Page 71 of The Right to Bear Claws
ELIAS
Two weeks had passed since Halloween, and Hollow Oak had transformed into something out of a fairy tale.
Elias paused in his work stringing lights around the Council Glade to admire the way afternoon sunlight filtered through the golden canopy overhead, painting everything in warm amber hues. Tomorrow was their mating ceremony, and the entire town had thrown itself into preparations with the kind of enthusiasm usually reserved for major holidays.
"Stop daydreaming and hand me that extension cord," Finn called from his perch in an ancient oak tree. "Unless you want me to fall and break my neck the day before your big ceremony."
"You're not going to fall," Elias said, but he tossed up the cord anyway. "Your cat-like reflexes won't let you."
"I'm a bear, not a cat."
"Could've fooled me with all that climbing."
Through their bond, he felt Kaia's amusement ripple across his consciousness. She was somewhere across town, probably helping Twyla with the floral arrangements or letting Miriam fuss over last-minute ceremony details. The constant awarenessof her presence had become as natural as breathing over the past two weeks.
"There's that lovesick expression again," Thorin observed from where he was assembling wooden benches. "You know, most people get nervous before their wedding. You just look like you won the lottery."
"I did win the lottery," Elias said without embarrassment. "Best mate in three counties, maybe four."
"Modest as always," Magnus chuckled, emerging from behind a cluster of decorated trees with an armload of ceremonial candles. "Though I have to say, watching Kaia settle into town life has been something to see. Yesterday I caught her mediating a dispute between the Tansley brothers about ward placement like she'd been doing it for years."
"She has a gift for it," Elias agreed, pride warming his voice. "Sees right to the heart of problems, finds solutions that make everyone happy."
It was true. In just two weeks since officially joining the community, Kaia had become indispensable in ways none of them had expected. Her dream counseling practice was thriving—half the town had made appointments to work through various traumas and anxieties. But beyond that, she'd started attending Council meetings as an unofficial mediator, helping resolve disputes with a combination of empathy and practical wisdom that impressed even Elder Bram.
"Speaking of which," Lucien said, appearing through the trees with his usual feline grace, "I just came from the Mercantile. Rufus wanted me to tell you that the ceremonial chalices are ready, and Edgar finished carving the bonding stones this morning."
"Everything's coming together," Magnus said with satisfaction. "By this time tomorrow, we'll be officially welcoming a new daughter into the Vane family."
The casual way his father said it made something warm and settled curl in Elias's chest. Kaia wasn't just his mate—she'd become a beloved member of their extended family, their community, their pack in all the ways that mattered.
"How's she handling the pre-ceremony jitters?" Thorin asked, securing another bench into place.
"Better than expected," Elias admitted. "Though I can feel her emotions bouncing around like ping-pong balls through the bond. Excitement, nerves, gratitude, a little overwhelm at all the attention."
"Sounds about right for someone who's never been the center of a community celebration before," Lucien observed. "Most of us grew up with pack ceremonies and family gatherings. This is all new territory for her."
"Which is why we're making sure it's perfect," Magnus said firmly. "First impressions matter, even when you're already family."
They worked in comfortable companionship for another hour, transforming the sacred glade into something magical. Strings of warm white lights wound through the trees, creating a canopy of stars overhead. Benches arranged in concentric circles around the ancient ceremonial stone where Kaia and Elias would exchange vows. Bouquets of autumn flowers—courtesy of Twyla's connections with the local fae—filled the air with the scent of roses and evergreen.
"You know what the best part is?" Finn said as they stepped back to admire their handiwork. "She chose this. All of it. She could have kept running, could have disappeared into some other life where supernatural politics and mate bonds weren't her problem. But she chose to stay and build something with you."
"With all of us," Elias corrected. "She didn't just accept me as a mate. She accepted Hollow Oak as her home, our family as her family."
"Smart woman," Magnus said approvingly. "Though I suppose she'd have to be, to put up with you."
As the sun began to set behind the mountains, painting the sky in shades of pink and gold, Elias felt a familiar tug through the mate bond. Kaia was moving, walking with purpose toward somewhere that felt significant.
"I'm going to find her," he said, already heading toward the glade's entrance. "Make sure she's not getting cold feet or anything."
"She's not getting cold feet," Thorin called after him. "That woman looks at you like you hung the moon. But go on, be disgustingly romantic. We'll finish up here."
Elias followed the pull of their connection through Hollow Oak's winding streets, past the cheerfully lit shops and houses where residents were settling in for the evening. The bond led him toward the lake, which didn't surprise him. Kaia often went there when she needed to think, drawn back to the place where their story had begun.
He found her sitting on the dock where he'd first pulled her from the water, her feet dangling in the gentle waves while she gazed out at the moonlight dancing on the lake's surface. She looked peaceful, content, more at home in her own skin than he'd ever seen her.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked, settling beside her on the weathered wooden planks.
