Page 107 of Dream Mates
“Yeah. In some places it’s very common. Especially in areas where there’s not as many alphas and families band together for protection. That pack, my uncle’s pack, was more for the sharing of child care and being able to afford high housing prices by pooling together and getting a condo complex. It’s how a lot of working-class people survive. All-beta packs were legalized during the big depression for that very reason,” he answered.
“That makes sense. At first I wasn’t sure if you all were rich or if it was because you had five employed adults living together.” I laughed.
“As you can see, it’s a little of both. Life can be better with several working adults even if you’re not rich. Multi-generational packs are a thing, too. Take Jett’s family. Their pack is full of families, they don’t all live together but they live close together, and sometimes have multiple generations in one house, and are all a pack overseen not by a head alpha, but an omega matriarch,” he explained.
Oooh. “I love that.”
“I’m sure you’ll get to meet them.” Wes pulled into the driveway of a cute little cottage. “Here we are.”
He parked and helped me out. We got our things and went inside. It looked exactly how I pictured a grandmother’s seaside cottage to look–including a beach glass mosaic in the bathroom and framed seashells.
We put our bags in the cute and cozy bedroom that had averybig bed.
“This was one of the rooms grown-ups got to stay in. We stayed in bunk beds upstairs,” he told me.
“We’re on the beach?” I looked out the sliding glass doors. There was a deck and possibly waves.
“Yes. We can go for a morning walk then have breakfast on the deck. Grandma had the kitchen stocked for us. Come on.” He took my hand. “There’s a fire pit and I got marshmallows.”
“I’m so happy you’re having fun. Miss you. Love you,” Evan told us as we video chatted with him.
“I miss you, too,” I replied. Wes and I sat on the back porch of the beach cottage, the fire pit going.
“We should start meeting with wedding coordinators,” Evan added. “I’d love you to help pick one. They’re all ones I’ve worked with through the Omega Center with my clients.”
“Wedding planner? Aren’t we fancy?” Though it seemed like a good idea.
“We are. It helps take some of the stress off. They’ll also have vetted and trusted vendors, but I know a lot of those, too. And obviously, Wes, you can have as much input as you want. Anyhow, I’ll send you their websites. Love you, good night.” Evan ended the call.
Wes snuggled into me as we sat on the lounge chair. We’d roasted our marshmallows, our beers almost done.
My phone beeped with links, and I clicked a few of them. “Wow.”
Wes leaned over my shoulder. “Hey, don’t let Evan force you into a wedding you don’t want. This is all our wedding, and everyone gets a say, okay.”
“Okay. You do want to marry us, right? I mean it’s okay if you don’t but… I mean, I want to marry Evan. I love all the beautiful ideas. We also talked about our wedding, but it doesn’t seem like it’s as big of a thing here and…” I frowned. Everything wedding-talk oriented had been Evan driven, which wasn’t a bad thing. But if weddings weren’t a thing with people already bonded I didn’t want to push him.
Wes kissed me, sending reassurance through the bond. “Peaches, Iwantto marry you. And if you want your own wedding with me, separate from you and Evan, we can do that. We can have a flower arch and a photo booth and everything either way. I want us to have a wedding as magical as we used to talk about. It is a thing here, okay.”
“Okay.” I snuggled back into him. “I don’t mind it being the three of us. I just wanted to make sure you wanted to be there and weren’t just going along with it.”
“I’m here for it. I’ll go with you to try cake, choose the flowers, whatever you want. But you can leave me behind, too. Just as long as I get input on the band and candy bar and can pick the whiskey for the fountain.” He peppered kisses along my jaw in reassurance.
“That sounds good to me. We absolutely need a photo booth.” I grinned.
“I want to marry you, Grace Cassidy Ellington. He might want to wait a year, but the two of us can get married whenever you want, wherever you want.” Wes kissed me again.
“Good.” That made me feel better. Though I wasn’t sure I needed to marry him sooner.
“I love this. You sat out here every night, didn't you?” I gazed out at the ocean, a couple of boats winking at us.
“Usually.” He nodded. “Often we’d play flashlight tag while my grandparents sat on the porch. Or I might do some night fishing with my grandpa.”
“I can’t wait to go whale watching. And swimming.” My shoulders shimmied.
“When you’re with Spence, the ocean will be warmer. You’re probably staying somewhere beachside and fancy. Maybe he’ll rent you a cabana.” He laughed.
I stroked his hair. “You’re okay with it?”
