by C. W. Gray
Niels stood beside him, clapping along to the music. “This is great. I never would have thought witches and shifters would get along so well. Is that Philip, your best friend from high school?”
Leo grinned and waved at the lion shifter standing near the stage. “Yeah, he flew out to be here.”
Coleen ran past them, wringing her hands. “Damn it, Uncle Lyle already shifted and got into the beer.”
Leo looked around. Several of his family and friends were in bear form, romping around and enjoying the wild energy pulsing through the earth beneath them.
Burkhart lumbered by in his bear form, Flufflepuff and Ravenpaw riding on his back. Ravenpaw had outgrown Fluff over the last year. The two cats made a striking pair.
“A wild party is an odd way to start a wedding, isn’t it?” Niels asked.
Leo winced, privately agreeing. The actual handfasting would happen tomorrow, a year and a day from when they bound themselves together.
A flash of deep green caught his eye, and Leo sighed happily. “This is the perfect way to start a wedding.”
Sonny danced with Aaron and Gemma, and his heated gaze was focused right on Leo. He looked delicious in his long emerald tulle skirt and bare chest. A crown of ivy sat atop his brown hair, and his bare feet made Leo’s dick hard. Damn, bare feet shouldn’t be that arousing, should they?
Sonny crooked a finger and licked his lips.
“Gotta go.” Leo left Niels laughing and ran for his mate.
He didn’t get far. Thorwald grabbed his shoulder, pulling him to the stop. “Where you heading so fast?”
His dancing eyes told Leo his brother knew exactly where Leo was going. “Don’t make me eat your face, Thor.”
Thorwald threw his head back, laughing. “Fine. Go on, little brother.”
Leo pushed past him and finally reached his mate.
Sonny draped his arms over Leo’s shoulders, and Leo lifted him up against his body. He could feel Sonny’s hardness beneath the bunched-up tulle.
“Why haven’t you worn that skirt before, sunshine?” Leo nipped Sonny’s neck, then licked over his mating mark. “You should wear it every day.”
“Then it wouldn’t be special.” Sonny arched his neck. “It’s Beltane night.”
Leo hummed. “The goddess marries her love, and the earth gives birth.”
Sonny pressed his lips to Leo, then bit his bottom lip. “I need you.”
Leo held back a smile. Witches really did have a heat like shifters. The past few months had been a lot of fun. “Here? We’re supposed to be celebrating.”
“Yes,” Sonny practically hissed. “Can’t you feel all this energy? I need you inside me.”
Leo held him close and looked around the park. “It’s really crowded.”
Sonny nipped his ear. “Leo. Now.”
“Fuck.” Leo carried Sonny as far away from the crowd as he could, but he knew there were plenty of shifters roaming the woods. Who the hell cares? My witch needs me.
He set Sonny down next to a large oak with a hollowed trunk. The tree wouldn’t be enough cover, but there were a few bushes that would hide them. Leo had to admit the thought that they could be heard or seen was a tiny bit thrilling.
Sonny hooked an arm around his neck. “It feels different this year.”
Leo swallowed hard when Sonny gently bit his neck. “Yeah. Last year was good, but this… This is different. It’s stronger somehow.”
“Uh-huh.” Sonny tugged Leo down with him until they both lay on the hard, slightly wet ground.
Sonny didn’t seem a bit concerned about lying in the dirt and leaves, and Leo had to admit his mate looked lovely spread out in the shadows. The lighted path was far away now, but Leo saw well enough in the dark.
Sonny watched him with heated eyes as he raised his tulle skirt above his waist. He was bare beneath. He hooked a leg over one of his arms and completely bared his hole.
“Sunshine.” Leo heard the raw need in his own voice.
Sonny stroked his dick, then ran one hand to his hole. “Notice something different?”
Leo knelt between his legs. “Your favorite plug. You’re ready, aren’t you?”
Sonny tapped the end of the plug and whimpered, legs trembling. “Please, Leo.”
“Get yourself ready for me, sunshine.” Leo pushed his pants down and started stroking his dick as he watched his witch writhe on the ground.
Sonny pulled the plug out, then pushed it back in. “It feels so good.”
“I’ll feel better.”
