Forest Pack Community Book One (COMPLETED)

17

When everything was opened. Joe stood up. “Felicia there’s one gift that you haven’t received yet.” He took her hand and around so all could see. His mother had already given him the ring that was a family heirloom that had been passed down from father to son. She gave him a quizzical look as she followed him. When they got to the front of the table there was just enough space in fact he had made sure of it. The ring box was always updated when the previous one started falling apart. But it was kept so it could be passed with the ring. This box was a deep red color. As he stood before his pack and mate. He said, “Felicia, the Goddess chose you for me and I don’t deserve you because you are the most wonderful person. You love with not just your heart but every fiber of your being.” That’s when he got down to one knee. “So, Felicia Winters would you allow me the honor of not only being my mate but my wife as well?” As he finished he opened the box. Inside was a silver ring with a white moon shaped opal and small diamonds around it.

Felicia, who was speechless, and tears ran down her face, nodded and said a weak yes through her tears. Joe put it on her finger and stood up kissed her. Everyone erupted into applause. For some reason it fit perfectly. Like the ring knew what size it had to be. Because she knew that everyone had different finger sizes. After that men were congratulating Joe and women were surrounding Felicia. Her mom was first, friends were next. Everyone wanted to see the ring. Once, most of the excitement calmed down. Ben stood up and said, “Alright everyone let’s have some cake or whatever Marley’s cooked up!” With that everyone sat down and waited. Expecting the normal cake, Marely had asked the kitchen staff one request for giving the night off. Was to help give out the dessert. Which they did gladly. They all knew that Marley wouldn’t get the night off. So, they had all quietly gone back. With three or four people putting a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a small plate size cookie. They had started while Joe was proposing. Alpha didn’t stand up till he got a sign from the kitchen that they were ready to start distribution those four people did not stop.as they finished carts were loaded, when a cart was loaded it went out. There was a never-ending line of carts going in and out. As the ice cream barrels would be emptied, a new one would be brought out. They ended up using eight and a half barrels of vanilla ice cream. Felicia got the same size, but she also received a baker’s dozen cookies, the same size, getting thirteen instead of twelve. As a bonus gift from the kitchen. Even the kitchen staff all got to carry out their own cookies to enjoy themselves with the rest of the pack.

Ben leaned close to Lissa and suggested something, “Lissa darling, tomorrow would you price out a catering company in the wolf community That would be willing to cater big parties like this so that all the kitchen staff including Marley and her assistant get the night off. The caveat can be that they need to consult Marley on the food as she knows us all the best and we do not want to mess with the woman how feeds us day in and day out.”

Lissa laughed, “Yes I think that’s a great idea. I’ll take care of it myself. You’re right when you say you don’t want to bite the hand that feeds you. She could poison us, and we wouldn’t even know it.” Lissa finished with a wink and a bite of her cookie. Ben looked at her horrified, that she’d even joke like that. Which made her laugh harder. At that Marley walked over like she knew they were talking about her in some way. Ben’s eyes just got as wide as his plate.

“Are you ok Alpha?”

“Yyyy…eee..sss.” He gulped.

“Are you sure?” Marley asked, looking to Lissa for confirmation.

“He’s fine. I made a joke, and he got horrified that I’d even joke that way. That’s when you walked over.”

“Now I’m intrigued, I came over to ask if everything tasted ok and if you thought it went ok. As this is the first time I’ve given the staff the dinner part off. Usually everyone is helping in some way or another.”

Lissa looked at her with a side glance at Ben and asked, “How would you feel about us catering big events. With the caveat that they consult you on all the food. As you know us all best. As Ben said we do not want to piss the woman who feeds us day in and day out. I laughed and said true, that she, meaning you, could poison us and we wouldn’t even know it. That he was right in we don’t want to bite the hand that feeds us. After that I took a bite and winked at him. Somehow Marley, he didn’t think that was funny. Hence his reaction when you walked over.” Lissa smiled widely. Marley just laughed so hard she had to grab the table to support herself.

When her laughter died down Lissa was chuckling too. Marley responded, “You are right Alpha never piss off the woman who cooks your food and no I would not be opposed to an arrangement like that. In fact I know someone who does werewolf catering that I trust. I’ll talk to them and see if they can do the party on the thirty first. Plus, Felicia’s wedding/coming-of-age party. And the other mating ceremonies. Are all of them doing coming of age ceremonies?”

