Wolf Women (The Madison Wolves Book 10) (27 page)

The day finally came. Everyone descended on our little house by noon. The enforcers took Portia away, and I wouldn't see her for several hours.

It had been raining for two days. Portia and I had wanted an outdoor wedding, but it wasn't to be. Everyone else was worried I would be upset, but I didn't much care. I was getting married, and that was what mattered. I didn't think I'd see anything beyond my mate, anyway.

As soon as the house was clear of enforcers, Michaela handed me a glass of champagne. Michele and Hadley passed out more glasses. Angel and Scarlett were with Portia, or so I presumed, but I had Ember and everyone else from my ransom night with me. Once the glasses were handed out, Michaela proposed a toast.

"To love," she said.

"To romance," Michele added.

"To a shared life," Hadley said.

"To my moms," Ember said.

And at that, we sipped.

"So fifteen-year-old wolves get champagne, Alpha?"

"They do at a wedding," she said. "One glass now and one with dinner. Unless their mothers say 'no'."

Ember pouted, and I said, "I'm happy to let Michaela be in charge."

"Darned right," Michaela replied.

I did my own makeup, but I let the girls play with my hair. They couldn't decide what they wanted to do, and they tried different things for a while. Ember sat back and watched, and then said, "If you're done playing with her like a doll, it's my turn."

"Oh?" Iris said, turning to face her. "What would you do?"

"I'd weave these flowers into her hair." She gestured to one of the displays.

"I'm a little old for flowers in the hair," I said.

"That's not what Portia Mom said," Ember replied.

"Portia wants flowers in my hair?"

"That's what she told me."

"Why didn't she tell me?"

"You can ask her that sometime," Ember said. She got up from her chair, bringing the flowers over. And then the gang of them set to my hair again.

When they were done, I had to admit it was pretty.

"She does know how old I am, doesn't she?"

"Flowers are ageless," Hadley said. "They look nice."

"Wolves don't quite understand," Michele said. "They can't pull this off, so when they see someone who can, they go a little nuts."

"That's why Elisabeth keeps trying to get me into the most ridiculous outfits," Michaela added.

"You looked real cute that one day," I said.

Michaela pointed a finger at me. "We are not discussing that."

"Yes, Alpha," I said meekly.

She stepped closer and played with the flowers for a minute. She cocked her head. "It's raining again. We're going to cover you up and get you to the gym before you change clothes." She pursed her lips. "We need a better place for formal events."

"It's fine, Michaela," I assured her.

"I think I want a dance hall," she said. "Something we can open up in nice weather." She pulled out her phone. "Scarlett," she said after a moment. "I want a rough estimate for the cost of a dance hall, something we can use in weather like today, but that can be opened up on nice days." Pause. "No rush, it's probably too late in the year to start on it. Um. Don't tell Lara yet." Pause. "Thanks. I love you. See you in a while."

She put her phone away and looked at us. "Not a word," she said. "If Lara gets wind of this before I prepare her, I will not be happy."

"Of course, Alpha."

"It happens, just like that?" I asked.

She laughed. "After a fashion, yes." She laughed again. "Free labor helps a great deal."

"And having Lara wrapped around your dainty little finger doesn't hurt, either," Michele added.

"What free labor?"

Michaela looked at me and smiled. "Well, you, of course. The entire reason Lara let you build that house was so that Portia and I could teach you how to build something."

"I think you're going to need more than just me."

"I don't quite understand it," Michaela said with a tone that suggested she understood it very well. "But somehow there are always plenty of people willing to dive in on my pet projects. If I were more cynical, I would accuse all of you of sucking up to me."

"Speaking of sucking up," Michele said. "When is your next vacation, and why am I never invited?"

"That's a good question, Michele," Hadley said, putting a hand on her hip. "A very good question."

"I have nothing planned," Michaela said, "unless you want to come to Bayfield for Labor Day."

"It's a start," Hadley said.

"You're always welcome, Hadley," Michaela said. "You know that."

"And yet, not once have I been invited. So no, Alpha, I don't know that."

I looked between the two of them. I couldn't tell if Hadley were upset or not. Michaela pursed her lips then turned to Michele. "Who else have I been neglecting?"

"Other than me?" Michele asked. "And did you invite Zoe?"

"Portia's going. Zoe knows she's welcome."

"She does?" I replied. "I didn't know that Zoe knew she was welcome."

Michaela turned to me with a raised eyebrow.

"It's not a class outing," I pointed out. "I presume you want me for all of those. But unless you say something, I also presume your other outings are to spend time with your family."

"Family and friends," she said. "Angel and Scarlett come."

"Angel is on your security detail," I said. "And I bet you say something to them about it."

She sighed.  "So I have to do formal invitations?"

"Maybe not," Hadley said, "but informal invitations would be nice. Michaela, you deserve breaks from being alpha. No one wants to get in the way of that."

She nodded. "Well, anyone who wants to come is welcome for Labor Day."

"You don't want to put it that way," Michele said. "You'll get all the kids and their families, and you'll spend the time planning all the events. You'll make Zoe teach a photography class-"

"I'll make Zoe teach a photography class, anyway," she replied with a grin in my direction. "But I see your point."

"So we're invited and then uninvited," Iris asked. "But if Portia and Zoe are going, I presume Ember is going, too."

"Oh god," Michaela said.

"Hadley," I suggested, "perhaps you and I could handle the kids, giving Michaela and her family a break."

