Page 113 of My Big Fat Shifter Wedding

“Ah yes, our darling Massimo will traverse into worlds beyond to fetch her! It will surely be a perilous journey, but tell me, will you be brave enough to face untold dangers to make sure Guinevere Gwendolyn Gardenia the Sixth returns to us whole?”

“Bring it on.”

With all the drama and aplomb that one might expect from the duo, Giancarlo began to chant some made-up sounding words while Minerva opened the door of the box and repeatedly moved her hand through it to show that it was empty. We all watched with absolutely rapt attention.

Massimo gave a bow, then backed into the box, dramatically crying, “Remember me!” before they shut the door. Minerva snapped a padlock closed on each of the locks.

Massimo was making all sorts of exaggerated expressions, clearly enjoying himself, but even that disappeared from view when, as a last step, the magician’s assistant slid a panel of wood over the cut-out, covering it with a painting of a beautiful full moon.

I chuckled to myself, absolutely delighted.

“And now! By the power of Luna and soul, by the magics beyond and dreams unspoken, I command you, Guinevere Gwendolyn Gardenia, return to us! Hear the call of Massimo as he traverses the dark realm to bring you home!”

We all waited with bated breath, sure that the door of the box would fling open to reveal Massimo standing with the magician’s familiar. But that wasn’t quite what happened. The magician made a grand gesture, but before he could give Minerva whatever cue they had planned between them, the box exploded.

Nearly all of us jumped to our feet as Massimo, in his massive wolf form, landed on the ground on all fours, snarling. Instantly, the jovial mood was gone, and I was terrified that shifters had been exposed to four more humans.

“Whoa! Now this is what I’m talking about!” Chuck exclaimed, clapping his hands. “Is that some sort of animatronic?! Let me get a look at that!”

I stuck out a hand, stopping him, my mind racing to think of an excuse. “Aw, come on, Chuck, you don’t want to ruin the magic for me at my own party, do you?”

He grumbled but sat back down, which left my woodworking mentor, the magician, and his assistant.

However, their reactions weren’t exactly what I expected. Giancarlo didn’t look shocked or horrified or even scared. He looked embarrassed. As for Minerva, she mostly looked pissed.

“As you can see, a monster from the other side has broken through!” Giancarlo said, making more grand gestures. Massimo shook his head, and I saw the light that was undeniably him return to his gaze, even though he was in his animal form. Had... had the magician managed to accidentally force a compulsive shift on him? I didn’t even know that was possible. Then again, it wasn’t like I was an expert in all things shifter. “Minerva! Ready my cloak of transportation to send this beast back from whence it came and return our hero Massimo and the rabbit to us!”

Minerva strode forward, a cloak in her hands. She threw it over Massimo’s massive wolf form, somehow managing to cover all of him. Maybe I was imagining it, because I didn’t have the same enhanced senses as all my wolf brethren, but I swore I heard her grumbling about how long it took her to put that box together and paint it.

Definitely not the utterings of someone who was shocked by learning werewolves were real.

Who were these people?

“Presto, chango, return Massimo!”

A moment later, the bulk under the cloak shrunk considerably, and when Minerva pulled it off, Massimo was kneeling on the ground with the biggest, softest rabbit I’d ever seen in his arms.

“Tadaaaaa! Our hero returns with our missing damsel!”

There were confused claps all around and I stood there, trying to figure out if the whole thing had been planned. But it wasn’t like I could ask in front of Chuck and my mentor, so I joined in the applause.

“Thank you, thank you!” Giancarlo said, bowing then taking the rabbit from Massimo. “The magic forces and I appreciate you being an amazing audience. I’m available for weddings, birthday parties, and family reunions. Usually with less… lupine activities, of course. My assistant and I will bundle up these ancient, magical artifacts and get out of your hair so you can discuss the hero’s journey your young Massimo has been on!”

The two maybe-humans hurried to load up their things on their dolly and pick up the shattered pieces of box. Riccardo and Rolando rushed to Massimo’s side, whispering questions I no doubt shared. But I decided to be on human damage control, and I went over to my mentor.

“Wow, that wasn’t exactly your run-of-the-mill magic show, was it, Mr. Pickingill?” I asked, trying to sound impressed and not apprehensive. The truth was, I still wasn’t sure if it had been planned, and the magician and his assistant were in on it, or if their entire world had just been rocked by both of them witnessing actual magic.

“I’ve told you before; I think we’re at the point where you can call me George.” I thought back to the time my mother had told Olivia to call her by her first name, and suddenly I got exactly what she’d felt in the moment.

“No, thank you, Mr. Pickingill.”

The corner of his lip ticked up ever so slightly, the equivalent of a full belly laugh from him. “They handled the guest appearance well. Rookie move having a portal box made from pine with a moonstone covering the cutout. Should have lined it with salt to prevent any snafus.”

I must have misheard him, which was easy to do considering how quiet he was and how low his deep baritone was. “What was that?”

“I said they did well. When you offer to replace the box for them, because I know you will, build it out of oak instead.”

“Uh, right. Will do.”