Ben said, “only if they’ve graduated high school.” Marley nodded and walked away. To Lissa he said, “I thought about it and changed my mind. During the mating ceremony mates may mark each other but must wait to consummate the mating until the coming-of-age ceremony. Basically, after high school.”

Lissa thought about it and nodded and agreed. Once out of high school they were basically starting their adulthood whatever that looked like.

The next morning after breakfast and Marley had a chance to talk to her friend she went to the Alpha and told him that She was able to get her for all the upcoming events and seeing they were put on retainer she would charge them one to two thousand dollars depending on what was involved with each event. But never over two thousand. Ben told her great and asked her to fill them in on the food needs. Marley informed him that she had. He just smiled and nodded in the affirmative. Marley just left at that.

Life continued with everyone either going to school, continuing apprenticeships, moving furniture and getting for their futures in general. The days quickly passed and soon the day of the party was here before anyone realized. The kitchen staff had the day off from the kitchens they only thing they needed to do was to help with decorations and move things around so that the tables and chairs were ready in the garden. Signs were made and hung. Lights were also hung. Everything was getting finalized. Marley was in the kitchen with the catering company. She was grateful she did not have to worry about food. All she had to do was answer any questions and get ready for the party. She was excited that she was attending instead of working. Once the food tables were set up, the fountains were set up with signs for the dark and milk chocolate as the white chocolate would be easy to recognize. The fountains wouldn’t be started till much later as it was still early in the day. Felicia, Goldie, and Niomi all had the day off and were spending the day together. Doing some pampering and generally just spending time together. They had decided to give each other their presents in private, instead of putting them on the tables. Except the present that Goldie and Juniper together that one did go on the table. But Goldie had done one just from her. It was one of her creations that she had made with Felicia in mind. It would be for her role as a physiatrist. As the one on the table was the lab coats that the two women had made together.

Felicia wanted Goldie to go first. As she felt she always went first seeing she was the oldest of the three. Goldie excitedly opened her first gift. This one was from Niomi. Niomi was enjoying carving the rocks as not only was it a hobby but going to be a business as well. She had promised her parents that she would finish school and get her MBA while she worked. She had decided to turn one of the rooms into a bedroom. She hadn’t completely decided. But she was thinking either the medium room or largest room. Depending on how her equipment fits. Goldie’s gift was a medium sized sandstone wolf sitting with dark brown eyes, it also had a woman with her hand on the top of the wolf’s head. Goldie exclaimed, “Oh my! This is beautiful Niomi! I absolutely love it! It is going on my drafting desk at work! It will remind me of the beauty I have inside.”

Niomi corrected. “This represents your beauty inside and out.”

"Thank you, my friend. I love this so much.” Goldie said and hugged her friend.

When Felicia handed her gift to Goldie she said, “I wasn’t sure what to get you. So, I hope you like enjoy.”

Goldie smiled and said, “You’ve given me so much already. But thank you.” She tore into the wrapping and opened the box. Finding extra art supplies. From loose drawing paper, page protectors for her growing catalog, more colored pencils, regular pencils, and charcoal. “This is perfect! Now I really don’t have to worry about buying art supplies for while! Or page protectors for the catalog! Which is coming along so well you guys. I’ve already added half a dozen more designs into it. I got more to add...I just ran out of protectors so this will help!” she laughed.

“Niomi you’re next!” Goldie exclaimed as she handed her gift over. Niomi gave her an odd-looking box and opened the box. Her face lit up. “Aprons!!!” as she pulled one out, she saw it had pockets to hold tools and any other useful things that she may need. With a pocket near the top for pencils or pens when she’s doing consults. “Thank you! I absolutely love it! She looked at Felicia and said, “I’m going to turn your house into my home as well as my studio. One of the rooms will be my bedroom and the kitchen will double as my kitchen and consultancy area. I’ll add on to the first floor and have a private living room. Or something I haven’t totally decided. Living area may be upstairs with the shop area being all downstairs. But It will be perfect. There’s enough space to add on in the back without taking up the whole yard. So I should be able to live there for a long time to come.”

“But what about once you get a mate? Are you still going to want to live where you work? My parent’s bedroom is big enough to turn it into a nice little apartment type suite. It’s already got a bathroom. Add some walls and you have a living room and a bedroom. The kitchen downstairs can still pull double duty.”

“I actually very much like that idea better.” Niomi responded.

“Well, here is my gift. I hope you like it.”

