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Six months later
“Take the picture, damn it, my face is hurting from all this smiling.” Giselle was trying to hold it together, but it seemed like they’d spent hours posing for the perfect family picture. How many different ways could you hold your arms around your sisters’ necks? And if one more person blinked, she was going to wolf out... seriously.
“Language, young lady!” Martina barked, but didn’t look over the camera she was holding.
Giselle growled but held her arms out, around her new sisters. Everyone had on their plastic smiles as Martina clicked away, taking photo after photo.
“One more. We need to make every moment today count!” She was more excited about this than Giselle had been, and it was supposed to be her special day.
“Just let her have this.” Taylor spoke through clenched teeth so as not to ruin her picture-perfect smile. “She lives for days like this.”
“If I smile any harder, my face is going to freeze like this,” Giselle whimpered, cheeks aching, but held her lips still.
Diana snorted. “Suck it up, sister. You’re stuck with us now. Good or bad.”
In the past, Giselle might have been put off by a snarky comment like that, especially when Diana said it with such enthusiasm, but today it only helped her find the strength to keep up her smile for one more picture.
“Hold on. Someone blinked.” Martina groaned. “And there’s too much sun. How about we move over by the back gate?”
The three girls groaned in unison. “Save me from picture hell,” Giselle mouthed to Damien, who’d spent the last five minutes snickering with the rest of the men standing by the grill. If she’d hoped for him to save her, she was out of luck. Some things were beyond the witch’s power.
A knock at the gate startled Giselle. She hadn’t been expecting more company, and by the smell that accompanied the sudden sound, more wolves were about.
Taylor skipped over and opened the gate, greeting Asher and his father with a friendly smile. “Glad you could make it.”
Nathaniel, in his standard business professional dress, looked a bit too formal for a back yard barbeque, but he came bearing gifts, so Giselle reined in the snarky thoughts in her head.
In the last few months, the two packs had called a truce and had been working hard to get over the years of animosity. And Mr. Thrace, despite his usual abrasive nature, had civilly attended joint moonlight runs. There was still a bit of tension among them, but time and a mutual desire for peace was helping to heal the wounds.
“Where should I set this?” Nathaniel asked, already walking towards the table stacked with gifts.
“Thank you. Over there is fine,” Martina said as an afterthought. She was a little preoccupied with camera settings and taking test shots at the gate. “There’s beer and soda in the cooler. Help yourself.”
Asher joined the girls and pulled Giselle into a bear hug she wasn’t expecting. “So it’s official now, eh? You’re a pack animal?”
She had to wait for him to set her down and let go before she could speak. “You got any problems with that?” She gave him a playful stink-eye, calling back the memories of his first warning to her.
“None.” He laughed. “You’re part of a good pack now.”
Not that she needed the confirmation, but hearing it from him was nice. He smiled at her with those gorgeous eyes and she could see the spark was still there between them, but he’d missed that opportunity. Giselle glanced past him to Damien, who was casually chatting with Gavin at the grill, and smiled. “You’re right. I am part of a good pack.”
Asher took the hint and bowed out gracefully, turning his attention to Taylor, who was all too eager to chat with him.
They’d make a cute couple, Giselle thought to herself. Taylor, with her impeccable taste in clothing and social standing in school, would complement the Thrace pack nicely.
She was about to follow her nose over to the tempting smell of cooking meat on the grill when Martina called out again for everyone to line up for pictures.
Heaving a sigh, she stood in line again and flashed her best 'take-the-damn-picture smile.
“Okay. I think I got it.” Martina waved her hand in the air triumphantly.
Giselle let out a sigh of relief.
“Now. One more with the whole family... Damien, will you take the picture for us?” Martina didn’t wait for an answer. She tossed the camera over to the witch and headed for Giselle and the rest of the group. “Okay, Christina and Jeffrey, you two back left. Gavin, honey, over here with me. Giselle, you stay centered. Everyone.... Cheese!”
One more picture and Giselle was seriously going to lose it. Especially with the delicious smell of steak cooking on the grill. They were so close she could practically taste the meat. It was all she could do to hold her inner wolf at bay. The sizzle, the wafting aroma... and those spices. Gavin had some secret steak-rub that just made her mouth water. Her new dad was a genius with the grill. If she wasn’t careful, they’d get pictures of her drooling.
Focus. Smile. One. More. Picture.
Aside from the barrage of pictures, the day had been perfect. She’d spent the morning in court, where the judge had awarded her a brand new family, they’d celebrated with sweets and all the sugary toppings they could pile on at her favorite yogurt shop; and now, the entire family had gathered, including her boyfriend, Damien, for a welcome home celebration.
Damien gave the thumbs up and the group broke up.
“Please say we’re done with pictures,” Giselle groaned at Martina. “I’m starving.”
“Don’t you be a spoil sport. This is an important day.” Martina gave her a smile to counteract the bite in her voice. “For everyone here. You gained a family, but we also gained something important.”
“What?”
“You.” She pulled Giselle into a tight hug. “I could never have babies, so for me, adoption is just as important as any birthing day would be. And you” – she pulled back and, placing a hand on either side of Giselle’s face, looked down into her new daughter’s eyes – “are my newest baby. I will love you until my dying breath.”
Eye contact like this was overwhelmingly uncomfortable, but not in the dominant Alpha sense. The sentiment was not lost on Giselle. She’d always wanted a mom. And now she had one. She was part of a family and a pack that wanted her. And more than that, loved her for what she was. It was her dream come true!
Gone were the days of hiding her condition. No more would she ever have to worry about being sent away for being different. She was home. For good.
And that feeling was beyond words.
She broke eye contact, burying her face into Martina’s shoulder, partially to avoid showing the world there was tears in her eyes, but another, much bigger part enjoying the feeling of having a mom to hug.
In the end, she realized, things that were meant to be didn’t come from sitting around and wishing. It took a little bit of magic and a whole lot of fighting for what you want.
And now that she had it, she was never letting go.