We came to a stop outside the rustic cabin where Maverick’s father lived—our quarters were in the adjacent guesthouse, which was smaller but also more private.
Every window blazed with light, and from the many trucks and cars parked everywhere, all the bears in the area had arrived for a gathering.
I’d met Maverick’s Uncle Patrick when he and his crew came to work on the dorm building, but not the rest of his family.
“I should change,” I whined, digging my heels in as Rasmus steered me toward the house.
“You look beautiful,mea amica. Like always.”
What a liar. My hair was a tangled mess, and I’d spilled soup on my pants earlier, which Fig then attempted to eat.
“I can’t meet Maverick’s family looking like this, and besides, Fig and Daisy are still roaming free. Pretty sure they’ll eat the local wildlife if left unattended.”
“I have that covered, pet,” Zane said in my head.
Rasmus flicked his hand. Magic swirled around me, and when I looked down, a slinky cream dress replaced my soup-stained pants and ratty sweater. Even my hair was now styled and sleek.
I folded my arms across my chest, suspicious. “What’s going on?”
Rasmus smiled down at me, his red eyes twinkling in the glowing light from the house.
“Do you trust me?” Of course I trusted him. He was my soul-bonded mate. I trusted all my mates.
Except for maybe Zane.
I still hadn’t forgiven him for not warning me about the enormous spider in the shower the other day.
Huffing out a sigh, I nodded.
Taking my hand, Rasmus led me inside the house, which was surprisingly empty considering all the vehicles outside. The minute we reached the sliding doors that opened into a beautiful garden filled with fresh flowers and twinkling fairy lights, I understood why.
My other mates were gathered under a gazebo decorated with evergreen garlands and flowers. On their left, Glynda waited with Fig and Daisy, both of them wearing cute little flower garlands, although the one around Daisy’s neck looked a bit charred.
My father stood proudly next to Maverick on the right, wearing a peacock blue suit with matching designer shades.
Olaf and Florica were there too, as well as the witches I’d grown up with, plus some faces I didn’t recognize.
“Um…what’s going on?” My voice cracked with nerves when everyone turned to smile at me.
“Does he really need to spell it out for you?” Kenji rolled his eyes from his spot at Zane’s feet. The other three Ks congregated around Olaf, apparently asleep. I noted the heavy-looking box on the dragon shifter’s knee and wondered if he’d brought his eggs with him.
“It’s time for our bonding ceremony,” Rasmus informed me with a smile.
58
Maverick
Raven looked like she would rather be anywhere but here. The look of panic on her face when Rasmus told her what we had planned was almost enough to make me call the whole damned thing off. Yes, the ceremony was long overdue, but I had forgotten how many gaps there were in her knowledge of magical life.
Growing up on an isolated farm in the company of a few old witches, she wouldn’t have known about shifter bonding ceremonies.
Other species had their own, similar, ceremonies to celebrate soul-bond unions, but witches were more likely to have human-style weddings.
Zane fidgeted at my side, repeatedly yanking on the tie I’d told him to wear.
“Can you not stand still for two fucking minutes?” Alaric hissed, stealing the words from my mouth.
“I’m uncomfortable,” the incubus whined. “Can’t we skip straight to the bedroom bit?”
