by Haley Jacobs
“I’ll go see Barbara,” said Molly.
Molly sat down heavily in the chair in front of Barbara’s desk. Her desk was orderly and neat. Barbara was tall and blonde with golden eyes that reminded Molly of a cat. Somehow, even in a ranger’s uniform she looked good.
“I think I know why you’re here,” said Barbara.
“You do?” asked Molly.
“Ryan told me about Frieda and Gus.”
Molly sighed. “You wouldn’t happen to know of any rangers who can perform a wedding, would you?”
“Not that I know of,” said Barbara. “But…”
“Yes?”
“ I happen to be a minister of the Universal Life Church,” said Barbara.
“What?!” said Molly. “You mean the church that used to advertise in Rolling Stone magazine.”
Barbara bit her bottom lip and nodded slyly.
“Do you think you could perform Jake and Julia’s wedding?” asked Molly.
“Well, Jake is one of my oldest friends, and he is my brother-in-law, after all,” said Barbara. “And Julia will be my sister-in-law, so I would be honored to be the officiant.”
“Oh my God! Thank you so much!” said Molly. She leaped up and gave Barbara a huge hug. Molly felt as if a thousand pound weight had been lifted from her.
“Of course!” said Barbara.
“Now for the music,” said Molly. “I don’t know what the hell we’re going to do about the music.”
Molly looked at Barbara. “You don’t suppose Ron would do it?” said Molly.
Barbara shook her head. “Not going to happen,” she sighed.
“Sorry,” said Molly. “I didn’t mean to stir anything up.”
“It’s okay, really,” said Barbara, waving her hand. “It’s a weird situation. I haven’t spoken to Ron in about three years. He’s the love of my life. My mate. He’s the one I’m supposed to be with, but his life went one way and mine went the other.”
“I’m sorry,” said Molly.
“That’s the way it is with shifters,” said Barbara. “You do know about shifters, right?”
“Kind of…” said Molly. She still didn’t get what all this shifter stuff was about, but this was the third time she had heard about them; first from Julia, then from Gaston, and now Barbara.
“When we mate, we mate for life,” said Barbara. “If it doesn’t work out, the pain is a constant hole in our hearts. For me, there will never be anyone other than Ron, and I know Ron feels the same. The funny thing is that we can also tell when someone else has found their mate. You’ve found yours, haven’t you? And he’s a shifter, right?”
Molly nodded slowly, her eyes filling with tears.
“Let him mark you,” said Barbara. “I know it’s scary, and there are things you don’t yet understand, but you will never know happiness until your mate has marked you.”
Molly was terribly confused. Her talk with Barbara left her excited and bewildered at the same time. Her mate? Marking? This was all too much. And through it all, thoughts of Gaston lingered like a sweet melody. She had about an hour before she had to go back to her room and get ready for the rehearsal dinner in the Banquet Room of the Redwood Grill.
She decided to go for a quick walk through the woods surrounding the Lone Pine. With all of the wedding stuff, she hadn’t had the chance to explore High Mountain National Park at all.
It was a popular trail, but because it was still so early in the season, few people were on it. After about ten minutes of walking, she as all alone. The paths were clearly marked, and the trail was an easy loop. It was what she needed to clear her head.
Molly stopped. Was that footsteps? She looked behind her. No one was there. She listened for a moment and heard nothing. Even the birds had stopped their singing. Molly continued on in the silence. She heard the footsteps again. A deep growl stopped her in her tracks. In front of her strode a huge, white wolf. It was the wolf from her dream. The wolf looked at her through fearsome eyes, baring its teeth as it growled. The wolf stalked closer and closer to her, never breaking eye contact. Molly was frozen with fear.
The wolf circled Molly. She felt like she needed to scream, but her voice was stuck in her throat. She could feel the blood pounding in her ears. The wolf backed up. With hatred in its eyes, it crouched and sprang toward Molly.
Before the wolf could reach Molly, a second wolf, this one with deep brown eyes and pitch-black fur leapt out of the bushes, knocking the white wolf to the ground. This wolf was much larger. Both wolves eyed and snapped at each other for a few moments until the white wolf finally ran off.
