knock at the door, and Yasir entered. He cleaned up pretty good. Black suit, no tie, dress shirt with the button open at the neck.
“Need help?” Yasir asked.
Seth dropped his hands. “Hell yes. Save me from this unholy thing.” The commander took over, standing behind Seth to quickly tie it in a neat bow. He made it look so easy. “Is that suit Union issue?”
Yasir laughed as he turned Seth around and brushed the hair off of his shoulders with brisk motions. “Believe it or not, yes. We do covert ops sometimes. There’s even a whole department for espionage.”
“Nice,” Seth said, reaching up to fiddle with the tie.
Yasir grinned. His gold canine glinted in the light. “Nervous?”
Seth braced his hands on the windowsill to stare out the hill at his wedding. Bekah, Trevin, and Stephanie were in hyper-party mode, and they whirled around getting everything right at the last minute—the chair drapes, the red ribbons, the roses, the table of gifts. There weren’t many presents. Half of their guests were plants from the Union, and the other half were werewolves; they didn’t have actual friends to invite.
There were snow flurries that morning, so they had put an awning over everything and draped fairy lights on it. It looked like a huge gazebo. Really pretty.
And in about an hour, he was going to meet Rylie under it and promise to love her until the day they died.
Hopefully, that wouldn’t be tonight, too.
“Nervous?” Seth echoed. He gave a small laugh. “No way.”
But he didn’t feel right going into battle without his brother at his back, either.
Yasir gave him a hard pat on the shoulder. “Let me show you what we’ve got out there.”
They headed out into the snow. The heavy clouds and absent wind made everything warm, even as the daylight faded, like a pleasant autumn day that was a little icier than usual. The winter berries and roses were beautiful splashes of red against the white of the snow.
It was easy to pick out the Union, because they were the only men in black nearby. The suits really were Union issue. They were all dressed the same.
They milled around the back of the gazebo together under the watchful eye of Levi, who was getting the sound system ready nearby. Seth noticed that their jackets bulged under the arms.
“Subtle,” Seth said.
Yasir shrugged. “It doesn’t have to be.” He pointed at the man on the far left. “That’s Grant. He’s an ordained priest. He can officiate the ceremony for you two.”
“Actually, I was hoping I could do the honors.”
Seth turned. Someone had let Scott Whyte out of the cellar, and he wore a neat suit and bowler hat low on his brow that concealed the bullet wound. Levi hovered a few feet behind him, looking worried.
“What do you want?” Yasir asked sharply.
“Wait,” Seth said, putting a hand on his best man’s arm to keep him from drawing his gun.
“I realize what a betrayal it was to cooperate with Cain’s demands and bring back Eleanor,” Scott said, holding his hands out to show them that he was unarmed. “But I hope you understand why I did it.”
“Cowardice?” Yasir suggested.
Scott gripped his heart, as if the word wounded him. “Love,” he said. He caught Seth’s eye. “I’m not the only one who has done stupid, misguided things to protect his family.”
Seth rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
“If you’re seriously considering listening to him, I have to protest,” Yasir said. “This is a bad idea. We need someone we can trust at the altar.”
“I already have you,” Seth said.
Levi stepped up to his father’s side and placed a hand on his shoulder. He was a lot taller than Scott, which made him fairly imposing. “He can’t do any damage if all of us are watching him. And he knows he’s made a mistake.”
Scott extended a hand. After a moment, Seth shook it.
“I look forward to the ceremony,” Seth said.
Yasir gave a snort of disgust and walked away. The other men from the Union
“Need help?” Yasir asked.
Seth dropped his hands. “Hell yes. Save me from this unholy thing.” The commander took over, standing behind Seth to quickly tie it in a neat bow. He made it look so easy. “Is that suit Union issue?”
Yasir laughed as he turned Seth around and brushed the hair off of his shoulders with brisk motions. “Believe it or not, yes. We do covert ops sometimes. There’s even a whole department for espionage.”
“Nice,” Seth said, reaching up to fiddle with the tie.
Yasir grinned. His gold canine glinted in the light. “Nervous?”
Seth braced his hands on the windowsill to stare out the hill at his wedding. Bekah, Trevin, and Stephanie were in hyper-party mode, and they whirled around getting everything right at the last minute—the chair drapes, the red ribbons, the roses, the table of gifts. There weren’t many presents. Half of their guests were plants from the Union, and the other half were werewolves; they didn’t have actual friends to invite.
There were snow flurries that morning, so they had put an awning over everything and draped fairy lights on it. It looked like a huge gazebo. Really pretty.
And in about an hour, he was going to meet Rylie under it and promise to love her until the day they died.
Hopefully, that wouldn’t be tonight, too.
“Nervous?” Seth echoed. He gave a small laugh. “No way.”
But he didn’t feel right going into battle without his brother at his back, either.
Yasir gave him a hard pat on the shoulder. “Let me show you what we’ve got out there.”
They headed out into the snow. The heavy clouds and absent wind made everything warm, even as the daylight faded, like a pleasant autumn day that was a little icier than usual. The winter berries and roses were beautiful splashes of red against the white of the snow.
It was easy to pick out the Union, because they were the only men in black nearby. The suits really were Union issue. They were all dressed the same.
They milled around the back of the gazebo together under the watchful eye of Levi, who was getting the sound system ready nearby. Seth noticed that their jackets bulged under the arms.
“Subtle,” Seth said.
Yasir shrugged. “It doesn’t have to be.” He pointed at the man on the far left. “That’s Grant. He’s an ordained priest. He can officiate the ceremony for you two.”
“Actually, I was hoping I could do the honors.”
Seth turned. Someone had let Scott Whyte out of the cellar, and he wore a neat suit and bowler hat low on his brow that concealed the bullet wound. Levi hovered a few feet behind him, looking worried.
“What do you want?” Yasir asked sharply.
“Wait,” Seth said, putting a hand on his best man’s arm to keep him from drawing his gun.
“I realize what a betrayal it was to cooperate with Cain’s demands and bring back Eleanor,” Scott said, holding his hands out to show them that he was unarmed. “But I hope you understand why I did it.”
“Cowardice?” Yasir suggested.
Scott gripped his heart, as if the word wounded him. “Love,” he said. He caught Seth’s eye. “I’m not the only one who has done stupid, misguided things to protect his family.”
Seth rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
“If you’re seriously considering listening to him, I have to protest,” Yasir said. “This is a bad idea. We need someone we can trust at the altar.”
“I already have you,” Seth said.
Levi stepped up to his father’s side and placed a hand on his shoulder. He was a lot taller than Scott, which made him fairly imposing. “He can’t do any damage if all of us are watching him. And he knows he’s made a mistake.”
Scott extended a hand. After a moment, Seth shook it.
“I look forward to the ceremony,” Seth said.
Yasir gave a snort of disgust and walked away. The other men from the Union
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