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Chapter Quote:
"We are who we are. I have no desire to be something else. But right now I'm afraid of what it means for those who I care about."
~Andrea Cremer, Nightshade
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Chapter 1

Ren

"You ready, son?" I asked, fixing my son's bow tie.

Hunter let out a giant exhale as he said, "I've been ready since I proposed to her.  What was that... two years ago?"

"Two years ago," Noah confirmed, fixing his hair.

"If you keep combing your hair, you're not going to have any left," Caleb remarked.

"Shut up, Laroche."

"No."

"If this wasn't Hunter's big day and if this suit didn't cost as much as it does, I would take you down."

"You could try."

"He's stronger than he looks," Hunter claimed, sending his brother a grin.  Ren knew he was thinking of the sparring session he and his sons had had just a few days ago in which Caleb had overpowered and won out against both Hunter and Ren.  He was the leanest of the alphas but he hid his power and muscle extremely well.  Ren and Hunter knew this, but despite that, they still lost out against him.  The alphas were pretty equally matched though, and Ren still beat his sons in sparring matches more than they cared to admit.  That came from experience, however, and knowing his sons better than they knew themselves.  He'd watched them grow up into the men they were today.

"So this is what it's like to have brothers," Kit said in amusement.  He was the third groomsmen.  He'd been staying with us a lot, particularly spending time with the twins and Hunter.  After the death of Ethan and Sabine, Arya and I had taken him under our wing and so did our pack.  They treated him like one of our own.  Diana and Thea in particular had taken a liking to him; a part of me couldn't help but think that they were trying to replace the hole in their heart from Barry's death with Kit.

"Boys, it's almost time," Arya announced, sticking her head in the door. "Hunter you need to get to the altar."

My son dashed off out the door before hurriedly returning, sheepishly grabbing his cuff links with our coat of arms on it.  Noah helped his alpha put them on so he could hurry off.  Noah, Caleb, Arya, and I made our way over to Elsa, Anna, and Ember who were fixing each other's dresses and hair, making sure everything was perfect.  Their dresses were light pink with lace detailing at the top and off-the-shoulder sleeves.  They'd chosen to have their hair down in beach waves to match part of Josilyn's hair.

"You all look lovely," I complimented, staring at my daughters.  They all beamed up at me.  A pang of sadness ran through me as I had a sudden revelation that one day, and one day soon, all my daughters would be married.  Ember was already engaged and her wedding was in a few months.  Elsa and Anna weren't engaged yet but I knew it was only a matter of time before they were proposed to.  Hell, Elsa and Spencer were already mated and I had a sneaking suspicion that Anna and Dom were too.

"Guys, it's time!" Arya announced.  She grabbed onto my hand, leading me down to our seats.  Josilyn had done most of the planning and needless to say, flowers were involved.  A lot of flowers.  Hers and Hunter's altar was under a white, round, Greek gazebo with red, pink, and white roses climbing up the columns and surrounding the rim of the dome.  It was stunning to say the least, and completely Josie.

Ember and Noah started the procession, walking arm-in-arm down the light pink carpet.  Elsa and Caleb were next, then Anna and Kit.  Hunter was rocking back and forth on his feet, similar to how his brother had been acting the day of his wedding.  And like his brother, all motion stopped when Josilyn set foot onto the aisle with Shiloh.  I raised my eyebrows in surprise at her dress.  Most of us thought Josilyn would go with something relatively modest but this dress... deviated a bit from that.  It had a narrow plunge in the front and the back was completely open.  The sleeves were a nearly transparent lace with thicker lace forming floral patterns.  The dress hugged every curve until hitting just above the knee when it flared out into her train.  Her hair was in beach waves with a braid going around the back of her head to keep all the hair in place.

Shiloh hugged his daughter when they reached the altar.  I saw his face deepening a dark red as he tried not to cry.  He hugged Hunter as well before handing his daughter's hand to my son's.  Josilyn handed her bouquet of white and pink roses to Ember. 

