Page 39

Chapter 38

In the Bag

LENNOX

TWO MONTHS LATER

“ A re you ready, son?” Alfredo asks, adjusting my bowtie as I stand in front of the full-length mirror in his and Annalisa’s bedroom

There is some irony in being called ‘son’ by a man six and half centuries younger than myself, but the sentiment is what’s important and it’s one I appreciate.

“I’m nervous,” I admit. “She’s been married before, knows how to be a good partner. Before I met Charlie, I was alone. I don’t know if I’ll be good enough for her. What if I step on her toes again? She hates that.”

He chuckles. “You’ll step on her toes plenty and she’ll step on yours. What’s important is how you deal with those moments. Do you intend to beat my daughter when she annoys you?”

“Of course not!” I say, horrified.

“Good, then you’ll be fine.” He pushes me out of his way and steps in front of the mirror. “Charlie’s mother and I have fought and loved for many years, and I can tell you, it’s all the living we’ve done together that keeps us young and in love. Sure, you’ll screw up sometimes, and so will my daughter, but you’ll continue to live and love until your final journey.”

The man should’ve been a poet.

Clearing my throat, I say, “I promise to devote my life to making your daughter happy.”

He beams at me. “It’s all I ask.” He opens the door to the bedroom and waves me out. “And when you annoy each other and she throws you out for an evening, you can come over here and we’ll have a beer in Jorje’s hot tub.”

“Thank you.” I hope he understands the depth of my feelings. My gratitude that the Lopez clan has not only accepted me but keep insisting I’m one of them.

We take the stairs to the rooftop patio, which is ablaze in fairy lights, the scent of hundreds of roses permeating the air. My family, Charlie’s family and friends, and Captain Charlamagne and his family are gathered here.

We’re stopped several times as Alfredo leads me towards the flower covered arch setup on the corner of the terrace. I accept the well wishes, shaking hands and thanking them for attending.

Finally, I reach the arch where three of my four brothers stand.

“You clean up just fine,” Lock says, gripping my shoulder.

“Never thought I’d see you out of uniform,” Rush grunts.

“What uniform?” Keenan asks. “He always wears a suit and tie. As far as I can tell, the only thing he’s done is exchange a tie for a bowtie.”

“Exactly,” says Rush.

“I think he looks handsome.” Magdalene steps up to me, smoothing the lapel on my jacket. She goes up on her toes and I bend to her as she whispers, “I haven’t told anyone that you gave your immortality to Vanessa.” I glance sideways to where Vanessa and Sarena are laughing and dancing with Winter and Ebony. “I thought it best if we kept that part of what happened to ourselves.”

“Of course,” I agree.

There’s no reason for Vanessa or Keenan to go through the emotional ringer. I made my choice and I couldn’t be happier with it. I don’t want Vanessa to come to regret how she acquired her immortality.

“Here she comes!” Someone says excitedly and we all take our places.

Annalisa joins Alfredo who stands with my brothers and each of their mates. The crowd parts and I see my bride for the first time today, her arm linked with her son’s as they walk toward us. At first, I don’t see anything except for her radiant smile. The happiness spilling off her in waves takes my breath away, makes my heart soar with pride.

Then my gaze travels down her, taking in the gorgeous ice blue gown she’s wearing. It’s simple with little embellishment, but it clings and flows with her curves, a perfect complement to her natural beauty. Her hair cascades in dark curls around her shoulders, a section of it gathered at the back of her head and clipped with a small bundle of blue flowers.

Charlie gives Luke a hug before he joins his grandparents, standing in between them to watch the ceremony. Charlie hands her bouquet to Maria, then takes my hand in a firm grip, linking our fingers.

We chose Chief Dale Rochester, Charlie’s boss, to officiate the wedding. He seemed like a fitting choice as he knew Charlie’s late husband and has been part of her life for many years.

He begins the ceremony. As his words wash over us, I gaze at my bride and think about my long life. The lonely centuries spent hunting down killers for various police organizations, moving continents, never settling. I thought I knew myself, thought I knew what I wanted. But now, with Charlie and Luke, I know what paradise really is and the lonely existence I thought would be mine for eternity is fading into the past.

Neither Charlie nor myself consider ourselves great orators and chose to go with the simplest wedding vows we could find online, but they’re perfect, summing up our feelings for each other.

Charlie speaks first, her words soft, her lips curved in a confident smile. “I promise to love you, to protect and care for you, and to be patient and understanding, to support you, and to always be faithful to you.”

I repeat the words and we exchange simple gold wedding bands. Without waiting to be told, I bend, taking Charlie’s lips in a kiss. It was meant to be short and dignified, but soon the crowd is forgotten and of their own volition, my hands encircle her waist to pull her closer.

I kiss her until we’re both breathless and when I finally lift my head, she loops her arms around my neck and drags me back down. Ignoring the laughter and catcalls, we show our love for each until Luke forces himself between us.

Laughing, we release each other, and I reach down to pick up my stepson. Charlie hugs us and we turn to the crowd, accepting their well wishes.

A few minutes later, blaring sirens interrupt us and we peek over the edge of the roof to find a lineup of several fire trucks on the street below, lights and sirens going off as they do a slow drive by to celebrate the marriage of one of their own.

“Oh gosh, I’m going to cry.” Charlie sniffles and I pull her against me while she waves at her colleagues. “I love those guys.”

Most of the past few months had been spent on wedding planning and moving me into Charlie and Luke’s apartment, but we also spent many hours talking about our future as a family, what we want to do, where we want to go.

Charlie loves her job and as much as it stresses my wolf out, I know she won’t be happy unless she’s investigating fires. She went back to work a few weeks ago and seems happier than ever.

