Page 25 of Delivered to My Fury (Mail-Order Matings #19)

Opal

Zyon and I had worked into the wee hours of the night on a new dark ale that had notes of root beer and ginger all in one. We thought it would go over well with the root-beer-and-ginger beer crowd.

Working no longer felt like work when I was with my three mates.

And also, yummy beer.

There was no one to take our funding away. The harder we worked on recipes, the more customers we got. We had skin in the game, and I loved every single second of it.

“Good morning,” Eero said, wrapping his arms around me while I brushed my teeth.

“Good morning,” I said around a toothbrush. Even though the words were mumbled, he smiled at me over my shoulder.

“You worked late. I missed you.” He turned to place several kisses along the column of my neck.

“I missed you, too, but we had to get that formula right before we took the day off.”

He chuckled. “Working until dawn on the day of your mating ceremony. Tsk, tsk, mate.”

We didn’t have to have any kind of ceremony. They were my mates and I was theirs. We didn’t need any kind of show for that, but my mates wanted it. They’d invited some of their old packmates and rage mates, but we weren’t sure who would show up.

That didn’t matter either. We would be there, and Mabel had come back to officiate.

What I was really looking forward to was the week-long vacation we’d booked for our honeymoon—a remote cabin in the woods with lots of snow.

It would be freezing up there, but I had three mates to keep me warm.

People came into the tavern all the time and lately asked if we were going to start a family. We had no plans to. At least, anytime soon. We were fulfilled with each other and our jobs for the time being.

Zyon was eager to have children, but we decided as a fury that we would delay it until I was ready.

When the time came, I would know.

We would know.

My mates went ahead to the tavern where Mabel and our other friends were decorating. I put on my dress, which was not white, not even cream.

It was red.

Not because of any tradition.

But because I looked damned fine in red.

Our bags were packed and I got to the tavern right on time to say forever to my mates.