Chapter 21

Sam

We were married. She'd actually gone through with it. Man, I wanted to kiss her for real. I couldn't help the smile that broke across my face. I probably looked like a grinning idiot, but I couldn't rein it in. My wolf was totally puffed up. He might as well have been a king basking in the adoration of his people. My smile faded as Megan's expression turned a little lost. I squeezed her hand again. Her eyes met mine as her shoulders sagged with a quick breath out her mouth.

"I think we should have cake," Rachel offered into the silence. That cracked Megan's face into a tiny smile. She glanced at Rachel appreciatively. I glanced at Cade. He winked back.

"Cake appears to be in order," Rev conceded, a smile hiding in the corner of his mouth.

Megan gently extracted her hands and clasped them in front of her. My heart squeezed painfully as I was reminded that she wasn't really mine for keeps.

Mom was on the move. "I'll be right back!" she called as she flew out the front door.

"Why don't we sign this and get all the formalities out of the way," Rev interjected, pointing to a piece of paper on the table. Dad nodded authoritatively. The marriage license. What this whole debacle had been about. Rev motioned for Cade and Rachel to come up, too.

"Will you two sign as witnesses?" Rev asked. Cade grinned at me. There was no one's signature I'd rather have next to mine as witness to this monumental, possibly catastrophic event.

Rev handed me the pen. I signed, bold and confident. The pen shook as Megan held it. She hesitated.

My insides withered a little. My lungs expanded as her trembling hand signed her name.

Rachel was next. Her eyebrows rose questioningly at Meg. Megan nodded, and Rachel signed her name, a tiny flourish on the b of Crumb, her last name.

Cade made quick work with the pen. Last came George Carmichael. I held my breath, wondering if Megan would comment. She watched in silence, a blank expression on her face.

There was time for nothing else as Mom jetted back into the cabin carrying a large box. Cake. How or when she had time to find a cake for the occasion escaped me, but one more peek at Megan said this was the distraction she needed to break up the tension between us.

We broke apart as Mom put the cake box on the table. Rachel quickly moved forward to help her. It was a small two-tiered cake done up in simple white frosting with a few elegant frosted swirls along the edges of the tiers.

Plates of cake were handed out, but before I could take a bite, Mom pushed the envelope too far.

"All right you two, it's tradition to feed each other a bite of your wedding cake."

Meg's face paled. I could tell she was barely holding it together.

"I don't think we need to stand on every tradition, Mom."

Mom's face fell slightly. I didn't know why she was trying to make this such a to-do. She knew as well as anyone this was an in-name-only marriage. As much as I wanted it to be otherwise.

"Aunt Mary, this cake is awesome. Is this spice cake?" Tammy interjected around a mouthful. It was enough to start small talk up to fill the awkward emptiness.

The sun made its complete disappearance as everyone was finishing up with their dessert. My skin prickled as the chill descended, and I wondered if Meg would need to shift again soon.

"How is your wolf?" I asked her quietly, nudging her knee with mine. She'd been sitting quietly in the chair beside mine, facing toward the room as we'd eaten. She'd picked at her cake and offered nothing to the conversations around us.

"Um, still quiet for now. I imagine she'll need to get out soon though. She was pretty insistent at the altar," she quipped.

I chuckled in spite of her dry tone. I glanced at Cade, giving him a quick nod. He got the drift.

"Guys, I appreciate you inviting me"—he conveniently did not encompass my father—"but it's dark, and I'll be needing to get back. Sam, Megan, congratulations." He flashed a genuine smile at us. I knew he was resisting the urge to say something suggestive about wedding night activities. One perk of my dad in attendance. I nodded and met him at the door. Meg stood politely with me.

Cade gave Megan a short hug, and Wolf snorted at their contact. I shushed him. Cade was no threat. He moved to me, and I got a hug and quick pound on the back.

"Later, man." With his back to my dad, Cade raised both eyebrows suggestively. I punched his shoulder.

"Later."

Everyone else took the hint and started trailing out the door. Mom hugged us both. Hard.

"Congratulations, Sammy," she whispered. I hugged her back, glad for the support, even if it was misplaced.

"Sam," Dad said. He shook my hand firmly. Some emotion I couldn't interpret crossed his face. Sadness? Longing? It was gone before I could decide. He awkwardly patted Megan on the shoulder, saying nothing.

Tammy didn't say anything either but gave us each a hurried hug and trotted out the door. Rev's hugs were short and to the point, his smile fatherly.

Rachel gave me a quick hug before wrapping Megan in a massive bear hug. They clung to each other for a full minute or two before letting go. Rachel tipped back enough to look Meg fully in the face.

"To the ends of the earth," she said softly.

Megan blew a breath out through her mouth. "To the ends of the earth," she repeated.

