Page 130 of My Big Fat Shifter Wedding

I pointed across the dance floor where Keith was seated between Nonna Bianchi and Nonna Rizoli. They were arguing spiritedly with each other while Keith sat, visibly amused, in the middle.

“He does get caught up in the funniest things, doesn’t he?” Miss Angela mused as she gratefully took the seat I offered. “I can go fetch him after a bit of a rest. No better way to save your man from a couple of ladies than with another old lady.”

I chuckled lightly, remembering how well his mother had gotten on with my grandmothers. I shook my head. “No need. If they were hogging the groom, I would have to insist that it was my day. But he lasted nearly an hour on the dance floor with me, and I had to cook up that scenario so he’d sit down and catch his breath.”

“Of course my son would try to keep up with a bunch of werewolves! Knowing him, he didn’t want you to feel lonely while you were out there cutting up a rug.”

“I’m sure, and oh, I mentioned this to Keith, but we really prefer the term shifters over werewolves. Not many of us will take offense to it, but... you know.”

“Shoot, I forgot. Keith did tell me. Old habits, ya know?”

“I get it.” After all, Miss Angela was elderly for a human, so it made sense that it took a little longer for changes in her vocabulary to become a new habit. Thinking about that conversation where Keith and I had to tell her about the existence of my people had a question rising to the forefront of my mind. “By the way, why were you so cool with hearing that we were all magical shapeshifters? I imagine that’s not exactly an everyday conversation at your retirement home.” Or anywhere, really, for that matter.

“Was I particularly cool about it?” she mused. “I suppose I am much like my son in that way. If it’s not directly harmful, I don’t see the need to make a big deal about it. Besides, when you get to my age, it’s harder to be shocked. I’ve seen some things in my journey on this earth. Obviously not all of them, but enough.” Her eyes took on a faraway look and the soft smile on her wizened features grew a bit more mischievous. “I suppose it helps that one of my exes back in my wilder days was a wizard.”

“You mean a magician?”

“Sure. Speaking of which, I heard there was supposed to be one of those here, right? Keith said he was quite impressed with the magic man’s performance at his bachelor party.”

“Uh, yeah, I think he’s supposed to be here soon. I have no idea what time it is.”

“What time is it? Baby sis, it’s your time to spread the love and send a little of that fairy tale magic to the next person!”

If I wasn’t so worn out, I might have jolted at Ginna’s loud, enthusiastic voice behind me. Turning in my chair, I saw her striding toward me, a dog under each arm. They had been freed from their wedding attire, but not from attention, and I could see from various lipstick prints in their fur that they had been smothered with all sorts of attention.

“I’m not sure I follow?”

She pointed back the way I had been facing before, and my gaze followed her finger until it landed on my massive bouquet sitting on the bridal table.

“Oh, right...”

It was time to throw that bitch!

Now that understanding was achieved, I turned back to my sister and gave her the cheesiest grin I could muster. “You summon the hopefuls and I’ll go detach the part I’m supposed to throw.”

She gave a little mock salute, which was extra hilarious since she used Rosemary to do it. “Yes, ma’am! Forces assembling!”

I laughed, my sister’s enthusiasm infectious. Although we’d never been the closest, especially with her several living arrangements far away from home, I was realizing more and more that I’d missed out on a lot by not only confining myself to such a small window of what I could be and how I should act, but also everyone around me.

Something to work on.

But first, I had some flowers to throw.

“If you’ll excuse me,” I said, tipping my head to Miss Angela.

“Please, don’t delay on my account. I’m quite excited to see how twenty or so superpowered wolf people handle a bouquet toss. The last wedding I went to there was a fistfight!”

“Oh my god! I hope nobody was hurt!” Although my pack could be rambunctious, and sometimes even intensely competitive, I didn’t think it would get that intense.

“It’s hard to say. As you can imagine, fisticuffs between seventy-year-olds don’t exactly pack a wallop, but I do believe when Irma fell she might have fractured a hip. She deserved it, though! I mean, who wears white to another person’s wedding and then tries to kiss the son of the groom after thinking she got drunk off sparkling apple cider?”

Were all elderly humans like this, or did Miss Angela just know some interesting ones?

I’d have to ask her about it later, because Ginna cleared her throat. It was time to get down to business. Bouquet-tossing business.

I didn’t really think a huge number of my pack would be interested in such a thing, considering the grand majority of us were either already married or too young to be married, but Ginna managed to whip up a sizable crowd. Taking into account that there were some kids there, I guessed fewer of them were interested in being the next to get married and more excited to win a contest. Oh well. Like I’d mentioned before, we were all quite competitive.

“Are you going to aim for anywhere in particular?” Keith whispered, sidling up beside me. Boy, was he a sight for sore eyes. Although he wasn’t going to be tossing any flowers, we’d agreed we weren’t into the garter-removal thing, so it was nice to have him by my side for this tradition.