You’re a monster.
I don’t know you.
I love you, though.
But would you if I painted your nails with glitter polish?
Yes.
But I would get revenge.
I couldn’t help laughingat that. It was shaping up to be one of those rare warm-but-not-too-warm October days that only happen once a year in Wisconsin. The leaves were still painted in brilliant colors, the sheen of autumn just starting to take the edge off the color, the sun was out, warming my skin and makingmy already sun-bleached hair shimmer as a few of the too-long strands blew into my eyes.
I needed it cut, which was actually why I was sitting outside in the back yard, waiting for Taavi—who apparently knew how to cut hair. I’d intentionally come out early, a big mug of coffee warming my hands against the slight chill of the morning. I was sitting in one of the wooden Adirondack chairs Elliot had made for our not-quite-finished fire pit. Ray was lounging next to me, reading a book on herbalism he’d borrowed from Gregory Crane’s collection.
“Having second thoughts?” The voice came from behind me. It was Mason Manning, his low rumble as warm as the ceramic in my hands.
I chuckled. “Absolutely not,” I replied. “Besides, even if I did, it would be far too late, since we’ve been married for like a month and a half.”
“It was a bit of a shotgun wedding,” Ray remarked without looking up. “Wouldn’t blame you if you did have second thoughts.”
I turned to look at him, incredulous. “How the hell was it ashotgunwedding?” I asked him.
Ray did look up at that, grinning toothily at the fact that I’d fallen for the bait. “Hellie definitely had a shotgun,” he pointed out.
I rolled my eyes. “Not at the wedding,” I reminded him.
“Still, she’d’ve gotten it out if he’d needed her to.”
“Ifhe’d needed it?” I asked.
Ray cackled. “We had some chats, Elliot and I,” he said. “He was afraid you wouldn’t say yes.”
“He talked to you about wanting to marry me?” I blurted, shocked. When he’d said I could become a Crane, it had felt spontaneous. Not… planned.
“Of course he did,” Ray replied with a snort. “You think a man would drop everything for a month to deal with the Mayses if he wasn’t prepared to marry one of them?”
I blinked. “He didn’t know how bad it was,” I admitted. “Not until we started driving, anyway.”
“And he still came, didn’t he?”
“I mean, yeah, but?—”
Ray set the book on his lap, one finger holding his place. “Seth, you’re a nice boy, but even you have to admit, you’re pretty blind to just how much that man loves you.”
I felt my neck flush, especially when Mason chuckled. “I am not.”
“Can’t blame you,” Ray remarked. “Knowing your people. For all their preaching about the love of God, I’m not entirely sure they know what the word means.” His yellow gaze was sharp. “You do, that much is clear, but that badger of yours is totally devoted. He would give up anything for you, you know,” he continued. “He’d have moved out to Virginia if you’d asked him to.”
I blinked again. “Why would I ask him to do that?”
“Because that’s where your family is,” Mason put in.
“No,” I countered. “Noah might be, but Elliot is my family, too. And he’s here.”
“Does he know that?” Mason asked me.
I turned to look at the big orc. “Of course he does. I moved out here because of him.”