"I could help with that," Hadley said, "but I would want a little more help. Perhaps I could bring Ava with me."

Michaela laughed. "You two handle it," Michaela said. "Invite whom you want. But you're responsible for arranging everything. Transportation, meals, activities... I'll report what my family is doing and which of those would do with guests."

"Like kayaking?" Iris asked.

"We might split up for kayaking," Michaela said. "But yes. Now, can we please get the bride over to the gym and get her ready?"

"In a minute," I said. "Michele, are you and your family coming?"

"We would love to," she said. "Let me know if I'm welcome to help organize."

"You are," I said. I turned to the girls. "You three spread the word. I can't commit the enforcers, but everyone living on the compound is invited. You handle signups."

"We want at least one parent for every four kids," Hadley added. "That doesn't include Michele, Zoe, and me."

"And there probably isn't room in the lodge," I added. "The lodge is a quiet space for the alphas. So everyone else can expect to sleep in one of the bunk houses."

"You girls can handle that, right?" Hadley said. "If not, you're not the girls we think you are."

"We can handle it," Lindsey said. "We want to help organize activities, too."

"I want to try swimming in the lake," Iris said.

"Oh god," Michaela said. "You aren't going to like it."

"I want to try it," she said. "Kayaking. Fishing. Barbeques. Campfires." She grinned. "Roller coaster rides."

I laughed. "Sounds great."

"All right," Michaela said, tapping her toe on the floor. "May we go now?"

* * * *

I didn't have to do a thing. They bundled me into a long, plastic raincoat, long enough for a wolf. It nearly reached the ground on me. Ember walked with me with an umbrella pulled down low over us. Someone carried my things. And soon we were at the gym.

As soon as we were inside the door, Michele and Hadley stepped to my side. Ember stepped away. They took the coat off me, turned me around so I was facing outside, and then blindfolded me.

"We already did this part," I said.

"We don't want you to see what we've done," Hadley said. "We'll take it off in a minute."

Then they led me through the building. I thought they were going to take me to the locker room, but instead, when they removed the blindfold, I saw we were in one of the sparring rooms. The floor mats were stacked along one side, and there were all the accouterments required to get me ready.

"I'm going to go see how Portia Mom is doing," Ember said. She gave me a quick hug and was out the door in an instant.

Michaela gave me a little more champagne, and then they began to fuss at me. I let them do what they wanted. They messed with my hair for a few more minutes, checked my makeup, then stripped me down, powdered me, and then dressed me.

When they were done, Michaela frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"We're ready early. For mine, it took forever."

"Yes, well," Michele said. "You had that dress."

"Oh, that dress," Michaela said. She sighed happily. "I wanted my wedding like yours, Zoe. Simple, with a dress like this." She gestured.

"Instead, you were marrying the alpha, and that would not have done," Hadley said. "It was a beautiful dress and an even more beautiful bride. But we are here for Zoe's wedding today."

"I only meant to say, this is lovely." She gestured again. "You are so beautiful, Zoe."

I didn't think I was beautiful. I never had. The wolves now, and the fox... They were stunning. I was just average, but I was fine with that.

"Well, we're not quite ready," Michele said. "We have not finished our preparations." She turned me towards her. "Zoe, today is your wedding. You are marrying a wonderful woman, strong and brave, who will love you and take care of you until the end of your days. But it is your wedding night, and so there are things you must know."

I laughed. "I think I know those already."

"Hush," she said. "It is tradition in this pack to offer advice to a bride on her wedding day, so you'll listen and pretend this is the most sage advice you can imagine."

I laughed.

All of them took turns offering the most outrageous advice, including some that were anatomically impossible, at least for me. But then Michele turned me towards her.

"Choose your battles carefully," she said. "Don't fight about anything unimportant."

Then Michaela turned me to her. "But stand up for yourself, and don't be afraid to tell her what you want."

Iris told me, "Be proud of who you are."

Lindsey said, "Love generously, and accept generous love in return."

Hadley said, "Fight fair, be fast to apologize, and even faster to accept an offered apology."

"Be adventurous," Michaela said.

"But not foolhardy," Michele added.

"Share your feelings," Hadley said, "but understand she may not be as able to share her own."

"Oh no," Ember said from the doorway. "I missed the silly part of this." I turned to her and my voice caught in my throat.

She had changed clothes. She was wearing a dress. I had never seen her in a dress, or anything formal at all. When I had asked her if she wanted to go shopping with me for clothes for the wedding, she told me she had it covered, not to worry about it, then asked if I trusted her or not.

"You look... Oh honey!" I opened my arms, and she moved into them, hugging me carefully.

"You do, too," she whispered into my ear.

"How?"

"Scarlett took me. Portia Mom gave me money."

I pushed her away and collected her hands, holding them wide so I could look at her. She had flowers in her hair, a light dusting of makeup, and a simple, blue, strapless maxi dress. She looked... I still didn't have the words.

"I love you, Ember."

"I love you too, Mom."

I threatened to tear up. I didn't think I'd ever get tired of her calling me that.

Ember reached up and brushed the tears away before they could fully form. "None of that," she said. "Or I'll go put the ratty jeans back on."

I laughed.

"All right. I think it's my turn for advice. Remember that the key to a happy marriage is a happy daughter. Dote on and spoil your daughter the way you want your wife to dote on and spoil you."