Babatunde was the officiant again.  He held the rings out while Josilyn and Hunter went through their vows.  Keeping with tradition, Hunter went first.

"There's so many ways I could start this off but I think it's necessary to begin with your strength.  It's been a privilege to watch your beauty and strength grow over all these years.  Not to mention you have to be strong to put up with someone like me," Hunter said, causing a ripple of laughter to roll through the audience. "Life has not dealt you the easiest of paths.  From your heart condition to the events going on around you affecting the people that you love.  I hope you pass your strength, elegance, and beauty and your completely pure heart to our children.  You, Josilyn, are the light in my life.  When all things go wrong, I look to you and know that no matter what, everything will be all right.  You've made me a better person, you've made my family better people.  Without you, I probably wouldn't be standing here.  Any missing pieces of my heart are filled when you are around.  If God sat me down right now and said, 'boy, if you could pick anything to have, just one thing, what would it be?'  I'd answer you.  You are all I need, all I want, and that is way more than I deserve.  Our home, because you are my home, is already everything and more.  You make me the happiest man, Josilyn Rose McKay.  And after this, I can't wait to be able to call you Mrs. Laroche."

Josilyn was beaming at him as she started hers. "Hunter, I've seen you at your worst, and I've seen you at your best.  And I loved you during those times and all those times in between.  I've watched you grow from the boy who didn't know what he was doing into the Alpha who everyone respects and admires.  Watching you bloom into who you are has been the greatest reward of all.  I admire your courage, your bravery, your protectiveness, your loyalty, and your love.  I know, and everyone else knows, that I will never be as strong as you.  I will never be able to keep up with you.  But every time I stand next to you, you make me feel as nothing but your equal.  I'll never be able to thank you enough for that.  You are my strength, you are everything I've ever wanted and more.  You support me, even with my crazy flower obsession," Josilyn stated, motioning to all the flowers surrounding the altar and the guests.  We all grinned at the truth in her words. "You make me feel whole.  Without you, I wouldn't be me.  You make me a better person, you make me strive to be better.  I strive to be the woman Hunter Laroche loves.  Together we can do anything, we are unstoppable.  Anything we set our minds to, we'll get done.  I love you more than anything Hunter Laroche, and I can't wait to live this life as your wife."

"Hunter Donovan Laroche, do you take Josilyn to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Babatunde asked.

"I do," Hunter said, sliding the ring on Josilyn's finger.

"And do you, Josilyn Rose McKay, take Hunter to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do," Josilyn choked back, sliding the ring on Hunter's finger.

"Then I happy to pronounce you husband and wife.  You may now kiss the bride!" Babatunde said cheerfully.

"My favorite part," Hunter remarked, cupping Josilyn's face and kissing her.  Josilyn wrapped her arms around his waist.  They braced their foreheads against each other when they were done, grinning like little kids.  We all stood up and cheered as they held hands and started walking down the aisle.  Hunter stopped next to Arya and gave her a hug because like at Caleb's wedding, she was crying.

They proceeded down the aisle with their bridesmaids and groomsmen trailing behind them.  Upon arriving down at the reception area, we were greeted by a stunning stone room with a glass ceiling.  Ivy climbed up most of the walls, lights intertwined with them, giving the room an ethereal feel.  Arya and I sat at the head table with the newlyweds, sitting on Hunter's side with Elsa, Anna, and Caleb.  Shiloh and Carrie sat on Josilyn's side with Ember, Noah, and Kit.  We all pigged out on crab cakes or a tomato soup with mascarpone cheese for starters, and  filet mignon, chicken wrapped in bacon, or fettucine alfredo for main courses.  Their cake was massive at four tiers and like Caleb's wedding, they had three cakes to make sure there was enough for all the guests.  The design was all the same, white fondant with gold trimmings and designs, and white and pink flowers decorating the bottom and spaces between each tier.  One cake was regular chocolate, one was German chocolate, and the third was vanilla with raspberry filling.  I went for German chocolate.  My daughters did as well.  Arya had the vanilla with raspberry filling and Caleb went for normal chocolate.