"I'll call you tomorrow, yeah?" Rachel confirmed.

"Please."

Rachel's mouth pulled into a cheeky grin. "Congrats, Mrs." She winked as Meg swatted her arm.

"Twerp."

Rachel's laugh was like a silvery ball as she exited, leaving only George Carmichael in the cabin with us.

His gaze encompassed us, warmth and pride lighting his face. Without a word, he gathered both of us in his arms at once. Old Spice aftershave and something lightly orangey drifted from his skin.

"I'm proud of you, Meggie-Girl. You, too, Samuel." He pulled back. "You call me if you need anything. Either of you." He released me and gathered Megan into his arms once more.

"I love you, sweetheart," he whispered.

"Love you, too, Grandpa."

He let her go, and she reluctantly dropped her arms. "You listen to Sam, Meggie-Girl. He's the man you lean on for now." Meg bit her lip but nodded. "He'll be the one doing most of the watching after you for the next few weeks." He pulled her in for one last hug and while her head was buried in the crook of his neck, George Carmichael looked me right in the eye and winked. I had no idea how to interpret that. Before I had a chance to respond, he'd kissed Meg once more on the forehead and was out the door.

We were alone.

Meg sank back down to her chair. A groan escaped her as she cradled her head in both hands, caramel-colored hair floating down like a wing to cover her face.

"I need to bake something."

"What?" I was taken totally off guard. "We still have plenty of cake?"

She sighed and shook her head, her hair swooshing back and forth.

"No. When I'm stressed, I bake."

"Oh. Um…not sure what food we've got stored at the cabin." Baking? I didn't know anything about baking. "What do you need?"

"Flour, sugar, butter, salt. A lot."

I could fix this.

"Okay. Make a list and we'll get it."

"Sam," she said, exasperation tinging her tone as she glanced up at me, "I can't just walk into the grocery store. I don't need to take out half of Rock Falls and the banana display with my next shift."

"Of course not. But I can go to the store for you."

"You're serious?"

"Sure. It's a grocery store. You're not asking me to climb Mount Everest. If baking will make you feel better, I'm happy to run to the store for you."

She gave me the skeptical eyebrow again.

"When was the last time you went grocery shopping?" she asked, curiosity and not judgment creeping into her voice.

"I admit, it's been awhile, but I have an excellent sense of smell. If I can't find something, I'll sniff around until I do." I grinned at her, hoping to melt off some of her doubt. She cocked her head to the side and bit her lip again. Something clicked in my brain.

"Unless you'd rather me not leave you alone that long. I have a lot of favors I can call in." I smiled again, hoping to put her at ease. Her lip tucked further in between her teeth. Her desire to bake warred with her desire not to be left alone with her wolf. Her vulnerability made me want to scoop her up into my arms and show her I would keep her safe. I struggled with the impulse a minute before shoving my hands into my pockets.

"She is calmer with you around."

"Can I make an executive decision?"

She pursed her lips but didn't say anything.

"Let me call in a favor. I'll stay here with you. We'll work through any shifting together, maybe even work on calling up your wolf. Whatever you want to do. When the stuff gets here, you can bake to your heart's content."

"I hate to do that. It will be a long list. I don't want to inconvenience anyone."

"That's one nice thing about pack life. If one of us needs something, there is always someone there to help. In a lot of ways, we're a communal society. And I promise, once Dad puts the all-call out that we're…together, there will be wolves tripping over themselves to get into your good graces."

"Are you absolutely sure?" her resolve weakened.

"Definitely. In fact, I know just the person."

She clenched her eyes shut. "Okay."

"Perfect. Make out your list, and I'll make the call."

After a quick run through what trays and pans were available in the kitchen, she sat back at the table with a pen and paper.

"What's your favorite cookie?" she surprised me by asking.

"Well, I'm not picky, but I've always had a soft spot for this double fudge chocolate chunk cookie my Aunt Lora used to make."

Megan actually licked her lips. I tried not to laugh.

"That sounds amazing. All right. Making the list. Um, who are you calling?"

"I think I'll try Raven. She's a good friend, and she won't mind."

"Oh, Cade's sister? We've chatted few times at school, but I don't know her well. We were in choir together last year. Do you know what her favorite dessert is?"

"No idea, but I can ask her."

"Please do."

Meg went to work on a list while I dialed the Rivers' house.

"Hello?"

"Cade."

"Sam? Why are you calling? Shouldn't you be…you know…" His voice dropped to almost imperceptible levels. "Screwing your brains out?"

"I only wish."

"You really need to catch me up to speed."

"In so many ways," I conceded. "Actually, I was wondering if Raven could do me a favor. Any chance she's up for a trip to the grocery store?"

"If you need condoms, I don't think my sweet, innocent, little sister is your go-to."

