Page 59 of Emerald Moon
Their mother rolled her eyes.“Everyone is much too laid back for a day like this!Including you!”
As she huffed out of the room in search of everyone, the makeup artist eyed them both and smiled.“It’s good you two have each other.”
Jo couldn’t agree more.They flicked June on the shoulder before giving her room to get ready, grateful for the chance to sit and close their eyes for a second before everyone came back.
During the ceremony, Jo forgot about feeling weird in a dress and the passive remarks their mother had made all afternoon, and allowed themselves to experience the joy of June getting married.She looked gorgeous, though June always looked like the sun was shining just for her when she was happiest, and they knew their sister had earned this happiness.Jo scanned the seats looking for Cass and, when they found her, her eyes were already locked on Jo.
Cass was dressed in a well-fitted suit.She looked good, really good, like Jo had problems looking away type of good.They managed a subtle wave and when Cass waved back, they felt their smile stretch wider.Jo may have kept looking over at her.Whether it was for comfort or not, they couldn’t tell, but it was nice to see a reminder of their life in Hickorywood sitting out there.
The ceremony dragged on a little long, like most weddings tend to do, but Jo was glad June had been fine with them wearing sneakers that matched the color that everyone else was wearing.Their mother had some comments to make, naturally, but June had defended Jo’s choice and said she couldn’t care less what her bridesmaids had on their feet as long as they were comfortable.
The moment the ceremony was over, though, Jo was ready to be out of the dress.They had pants and a patterned blazer that was calling their name, but first they had to make it through pictures.More standing, more smiling, but Jo found they didn’t have to force the smile.June’s enthusiasm was contagious.She kept everyone laughing and made sure there were plenty of funny photos along with the more serious ones.Jo already knew they’d want copies of a few to keep.
After photos, Jo speed walked to their hotel room, eager to change into something that felt more like them.They sighed with relief once they’d changed and gotten a look in the mirror.Jo’s blazer was loud in a way that oddly made them feel more comfortable.It had a paisley pattern and Jo wouldn't have bought it in a million years, except Krista liked it, and the more Jo looked at it, the more the pattern grew on them.Wilma had called the outfit “dapper.”Jo had to agree, but it wasn’t anything like Cass in a suit.
Jo got their first eyeful of Cass up close when they walked into the reception.The effect was not diminished in any way by the fact that, yes, the bowtie did have tiny birds on it.
“Can I give you a hug?”Cass asked as she got closer.
“I guess, sure, why not?”Jo threw their arms wide.They were, after all, supposed to be dating.A hug was hardly the spiciest thing they could do in front of a crowd.
Cass closed the small space between them and wrapped her arms around Jo’s shoulders while Jo pulled back their head so it wouldn't rest on Cass’ chest.
“Not that I’m complaining, but what brought this on?”Jo asked when Cass didn’t immediately let go.
Cass swayed gently to the music playing.“During the ceremony, sometimes it looked like you needed one.”
Jo smiled and tilted their head so it’d rest on Cass’ arm.“You’re not wrong.Most of the time I was happy for June, but also I was deeply uncomfortable and I’m not talking about footwear.”
“I know.”
Her reply was simple, but they could feel that Cass understood as she held them close.Jo squeezed her tighter.
Cass did finally pull away and, when she did, Jo let her go but not without squishing the breath from her lungs first.They both laughed.
“Anyway, better now.”Jo patted the front of their pants and grinned at Cass.“I was meant to have fabric between my legs.Feels a lot better having something there.”
Cass stared back, lips quirking up in the corners, and Jo replayed what they had just said in their head.While it was a true statement, they didn’t need to say it like that, but it was too late to glide past it.The words hung in the air.Jo was just glad Cass wasn’t the kind of person to tease them about it.
Together they sat down at their assigned table and Jo liked the way their names were on the same card, side by side in a fancy font.Dinner was a buffet and Cass and Jo ate like the wolves they were.Without Cass there, Jo might have tried to keep their werewolf hunger at bay, but with Cass loading up her plate in front of them, Jo laughed and did the same.If they earned a few stares from family members as they sat down with their towering plates, Jo found they didn’t mind in the slightest.
The longer dinner lasted, the more Jo felt like they were in their own little world with Cass, talking about nothing and stuffing their faces.It was easy to forget that they were back in Jo’s hometown, surrounded by people who used to make them shove themselves into a tiny box that didn’t fit.It was just the two of them, having a great time over chicken and green beans while the rest of the table pretended they didn’t exist.
“So I’m sneaking out of the vampire house, right, victory, quite literally, in hand — an end to the prank war between our houses.I’ve got the wolf statue they stole and the weird, magic hat they said we’d never get, and I’m just about to cross the street when I’m ambushed by vampires.I think I’m done for, that I’m definitely out of the prank war and have to leave it to the other weirdos in my pack when Wil comes out of nowhere, shrieking like some kind of witch, and she manages to startle them enough to grab the wolf statue and the hat and tear out of there like a bat out of hell.”
Cass’ eyes lit up when she laughed.“The vampires didn’t catch you?”
“We had a rule — no superhuman powers for the prank war.And Wil is fast,” Jo replied, emphasizing the last word.
“I had no idea your Gamma got up to such shenanigans.”
“Apparently she didn’t before I got there.I’m a bad influence.”
“Or a fun influence.”
“I like that better.”Jo winked, feeling warm in their chest when Cass laughed again.
“We used to do wars of this type with your pack, too,” Cass said.