The black wolf stared at Molly, as she whimpered in terror. It began advancing toward her, and Molly backed up until she was against a tree and could go no further. The black wolf was no more than a few inches away. She could feel its hot breath on her leg. Molly was trembling with fear.
There was something familiar about this wolf she couldn’t quite put her finger on. The wolf began to back away. Molly slowly got up. She knew she needed to return to the Lone Pine. Somehow, she knew this wolf didn’t mean her any harm. Molly began to walk back to the Lone Pine. As she walked, the wolf stayed by her side, protecting her.
When she reached the edge of the clearing where she could see the Lone Pine, the wolf stopped.
“Thank you,” said Molly. “Whoever you are, thank you.”
The wolf lowered its head, turned, and ran back into the forest.
7
Molly walked into the Lone Pine Lodge’s lobby in a daze. Her encounter with the wolves and her encounter with Gaston left Molly a bit numb and very, very tired. The rehearsal was at 6:30 PM in the Grand Ballroom with dinner at 7:00 PM. She had just enough time for a quick nap and a shower. Lying down and not thinking about Gaston would be difficult.
She climbed the stairs, went into her room and texted Julia about the day’s developments. While Julia was disappointed that there wouldn’t be music at her wedding, she was happy that Gus was okay and thoroughly delighted that Barbara would perform the ceremony.
Did your folks ever calm down? Molly texted.
Yes, FINALLY. You were awesome!
De nada, texted Molly. She thought for a moment, hesitating. Can I call you instead?
Sure! texted Julia.
Molly dialed the number.
“What’s up, Mol?” asked Julia. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah,” said Molly. “I mean, well…today has been kind of weird.”
“You mean, aside from rescuing me from my parents, finding a new officiant, and…”
“No,” said Molly. “It’s something else. I hate to bother you about this, but I don’t know who else to ask.”
“Shoot,” said Julia.
“How did you know that Jake was…The One?”
“The one?” said Julia.
“The one you’re supposed to be with,” said Molly.
“You mean your mate?”
“Um…yeah,” said Molly.
There was silence on the line.
“No way!” said Julia. “GASTON?!”
“Well…I…”
“I KNEW IT!!!” said Julia. “Hang on…Hey Jake! Guess who Gaston found as his mate? MOLLY!!!”
“No way!” said Jake in the background. Jake grabbed the phone.
“So my favorite wolfman found his honey, huh?” said Jake. “I’m so happy for you guys!”
“Well, I don’t know if I’m his mate…” said Molly.
“Listen,” said Jake. “Gaston is my best friend. You will not find a more loyal, loving mate than him. Wolves are like that.”
“Funny you should mention wolves, Jake,” said Molly. “I got cornered by a white wolf in the woods this afternoon.”
Jake was quiet for a moment.
“Tell me more,” said Jake, sounding concerned.
“I swear, I thought I was going to be the wolf’s lunch,” said Molly.
“Hold on,” said Jake. “Julia? Molly got approached by a white wolf
in the woods.”
“Then a huge black wolf came to my rescue,” said Molly.
“And the black wolf?” said Jake.
“He acted like a puppy and wouldn’t leave my side until I got back to the Lone Pine.”
“Molly,” said Jake. “I need to be serious for a moment here. You are not to go outside alone. Just stay close to Gaston and you will be fine. I’ll have Ryan keep a lookout. Here’s Julia.”
“You okay, hon?” said Julia.
“Yeah, I think so,” said Molly. “Anyway, tonight is your night, Julia. We’re going to have a great party and you’re going to have a beautiful wedding tomorrow.”
Molly looked at herself in the mirror and liked what she saw. The blue dress she wore hugged every curve, and she loved the way the curls in her hair fell lightly on her shoulders. To say that today had been eventful was an understatement. A quick power nap and a hot shower did wonders for her, and now she was ready to face the wedding rehearsal, dinner, and of course, a night with Gaston. Molly had never believed in love at first sight, but it had happened to Julia and Jake. Now it was happening to her and Gaston.