Laughter burst from my throat before I could stop it. "Shut up," I quipped. "Seriously. Meg wants to bake, and her wolf is still unpredictable. I don't want to leave her alone."

"Yeah, if I'd just married a hot piece of tail, I wouldn't want to leave her alone either."

Wolf growled at Cade's slang, even knowing he wasn't being offensive.

"Uh huh." Sarcasm dripped from my tone. I sobered. "Want me to use it?" I knew Cade would understand my meaning. My dad and I, as Alpha and Beta, didn't use the werewolf link regularly—it often felt like an invasion of privacy and out of respect for our pack members, we typically used the phone unless we were in wolf form. But I didn't have a way to explain to Cade what happened without Megan overhearing, and that felt like a bad idea.

"Dude, you just got married, and I only have the sketchiest details why. Use it. Whenever you can."

"All right. I will. Raven there?"

"Sure. Let me grab her. Later then."

"Yep."

"Sam?"

"Hi, Raven. I was wondering if you could do me a favor? I'm needing someone to go to the grocery store and drop stuff off at the cabin."

"Sure, no problem at all. I was actually going to go run out for milk for my mom anyway. What do you need?"

"I've got a list. Want me to text it to you or give you a hard copy and cash?"

"I'll be over in about five minutes."

"Favorite dessert?" Megan whispered from the table.

"Oh, Raven, what's your favorite dessert?"

"My favorite dessert? I like cheesecake. Why?"

I scratched my jaw; this conversation was about to get awkward. With a breath in through my nose, I plunged on ahead.

"Um, Megan Carmichael and I are together," I hedged, "and she's here with me at the cabin." I left things vague, unsure how much Dad wanted me to share with people. I knew Raven and Meg knew each other from school, and that Raven was fully aware that Meg was supposed to be human.

"Oh" was all her shocked voice left me with. To her credit, Raven didn't pound me with questions.

"Dad's going to put out an all-call tomorrow, so if we could keep this on the down low, that would be great."

"I got it. Cade know?"

"A little."

"Grocery store then. I'll be by for the list."

"Thanks, Raven."

"No problem. See you in a few."

I hung up the phone and stared at the screen for a second.

"Everything okay?" Megan asked softly from the table, watching me carefully. I could have sworn it was her wolf questioning through those hazel eyes.

"Yeah. Just trying to avoid letting out more details than Dad wants me to. I'm not sure how he's going to phrase things tomorrow."

Megan nodded slowly. "What's an all-call?"

"Oh. It's when the Alpha sends out information to every pack member at once. We only use it if it's big news everyone needs to know. My biting you is beyond big news. There will probably be a Gathering tomorrow night, too." I hadn't thought to bring that up until now. Too many other details vying for prominence.

Her eyebrows drew together. I sighed. She wasn't going to like this.

"A Gathering is where all available pack members get together. In this case, it will be to meet you." I gave her an apologetic smile.

She crossed her arms on the table and put her head down on them. "When does the crazy train end?"

I sat down next to her and tentatively touched her elbow. She tensed but didn't pull away.

"I'm so sorry, Meg. If it's any help, a lot of this is new to me, too. But I'll be here with you the whole time."

Her head came up, and she scrubbed her hands over her face.

"What kind of dessert does Raven like?"

"Cheesecake."

She frowned at her paper and mumbled, "No spring form pan," then scribbled another few notes down. "I think I'm going to go change, if that's all right."

"Sure. I'll change after you."

She nodded and left the paper on the table as she went to rifle through the duffle bags.

****

Raven dropped by while Meg was still in the bathroom.

"Thanks for coming, Raven. I appreciate it." I handed her the list and a wad of bills from my wallet. She scanned it her eyebrows raising.

"Someone really likes baking."

I gave her a tight smile. How stressed was Megan?

"No worries. I'll be back in an hour or so. Nice suit."

"I owe you one," I told her sincerely. "Probably more than one."

She flashed me a smile that reminded me of Cade's as she dashed back down the steps to her still-running car.

The bathroom water started running as I shut the door and figured now was as good a time as any to fill Cade in on the details.

Cade?

Lay it on me, he replied.

So I did.

I was mid-story when the bathroom door opened.

Finish soon,I thought to Cade.

"Oh crap!" Meg exclaimed.

"What's wrong?"

"I only have my debit card. I don't have any cash to use for groceries."

"It's fine. I covered it."

"She was already here?" I nodded.

She was quiet for a few seconds, her face pinching seriously. "How are we paying for things? We're going to need to eat, and I'm assuming we'll have utility bills and stuff if we're off living here by ourselves. Are our parents supporting all this? I mean, I'm used to paying for my own gas and stuff, but this is more than I'm used to."

