The weekend before the new deck opened at The Howl, the tavern had closed early for a rehearsal with the first band to take the stage the following Friday for their summer weekend concert series. The pack had invited the bears to hang out and have burgers and enjoy the music on the deck their construction company had built.
It was supposed to be a dry run of sorts, but Trick and Sigh were treating it like a celebration party for the deck and both of them finding their truemates in May thanks in part – he was sure – to the magic burgers.
He carried drinks out for their table and smiled at Cass and Juliette dancing under the string lights to the song the band was playing to warm up.
When the song was over, Dare stood up and raised his hand, and everyone got quiet, the girls joining them at the table. Trick gave Cass a kiss on the cheek and she beamed at him.
“Thanks for a great job on the deck,” he said. “And thanks to Furious Cupcake for coming in for a dry run tonight.”
The band members lifted their hands in greeting.
Dare lifted his drink. “A toast to the newest members of our pack and our friends in the den. To new friends, new love, and happily ever afters all around.”
“Hear, hear,” Trick said, touching his drink to Cass’s before taking a sip and then kissing her.
“Enjoy the night,” Dare said.
Everyone clapped, and the band kicked off with an upbeat song, a cover of a band that both he and Cass liked from the nineties.
“I think their name is hilarious,” Cass said as she took a burger from the tray that Sigh and Juliette had set on the table, the classic bacon cheeseburger with a bowl of steak fries for them to share.
“I heard them say that they put a bunch of random words into a bowl and picked two,” Juliette said.
Conversation flowed around the table as they ate and listened to good music. They visited with the five-member bear den and Luke congratulated them on their mating.
“I heard the burgers are magic,” Luke said, taking a drink of beer.
“Well, I met Cass when it was the burger he named for me, and I’m kind of thinking fate played a part in all of that,” Trick said.
“Well hell, name one after me,” Riggs said, lifting his beer to Sigh.
“You got it,” Sigh said with a wave.
“Hell yes, I’m definitely finding my mate soon,” Riggs said with a grin.
“She’ll be worth the wait,” Trick said. He looked down at Cass and said, “Dance with me.”
They moved to the dance floor in front of the stage and moved to the music, which switched smoothly from a fast song to a ballad.
Everything faded around him except for her.
As he turned her in a circle, he said, “Did I tell you how much I love you today?”
“You mentioned it a few times, but I never get tired of hearing it.”
“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Cass.”
He stopped moving and stared down at her. “I want us to belong to each other in every way. You’re already my mate, and you’re wearing my marks, but I want you to have my last name too. Be my wife, my mate, my forever-girl.” He lowered to one knee and pulled out a ring from his pocket. The platinum band had a heart-shaped diamond in the center, with a swirl of tiny diamonds on either side. He lifted it to her and said, “Cassidy, will you marry me?”
She pressed her hand to her mouth with a soft gasp, her eyes shimmering with tears. “Oh, yes! Yes, I’ll marry you!”
He pushed the ring onto her finger, then rose to his feet to kiss her.
Cheers erupted around them and they both laughed.
Dare brought out sparkling wine, and everyone toasted the engagement.
After a few minutes of everyone congratulating them, Trick set their glasses on the table and drew Cass back to the dance floor.