Sonny slowly removed the plug, then quickly pushed a finger into his tight hole. He groaned and added a second finger.
His hips bucked as he began to fuck his fingers, and he moaned at the steadily building pleasure.
Leo licked his lips and stroked his dick faster. “Sonny.”
Sonny panted hard but removed his fingers from his lubed, stretched ass. “I want a warm, hard cock inside me, not my fingers.”
Leo growled and easily picked him up, drawing him closer. He braced his back against the tree and arranged Sonny to straddle his lap.
He cupped Sonny’s ass and arched his hips, rubbing his dick over Sonny’s wet hole. Leo cupped Sonny’s chin and tilted his face up. “You’re my heart and my soul, Sonny. I love you beyond measure.” His voice was uneven and gruff with excitement, even to his own ears.
Leo’s mouth pressed against Sonny’s, and he lost all ability to think. His hand on the back of Sonny’s neck held him still so he could plunder the soft depths of his mate’s mouth. His tongue wrapped around Sonny’s, and he relished his witch’s broken sigh.
Leo reached for Sonny’s dick and stroked him once, using his thumb to rub at the pre-cum leaking from the head.
Sonny’s groan was long and loud. He positioned himself over Leo’s dick. “You’re everything to me, Leo. You’re my home.”
Leo growled as Sonny started to lower himself onto Leo’s dick. He gripped Sonny’s hips and helped guide him until his ass settled on Leo’s thighs.
Leo cupped the back of Sonny’s neck again, and he kissed his mate as Sonny set a fast rhythm, riding him hard.
It wasn’t long before Sonny came, groaning deeply as he shuddered above Leo, his dick shooting into the tulle of his skirt.
Leo grasped Sonny’s hips and moved faster, pounding into him. He pressed his mouth against his neck, and as Leo came deep inside him, he buried his fangs into Sonny’s neck, renewing their claiming mark.
Sonny screamed, body trembling as he came again, the muscles of his ass clenching around Leo.
As he came down from his high, Leo tightened his arms around Sonny and kissed the top of his head. He smelled of honey, sunshine, and sex. My favorite scent
“Leo.” Sonny panted, still working to catch his breath.
He pulled Leo into another kiss, and Leo went willingly, his mate’s taste heating him from the inside out. No matter how many times they kissed, Sonny’s taste would always bring Leo to his knees. Forever and always.
Chapter 24
“I can’t believe you came back to the bonfire smelling like sex and covered in leaves and sticks,” Coleen hissed as she worked at tying Leo’s tie. Leo and his siblings were getting ready for the handfasting in Myrtle’s apartment. Leo was wearing a classic gray suit and pale blue tie.
“I can dress myself,” he mumbled, then quieted when she glared at him. “Sorry.” Leo arched his sore back. Fucking against a tree may not have been the smartest thing in the world, but making Sonny happy was worth a little pain.
Ravenpaw looked up from his spot on Toddlebug’s tree. Their cat wore a pale blue silk bowtie around his fluffy neck. Flufflepuff would be wearing a matching one.
“Give him a break.” Burkhart settled his hands on their sister’s tense shoulders. “Last night was kinda wild. Let’s just say I never knew witches tasted so good.”
“Who were you nibbling?” Niels asked, fiddling with his hair in the mirror.
“Sonny’s co
usin Giles.” Burkhart grinned and wiggled his brows. “He’s a lot of fun. We’re getting together again tonight.”
A surprising number of Sonny’s relatives were coming to the handfasting. His parents were not, and Leo was pretty damn happy about that. He didn’t know if he could control his mom if Cynthia Thornton showed up.
“You know Giles is going back to England tomorrow, right?” Coleen said, glaring at Burkhart over her shoulder. “Put your shirt on.”
Burkhart frowned and looked around the living room. “I lost it.”
“How can you lose a shirt?” Coleen left Leo alone and went to help Burkhart dig through Myrtle’s clutter.
Leo looked around “Where are Thor and Rosie?”
“Oh, damn. Did we lose them too?” Burkhart winced and spun around the room. “Marco?”
“Polo,” Thorwald sang out as he came in the front door, Rosemarie at his back.
