Page 76 of Cowboy Wolf's Secret Baby

“I’ve been ready for this for almost twelve years,” Beth said.

Bella, Conner’s mother, Olivia, Lucy, Savvy, and Anna were crowded in the room where Beth was getting ready for the mating ceremony.

“He asked me if I preferred a regular wedding ceremony, but I said that I wanted to be a part of his pack and be a part of his culture,” Beth said as Lucy and Olivia helped her into the wedding tunic that was just like the ones they had worn.

“We’re honored that you want to be a part of our pack,” Bella said, hugging her. “Taryn, too.”

“Actually, we need to talk about you and Taryn,” Beth said.

“Oh?” Bella asked, sounding a little worried.

“You guys have got to stop spoiling her,” Beth said. “She is a sweet, young woman right now, but if you keep this up, she’s going to be an entitled, rotten turkey.”

“You’ve been talking to Zac and Olivia,” Bella protested.

“Why would you say that?”

“Because they tell us that all the time. It is our duty to make sure that our grandchildren are happy and well taken care of, and we have a lot of time to make up for.”

“Not all at once,” Beth said, and everyone laughed.

Olivia put the last touches on her hair, and Savvy did her makeup, which was just a bit of eyeliner, eyeshadow, and some lip gloss.

“I’m so lucky to be getting a daughter like you,” Bella said. “You and Olivia make us so happy.”

Beth smiled. She had never experienced genuine motherly love before she met Bella. Beth didn’t feel sorry for herself because of what she missed out on with her own mother. She simply celebrated what she had.

It was time for the ceremony and Conner’s father, John, knocked on the door. He had asked for the honor of walking her down the aisle.

Taryn stepped outside and took Micah’s arm.

Savvy hooked her arm through Zac’s arm and smiled at Olivia. “I promise to return him in the same condition I found him in.”

Anna grinned as she took Gideon’s arm.

“The mating ceremony is a lot like a traditional wedding ceremony,” Beth noted.

“It is,” Olivia said.

They walked outside where everyone was waiting. Beth’s heart was racing a million miles an hour, and she almost forgot to breathe. The sun’s warm rays shined down on her. The warm air danced around her.

She laughed when she looked at the makeshift altar. Conner was standing in front of one of the elders of the pack. Next to him was Zephyr.

Bella had protested, but Conner said he couldn’t get married without all of his best friends there. Pegasus, not to be left out, was standing on the other side so he could be close to Taryn.

John leaned down and whispered in Beth’s ear, “The only thing missing is the bull that tried to kill him.”

“Don’t give him any ideas,” Beth said. “He’d put the ceremony on hold until he could track the darn thing down.”

Laughing, John said, “You’re probably right. Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

As everyone stood, Beth approached the man waiting for her. When she reached Conner and John put her hands in Conner’s, the rest of the world faded away. She only had eyes for the man she had given her heart to so many years ago.

Elder Ivan took a deep breath and began to speak. “Brothers and sisters of the pack, we gather here today under the heavenly sky to celebrate the sacred rite of mating. Conner and Beth have found their destined mates in each other, their souls forever intertwined like the roots of ancient trees.”

He paused for a brief second and then continued. “The mating bond is not to be taken lightly. It is a lifelong commitment that will bind them together through all of life’s journey – through times of plenty and scarcity, joy and sorrow, until their spirits depart this earthly realm.”

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