Page 53 of Strawberry Moon

I wasn’t, and would never be, my grandfather. But I also didn’t have to make up for his existence with my own. Instead, I could build my own legacy, at least partially by tearing his down, brick by brick.

And it started with this brick. Cliff Reynolds and Rowan Grove, getting married, as they had wanted to do for years.

I grinned at them, reaching out to set my hand atop theirs. “I would be absolutely honored to even be at your wedding. Being your best man is more than I could have ever asked for.”

37

Ford

That weekend, Cliff and Rowan got married.

The ceremony was beautiful, the afternoon sun soft and pink against the apple blossoms at the grove. Aspen gave Rowan away. Linden officiated. Juniper was Rowan’s best woman.

And standing there right beside them, at the center of everything, was Archer.

He wore a light gray suit, finer than anyone else’s in the grove, except maybe Ro’s. Way nicer than mine.

My gaze stayed glued to him the whole ceremony, but he was watching Cliff and Ro, a faint blush in spots on his cheekbones.

After the vows, Claudia Wilson, the alpha’s second, scooted down the rough wooden bench to sit at my side. Her husband, Birch, sidled up beside her, a wrap around his chest to carry their son. His enormous hand cradled the baby’s head as he sat down, and when I leaned forward, I could peek just past the blanket.

Little Ash’s eyes were shut, his dark lashes bent gently against his round cheeks. In sleep, his tiny lips were moving, slick with spit. I felt Birch’s proud grin on me as I looked.

“I heard about the run,” Claudia interrupted.

With a start, I sat back, narrowing my eyes. “What did you hear?”

I didn’t like the idea that the pack was talking about me, about Archer, behind our backs.

She grinned at me, eyes twinkling. “Nothing that anybody couldn’t guess, the way you’ve been watching Archer. You’ve caughtfeelings.”

I swallowed. There was no denying it. I didn’t even want to, but I hated the way that accusation exposed my vulnerabilities.

Claudia, always knowing the right time to push and when to hold back, reached out and grabbed my wrist. “I’m happy for you, sweetie,” she whispered. The werewolves around could’ve heard her anyway, but the wedding party was already going off for pictures, and nobody was paying us any attention. “Do I need to worry for you?”

I shook my head.

“For him?”

Another swallow. “I don’t think so. But I... I haven’t done right by him.”

“You’re going to try though, right? Not gonna make me kick your ass?” She grinned at me, bumping my shoulder. Claudia was already easy to be around. Partially, it was because she was an omega, and there was whatever sciencey-bullshit that had alphas ease up around omegas. Also, it was just who she was. Never too serious. Always giving. Ready to put anybody in their place.

In a handful of months, she’d become the first omega second our pack had ever had and flourished in it. She and Linden worked great together.Andshe’d managed becoming a mother on top of that. Sure, she had Alexis and Birch to back her up, but she was goddamn incredible.

And if the last seven years had proven anything to me, it was that alphas weren’t the strong backbone of a pack. We needed omegas, and we needed betas. If I was going to stick around, I’d need to make myself every bit as useful as they were and stop sulking around all the damn time.

“Not yet, Claud, no. You ask Archer later if I need an ass kicking. See what he says.”

She cocked her brow, like she wasn’t half as sure about my ass’s safety as she’d been before I put it in Archer’s hands. Weirdly enough, Sterling or not, I knew Archer didn’t mean me or anybody else a lick of harm.

* * *

We haddinner at long tables on the top of the hill. Juniper had hung string lights from the building up there, down through the trees to lead the way. Wanda catered, mostly, but there was a ridiculous, seven-tiered weddingpiethat Ro had made in celebration himself. Apparently, every emotion the kid had came out in baking, and he’d been mighty damn happy the past week.

I ate with the Hills and the Menas. From our table, Mr. and Mrs. Mena were the first to get up and dance, but Alexis followed soon after them, pulling Ridge by the hand for a slow sway.

From the corner of my eye, I watched Grove wolves scurry up to Archer to talk to him about his miraculous cure for alphas on the edge. It wasn’t really magic, but it was close enough, when the majority of werewolves were insular and stuck to themselves. It was a big to-do when Linden had wanted to go away for med school.

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