Pulling back, Kieran looked up at Logan and grinned impishly. “Don’t you mean you have to go slower because of Brian?”
“That too,” Logan said, chuckling. “Since we now know of his fear of flying, let’s make a change to the bag with the nessies and add some straps for your arms to go through.”
“Like a backpack!”
“Exactly. Brian can still hold on to it, but if something happens where he lets go accidentally, the nessies will still be secure.”
“Absolument perfecto,macushla!”
Chapter 14
Theo fell silent the closer he and Ollie got to the meadow that meant so much to him. He and Norm had discovered it during their first week at the Blackwood Pack, and it had become a welcome respite from the tensions of learning to live in a wolf pack. During those early weeks, Theo wasn’t sure he and Norm should stay, even though leaving would mean deserting Kieran, who had become their best friend. It had been particularly hard on Theo since the pain of his parents’ betrayal wasn’t something he could easily forget.
Whenever Norm sensed Theo was becoming overwhelmed by thoughts of his past, he’d take him to the meadow for a soul-soothing session. As they lay staring up at the sky amid the tall grasses and wildflowers, Norm would feel his mate’s pain slowly fade away. Sometimes they’d talk, but other times Norm would just hold Theo close to him as they listened to the sounds of the creatures who called the meadow home.
It was during one of those times that Norm suggested they plan their wedding. Surprised at first, it only took Theo a moment before he agreed. Somehow, Norm knew exactly what Theo needed. The thought of becoming a family and having cubs filled Theo with happiness and helped heal much of his pain. The only thing left, then, was to forgive his parents, but as he found out, that wouldn’t be as easy as it sounded.
Reaching the edge of the forest, Theo stopped and turned to face Ollie. Smiling at his cousin, he said, “Please, Ollie, close your eyes.”
Cocking an eyebrow, Ollie asked, “Why?”
“You’ll see in a moment.”
Ollie studied Theo for a second before complying with his cousin’s request. “There…my eyes are closed…now what?”
Taking Ollie’s hand, Theo murmured, “Come with me.” He slowly walked both of them forward until the meadow surrounded them. “You can open your eyes now.”
The sunlight that shone into his eyes nearly blinded Ollie. Several moments and a few blinks passed before he could clearly see the beauty of his surroundings. Scanning the meadow, he saw bees swarming in abundance, buzzing from flower to flower, gathering nectar to make honey and, in that instant, he understood why Theo had brought him there. It was a mirror copy of the meadow where he and his cousin had spent many hours during their summers together when he’d stayed with his aunt and uncle. “Oh wow!” he murmured, inhaling the sweet smell of wildflowers. “I can’t believe it…”
“I know,” Theo said, grinning. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
“That’s an understatement for sure…” Ollie’s voice trailed off, his eyes fixed on the beauty before him. It took several moments before his gaze landed on a structure in the middle of the meadow. “What’s that?” he asked, pointing.
Following Ollie’s gaze, Theo grinned when he spotted the gazebo, its slender white aspen limbs almost glowing in the morning sun. Glancing quickly at Ollie, he said, “Our friends initially built this for Norm and my wedding, but now that Smokey is also our mate, it’s where the three of us will say our vows.”
“You are going to be married here…in the meadow?”
Nodding, Theo replied, “Yeah, once we showed Ki, he was ecstatic about it. The meadow means a lot to me since it’s where Norm and I proposed to Smokey and …”
Ollie waited for Theo to finish his sentence, but when he said nothing else, he asked, “And…what?”
“Nothing,” Theo said. Then, tugging on his cousin’s arm, he said, “C’mon…you have to see it up close. Ki’s gonna cover it with pale blue and white flowers along with some ivy and moss.”
“Ki?” asked Ollie, walking alongside his cousin.
“That’s what I call him, but his name is Kieran. He’s my best friend, and I can’t wait until you meet him.” Entering the gazebo, he plopped down on the grass and gestured for his cousin to join him. “Ki’s in Scotland right now, but he’ll be back soon.”
“What’s he doing in Scotland?” asked Ollie, sitting down facing his cousin.
“Visiting friends,” Theo answered, unwilling to be more specific, which bothered him. Ollie was his cousin and mated to Mac, so that made him a member of the Blackwood Pack. But his bear wasn’t happy, and it clearly had to do with Ollie, though he couldn’t figure out what, exactly, his bear was upset about. Not knowing made him uneasy, and he wished Norm was there to help him figure it out.
“When’s the wedding?” Ollie asked.
“We decided to wait until the cub was born,” Theo said.
“Why not before?”
Shrugging, Theo glanced away for a moment before looking back at his cousin. “What do you know about pregnancy in Ghost Bears?” he asked softly.