Niomi just rolled her eyes as she opened the gift. Once she got it opened, She, looked at her friend. Not only had she given her the house. But she had given her the deed to the house. It truly was her house. In her name and everything. She could do whatever she wanted without any permission from anyone. There was also a gift certificate for the Rock shop in town to get some rocks for her new shop. “Felicia! Are you serious? The house is mine? Totally mine?? Plus, I can buy rocks and keep them for MY store front not just his” she laughed at that but was astounded at the deed.

“Yes, this should help move things along. Plus, you won’t have to come to me or anyone to ask to do something to the house because it’ll be yours to do anything you want with it.”

“Thank you! This means so much to me.” Niomi said with tears in her eyes. Thank you, guys!”

“Your turn Felicia!” Goldie said.

“I want to go first” Niomi said handing her gift over.

“Ok...” Felicia said opening the box. In it sat a Selenite carving of her and Joe. Felicia looked up her mouth a wide O. “Is this what I think it is?”

“Yes, a cake topper. It won’t be too heavy for the cake as ceramic is used a lot as a topper anyway and this is much lighter than that. Plus, I think it’ll mean more because it’s a likeness of the two of you. Besides if you look closely, It’s the moment Joe proposed to you.

Felicia took a closer look, and Joe was indeed on one knee, except it was the moment he put the ring on her finger, before standing up. It really was perfect. Felicia set the box carefully next to her stood up and hugged her friend hard with tears in her eyes. “Thank you! I love it! I wasn’t sure what I was going to use because I didn’t like anything I was finding. I still haven’t found a wedding dress and I'm starting to stress.”

“Then, open mine” Goldie said.

Felicia sat down and took the box from her friend. When she opened it, she cried. It was a head piece with a piece of scrap lace, different white fabric, and a blank piece of paper. “Ok, the headpiece and lace I get. But what is the white fabric and blank paper for?”

“It’s a wedding gown. Only reason there’s not a veil in there is because there’s different types of veils. Juniper said she’d help get it done in time, but she’s going to let me do most of the work. Part of my training, I guess. So, no more stressing over the gown. In fact, I can use my new pencils, and we can get the drawing done now, So, Juniper and I can get started on it tomorrow. What do you think?”

“I love that idea!” They looked at the clock decided they had a few hours and sat at the kitchen table and discussed the dress. “So, I want similar lines to today’s dress. But a sweetheart bodice and neckline but with sleeves. But I want lace sleeves. Not like the veil but that lace that has the white curly cues and such.”

“Chantilly lace sleeves. What about this...” She quickly drew out a design that had Chantilly lace sleeves but also in the gown with an A-line pattern to it. Bringing the lace over the down over the bodice with a square but sweetheart neckline. She drew the lace going down over the gown. “Do you want a train? Or just about floor length? We can do something where there is a hidden wrist loop. So that you can just put the loop on your wrist. Also zip or tie or buttons. Buttons are normal but a pain to do on the morning of. Zip is easy and so is a tie. Like a crisscross in the back.” She drew out a couple ideas for the back of the dress. Felicia looked at them all and thought the crisscross tie idea would give the front a clean-cinched look. But also thought the zip was easiest. She just sighed and put her head in her hands. Goldie seeing this said, “Hey wedding decisions are not easy. I know you want to wow Joe. Trust me he will be. Seeing your gown will have this lace. We don’t have to worry about a veil. We can beef up the head piece a bit with some of the same lace. I have an idea for that so let me surprise you there, ok? As for the rest of the dress. We got the front down. The back is almost done, I’m thinking an open back it will start to zip or whatever at your lower back finishing around your butt crack.”

A that Felicia just started laughing because her friend described something as finishing at her butt crack. Which put her at ease. She realized that the back was going to look like the front just had to decide how to close it and if there was a train. “Frankly I like the zipper idea, but can you hide the zipper?”

“Absolutely! I can also hide a couple loops and buttons so that the back can come up and the train will be off the ground for the reception part. But you’ll have a beautiful train for the ceremony. What do you think?”

Felicia just looked at her, eyes wide. You can do that?”

“Pretty sure yeah. Like I said Juniper will help. Let me run over there and show her what you want so that if we need to order or get anything we can. I’ll be right back why don’t you girls get started getting ready then I'll be right back. Promise I won’t be long.” She took her gifts over to the shop where she found Juniper. “Hey, I know I'm not supposed to be here, but I needed to run this over. Felicia and I sat down and drew out her wedding dress.