After closing the Boulder-Wolf murder case, I handed in my resignation. Captain Charlamagne tried to convince me to stay, thought I would eventually regret leaving police work behind. He’s wrong. I’ve devoted most of my life in the service of law enforcement and I’m more than ready for retirement.

Unfortunately, I have no hobbies to fall back on and domesticity has been a trial. Annalisa and Maria drop by the apartment periodically, trying to teach me how to shop, cook and clean. I’m not entirely helpless, but the two of them are exacting women with exacting standards.

Charlie laughed at my horror after her mother suggested I try coupon clipping to fill my time. “You need something else in your life. You’re a protector, Lennox. You won’t be happy unless you’re doing something to make the world around us a better place.”

“Making your life perfect is accomplishment enough for me,” I argued.

“How is my life improved if you get us a deal on peanut butter? Are you sure you don’t want to work with your brother in a diplomatic role? Lots of people work long-distance nowadays.”

“I’ll think about it.” But there’s an idea that’s been brewing in my head for a while. Charlie knows it, having read my mind, but she hasn’t pushed me to talk about it. She supports me but doesn’t try to sway me in any particular direction.

Luke’s shout drags me back into the moment and I look around for him underneath the twinkling fairy lights. Using instinct, I’m able to spot him playing with his cousins and the Wolven-North children around the dessert table, small hands shooting out to snatch the odd cupcake or square. No matter where he is, I’ll always be able to find him.

“Enjoying the life of a parent?” Lock asks as he joins me, his gaze following mine.

“It’s unexpectedly fulfilling,” I reply.

“Sure, until one of the little monsters hides a frog in your bed,” Rush grumbles from next to Lock.

Keenan approaches us. “No kids for me. At least not yet, but I’ll treasure my role as the cool uncle.”

“You’re not the cool uncle,” Rush says. “I am.”

We laugh at the idea that my grumpiest, short-tempered brother could be the cool uncle.

“I think the kids get to choose,” Charlie says, slipping in beside me and linking her fingers with mine, “And I think they’re partial to the guy with the crown, the private jet, and the ears of the most powerful people on the planet.”

My brothers laugh and talk amongst themselves as Charlie says to me through our private link, you should take your brothers for a run through the city. They’ve probably never done anything like it before.

I shake my head. I’m not leaving you on our wedding night.

Not for long, you’re not . But when will the four of you get this opportunity again? You need to take advantage. Go on a wolf run or whatever you call it. Howl at the moon. Go be a wolf pack and then come back to your human pack. We’ll be here waiting.

I turn her in my arms and kiss her, ignoring my brothers’ chuckles.

“Come with me,” I say to them, releasing my bride.

Walking through the party guests, I lead my brothers to a spot on the roof that’ll give us more privacy. “Let’s go for a run.”

Lock looks around. “Where? Here?”

I grin, yanking my bowtie off. “Where else would we run?”

He gazes across the rooftops, a slow smile splitting his bearded face. “Could be fun. It’s been years since we ran together.”

More like centuries, but I don’t say it out loud. We’ve grown closer as a family since our mates started showing up and changing our lives.

As we undress, I warn them not to look down or they might lose their footing. “Use the windowsills, fire escapes and ledges. Going high draws less attention so aim for the rooftops.”

Now I’m worried. I fell several times in my first years in New York, trying to scale buildings and leaping across gaps. We’re not invulnerable. Though a fall isn’t likely to kill us, it’ll cause a fair amount of bodily damage, the healing process excruciating.

Listening in to my thoughts, Keenan nudges me with his shoulder. “If you can do it, we can do it. We’ll follow your lead and place our paws carefully. Show us what it is that draws you to this place.”

I finish undressing and shift into my wolf, the rose-scented air washing over me, making my sensitive nose tingle. I scent Charlie through all the other smells. Once my brothers have shifted, the four of us climb onto the ledge. Tipping my head back, I howl, the joy of the evening and the excitement of our upcoming run invigorating me. My brothers follow suit, howling with me.

Party guests rush to the ledge to watch as I leap, aiming for the building next to Charlie’s, the roof only a few feet lower. My brothers follow and soon we’re racing through the night, the cheers and gasps of the wedding guests fading behind us.

I lead my brothers through the city, zigzagging across rooftops and alleys, when we’re forced to go to street level. I feel their pounding hearts, their joy in racing through the city. The challenge of leaping and climbing through such a unique landscape propelling them.

After a few hours of running as a pack with only one near miss when Rush got distracted by the scent of Shawarma and almost fell off a building as his hunger took over, I decide to show my brothers my favourite spot.

Holy shit, this is amazing! Keenan shouts in my head as we climb the supports of the bridge, making our way to the tower.

Just pay attention to your footing. A fall from here might actually kill you, Lock warns us.

Always the oldest brother, protecting the rest of us.

I lead them to the top of the tower and the four of us line up facing the city lights.

I get it now, Rush says, his awed gaze sweeping the black abyss below and the city beyond.

This place has a magic of its own, like Wolf-Haven but much different. I see the appeal . Lock drops to his belly, resting his chin on his front paws, his glittering gaze following a brightly lit ferry as it crosses the East River.

Keenan lays down next to Lock. Next time we visit, I’ll bring Vanessa up here.

The four of us rest together, taking in the city.

The moment would be truly magical except there’s a hole in our pack. Fallon is missing, his mind fractured from the witch’s curse. Without a way to get him back, our family will never be whole.

Our brother will find his way back to us one day, Lock says with confidence. Until then, we’ll continue to watch over him . He stands and stretches, arching his back as he works the kinks out from our run. Now, let’s go back to where we belong, to our mates.