She headed out the door, down the hall, and over to the Lone Pine’s Grand Staircase. That was when she heard the angry voices.
“Daddy, please!” said Julia. “Can’t you just leave it for one day!”
“She started it,” said George, pointing at Suzanne.
“I did not!” said Suzanne. “I’m the Mother of the Bride, and I have certain privileges!”
“Goddammit, Suzanne!” said George. “That doesn’t mean leaving me out of the whole process!”
Molly watched the scene from the top of the stairs as it unfolded in the lobby. That was when she noticed a huge, burly older man striding toward them. His overpowering presence stopped George and Suzanne in their tracks. His wife, Molly assumed, was equally large. They both towered over George, Suzanne and Julia. The man had a grey, grizzled beard. He stuck out his hand to George.
“You must be George,” the man said in a booming voice. “Garrett Richardson. I’m Jake’s father.”
George shook Garrett’s hand, looking stunned. The woman bear-hugged Suzanne, easily engulfing the much smaller woman.
“I’m Kristina Richardson,” said the woman. “It’s so great to finally meet you both!”
Molly laughed. People say there are always two solutions to problems: elegance and brute force. This seemed to be a combination of both. Molly walked down the stairs and introduced herself to Jake’s parents, finding herself engulfed in the same overwhelming bear hug from Kristina Richardson.
At that point, Molly knew everything was going to be just fine.
The rehearsal went perfectly. Molly could tell that Barbara was someone who was used to being in charge. When tensions began to erupt between Suzanne and George, all it took was a quick glare from Barbara to cut it off. Molly had known Julia for a long time, and she had never seen her best friend beaming as happily as she did when she looked at Jake. Several times, she found herself looking at Gaston. He would catch her, giving Molly a mischievous grin.
At dinner, Julia made sure that Molly was seated next to Gaston. Gaston pulled the chair out for Molly. Did anyone actually do that anymore?
“Christine,” Gaston said to Molly.
“Raoul,” replied Molly.
Gaston sat down close to her, brushing her knee with his. Molly moved her foot closer to touch Gaston’s so that she could feel his leg touching hers from her ankle to her thigh. Gaston gave her a surprised look. She reached under the table and grasped Gaston’s hand, intertwining her fingers with his. He turned his hand over and held hers tightly, palm to palm.
Julia sat across from Molly, giving her a knowing look.
Jake looked at Gaston. “Found your mate, Gaston?”
Molly looked at Gaston. He was blushing. Well, at least she wasn’t the only blusher in the crowd. Besides, the flush of red looked adorable.
Gaston smiled and looked at Molly. “As a matter of fact, my friend, I have.”
Jake looked at Molly. It was her turn to blush. She looked at Julia.
“Does that mean,” said Julia. “That I get to have the man of my dreams and my best friend in the same place.”
“It might…” said Molly.
There was a clinking of glasses. George, Julia’s father, stood up and raised his glass. “I would like to propose a toast!”
“Jesus…” said Suzanne, rolling her eyes.
“I’m the Father of the Bride,” said George. “I have certain privileges.”
“No, you don’t!” said Suzanne. “You have to wait until they’re actually married.”
“Mom…Dad…” Julia said. She looked around for Jake, but he wasn’t there.
“I just want to make a little toast to my daughter and new son-in-law,” said George.
“Well it can wait until tomorrow,” said Suzanne.
“But I have another one for tomorrow!” said George.
“Then I guess let’s all give toasts,” snapped Suzanne.
“Goddammit Suzanne!” said George.
Julia looked around. Jake was standing in the back of the room with a huge grin on his face. He was holding a 1990’s vintage boom box. “Time to dance, everybody!” he shouted.
Jake pressed the start button and a merengue came billowing out of the boom box.
“Time to dance!” shouted Julia, standing up.
Molly looked at Gaston. He had an utterly shocked expression on his face.
Molly laughed, and leaned into Gaston. “George and Suzanne met at a dance contest. They were champion dancers back in the day,” said Molly. “Jake’s a fucking genius!”
