Page 37 of Asher

She blinks twice. “Uh… of course. Lucifer.” She’s a sorcerer, and Garrett agonized over whether we should hire her or not. He really liked her and thought she’d be the best choice but was worried she wouldn’t be able to cope with a half-hellhound wedding. I didn’t fully understand his concerns at the time, but I’m beginning to think he may have been right.

Alistair doesn’t stop growling, doesn’t even look away from the guests. The hellhound half of the room looks intrigued. Some are taking pictures and video. The demon half of the room looks confused and a tiny bit apprehensive. I’m about 90 percent sure that some of them are ready to teleport out at a moment’s notice.

“Caolan, what are you doing?” David Carew asks. His voice is very calm, and somehow that’s scary. But I recognize the name Caolan—he’s David’s boyfriend and was an ambassador for the elves before they migrated. Or something. The details aren’t all clear, and when I asked Gideon, he told me it was classified.

Silver-haired Caolan keeps his gaze on the guests but says, “We’re making sure nobody objects to this wedding. Alistair wants his cousin to be happy. I’m his bro, so I’ve got his back.”

“This is thebestwedding I’ve been to in ages,” someone in the audience says.

Garrett sighs, leans against me, and takes my hand. I turn my head to drop a kiss on his hair as I try to work out exactly what that’s all supposed to mean.

“You and your bro are both going to regret this,” David says. “End the spell.”

The elf’s alien features set stubbornly. “Nobody gets to ruin Garrett’s special day.”

“I swear to fucki—” Sam starts, but Melanie interrupts.

“I’m so sorry, I just… um… if I understand right, this can all be easily resolved.”

All eyes turn to her.

“Asking if anyone objects is a human thing. We don’t have it in community ceremonies. So… there’s no need to worry.”

Alistair stops growling.

“Did I know that?” that same audience member asks. “All the weddings I’ve been to, and do you think I can remember?”

Beside me, Garrett huffs. “That’s Aunt Vivienne,” he mutters. “Steer clear of her.”

Before I can ask why, Caolan turns down the power on his spell. The static still crackles through the air, but it’s easier to breathe. “Really?” he asks. “Nobody’s going to ruin the wedding?”

“Aside from you?” Sam snarks.

“Nobody’s going to ruin the wedding,” Melanie announces. “I’ll personally deal with anyone who tries. I have a special little bind-and-gag weave that I keep for occasions like this.”

Whoa. Garrett and I both stare at her, and she shrugs. “Not my first hellhound wedding.”

Caolan sighs with relief, and the oppressive static dissipates as he lowers his hands. “That’s so good, thank you. If you need assistance, you can call on me.”

“Sit the fuck down,” David hisses. “Or you’ll be the one needing assistance.” Frowning, Caolan makes to sit in his front-row chair, but David grabs his arm. “Oh, no. Sit with me this time so I can keep an eye on you.” They make their way back to where David was sitting, muttering to each other. My hearing isn’t quite good enough to hear them, but from the way Garrett coughs and shifts his weight, I’m guessing his is. I’ll ask him later.

We all look at Alistair, who’s still in his canid form, sitting now, giving Sam and the other guy big puppy eyes.

“Shift back, Alistair. You’re holding up your cousin’s wedding.” The toffee-haired man’s Irish lilt helps me make the connection—this must be Alistair’s boyfriend, the shifter species leader, Aidan Byrne.

Alistair whines pathetically.

“So help me, Alistair, I’ll smash one of these chairs and use a broken leg as a shiv if I have to,” Sam threatens.

“Alistair, dear,” my future mother-in-law says from where she’s sitting just feet away. “Do change back. I’m rather keen to get the formalities done so I don’t have to worry about Garrett being alone for eternity.”

“Why do you all keep saying things like that?” I burst out, then regret it when all eyes turn to me.

That seems to be what it takes, though, because Alistair shifts back to biped form. “We say it because we worried,” he informs me. “Garrett’s awfully picky, and he tends to get caught up in work and forget about the fact that he’s a pack animal and should have people around him.” He smiles widely at me. “But he has you now, and an entire village of demons.” His face suddenly lights up. “He can be the hellhound lord of demons! He—”

Aidan lunges forward and slaps a hand over his mouth. “So sorry,” he says to me and Garrett, then glances to the demon side of the guests. “Sorry,” he repeats. “He’s very excited about this wedding, but he’s going to shut up and sit down and let the ceremony proceed.” There’s a steely thread to that sentence that makes it sound like a threat, and Alistair’s eyes widen, then he nods emphatically. Aidan slowly moves his hand, and Alistair blows Garrett a kiss, then sits in his seat and pulls Aidan down into the one Caolan had been using.

Sam glowers at them for a moment, turns the glower on the rest of the guests, as though daring anyone else to cause trouble, and then nods and returns to his seat.

---