Rowan

Zach darts into the living room, Kirk close behind. Zach has sky-blue paint in his hair and he's trying to keep Kirk from cleaning it out.

"It's acrylic, it'll just slip off!" Kirk cries, trying to out-navigate his mate around the couch.

Zach grins and sticks his tongue out.

Kirk launches over the couch and tackles Zach around the waist, sending him sprawling back into a beanbag. This was a mistake for Kirk, whose thin frame is no match for Zach's more solid one when grappling. Zach twists, pushing Kirk easily onto the floor, then scrambles up before running back out of the room. Kirk cusses and shifts to give chase again. I watch for a moment before he comes barreling back into the room, now being chased by Zach's lighter-colored wolf form. The two snarl and play-fight on the living room floor.

"Is that how boys flirt?" Serena asks from beside me.

"Girls, too," Arlette says from behind her, smiling as she watches Zach and Kirk.

Serena gives her a doubtful look. "I've never had a girl-"

Quicker than I would have thought possible, Arlette bends and grabs Serena before hefting her over her shoulder. Serena shrieks in laughter and surprise, wriggling against Arlette's strong hold. I don't think I've ever seen Serena so blissfully, childishly joyful.

"Mm, great view from here, too," Arlette says, her voice even, as though she's not holding a grown adult over her shoulder. She buries her face in Serena's hip before angling her neck to kiss the back of Serena's shorts. "I love you so much, I kissed ya ass, babygirl."

"Oh, fuck you," Serena hisses happily. She grabs Arlette around the waist and attempts to fling her legs over Arlette's shoulder. Arlette catches her behind the knees, but loses her balance and tumbles. Both women shift and battle behind the couch. I don't know how Serena can stare down Arlette's wolf form and feel anything besides fear.

Then again, I'm one of the only ones who still play-fights with Luis.

"Rowan, settle something for us. Is Josiah's color light blue or pink?" Hannah's voice says, running to me with two different tee shirts in those colors.

"Neither. Orange," I say.

"Orange?" Josiah asks, scowling at me from behind his girlfriend.

"Yeah. Complements your tan skin, contrasts your blue eyes. Red would probably work, too," I say. I study the shirt. "Or pink."

"Told you," Hannah says.

"I like blue," Josiah pouts.

Hannah rolls her eyes.

"My color is dark purple," I say. "I don't wear much of that, though."

Luis doesn't return for a while. Kept company by my friends, I don't worry after him.

"Ooh, let's go outside!" Hannah says suddenly, seeming to notice that the sun is setting. She looks at me. "Race you."

I shift. Zach quickly opens the door so neither of us smash into it as Hannah and I zip out into the backyard. I notice Jose walking around, flicking on the lights surrounding the patio. I wonder if he's going to make us barbeque. I hope so. No one makes barbeque like Jose Delgado.

Hannah beats me to the stone planters surrounding the back edge of the patio. I bite her ear and she whirls on me, fighting back. I successfully manage to pin her to the stone, but I think she let me. We shift back, laughing. She shoves me in the stomach and I smack her shoulder.

I look up and see my parents in the living room, walking toward me. Confusion grips me, but I walk up to hug them. "What are you guys doing here?" I ask my mom, dad, and Joanna. They greet me, faces happy, but none of them offer me an explanation.

"Rowan," says a low voice behind me.

I turn to face the forest, the field, and see Luis. Behind him, Maria smiles at me from Jose's embrace.

Luis smiles, his face reflecting the light of the torches as the sun fades to give way to the moon. He is as peaceful as he was when we made love in the forest.

"Luis?" I ask, looking around at our friends and family. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything is perfect," he promises. He reaches for my hand. "I love you, Rowan. Every single day I wonder how I was blessed enough to have a soulmate like you. Every single day, you are the sunlight that gives my world life. I smile when I wake up, I smile all day, I smile when I go to sleep beside you. You're beautiful, strong, funny, and so damned stubborn."

Laughter titters out as he rains these praises upon me. I'm touched, but I still look to Luis for answers.

"And I wouldn't have you any other way," Luis says. He swallows. I can hear his heart racing. What is happening?

Luis pulls something out of his pocket and sinks to one knee in front of me, holding up a golden ring in a box. Gasps and exclamations of joy shoot through our family and friends. I'm numb, buzzing, recognizing this now, but unable to comprehend its meaning.

