Finding Truth Behind Legends
by Wizardtho
Chapter 53:
As soon as Ahanu introduces us as Mr. and Mrs. Aki, I can hold the news in no more, so I pull down slightly on Taha’s hand linked with mine. He laughs at the cheering happening all around us as he bends to bring his head toward mine. When my lips meet his ear, I whisper softly, “And baby.”
He jolts upright, turns completely to face me as his wide eyes search mine, then he asks as he grins, “Wait… really? Are you…”
I grin in response while nodding.
The next thing I know, I’m being lifted off the ground while Taha kisses me passionately. He sets me down only a few moments later, asking softly with his lips against my ear, “Are you okay? Are you feeling sick?”
I nod and shake my head at the appropriate questions, then state, “Hungry. I’ve been eating non-stop since we got back, but Christ, I’m starving.”
He chuckles, then offers, “Let’s get the congratulations from everyone out of the way, and I promise we’ll sit and eat.”
My nod seems like some kind of silent cue because as soon as I do it, everyone converges on us. I smile and hug everyone that comes to me, thanking them for sharing in our celebration, until I spy a certain Quileute imprint I didn’t expect to be coming. “Emily!”
She grins and hugs me, so I hold her to me as I seek Sam’s eyes. I mouth as a happy tear slips from my eye, “Thank you so much.” Sam nods silently with a small smile.
“Em, you look amazing. I’m so glad you’re here to celebrate with me.” Taha’s hand glides across my bare back, so I smile up at him and offer, “Taha, this is Sam’s imprint and one of my best friends, Emily.”
He smiles and takes her hand in both of his, “It is very nice to meet you.”
She hugs me one more time, then offers for both her and Sam, “Congratulations again. We’ll let you greet everyone else, and we’ll chat in a bit.”
I greet several more people before the mass of bodies around us seems to be thinning. Then I see Dad wheeling Billy up to us. Billy looks at me with a sly smile, so I just know Dad couldn’t stop himself. I chuckle, “Someone’s been gossiping, hasn’t he?”
I eye my father -who seems to be looking anywhere but at me- as Billy confesses, “I knew something was up just as soon as you whispered to your mate and he lifted you from the ground. When I questioned your father, he told me. It looks like more than one type of congratulations is in order tonight.”
I thank him with a smile, then he and Taha shake hands as Dad hugs me. He asks softly before letting me go, “You aren’t mad, are you?”
I chuckle and shake my head, meeting his eyes, “Not at all, Dad. To tell you the truth, I don’t know how I made it through the ceremony without blurting it out to him.”
He relaxes, then I spy Zander, Lily, and Kai waiting patiently behind Dad. He looks behind him before smiling, “Looks like you have more people to greet. Is there anything I can get you?”
I shake my head, “We’re going to be eating as soon as the greetings are done. I’ll be good then.”
He nods and shakes Taha’s hand, then wheels Billy off toward the picnic tables again. I look to Lily, wink, then snag Kai out of her arms. He laughs, “Auntie Bella!” as I swing around with him in my arms.
When I stop, I place a kiss on each of his cheeks and chuckle, “You are the very best ring bearer, Kai. You did a perfect job.”
He grins and hugs me tight around the neck, “Really?”
I nod, “Really. Do you remember how your daddy and I have a big meeting to go to soon?”
He nods seriously, so I offer, “After that’s over, maybe we can set it up with your mama so that you can spend the night here with me and Taha. We’ll have movies and games and other fun stuff.”
His whole face lights up as he asks Lily if she heard me, but Lily raises her eyebrow in question, so I shrug and grin, “You were right… looks like I’m going to need your loft advice sooner, rather than later.”
She squeals as she wraps her arms around Kai and me both, then gasps, “You must be half-starved by now! Jesus, I’ll go make you a plate. Do you want tea or something else to drink?”
I let out a breath as I hand Kai to Zander, who places a kiss on my temple as I say, “Some of the cold tea I made for Sinopa, please.”
Taha and I greet the last several people, then when I see Kimbal and Sinopa at the food tables, I call, “Please, everyone, grab some food and enjoy yourselves! Let's celebrate!”
Taha guides us to a table where Lily and Zander are both placing plates piled high with food. My mouth is watering at the combined scents before we even reach the table. When we sit, my alpha slides all of the plates closer to Taha and me, offering, “Eat. We’ll need to have a meeting about the new little addition to the pack pretty soon, but for now, enjoy your night.”
I immediately grab a sticky rib from the pile of food, take a bite, and hum loudly. When my mouth is clear, I promise, “I know. It wasn’t exactly expected right now, but I keep telling myself that the ancestors had a reason for allowing it to happen now. What that reason is, only time will tell.”
Zander nods, then says seriously, “It might not be such a good idea to announce your condition to everyone here.”