“Oh, thank the gods.” Burkhart held up his shirt. “They’re not lost, and here’s my shirt. How does Myrtle find anything in here?”
Leo shrugged. “She has a system.”
“Are you all ready yet?” Katrin asked from the door. “Everyone’s here and the chanting has started.” Leo’s mom looked beautiful in her yellow dress.
“We’re almost ready.” Coleen clapped her hands. “Everyone is dressed. Where are the flowers?”
“Here.” Rosemarie held up an armful of boxes. “There are boutonnieres for all of us and a flower crown for Leo.”
Leo looked up. “Huh?”
Rosemarie handed him a loose crown of myrtle branches and woodruff flowers. “Sonny made it for you.”
Leo plopped it on his head. “Okay.”
Coleen sighed and reached up to straighten it. “Really, Leo.”
“Sonny made each of our boutonnieres.” Rosemarie smiled. “He labeled them and everything. Here, Coleen.”
Coleen took her boutonniere and laughed. “Honeysuckle? Sonny is such an asshole.”
“Huh?” Thorwald asked, head tilted.
Coleen rolled her eyes. “Honeysuckle is supposed to summon wet dreams. Sonny and I were talking at lunch the other day… Oh, never mind.”
Leo grinned. “Remember when you didn’t think he liked you?”
She smiled softly. “Yeah.”
Katrin sighed. “Again. Everyone’s waiting on you all.”
“We’re going.” Niels finished pinning on his boutonniere of hawthorn flowers and tugged Thorwald with him out the door.
Coleen straightened his flower crown one more time, then kissed his cheek. “I’ll take Ravenpaw with me.” She picked the cat up and left.
Burkhart grinned, waiting until she was gone to tilt Leo’s crown to the side before running out the door with Rosemarie.
Katrin shook her head. “Come on, son. I’ll fix your flowers.”
Leo snorted. “I never thought you’d have to say that to me.”
“You’re the one who was fortunate enough to mate a witch.”
“Not just any witch.” Leo smiled softly. “My sunshine.”
He left with his mom, and they held hands as they walked into the park.
The silence between them was a happy one. He’d spent a lot more time with his parents this past year. It had been important to Sonny.
They reached the very center of the park to find a huge circle of people. A loud, steady chanting filled the air. Leo didn’t know the words spoken, but even he could feel the power behind them.
He shook his head. “Damn, there are a lot more people here than I thought there’d be.”
Katrin nodded. “All our family is here, but more Blackwoods and Whitmores showed up. I think Myrtle put the fear of the goddess in them.” She eyed him. “Are you nervous?”
Leo shook his head. “Nope. This ceremony is the next step in celebrating our mating. I already know Sonny is mine and I’m his.”
Katrin squeezed his head. “I’ll go stand with your father. We love you, Leo.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
He slowly made his way through the circle of people, happily accepting the hugs and pats on the back. Normally, the circle would be clearly formed with a side for each groom, but they hadn’t realized Sonny’s extended family would show up. Meh, Grandma and Grandpa would have wanted to be on Sonny’s side anyway.
By the time he pushed to the center of the circle, Sonny was there, Flufflepuff and Ravenpaw at his feet.
Leo took his time looking his mate over. Sonny wore a surprisingly simple antique white dress with a crocheted top and a tattered skirt. He carried a bouquet of Blackwood roses, their Blackwood roses. A flower crown of myrtle branches and primroses sat on his head. Beautiful.
Myrtle stood beside him, wearing her best robes. She grinned. “About time. Let’s get moving, you two. I want some cake.”
Sonny rolled his eyes and reached for Leo with his free hand. “You better listen to her, honey bear. I can hear her stomach growling from here.”
Leo took his hands and brought them to his lips. Sonny smiled and pressed a kiss to Leo’s knuckles in return.
Myrtle held her hands up. “As most of you know, handfasting is a witch ceremony that symbolizes the love between a couple and forever binds together the souls of true mates. It is not to be taken lightly. Leo and Sonny have spent the past year learning about one another and have chosen to take the next step. I am honored to share this with my Sonny and his catbear.”
She took their joined hands in her own. Leo shivered as a shot of something whipped through him. Myrtle’s eyes seemed to glow brighter, and a soft white light surrounded her hands.