"Rowan Arti, will you be my sunlight for the rest of our lives? Will you make my days warm with your light?" He swallows. "Rowan... will you marry me?"

He looks so beautiful, in the growing darkness, his brown eyes sparkling up at me. He knows the answer I will give him, but he doesn't assume. He shines more than the gold ring does.

I'm crying. I can't speak as tears of pure joy overflow my eyes. I try to say "yes", but my throat just won't work. So I nod and reach for him. He slides the ring onto my finger before standing and pulling me into a tight hug. I clench my fist around my newly ringed finger, feeling the coolness of the metal warming against my flesh as I wrap my arms around Luis's neck with all of my strength. He holds my waist in a similar embrace.

Our family and friends shout in joy, congratulating us and praising Luis's proposal. But they don't exist right now. The only thing in my world is him.

"I love you," I manage, leaning back a bit to look at his face.

"I love you, too," he whispers. He gives me a long kiss and Arlette leads the group in a howl. I'm flying high as Luis, my wonderful fiancé, kisses me.

I'm a mess when we separate. I can't stop crying. Hannah and Joanna swarm to me to see my ring. My mother hugs me. Josiah, Chris and my father compliment Luis's proposal. All around me are smiling faces and loving hands that pat my shoulders and squeeze my arms.

The ring is beautiful, polished gold that seems to reflect the moon's light back up at me. It is thick and heavy, but not too much of either. It fits on my finger perfectly, not cumbersome or bulky. It's perfect.

"Do you have one?" I ask Luis, managing to catch him in a lull of the activity around us when Jose fires up the grill. Jose, Chris, and my father appear to be trying to out-dad each other, all of them laughing hard.

Luis nods, a warm smile unfading on his lips. "My mom made two with the family gold."

"Put it on," I tell him. He reaches for the box out of his pants again and I snatch it from him. I won't steal Luis's spotlight, nor do I think I can manage a proposal as beautiful as his, but when I slide his ring onto his finger, I know he feels as loved as I do. I know he understands that when I put the ring on his finger, I am asking him to be my husband.

He kisses my cheek. I reach for his hand and pull it to my face so I can kiss his ring. Both of us look down at our intertwined left hands, marveling at the matching gold bands that signify our love in the most traditional way.

"I'll be your sun if you be my moon," I tell him.

He grins. "I'll be your moon forever."

"My fiancé," I whisper, smiling. "You're my fiancé!"

"Is that fiancé with two 'E's?" Luis asks.

"No, that's for women. The male form has one 'E'," I say.

"You're such a nerd," he says lovingly.

He kisses me. Music starts up from somewhere. I recognize it, vaguely. Indian music coupled with Hindi lyrics. It's a song from a movie my grandparents like.

My mother is grinning.

"Did you ask my mom for music recommendations?" I accuse.

Luis grins shyly. "I didn't want to make a faux pas by Googling "Hindi love songs"."

"You're perfect," I say, kissing him again. We laugh against each other's lips. "You got some Mexican in there, too, though? Some Latin?"

"Of course. My dad would whoop me if I didn't," he says with a laugh.

"Y'all can't stay over here all night," Arlette's drawl says. She walks up to us and offers Luis her hand. "May I have this dance, sir?"

Serena appears beside her and offers me her hand. Luis and I laugh as we're pulled to our feet by the girls. The music is slow enough to facilitate the gentle swaying that was so popular at dances in school. Luis and Arlette look adorable in the moonlight. I think Serena and I do, as well.

"What a beautiful couple," Serena jokes, her eyes also on our beloved mates. She rests her hands on my shoulders and my hands find her waist. "You can almost ignore they're both bisexual and in same-sex relationships."

I laugh. "We make a cute couple, too. Even though we're both gay."

Serena laughs. "It's a good thing we ended up the way we did. Could you imagine the combined power of the Louisiana Entente and Tillamook Camp? Someone would pitch a fit to NALA and there'd be wolf civil war."

I cock my head at her. "Is that what happens when two future alphas are mates? The packs combine?"

