Page 11 of Finding Closure

He gave me a glance letting me know he planned on reenacting exactly how we’d done it. Yes. Please.

Once it was done and they were introduced as a mated couple, I stood and went over to the couples to give them their gifts. Most would leave them on the present tables that attendants were handling, but I wasn’t just anyone.

Zack reached me first and gave me a huge hug, kissing my forehead and spinning me around with a whoop. I folded in my wings and cloaked them as I chuckled at his antics. Ray did the same next, their mates mortified as people all around us were a mix of emotions.

All the wolves in attendance seemed a mix of amused or embarrassed as well.

“Yes, thanks for that,” I said easily once I was back on my feet. I thanked Hudson as he joined me holding two large—and heavy—boxes. “My gift to each of you.” I handed Cara and Jordan each an envelope as Hudson gave each of the wolves a box. “They’re rough layouts, and you can change whatever you want.”

Zack frowned as he opened the box. “Bricks?”

Jordan read through the papers in her envelope first and gasped. “Your Highness, this is too much! We could never accept such—”

“Yes, you can and will because returning a royal gift is a huge insult,” I purred, smirking when they both blinked at me in shock.

Yeah, I was a shit sometimes.

Shocker.

“She commissioned a house for us,” Jordan rasped. “One of the new homes being built outside of Theripolis.” Her eyes went bug wide as she looked in the box. “Your Highness, did you…”

“The bricks are blessed,” I confirmed. “I can’t bless a whole house in our ways, so I looked it up, and the heir or queen blesses bricks for the house they gift to those they elevate the… Life of.” It was supposed to be station, but I hated how much of a caste system Faerie was. I gave them the opportunity for better lives with the jobs they had.

Maybe I was nitpicking, but it was different in my head. It was nicer.

“And they’re next door to each other,” Cara rasped, turning into Ray.

“For now, you both have rooms at the castle, and of course your mates can live there,” I said firmly. “But now you can have homes of your own and build your lives together—families or whatever you want. May you find all the happiness you deserve.”

Jordan chuckled as she hugged Zack. “The families will start soon.”

Zack gave her a soft kiss. “Like tonight.”

I blinked at them when Cara and Ray chuckled as well. “Oh, okay, well, the builder knows your houses are priority.” I felt a bit awkward and didn’t know how to recover… And Hudson tensed up.

Huh?

Cara cleared her throat. “It’s rather common for wolves to try for children the moment they mate—instincts and all of that.”

“It’s pretty expected even,” Alpha Geoff added.

I nodded but then started coughing as I practically choked on what I wanted to say, staring at them with huge eyes. “Is that bears too?”

Geoff seemed to swallow a laugh. “Yeah, most shifters, Your Highness.”

“Well, that wasn’t in my damn classes,” I grumbled feeling a bit lightheaded. Geoff seemed confused, and I felt it from other shifters as well. “Fairies don’t get pregnant onaccident.” Igestured to Jordan and Cara. “They’re getting pregnanttonight. Our magic gives the green light or not if it’s the right timing, not chance.”

It was his turn for his eyes to go wide.

“Stupid bear didn’t warn me,” I grumbled, rubbing my hand over my face before glancing at Hudson. “You’re his best friend. You better tell him that he’s waiting a few decades to mate if we immediately start trying for kids. Stupid, stupid bear.”

“I think he’s aware and thought you were as well,” Hudson said under his breath, clearing his throat as if trying to remind me what was going on.

Luckily, Jordan saved me. “It’s why we pushed back the idea of mating for so long, Your Highness. The problem is really that men—I mean their animals don’t listen enough and understand everything isn’t only what they want.” She reached up and flicked Zack’s forehead. “I think you found the perfect compromise of being married first.”

“Women are always the smarter ones,” Ray immediately said as he hugged Cara.

Oh boy. I chuckled and moved away before I collapsed under all the sweetness.

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