanie then stepped forward, holding two rings each on velvet pillows. One by one, Mel took a band and slid it onto the ring finger of each of her grooms. When she finished, Arjun and Raz clasped her left hand while Connor and Hunter held her right. “I now pronounce you husbands,” the officiant smirked at the pluralized word, “and wife. Y’all may kiss your bride.”
There was a moment of pause followed by a giggle from Mel. In the next instant her four husbands surrounded her, playfully shoving and fighting each other to land a kiss first as the crowd stood and gave a roaring applause.
5
Miriam
After another hour of pictures, hugs, and happy tears, we were finally able to sit down.
Colt and Gabe wolfed down their food and guzzled drinks until they were talking excitedly with the other guests at our table. Seeing Gabe laugh and smile was a rare treat.
I ate slowly, sipping my champagne while keeping my eyes sweeping across the entire reception hall. We moved from the ceremony in Mel's backyard to a banquet room in the neighboring campus of the FDR Center for Disabled Veterans.
After retiring from carnival work, Connor worked for the Center as a counselor. He moved so flawlessly on the dance floor with his bride, some of the wedding guests would never know he had two prosthetic legs.
The banquet hall had open, slanted ceilings with exposed beams, floor-to-ceiling windows, and was nestled into the surrounding woods. It gave the reception an outdoor private party feel, which seemed to put many of the shifters at ease.
The bride and grooms couldn't stop smiling at each other and kissing. Guests got a kick of tapping their silverware to their glasses for more kisses, while poor Mel tried her best to be fair and kiss each man an equal amount.
The pure love and happiness was palpable in the air, especially when my two wolves finished their conversations and sandwiched me between their firm bodies. Still, no matter how much they made my pulse speed up, or how infectious Mel's smile and happiness was, I couldn't shake the feeling of something being off.
And it had something to do withhim, the powerfully built man with odd-colored eyes chatting at a neighboring table.
"You're quiet lately," Gabe murmured in my ear, his fingers skimming along my waist while Colt kissed the shell of my opposite ear.
"I could've said the same to you this morning," I replied icily.