“I bless these hands. These are the hands of your truest companion. The hands of the person you will grow old with. The hands that will work with you to build your future. I bless you by the earth, air, water, and fire that form the goddess. I bless you with wisdom, passion, love, and kindness.”
Leo gasped as power flowed from her hands and into them. Myrtle’s blessings seemed to settle into his bones.
She released their hands and waved for Miles to step forward. Sonny’s apprentice was dressed in a suit of his own and handed Myrtle a cord of three thick strands braided together.
She wrapped the cord tightly around their wrists. “A blue cord so that you may be steadfast and true. A yellow cord so that your love may be a light in the darkness. A gray cord so that your union may weather every storm of life. I bind you together, body, heart, and soul.”
The chanting grew louder, and the air around them almost seemed to shimmer.
Myrtle held her hands up and the chanting stopped. The sudden silence was deafening. “Bring your blessings forward.”
Aaron and Gemma stepped forward. Little Wendy looked lovely in her frilled dress and perched on Gemma’s hip. Tears filled Aaron’s eyes. “I wish only happiness and joy for both of you, but we bless you with our constant friendship. We will always stand beside you no matter what you face.”
Sonny’s lip trembled, and Aaron and Gemma stepped back.
Leo’s grandparents stepped forward. Janine smiled through her tears. “We wish wisdom and insight for you both, but we bless you with our experience of life. Ronald and I have had our trials, and we’ll share the nuggets of wisdom we’ve learned through the years. We’ll be here whenever you need us.”
Leo swallowed his tears and squeezed Sonny’s hands. They shared a smile.
His grandparents stepped back, and Leo’s parents stepped forward. Katrin gave them a fierce smile. “We wish strength and passion for you both, and we bless you with our protection and unconditional love. You are both our children, and we’ll fight to the death for each of you.”
Sonny sniffled and they stepped back. Each of Leo’s siblings came forward and offered their well wishes and blessings, each surprisingly heartfelt.
Then almost every single person present came forward, and at one point, they had to jump over a handmade broom. Leo still wasn’t sure why, but Sonny cried when they did it. The blessi
ngs themselves took a while, and the number of fertility blessings was a little alarming. Maybe diapers really are a good handfasting gift.
Eventually, they worked through most of the guests, and Myrtle held her hands up again. “May the goddess hear our blessings and offer Leo and Sonny her own. The handfasting is done. Sonny and Leo are bound to one another, and you, their loved ones, are here to celebrate the joy the day brings.” She grinned. “Let’s go eat.”
An hour later, Leo sat on a blanket in the grass, Sonny at his side. Flufflepuff and Ravenpaw both sprawled beside them, cuddled close together.
The reception, or feast as Myrtle kept calling it, was in another part of the park. Picnic tables and blankets were spread all around, and the same band from the night before played.
Sonny held Wendy balanced on her feet. “You can do it, Wendy. I’ll get you walking, then nothing can stop us from taking over the apartment complex. Everyone shall bow to your cuteness.”
Leo snorted. “They already do.”
Sonny grinned. “You’re right.” He gave Leo a serious look. “We got a lot of fertility blessings today.”
Leo blinked innocently. “Yes, I suppose we did.”
“The gift table is full of baby supplies, mostly from your family.”
“Imagine that.”
Sonny gave him an exasperated look. “Are you saying you want to start trying for a baby?”
Leo rubbed his chin. “Are you saying you want to try for a baby?”
“Oh, for the love of –”
The music suddenly cut off, drawing their eyes.
“If I can have your attention.” Thorwald waved his hands from the band’s platform. “We have a special treat for our beloved Sonny. If you’ll direct your attention to the center of the clearing, you’ll see a certain rabbit shifter on a picnic table.”
Sonny gasped and bounced in place. “Finally!”
“Is this the only reason you wanted a handfasting?” Leo asked suspiciously.
“I don’t have the time to answer that.” Sonny helped Wendy clap. “It’s time for the bunny boogie.”
Aaron was in his shifted form, but he wasn’t alone. Gemma stood beside him on the picnic table and several shifted bears stood to each side. Leo recognized his parents, grandparents, and siblings.
