Page 51 of The Betas: Rene
“Let’s get down to business, or I’ll never get my breakfast,”Frankie complained.
With that thought, he moved his mouth in conjunction with his hand. He kneaded René’s balls and took him deeper. Frankie massaged René’s cock with his throat. He picked up the rhythm. René moaned louder. Frankie sucked harder, and his wolf shot his load into Frankie’s waiting mouth.
Frankie swallowed and peered at his lover over his pecs. “Good breakfast.”
§ § §
The Alpha’s Ballroom
Noon
Frankie sighed as Henri fussed with his tie. He shook with nerves. To calm him down, Julien had told him stories about the Mates while he dressed in The Alpha and The Alpha Mate’s suite. One that particularly amused him concerned Julio and Etienne’s wedding. Frankie could easily visualize the scene having heard so much about the Mates from René.
Julio entered into major pout mode after lunch, because he hadn’t been asked to help pick out the tux. He considered himself the arbitrator of fashion for the Mates. He didn’t care whether they were Alpha or Beta. Etienne had to take him aside and patiently explain the reasons that Betas and Alpha Mates didn’t socialize.
“We should change that, right now. That’s an unfair class system,” Julio yelled.
“If you’re a Beta, it’s not unfair. As much as Adrien, Sebastian, and Gilbert may like us, we are still their job. They have a life away from work, as it should be.”
Sean got to play the hero. “Armand explained it to me, and I finally understand. If you told meyou can’t go there,I wouldn’t listen to you, or I’d try to cajole you into letting me go. When René tells me the same thing, I listen, because René protects me and would face Armand’s wrath if something happens. I care about René, and he is my friend, but the fact that he’s also my bodyguard puts certain limits on the relationship.”
Julio still pouted but admitted that he could see The Alpha’s point.
At the end of the story, Frankie was able to relax, and Julien straightened his tie and Henri attached one of thecymbidium orchid boutonnieres they’d picked out on Friday afternoon. The three of them came down the stairs and met Edward on the landing.
“Are you nervous? I know I was. This is a complete change of direction in your life, and you made the decision in only a few days.”
“The decision was made for me as soon as I laid eyes on René. I knew, deep in my soul, that we were meant to be together. Having known him only one night, I was willing to stay with a man whom I thought was bat shit crazy. I actually asked him to see Eugene Cote, a psychiatrist I knew in the Village.”
Julien, Henri, and Edward tried hard to control their laughter, but couldn’t. Indignant, Frankie asked, “What’s your problem?”
Julien said simply, “Dr. Cote is one of us.”
Frankie smiled. After he had gotten over his surprise, he thought about it for a moment. “No wonder he’s so good. He’s had a long time to observe the human condition.”
“Yes,” Julien replied. “Unlike some of us, he has never changed his profession. For the entire span of his years, even when he had to disappear, he studied psychiatry, psychology, and social work.”
Frankie nodded. Eugene had helped him when he desperately needed help. He had more than one thing for which to thank the gods of the loup garou.
His pulse racing and his palms sweating, Frankie stood at the back of the ballroom with Julien. As expected, Junior had not so politely declined to be best man. Julien and Henri escorted Dante and his mother up the aisle and gave them a place of honor in the second pew along with Junior who, Dante insisted, attend the wedding. They were waiting for an instrumental version of “A Thousand Years,” the original by Christina Perri,which Frankie thought was particularly apt considering that they had been together in all their previous lives, and would be in all of their lives to come.
At the very last second before René’s cue, Junior came running down the aisle. He addressed Frankie, “I’m your best man.”
“You didn’t feel that way yesterday,” Frank replied gruffly.
“I’m your brother,” Junior snapped and surprised the hell out of Frankie by giving him a hug.
Henri stepped aside. “It should be your brother and Edward. They’re family, and you’ve known Julien longer than you have known me.”
Thinking of how Martin and Edward bared their souls to him just before the mating, Frankie agreed.
The first strains of “A Thousand Years” began.René came out of The Alpha’s library, followed by Martin, The Alpha, and The Alpha Mate. René walked at a steady pace down the aisle in time to the music.He reached the front of the room where Judge Booker waited. Now, it was Frankie’s turn. He didn’t know how he made it to the front of the room. He remembered seeing his mother with a delicate, lace-trimmed handkerchief, dabbing at her eyes, and clutching her double strand of pearls. Dante stoically held her arm.
He gazed up. His Mate’s eyes sparkled with love and support. Frankie hoped his eyes mirrored René’s. His wolf took both of his hands and kissed his knuckles. His stare traveled down to his finger, naked without his ruby mating ring.
Judge Booker began to speak, and they turned to him.
“We are here today to witness the marriage of René Théodore DuBois and Francis Xavier Ferone. Does anyone here have a prior mark on Mr. Ferone?” No one said a word. “Then let us begin.”
