“Wells and Forrest seem like good men too.”
“They are. It’s not like I expected. It’s good, it’s great, actually,” I muse with a smile that my dad gives right back.
We’re walking past my mom and Claire.
“It’s a Smith trait, being hard-headed.”
“Hey now. Pretty sure you fell in love with me first,” my dad jokes and my mom arches an eyebrow at him. “You’re right. I fell first.”
“That’s right,” my mom says and Claire smiles brightly.
Meanwhile, Wells kind of just gapes at seeing my mom. It’s something I’m pretty used to considering her and my sister are famous.
“It’s so lovely meeting my Elliot’s pack,” she tells him and the words hit me in the chest hard. Not only that my parents are proud of me, but that they’re accepting my pack life so easily.
“Truly, the pleasure is ours. Mrs…Fox? Smith?” Wells stutters and I have to drag a hand down my mouth to stop myself from laughing.
“Cami is fine. Now, let me see this gold medal of yours,” she tells him.
Feeling Wells down the bond is rare for me since we’re not directly connected, but I can absolutely feel his pride in that moment as he takes my mother into the living room.
My dad hands Forrest a heavy ass box, and gives him a nod of approval when he carries it without issue.
“You did good, kid,” my dad says and I know my pack mates can feel my own pride down the bond.
I did do good, better than I could have ever imagined.
Chapter 40
Claire
“You shouldn’t makea grovel list if you’re not going to actually do the items on the list,” I say as I adjust Elliot’s sweater.
He grumbles something, but now that we’re bonded, I know he’s happy to be here, that he loves how happy he’s making me.
“Alright, let’s go tallest to shortest in a prom pose,” the photographer says and I grin.
Forrest and Elliot give each other a look that they now use to communicate with each other when Wells and I are doing too much, but don’t verbally complain as they stand next to one another.
Wells happily wraps his arms around my waist and rests his chin on my shoulder.
“Don’t get any ideas, Elliot,” he jokes, as my Alpha places a hand on his hip and Forrest does the same behind him.
“Alright, now I want you all to look like you’re looking into the sun stoically,” the photographer directs, and we do.
I just know this one is going to be framed and hung right above the fireplace.
“Now let’s stack everyone’s heads on top of one another.”
We go in the same order, shortest to tallest, with our hands on our chin and I can’t help but laugh, imagining what Elliot andForrest look like right now. I get a few individual shots with each of them. Specifically, making Elliot do the one where I hold his ankles and he does a wheelbarrow-like pose. Wells and I do one where he’s wrapped around my leg on the floor and I’m petting his head. Forrest gives me a piggyback ride in his.
By the end of the photoshoot none of them can deny it was in fact a good time.
“Let’s go get lunch,” I suggest, and Elliot blinks at me.
“Dressed like this?” he says while tugging at his tight black sweater, accented with a fanny pack and gold chain.
“Awww, El, are you worried about what people will think of you?” Wells teases him, before attempting to wrap an arm around his pack mate’s waist.