Serena shrugs. "Or one abdicates the power." She thinks for a moment, looking at Luis and Arlette as they laugh in the sunset, holding each other the way we do. "Neither of them would've abdicated. And they couldn't have combined two packs from across the country. I guess I don't know what would have happened."

"Fuck, I hope we never find out," I say. "We've had enough random, awful shit to last Luis's whole reign as alpha, and he doesn't even have the title yet."

I see a mischievous smile on Jose's face and watch as he gestures my mother to the center of the patio, where others are starting to dance. She looks at him in alarm, her eyes flashing to Maria. Maria is already leading my dad for a dance, a happy smile on her face. Quick as a flash, Chris propositions Joanna for a dance so she isn't left out. All six of them are laughing within moments, getting to know each other in the sweetest and most awkward method possible.

"I'm going to miss you," Serena says quietly. I look back to her. "All of you."

I feel the tears forming again, but I smile. I need to stay strong for her. "We'll miss you, too. But you're going to be so happy in Louisiana."

"I know. It just sucks I can't bring you guys with me," Serena sighs. "I promise I'll stay in touch."

"Yeah, who else is going to TMI me about lesbian sex?" I ask, trying to boost her mood up.

For a moment I think she's about to go on a speech about the beauty of the vagina, but she doesn't. She rests her head on my shoulder as we sway together.

I lean down to kiss the top of her head. "I love you, Serena," I say.

"I love you, too, Rowan. I won't disappear on you guys. I promise," she says.

"I'm going to hold you to that," I tell her.

We shuffle partners around. Arlette dances with Zach, Serena with Josiah, Hannah with Kirk. Serena and Josiah are laughing so hard they can hardly stand up and have to lean on each other. I suspect Serena had her speech after all. I find Luis hovering near the barbeque, watching as the trio of dads; mine, his and Josiah's, reconvene.

"I can't believe you danced with my mom," Luis is telling my dad. "Every wolf in the country would be too scared."

My dad flashes Jose a worried look, but Jose just grins. "Not of me, hombre. Maria is the scary one."

"Oh, man, remember your wedding party?" Chris asks, giving Jose an alarmed glance.

Jose laughs as Chris explains to Luis, my father and me. "After Maria and Jose danced at their wedding, I danced with Maria. Everyone else was dancing, so neither of us really thought much of it. But Jose's mom got mad at me. Like, mad, mad. It was inappropriate, disrespectful to Jose, all of that."

"She finally stopped whining when I told her that Maria would never do anything to disrespect me. Then I danced with Chris's girlfriend at the time to get my mom to calm down. That was awkward because we didn't really know each other," Jose remembers. He shakes his head. "And I was in that damned suit..."

"People were stunned when my dad invited my mom to his and Joanna's wedding," I say. "None of them understood the concept of love without jealousy."

All five of us laugh. I lean against the garden wall beside Luis and give him a kiss on the cheek. "Fiancé," I croon. I look over at my dad. "I bet my dad's happy you're making an honest man out of me."

"I'm happy to be acquiring a son who gives a shit about manners," my dad reposts.

"Oh, Sarika, Maria!" Jose calls. Our mothers come over. "Indian or Spanish names for the grandkids?"

My mother narrows her eyes playfully, sensing the trick in his overly innocent inflection. She knows he is playing a game. "Ignoring the fact that Rowan's name is English?"

"Yes, the white people don't matter," Jose says, waving his hand. Chris rolls his eyes and my dad shrugs good-naturedly. Maria chuckles, shaking her head as she links her arm through Jose's.

"Then Indian, obviously," my mother says simply.

"Mexican," Jose argues.

"Indian middle names," Maria bargains sweetly.

"Indian," my mother replies firmly.

I realize I'm crying as I watch them.

"Rowan?" Luis asks, putting an arm around me. "You okay?"

Jose looks over at me and smiles. I remember his promise to me when I first met him, when Luis was unconscious from the silver in his system.

One day, I'll tell you about what I do for a living. One day, we'll have an argument when I find out you aren't into fútbol. One day, we can trade stories of getting sucked into this world of werewolves when we grew up as humans. One day, you and Luis will watch Maria, your mother and I have a discussion about whether our grandchildren should have Indian or Spanish names. That day will come.

That day is today.

"I'm okay," I say. I sniffle and look up at Luis. "I'm just... really, really happy."