Taha looks at Zander, then tells me softly, “He’s right, Little Coyote. It would be safer for you both if we waited until after this confrontation to announce your pregnancy to anyone outside of the packs, Will, and Ahanu.”
Though I dislike the thought, I know they’re right, so I nod while promising, “Noone outside of the packs, Will, and Ahanu. Limiting the danger, even a small amount, is a good thing.”
The celebration continues as everyone eats and chats. When Taha and I are both happily full, I see Lily messing with something off to the side. Seconds later, Taha asks me in a whisper against my shoulder, “Will you dance with me, my beautiful wife?”
I chuckle as a slow song fills the clearing, “Absolutely, Husband. It’s been far too long since I’ve felt your arms around me.”
Before I know it, several songs have passed, and I’ve danced with my husband, my father, and several others. After one more song dancing with Taha, Lily tells us it’s time to cut the cake. My stomach immediately agrees, letting me know it’s definitely time for a snack.
There is a table set up with just the cake for us and the cupcakes for everyone else, proudly displayed on multiple-tiered stands. The whole table is a beautiful display of my work with the girls the last few days, and I can’t help but smile proudly at Lily, “My word, that’s pretty. We did good, huh?”
She chuckles as she hands me the knife, “It does look pretty, doesn’t it? You’ll have to thank Delphine for helping me get everything to look just right. She’s the one who made the wood tiers and stands.”
I nod and find Delphine and Bastian standing nearby, looking at me with smiles on their faces, so I whisper, knowing she’ll hear me, “Thank you. It looks amazing.” She grins and nods before I turn back to my mate.
Once Taha and I cut the cake, then feed each other a bit from our cut slice, I realize that there has been camera flashes going off. I look, then smile widely at Sinopa with a very professional-looking camera. I hold my hand out to her, then offer when she takes my hand with a smile, “I didn’t even think about pictures.”
Sinopa grins and pats her belly, “We’ve gotten a bunch of good ones, between snacking. I may want to do a few posed ones of you, your dad, Taha, and Kai a bit later. After cupcakes, maybe. I’ve also been passing around a guest book, for everyone to put their blessings or well wishes into. At this rate, it’ll be nearly full by the time everyone has signed it.”
I hug her and tell her thank you, then smile and point to the cupcakes, “Eat up. You worked just as hard as everyone else on making them. Might as well enjoy the fruits of our labor, right?”
After cupcakes, more dancing, and several posed pictures, the night seems to start winding down. I’m thankful because honestly, I want time with my new husband in private.
As soon as Ahanu introduces us as Mr. and Mrs. Aki, I can hold the news in no more, so I pull down slightly on Taha’s hand linked with mine. He laughs at the cheering happening all around us as he bends to bring his head toward mine. When my lips meet his ear, I whisper softly, “And baby.”
He jolts upright, turns completely to face me as his wide eyes search mine, then he asks as he grins, “Wait… really? Are you…”
I grin in response while nodding.
The next thing I know, I’m being lifted off the ground while Taha kisses me passionately. He sets me down only a few moments later, asking softly with his lips against my ear, “Are you okay? Are you feeling sick?”
I nod and shake my head at the appropriate questions, then state, “Hungry. I’ve been eating non-stop since we got back, but Christ, I’m starving.”
He chuckles, then offers, “Let’s get the congratulations from everyone out of the way, and I promise we’ll sit and eat.”
My nod seems like some kind of silent cue because as soon as I do it, everyone converges on us. I smile and hug everyone that comes to me, thanking them for sharing in our celebration, until I spy a certain Quileute imprint I didn’t expect to be coming. “Emily!”
She grins and hugs me, so I hold her to me as I seek Sam’s eyes. I mouth as a happy tear slips from my eye, “Thank you so much.” Sam nods silently with a small smile.
“Em, you look amazing. I’m so glad you’re here to celebrate with me.” Taha’s hand glides across my bare back, so I smile up at him and offer, “Taha, this is Sam’s imprint and one of my best friends, Emily.”
He smiles and takes her hand in both of his, “It is very nice to meet you.”
She hugs me one more time, then offers for both her and Sam, “Congratulations again. We’ll let you greet everyone else, and we’ll chat in a bit.”
I greet several more people before the mass of bodies around us seems to be thinning. Then I see Dad wheeling Billy up to us. Billy looks at me with a sly smile, so I just know Dad couldn’t stop himself. I chuckle, “Someone’s been gossiping, hasn’t he?”
I eye my father -who seems to be looking anywhere but at me- as Billy confesses, “I knew something was up just as soon as you whispered to your mate and he lifted you from the ground. When I questioned your father, he told me. It looks like more than one type of congratulations is in order tonight.”
I thank him with a smile, then he and Taha shake hands as Dad hugs me. He asks softly before letting me go, “You aren’t mad, are you?”