Gaston threw his head back and roared with laughter. He stood up, taking Molly’s hand.
“Then, by all means,” said Gaston. “Let’s dance!”
Molly got up from the table and followed Gaston to the dance floor. Jake and Julia were already there. Gaston wrapped one hand around Molly’s waist, holding her hand with his other. She put one hand around his muscular shoulder and tickled the back of his neck under his long hair. He smiled and pulled her close.
Gaston led Molly through the dance with an assuredness that left her breathless. Most guys she dated weren’t interested in dancing. She had taken ballroom dance lessons at one point to try to prop up a failing relationship with an old boyfriend years ago. She really enjoyed it, but had few opportunities these days. But dancing with Gaston was so easy. He led with the grace of a gazelle and she followed. Molly glanced over, and to her surprise, there were George and Suzanne, dancing like pros.
The music turned to a tango, the most sensual of all dances. Molly locked onto Gaston’s smoldering brown eyes. The electricity between them was almost unbearable. She wrapped her fingers around the back of Gaston’s neck as their legs entwined. Gaston twirled her away from him, hanging on to her hand with just the tips of his fingers. With a sharp tug, he brought Molly back in for an embrace. She brought one leg between his.
“Mmmm…” he purred softly.
“Just you wait,” said Molly.
Gaston brought their cheeks together as the crossed the dance floor. Molly moved behind Gaston, her hand on his chest. She could feel the well-defined muscles beneath his shirt as she came around him again. With Gaston’s arm around Molly’s back, he leaned forward as he dipped her toward the floor. Molly pointed one leg out. As the dance ended and Gaston pulled her up again, Molly couldn’t help herself. She grabbed Gaston’s head between her hands and planted a hard, passionate kiss on his surprised lips.
“WOO HOO!” yelled Julia. “GET A ROOM!”
Molly felt embarrassed, but happy. She had never acted that way before with anyone. Gaston held her tightly.
The dinner was over, and guests went their separate ways. Some continued on to the bar at The Redwood Grill, while others went up to their rooms. As they were saying their goodnights, Julia caught Molly by the arm.
“Can I talk to you fo
r a minute?” she asked. Julia pulled her away from the crowds.
“Sure,” said Molly. She excused herself from Gaston. “What’s up?”
“It’s about Gaston,” said Julia.
“What about him?” asked Molly, concerned. “Is anything wrong?”
“No,” said Julia. “There isn’t. At least, not yet.”
“What do you mean?”
“Did Gaston really say you were his mate?”
“Yeah,” said Molly. “He did. Why?”
“Oh boy…” Julia let out a sigh. “Do you have any idea of what being someone’s mate means to a shifter?”
“Look,” said Molly. “I’m still trying to figure all this shifter stuff out. I believe you when you say Jake is a shifter, and I believe Gaston when he says he is. Hell, even Barbara said she was a shifter. But I’d be lying if I told you I really understood what it all means.”
“Molly…” said Julia.
“Wait,” said Molly. “But I know what love feels like. And as fucked up as it sounds, I think I’m in love with Gaston. I know it’s only been two days, but no one has ever made me feel as alive as I do when I’m with Gaston.”
“I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear you say that, Mol,” said Julia. She put her hands on Molly’s shoulders. “But I need you to understand that if he marks you, there will be no one else for him. Ever.”
Molly bit her lip as tears began to well up in her eyes. She smiled at Julia. “I think I’m okay with that.”
Julia held Molly tightly. “I love you both so much. I don’t want to see either of you get hurt. Before Gaston marks you, just make sure you know what you’re doing.”
“I will,” said Molly. “But, he still has to pass The Test.”
“You’re not serious, are you?” said Julia.
“Kind of…” said Molly with a smirk.
It was night, but the sun was still out and wouldn’t set until about 10:30 PM this far north. Gaston insisted that he and Molly go for a walk. He led her away from the Lone Pine. Molly’s senses were alive with the sounds and smells of the forest. She could hear animals rustling in the brush around them. She would have been afraid, but Gaston’s presence next to her made her feel fearless. A huge great-horned owl settled on a branch in front of them.