Once we were all done eating, it was time for the father-daughter dance.  Josilyn had let Shiloh choose the song and I had to admit, it was perfect: My Little Girl by Tim McGraw.  Shiloh and Josilyn were both getting teary-eyed but my wife's beta managed to hold it in.  I knew he'd be bawling later tonight though like I knew I was going to when my daughters were married.  After that it was the mother-son dance.  Hunter had chosen this song: Mother like Mine by the Band Perry.  Listening to the lyrics, I had to agree it was a great choice.  My wife had a hard time keeping her composure.  She'd been taking the marriages pretty hard.  It wasn't that she was unhappy about who her sons had married, it was more about the fact that she felt her kids no longer needed her.  It felt weird seeing them grow up, leading their own packs, starting their own lives.  I hoped for their sake they never had to endure the pain and suffering Arya and I had.  They'd had enough of it already.

Afterwards, the party began.  Arya and I hung around the edge of the dance floor, keeping an eye on everything.  That was until two young Searchers came up to us, one of them being Kit.

"Would you like to dance, Arya?" Kit asked.

"I'd love to," she replied with a smile.  They walked onto the dance floor.  The girl in front of me shyly asked if she could dance with me.  I grinned, telling her yes, and feeling rather proud that girls still found me attractive even at my age.  God bless Guardian aging...

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Elsa and Anna dancing with two guys who were not their boyfriends.  Spencer and Dom were just a little ways away, but they kept careful eyes on their girlfriends.

When the song ended, I made my way over Arya who was eating another piece of cake.  She smiled happily at me, prompting me to ask, "How much wine have you had?"

"You know it would take about five bottles of wine to get me drunk."

"I do know actually," I said with a grin. "Who are those guys dancing with Elsa and Anna?"

"The twins?"

"I know our daughters are twins, I meant-"

"No, the guys are twins as well.  They're friends of Kit.  Roy and Paul.  They lost their parents in the war too.  They watched it all happen apparently..."

"That war cost too many too much."

"But we have no more wars to fight and we know what happens when we go down that road of thinking about it."

I sighed, knowing she was right.  It was too depressing to think about the pack members we'd lost after having lost so many already.  She was about to go in for another piece of cake when I took the last chunk and shoved it in my mouth.  The look on her face was priceless.  Just pure and utter shock.  Possibly... no, definitely, a look of betrayal.

"How dare you," she said.

"Are you two okay?  Are you two going to get a divorce?  Is the cake that good?" Hunter queried, sidling up to us.

"No, no divorce.  Maybe some couch time tonight."

I sighed. "I mean, I'm still chewing it but I can feed you like a mother bird and-"

"Don't... finish that sentence," Arya warned. "Honey, why aren't you with Josilyn?"

"She and Noah are dancing.  I was going to find one of my sisters to dance with but they appear to all be taken," Hunter mused, watching the twins dance with Kit's twins and Ember with Spencer.  He chewed his lip for a moment before saying, "Mom, dad, I didn't want to say anything but I've been hearing rumors in the Academy that there's some... unrest about us."

"What are you talking about?" I asked seriously.

"I mean people thinking the war is our fault and wanting revenge."

"Honey, we'll talk to Babatunde.  For now, don't worry about it and enjoy your wedding okay?" Arya consoled.  Hunter nodded but I could tell by the look on his face that he wasn't going to forget it, nor was he going to drop it for tonight.  He went over to talk to Caleb and Lily.  By the look on their faces, my son was telling them about the issue as well.

Arya set her plate down and said, "Ren, if what he's saying is true, then this might mean-"

"No, we'll nip it in the bud before that happens," I said.

"We tried that.  And it worked for a while but it didn't work completely.  And irrational people cannot be reasoned with.  If they've convinced themselves we're to blame, there's little to nothing we can do to convince them otherwise.  I'm scared we might have another war approaching."
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