I chuckle and shake my head, meeting his eyes, “Not at all, Dad. To tell you the truth, I don’t know how I made it through the ceremony without blurting it out to him.”
He relaxes, then I spy Zander, Lily, and Kai waiting patiently behind Dad. He looks behind him before smiling, “Looks like you have more people to greet. Is there anything I can get you?”
I shake my head, “We’re going to be eating as soon as the greetings are done. I’ll be good then.”
He nods and shakes Taha’s hand, then wheels Billy off toward the picnic tables again. I look to Lily, wink, then snag Kai out of her arms. He laughs, “Auntie Bella!” as I swing around with him in my arms.
When I stop, I place a kiss on each of his cheeks and chuckle, “You are the very best ring bearer, Kai. You did a perfect job.”
He grins and hugs me tight around the neck, “Really?”
I nod, “Really. Do you remember how your daddy and I have a big meeting to go to soon?”
He nods seriously, so I offer, “After that’s over, maybe we can set it up with your mama so that you can spend the night here with me and Taha. We’ll have movies and games and other fun stuff.”
His whole face lights up as he asks Lily if she heard me, but Lily raises her eyebrow in question, so I shrug and grin, “You were right… looks like I’m going to need your loft advice sooner, rather than later.”
She squeals as she wraps her arms around Kai and me both, then gasps, “You must be half-starved by now! Jesus, I’ll go make you a plate. Do you want tea or something else to drink?”
I let out a breath as I hand Kai to Zander, who places a kiss on my temple as I say, “Some of the cold tea I made for Sinopa, please.”
Taha and I greet the last several people, then when I see Kimbal and Sinopa at the food tables, I call, “Please, everyone, grab some food and enjoy yourselves! Let's celebrate!”
Taha guides us to a table where Lily and Zander are both placing plates piled high with food. My mouth is watering at the combined scents before we even reach the table. When we sit, my alpha slides all of the plates closer to Taha and me, offering, “Eat. We’ll need to have a meeting about the new little addition to the pack pretty soon, but for now, enjoy your night.”
I immediately grab a sticky rib from the pile of food, take a bite, and hum loudly. When my mouth is clear, I promise, “I know. It wasn’t exactly expected right now, but I keep telling myself that the ancestors had a reason for allowing it to happen now. What that reason is, only time will tell.”
Zander nods, then says seriously, “It might not be such a good idea to announce your condition to everyone here.”
Taha looks at Zander, then tells me softly, “He’s right, Little Coyote. It would be safer for you both if we waited until after this confrontation to announce your pregnancy to anyone outside of the packs, Will, and Ahanu.”
Though I dislike the thought, I know they’re right, so I nod while promising, “Noone outside of the packs, Will, and Ahanu. Limiting the danger, even a small amount, is a good thing.”
The celebration continues as everyone eats and chats. When Taha and I are both happily full, I see Lily messing with something off to the side. Seconds later, Taha asks me in a whisper against my shoulder, “Will you dance with me, my beautiful wife?”
I chuckle as a slow song fills the clearing, “Absolutely, Husband. It’s been far too long since I’ve felt your arms around me.”
Before I know it, several songs have passed, and I’ve danced with my husband, my father, and several others. After one more song dancing with Taha, Lily tells us it’s time to cut the cake. My stomach immediately agrees, letting me know it’s definitely time for a snack.
There is a table set up with just the cake for us and the cupcakes for everyone else, proudly displayed on multiple-tiered stands. The whole table is a beautiful display of my work with the girls the last few days, and I can’t help but smile proudly at Lily, “My word, that’s pretty. We did good, huh?”
She chuckles as she hands me the knife, “It does look pretty, doesn’t it? You’ll have to thank Delphine for helping me get everything to look just right. She’s the one who made the wood tiers and stands.”
I nod and find Delphine and Bastian standing nearby, looking at me with smiles on their faces, so I whisper, knowing she’ll hear me, “Thank you. It looks amazing.” She grins and nods before I turn back to my mate.
Once Taha and I cut the cake, then feed each other a bit from our cut slice, I realize that there has been camera flashes going off. I look, then smile widely at Sinopa with a very professional-looking camera. I hold my hand out to her, then offer when she takes my hand with a smile, “I didn’t even think about pictures.”
Sinopa grins and pats her belly, “We’ve gotten a bunch of good ones, between snacking. I may want to do a few posed ones of you, your dad, Taha, and Kai a bit later. After cupcakes, maybe. I’ve also been passing around a guest book, for everyone to put their blessings or well wishes into. At this rate, it’ll be nearly full by the time everyone has signed it.”
I hug her and tell her thank you, then smile and point to the cupcakes, “Eat up. You worked just as hard as everyone else on making them. Might as well enjoy the fruits of our labor, right?”
After cupcakes, more dancing, and several posed pictures, the night seems to start winding down. I’m thankful because honestly, I want time with my new husband in private.