"We'll be fine. I've got savings," I said, unsure how much detail this conversation needed. It was a huge boost to my ego to be able to tell her I could take care of us financially for the foreseeable future. Until she raised her eyebrow in a way that said she wasn't sure she believed me. Ouch.

"Do you work?" It was kind of bizarre to be having this conversation with the woman I'd just married.

"Kind of. Let me change and I'll show you what I mean." I shrugged off the lingering sting of her doubt and hurriedly filled Cade in on the rest of things as I gathered my clothes and took my turn to shimmy into sweatpants and a T-shirt.

So now I'm married to the one girl in the world that my wolf recognizes as my mate, and I can't do a single thing about it other than be polite and wait to see if she turns back into a human in a few weeks. I finished as I shrugged my tee over my head.

Dude. I'm sorry. That does suck.

Yeah. Going to go show Meg our videos. Later.

Later.

I folded my dress pants over the back of a kitchen chair and tossed my button up and undershirt in a pile by the washer.

Meg was seated on the couch with her legs curled up under her, a mug of something steaming clasped in her hands. She had red plaid pajama bottoms on and a long-sleeved black shirt. Her hair was back in a knot on top of her head. It sent a wave of longing over me. I wanted nothing more than to go curl up on the couch next to her, cuddle, and watch a movie. I didn't think she'd go for that much physical contact, so I grabbed my laptop and sat down next to her. Our legs touched, and somewhat to my surprise, she didn't immediately move away.

With the laptop opened, I quickly navigated to the internet.

"Cade and I had this brilliant idea a few years ago. We had no idea it would go big."

I clicked play and watched my scrawny eleven-year-old-self stand in the middle of a meadow surrounded by forest. I had a hat on, and the camera was far enough away it was impossible to tell it was me. Suddenly, a huge brown wolf charged from the woods to head straight toward me. I held up my hand and yelled, "Stop!" and the wolf obeyed. The wolf howled and snarled, gnashing its teeth—it looked half-crazed. Video-me pointed up and in a circle. The wolf took a short run at me, then leapt up in the air, spinning in a perfect backflip.

Meg gasped.

My stick arms waved in the air again, and the giant wolf got up on its forepaws in a perfect handstand.

"Walk!" I shouted in the video, and the wolf staggered forward, still balanced precariously on its forepaws.

With a flash of brown fur, the wolf tumbled to the ground and in the next instant, had me pinned to the ground. I slapped the wolf's nose, and the wolf gnashed its teeth right in my face. It let me up, and it nudged me with its nose. I stood. The beast shook its great shaggy head, and I ran a few yards away then sprinted back to the wolf, used its back as a springboard, and executed a nearly perfect front flip. The wolf yawned. It stood on its hind paws and pointed its forepaws into the air.

Skinny legs whipped up into the air, and I walked on my hands in a circle around the wolf.

The video ended.

Meg's eyes were about the size of dinner plates.

"I'm surprised this only has one million subscribers," she said. Her eyes met mine. "Okay. I'm impressed. Were you the guy or the wolf?"

I chuckled. "Cade was the wolf. We got in so much trouble when our parents found out what we'd done, but by then, ad money was pouring in. Cade and I split everything fifty-fifty. I work in Dad's law office during the summer, but it's nice not to have to keep a job during the school year. Too many other responsibilities being Beta and an honor student." I sighed. "Do you have a job?" I realized I had no idea if Meg worked after school or not. We were at a lot of the same school functions, and we hung around in the same circle of friends, but a lot of the day-to-day details were still unknown to me.

"Not a regular one. But one I hope I can still keep." Her face fell. "Rachel and I do a baking booth at the HarvestFest. We've done it the past three years, and so far, we've had amazing results. We're hoping to use it as a way to launch our own baking business after graduation. I guess HarvestFest this year is out though." Her shoulders slumped.

"Nonsense. It's still two weeks away. If your wolf is still irritable by then, which she shouldn't be, I'll hang around, help out if I can, or stay close to keep her in line."

"That simple?"

"More or less." I grinned at her, but unease wound its way into my belly when she didn't smile back. She was pensive, studying me.

"Why would you go to all this trouble for me, Sam?"

Why wouldn't I? And how could I answer her in a way that wouldn't send her running for the hills faster than she was already going?

I squared my jaw. "Let's just say I owe you."

She raised an eyebrow like she knew that was only half an answer but didn't push it.

Gasping, she arched her back.

"I think it's time to let her out," she panted. Before I could respond, Meg had bounded off the couch and dashed into the bathroom, leaving the door open. I didn't know if I should follow or stay where I was.

In the end, I stood waiting, halfway between the couches and the bathroom.

"Megan?"

"Gah! Stay there!" she yelled, the last half coming out garbled and gravelly.