Page 128 of The Pack Next Door
“You got it, Tom.”
Mads and Jace looked up, somehow sensing that they were needed. Excuses were made and they came to stand by the front of the group. Emma tapped a cheese knife on her glass, the pure sound ringing out through the crowd, resulting in a peaceful silence. The first time I addressed a crowd, I stumbled through it. The second, I felt more confident. Now I was an old hand and yet there was still a thrill to the experience.
“I’d like to thank you all for coming,” I said with a smile. “Hopefully you’ve found lots of beautiful things to look at today. This launch is a little different than others we’ve done. There were a lot of challenges to overcome, and I think you’ll see that in the pieces. It starts with our artist, Tom.” He tried not to glower at the crowd and failed. “Fighting to produce these beautiful forms from raw clay. The drying and firing process can be quite fraught, the high heat of the kiln sometimes fracturing clay rather than strengthening it. What survives then goes through the process again with glazing and then being transported to the city.”
“Except when there’s an idiot behind the wheel of the delivery truck…” Tom muttered.
A ripple of laughter passed through the crowd.
“We thought we would only be able to show you about a half of what is here today, but the idea…” I faltered then, but Gideon’s hand landed on my shoulder and I grasped at it. “The idea of tossing away all of those beautiful pieces hurt me to the core and so, with the aid of my mates, we developed a solution.”
Together, the four of us moved towards one of the largest pieces. It was a spectacular statement vase on a large plinth all by itself.
“Sometimes the most beautiful creations come from the broken pieces of other things.” This was veering off into a personal confession, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. “Becoming better, stronger, as a result of that catastrophe.” I dragged my eyes up to stare at the crowd. “So, I’d like to welcome you all to this product launch.”
The thunder of applause let me suck in one breath, then another, my heart beating in time with their handclaps.
“You did it, Briar,” Jace said, coming closer.
“No, we did.”
Chapter 62
Gideon
I was trying to hold it all in and failing utterly.
Until the guests leave, I bargained with my wolf, but allowed back in again, he was relentless.Claim Briar, he growled.Once we’ve packed up,I countered. But he didn’t give a shit about boxes or foam or pottery. Just our mate.
“Gideon.” My head whipped around, a snarl there ready to be unleashed, only to find Kieran Hart standing there. He smiled, a knowing look in his eyes. “My brothers and I, we can oversee the packing up process. Damien is just about to march over here and insist.”
Sure enough, Omega Hart stared at the lot of us, red spots forming in his cheeks.
“You can?”
“Go, son. You look like you’re just about to claim your mate right here and now, and while this is no longer consecrated ground, I’m not sure if Briar is up for a public mating.”
“Thank you.” I ground that out as I moved towards Briar.
“Making a break for it, mate?” Tom appeared at my shoulder, keeping pace. “I know how you feel. Go get your girl.But you be good to her.” His eyes narrowed. “Otherwise there’s some deep gullies in and around our property. Ones you’d never find a body if it was dumped, if you catch my drift.”
“I will never hurt Briar.”
“Good lad.”
A pat on my shoulder and then I was off, not letting anyone waylay me until I stood before my mate.
“So we need?—”
“To go.” That came out far more desperate than I intended. “Briar, we have?—”
“Go.” Emma was on the receiving end of my grateful look. “We’ve got this. The Harts have already volunteered to help, and Honey is gonna rope Tom into the cleanup. We’ve got this.”
That was all the confirmation I needed. Briar was scooped up into my arms, and as I carried her out of the church, my brothers appeared.
“So it's finally happening?” Mads asked, looking into my eyes as he trotted backwards. “You’ve got your head out of your arse.”
“You’re driving.” I went to thrust the keys at him, but Jace plucked them from his grip.
