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Owen looked at him, waiting for his brother to meet his eyes.
“I know this is hard for you,” Owen said. “But let’s try to let bygones be bygones. We are a family. We are going to stick together.”
Connor nodded reverently, that clown smile having vanished from his repertoire of expressions. Owen kissed his cheek, too, reminding him of when they were boys and simply loved each other without consequence.
Owen and Reika went into the cabin, finding it stocked and ready for them to rest and prepare for the ceremony. His father had informed him that no one would bother them while they healed and became a family unit.
Reika sat on the couch and lay with the child pressing against her chest. She was just as exhausted as he was, if not more. Owen came to her and crouched, almost stumbling as his lips met her forehead.
“Oh, honey,” Reika said, “be careful!”
Owen chuckled, watching Reika’s chest rise and fall as their son listened to her heart. The moment made him want to cry again before he realized he had never stopped.
“I feel like I will never be unhappy again,” Owen said, rubbing his hand over his son’s light hair.
Reika let out a soft laugh. “You say that now,” she whispered. “Just wait until this one becomes a teenager. Then you are going to be very sad.”
Owen and Reika laughed together, lost in the splendor that was just the beginning of their new lives.
FORTY
REIKA
The naming ceremony was a lot like a wedding with a reception included. Reika and Owen had been to a fair share of them, never really supposing that they would be the heads of one themselves. But they arrived, dressed to the nines, along with their son … wide-eyed and curious.
The conference center was at the edge of the Redwood Forest, just outside Raff territory. Reika’s parents, her brother, and his mate attended, not completely understanding and approving of the union. Reika was fine with that.
She dressed in the cabin on her own while Nina took care of their little boy. They would join in union, officially in the eyes of the law and the packs, and announce their son’s name at the same time. It was a joyous affair, and Reika felt like she had to keep pinching herself to recall it was real.
Owen’s pack decorated the forest on a calm, sublime day. A long eggshell-white aisle led to a majestic archway crafted by Connor and Mateo. It was adorned with flaming red and soft pink roses, creating a splash of vibrant color in the dim forest.
Glowing sconces lit the edges of the carved wooden benches for the spectators of the ceremony. The day had faded quickly into the evening, and the light was soft and welcoming. Reika thought about the comfort of the image as she carried her son down the aisle, glancing into the eyes of their separate packs. She wore a long, stunning wedding gown.
She watched Owen for balance the entire time. He was wearing a wine-colored, three-piece suit that ran flawlessly along the wonderful curves of his muscles. He pushed his hair back into a gentle, quaffed look that made her knees weak.
When she reached the end of the aisle, Owen kissed their son first on the forehead. Watching him love something that was theirs made her fall in love with them all over again.
The officiant was from the Blue Pack, regarded as a neutral party in the union of the two previously battling foes. He held his hands in the air after Owen planted a warm kiss on Reika’s lips.
“We come here tonight with a sense of peace in our hearts,” the officiant began. “It is not only these two who are forming a pact tonight. It is all of us. A pact to focus on peace, rather than war.”
Reika was focused on Owen, his look of adoration moving between her and their son was something she never wanted to lose.
“Their mutual love for one another created a being, this little pup here. This being is a symbol of that pact between these two packs. May we all dedicate ourselves to peace, and only peace, as this little one grows and thrives within the arms of two supportive families.”
Spectators in the crowd began to howl in approval, making Reika and Owen laugh. They were then linked as husband and wife as they brought out the rings, each passed down through their familial generations.
The Lovell ring band was carved from iron in the shape of thriving leaves and branches that furnished the family den. The center stone was a sparkling emerald that nearly matched the brilliance of Reika’s own eyes.
The Raff ring was carved from the wood of the Redwood Forest and expertly blended with silver polish from generations of alphas. Owen’s own father had worn it for years and gave it to Reika for the ceremony as per pack tradition.
They gazed into each other’s eyes and slid the rings on, stating their pack vows as the officiant held their wriggling son.
“I pledge myself to you as Alpha of the Raffs for now and until the end of all of eternity,” Owen said.
“I pledge myself to you as the Wife of the Alpha, now and beyond the time that we return to dust,” Reika said.
The crowd applauded, howled, and whooped. Reika was rapturous to hear the sound of the approval coming from each of their own families.
