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The cart shifted as Levi and Evander exited the vehicle, then Merrick felt a big hand wrap around his upper arm. “Eyes are to remain closed, please, until ordered. Merrick, you’ll follow me. Tamsyn, Levi will escort you. Two minutes and we can get this wedding under way.”

Letting go of her hand did not make him happy in the slightest, and the mirroring squeeze of her fingers around his before they both released each other soothed the ache in his heart. He hated not touching her, even though it wasn’t going to be for long.

Carefully, he shuffled along beside Evander, listening to the big guy as he advised Merrick where to put his feet, to watch his step, that they were heading down a gentle incline. The further they went, the more the air changed around him.

It was still clean and fresh, still wondrously natural, but he sensed… more. It was starting to get cooler, the sun’s rays less heated, and he knew afternoon was quickly fading into evening.

He wished he’d thought to ask Levi to bring a jacket for Tamsyn.

“All right, brother, this is the spot. I’m going to be right behind you, so just give me a sign if you think you’re going down.” Evander patted his shoulder. “Open your eyes when you’re ready.”

“Goddamn it, Vi.” They were the first words out of his mouth as he stared at the place his best friend had chosen for his wedding. Maybe he’d kiss her later for being an utter fuckinggenius… if his wife didn’t object.

The spectacular view most often seen from Levi’s huge glass windows spread out in front of Merrick like some kind of exquisite painting. Ten feet away, the world dropped away into the valley, exposing a tapestry woven in different shades of green and a blue sky smeared with the onset of dusk. Pinks, purples, hints of gray and orange.

The sun wasn’t quite at the horizon yet; they had a little time before night fell.

“This is beautiful,” Tamsyn whispered reverently, sneaking under his arm. “Mistress Violet did this for us?”

“Actually,” a lyrical Southern accent drawled from behind them, “this is a joint effort from all of us. I know you said small and intimate, Merrick,” Violet added quietly as she stepped up beside them. “We honored that, mostly.”

“Mostly?”

Hobbling slowly in a half-circle with no choice but to tow Tamsyn around with him, Merrick blinked at the faces gathered around them. Granted, there were a lot more than the three—his, Tamsyn’s, and Eli’s—he’d envisioned when planning this supposedly small and intimate event, but looking at them all, he realized they’d all played a part in getting here.

Callie sat with Sierra, flanked on either side by Liam and Mack. Ericka and Felicity hemmed in Tabitha, who didn’t look pleased with her babysitters, while Grit stood to the side in deep conversation with three members of his security team.

Fordham sat alone, which was pretty hard to do when there was one row of chairs. He exuded solitary vibes, yet sent Merrick a wink that was wholly approving.

Yes, all of them had played their parts in what was happening here.

“I think,” he said slowly, turning to meet Violet’s worried eyes, “you nailed it, Vi.”

The Mistress visibly wilted with relief before she slammed her spine back into position. With a sniff, she plucked an imaginary piece of fluff from her sleek midnight blue dress. “Of course I did.”

Tamsyn beamed at her. “It’s wonderful.”

“We wanted it to be perfect for both of you, sweetheart.” Clearing her throat, Violet composed herself and gestured to Elias as he strolled up, looking stern and fierce in an all-black three-piece suit. “Your officiant is here.”

Merrick managed a grin. “Fancy monkey suit, Eli.”

“Yes, well…” Amused blue eyes roamed up and down Merrick’s more… casual attire, then over Tamsyn’s similar fashion. He smirked when she instinctively shifted to take cover behind Merrick. “I thought one of us should at least make an effort to be presentable on such a special occasion.”

“You know, a dog collar would finish the ensemble off just right.”

Unperturbed, Elias shook his head and allowed the smirk to turn into a smile. “It is a relief to have you home, Merrick, and an absolute honor to be the one marrying you two this evening. The Master and the mute,” he mused in that dry British accent. “Will you be all right to stand for a few more minutes?”

It likely wasn’t advisable, but he’d be damned if he was going to marry Tamsyn while sitting on his ass. His friends could pick him up off the floor after the vows and theI do’swere safely in the bag.

“Talk fast,” he suggested.

Eli let out a whistle sharp enough to summon a wolf pack on the opposite side of the valley. “Everyone, take your seats. We are here today to bear witness to the joining of Merrick and Tamsyn as they take on a new adventure. Marriage is not for the faint hearted, nor the weak, and as we’ve discovered in the past couple of weeks, our bride and groom are neither. Before we get to the good stuff, does anyone have any objections?”

Merrick gently manhandled Tamsyn from behind his back, setting her right in front of him so he could capture her hands. A brief glance at their audience showed him that objections were not on anyone’s mind.

“Excellent.” Clasping his hands over his belt buckle, Elias adopted his most serious expression. “Merrick, you wanted to state your vows first?”

“Yes.” Now the moment was here, all the carefully crafted words he’d strung together in his head vanished like a wisp of smoke in a breeze. Still, he met Tamsyn’s shy gaze and discovered he didn’t need a script scrolling through his mind—everything he wanted to say was written on his heart. “The first time I laid eyes on you, I never imagined this is where we’d end up. The truth is, even though I fell in love with your eyes from the get-go, I tried my damnedest not to complicate your life any more than it already was. Fate had other plans and, honestly, standing here in front of you and our friends, I admit those plans are the best thing that have ever happened to me.You’rethe best thing, little owl.